Today is the day I officially launch the L1D vario! But, how did it all start ...?

The story of LastOneDown Boy (1 min 26 sec)

Right from the beginning of my FPV "career" I had problems judging altitude. Down low this was not a problem as the ground served as a good reference. The higher I went, the more I lost track of where I was going. Especially for thermal soaring, but also for long range or long duration flights, it was critical I had precise information of the climb and sink speed of my aircraft.

Current state-of-the-art GPS and barometric sensors did not adequately provide this information, and they all work with OSDs that would steal my focus from what was going on around me. This led me to design and build the LastOneDown Variometer.

With the Variometer I was able to double my flight times without considerable effort. This device is made for breaking high altitude and long range records!

Fetaures
* Extremely precise and fast altitude measurement (3cm precision, 10cm accuracy, 60Hz)
* Intuitive sounds describe where your aircraft is going (like in full scale aircraft)
* Small enough to fit anywhere, works with any FPV equipment
* Works with microphones to also provide on-board sound
* Turn on/off using a R/C channel
* Low-battery alarm

The vario excels in finding thermals and helps you to be a better, more efficient FPV pilot. Over 100 hours in the air and even more hours on the workbench were spent to fine-tune it to perfection. Don't take my word for it, here's how other FPV pilots are using it right now:

Mountain Climber (8 min 41 sec)

Just a little thermal action. (9 min 59 sec)

Cularis FPV with L1D Vario (2 min 46 sec)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjH7R3O7HF0

More information
There is a manual available for download with more details and installation instructions.
http://www.lastonedown.com/manual.pdf

Where to buy
The Variometer is available at FPV stores. Please go to http://www.lastonedown.com/buy.html to find the shop nearest to you.

Awesome vidoes and product, hope you sell a bunch.
I've ordered one from ElectronicaRc and i've got quite a bit of stuff from them including an ImmersionRC EzOSD with 100A current sensor. and being within the EU I usually get in in less than a week.
It will go on a Great Planes Siren.

So the tones that I hear on the vid's, can you explain a little more about them. I mean does the L1D alert you to sink aswell, but in a glider unless you have the motor running or your in a thermal, you will be decending, so why didn't i hear a low pich tone when 'just a little thermal action' was scouting for thermals?

thanks StealthWorkX. The vario signals lift and sink. You can configure the "silent" zone at which it remains quiet. So let's say your plane sinks at 1m/s ... you would want the silent zone to be around 1m/s ... that means if you are in "dead" air the vario will just be quiet.

Most of my customers prefer the "silent mode" though, which means the vario only reacts to lift. On a bad day it will help to keep the spirits up, since you won't hear the sink. On a good day you should set a proper sink setting in order to hear when you are in a sink zone. Wherever there are thermals, there are sink zones - the stronger the thermals the stronger the sink zone. So knowing if you're in a sink is just as important as knowing if you're in a thermal.

Here is a video where I was gauging the sink speed of my Supra and set it a little too low (plane descending faster than the "sink speed" setting). You can differentiate sink from climb very easily: sink = continuous, climb = "beeps".

Supra FPV tests (2 min 43 sec)

I understand now.

sink = continuous, climb = "beeps".

I didn't realise that before.
I guess once you've been flying with it a few times you will 'tune in' to the different tones that it's producing. I must say, it's almost like music.

So i've got a 2.4Ghz AV TX. One audio channel is currently being used for the ImmersionrC EzTracker. I can use the other audio channel for the Vario - right?
I've Just have a look at http://www.lastonedown.com/index.html and the part where it says - what you get - Why is it recommended that it is used in conjenction with an onboard mic?
Thank you

after 5mins of flight with the tones you'll start to miss them if they're not there. it all sounds very natural when you're using it on your own plane. the smoothing delay of 1s takes a bit of getting used to, but in the long run it's much easier to find thermals that way.

the onboard mic adds another dimension to your audio channel: speed. When everything is quiet (no engine running) you can hear the speed of the plane very well. You can even hear turbulence across the wing, or your servos chattering when you reach the limit of your range. So for soaring a microphone makes a lot of sense.

The vario mixes the vario sounds over the sound from the mic, so you won't need a 2nd audio channel. The mic conveniently plugs into the vario.

so nobody noticed the "story of lastonedown boy"? my nephew is going to be pissed

Originally Posted by trappy

so nobody noticed the "story of lastonedown boy"? my nephew is going to be pissed

haha

I thought it was awsome. Lastonedown boy is the man.

I like the way he hammers and saw's on a lump of timber then blows off the sawdust to reveal a L1D.
I've been through all my wood ready for the winter but there were no L1D's in it

Maybe your on everyone's ignore list

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Hey. I just put you on my ignore list. hoping you'd return the favor. thanks.

Trappy

come on scrape, seriously? every thread I post in? I've already limited myself to posting only on my vendor threads, now you come and insult me here too?

Was not trying to insult you, just show you what you do to others in their threads.
"Happy Crashing"

oh ok. thanks for showing me. way to keep it on a technical level too I guess personal attacks is what you resort to if you can't find any technical issues ... so maybe I should take it as a compliment ?

You don't get it. People don't want to read this kind of stuff. If you want to keep this going this is the perfect thread to do it in.
Have not looked for techinical issues, not really interested. You can pat yourself on the back all you like.

Listen, if you don't start posting on topic I'm going to have to just report everything you post to the moderators. The topic here is the LastOneDown Variometer. You are more than welcome to voice criticism, but to just come in here with personal attacks is unacceptable.

To all the others: I'm very sorry about this guy. He seems to be on a rampage because I have voiced technical concerns about EagleTree products Hoping the moderators will come and sort this out ... now, where were we ...