Volirium have announced there is a fix on its way to resolve GPS issues with the Flytec 6020, 6030 (or Bräuniger Competino+ and Compeo+) flight instruments.
The problem did not affect the Volirium P1.
An email sent on 13 May reads:
Over the past months, some pilots flying a Flytec 6020/6030 (aka Bräuniger IQ Competino+/Compeo+) experienced loss of GPS reception, usually about two to three hours into their flights. We also observed a general degradation of GPS connectivity, with longer acquisition times for first fix, and fewer satellites used at any moment in time.
After an intensive investigation, we finally found the root of this problem: A software bug inside some of the GPS modules we have been using for these devices. GPS modules are like little computers all on their own, which run their own software to process the data received from satellite and calculate position from that data. And in that software, the manufacturers detected a bug related to the April 2019 GPS week rollover, which causes the modules to lock onto satellites which are not within range at all or will eventually disappear behind the horizon.
We are now in the process of solving this issue. This entails enhancing our software to be able to send a corrected version of the GPS module’s software to the module. We will inform you on this channel when the new 6020/6030 software is available.
In the meantime, if you encounter a problem with lack or loss of GPS reception with one of those varios, the best work-around is to turn the vario off, then on again. If this happens during an important flight, and results in two or more IGC files, we offer to combine those files for you, and sign them again with a valid G record, for submission to online contests. In order to do that:
Print out the following text: “I, _________________ <name> hereby declare that during the part or parts of my flight of the ____________ <date> not recorded by the attached tracklog files, I did not commit any airspace infringement or any other illegal action that could be detected with a complete flight recording. If any airspace infringement or other illegal action during the flight recorded by the attached tracklog files is detected at a later point, I alone bear the sole and full responsibility.”
Add your full name and date where marked
Sign the text
Scan the result, or take a picture of it
Send the scan or picture along with the IGC files containing fragments of your flight to: support@volirium.com
We will do our best to react within three business days
