ILEC

ILEC Industrie und Luftfarhtelektronik GmbH
Bayreuth, Germany

Overview
ILEC is best know for their popular SN10 flight computer and vario system. They also offer some very nice variometers and total energy probes.

Links
Garmin | Garrecht Volkslogger

Screen Images from SN-10
Click on the images to view larger versions.

Thermal Height Band Graph Shows climb rate vs. altitude	Alternate Landing Sites
Area Task	Airspace
Flight Screen	Simple Final Glide

SN-10B Demo Software

If you are a potential SN-10 customer, or you are a new SN-10B owner, or you want a refresher course on how to use your SN-10B you will want to try the SN-10B Demo for PCs.
Demo Software Install

New Goddard Cables for Connecting an SN10 to a FLARM or PowerFLARM

The SN10 works great with FLARM and PowerFLARM devices. The SN10 can even send a task declaration to the FLARM or PowerFLARM. However, the SN10's 12V power output does not provide enough current to power a FLARM or PowerFLARM. Therefore, we have created 2 new SN10 wiring harnesses for use with FLARM and PowerFLARM units. You can see details using the links below.

SN10b-Pnl-FLARM-Pwr-1 - for connecting a FLARM or PowerFLARM to the SN10. 12V power leads are included on the wiring harness for powering the FLARM unit.
SN10b-Pnl-PS5a-FLARM-1 - for connecting a FLARM or PowerFLARM unit to the SN10 and a PDA or PNA. The 12V power for the FLARM unit is provided by either a Goddard PS5a power converter, or an Oudie power/data cable.

New Software Version 2.38 for ILEC SN-10 - FREE Upgrade

There is a new version of the SN-10 software which is available now - free of charge.All new SN-10 units shipped from Cumulus Soaring, Inc. will include this latest software version.

The software is available here: http://www.nadler.com/sn10/SN10_Resource_Index.html

SN10 Data Transfer Software

The ILEC data transfer software is included with the SN10 upgrade software installation. It is available here: http://www.nadler.com/sn10/SN10_Resource_Index.html

USB to Serial Converters

New laptop computers do not offer RS-232 serial ports - which are required for transferring files to and from the SN10. Computer stores sell USB to Serial adapters which claim to offer a serial port through a standard USB port. However, I have tested several of them and have found very few that work. I just found a unit that works great with my Windows 7 64-bit computer. It is from FTDI Chip and is available here: FTDI Chip

David Nadler has compiled a very nice list of devices that have been tested and work well. You can see his page here: http://www.nadler.com/sn10/SN10_USB_Serial_Notes.html

See the SN-10 in Action

The excellent soaring film A Fine Week of Soaring features many in flight views of the SN-10 in use in a soaring contest. You can order it here: A Fine Week of Soaring

SN-10B Upgrades

It is possible to upgrade an SN-10 to an SN-10B. The SN10B is just like an SN10, but with a new LCD screen: Higher-resolution, higher-contrast, and less reflective. When they're turned off, you couldn't tell them apart except for the label. The document below describes how to get your SN-10 upgraded to an SN-10B for about $350. You'll find that the upgrade is worth the money. The new display looks great!

SN-10B Upgrade.pdf

SN-10 Compatibility with GPS Flight Recorders

The SN-10 does not include an integral GPS. It does include a flight recorder, but it is not IGC approved for validation of any flights. The SN-10 will work with just about any flight recorder, but can send task declarations to the Volkslogger, so the combination of VL and SN-10 is quite common. The SN10 also works great with FLARM and PowerFLARM devices. It can send task declarations (maximum of 8 turnpoints) to the PowerFLARM. The low cost (non-IGC approved) option would be to use a Garmin GPS 16-HVS.

How to Create an SN-10b Waypoint and SUA data file

StrePla now makes it easy to export files which include waypoints and airspace for downloading to the SN10. Below are the steps I used recently. Several files are created. One includes the waypoints only. Another includes the airspace only. But the largest file includes both waypoints and airspace - that is the one to use.

Adjust the view in StrePla to show the area you want to export.
Go to the File menu and select Export / Airspace
Select the desired region using the box and select SN10 as the output format
Save the file into the C:\SN10 directory
Edit the header line of the waypoint file with text similar to that shown below.
H "Stanton MSC Home Grass Field Rny NS/EW 122.8",Timezone -5:00,Magvar -3,Home "Stanton"

Using a Pocket PC for SN-10 Waypoint Database and Fight Log Transfers

It is possible to send waypoint files to the SN-10 from a Pocket PC. You can also download flight logs from the SN-10 to the Pocket PC. That way you don't need to bring a PC to the airport. A utility called PocketDOS can be used to run the ILEC SN-10 utility on the Pocket PC. The process is described here: SN10 Transfer with PocketDOS.pdf

For a description of the cables required, please see Data Cables - For Data Transfer Only below.

Note: The procedure above has been tested a few times using an iPAQ 3970. It worked perfectly with a medium sized flight log. At least one person has mentioned difficulty getting the procedure to work with his older Pocket PC. Please let me know if you have any problems getting this to work. Please also let me know if it works well for you. You can expect very long delays of several minutes at certain points in the flight log download process.

Data Cables - For Data Transfer Only

Any Pocket PC cable such as the I38C-x that would connect the Pocket PC or cradle to the PS-5a can be connected through an ILEC "PC" cable to the instrument panel connector and through the ILEC "Cockpit Panel Cable" (or a custom cable like the SN10b-Pnl-Vb-1) to the SN-10. Below is a text overview of the connection. Do not forget to use the ILEC "PC" cable between the Pocket PC cable and the instrument panel connector because it is wired to put the SN-10 into PC communication mode.

SN10 <-> ILEC Cockpit Panel Cable (or similar Goddard cable) <-> ILEC PC Cable <-> Pocket PC Cable (I38C-x or similar)

Data Cables - For use in Flight

The SN-10 is delivered with basic cables that can be used to connect to most any GPS - but some soldering is required. Optional custom cables from Goddard are available for connecting the SN-10 to a variety of GPS and GPS flight recorder units. These cables greatly simplify installation and they are very reliable and robust. All you need to do is screw them together and you are ready to fly - no soldering required. For connecting the SN-10 to a GPS only (no Pocket PC) look for the SN-10 at the top right corner of the table and then find the desired GPS in the left-hand column. For connecting the SN-10 to a GPS and a Pocket PC, look for the SN-10 and GPS pair in the left-hand column and then look across the top of the table for the desired PDA. The table recommends cable options for use in flight. For cables for use in transferring files while on the ground see the paragraph above. When ordering the SN-10 you have the option to have the ILEC supplied panel cable modified for connection to a Volkslogger, Colibri or Cambridge GPS-NAV, 302 or 302A for $39 (includes labor and shipping to Goddard and back). Or you can order the option to have a Garmin GPS 16-HVS GPS attached to the ILEC supplied panel cable for $188 (includes $129 for the GPS and a $59 charge for labor, quick-disconnect connectors, and shipping to Goddard and back).

Interesting Article

TotalEnergyCompensationInPractice-Brozel.pdf

Currency Issues

SN-10 Cable Photos
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Cables for file transfer from SN10 to PDA using included ILEC Cockpit Panel Cable	Cables for file transfer from SN10 to PDA using Goddard Cables	Cables for use in flight	Cables for File transfer from Volkslogger to PDA