Varios are flight instruments which indicate your height whilst you are paragliding. They range from super basic beepers indicating ascending or descending movement to onboard computers which can track your flights, sniff out thermals and even warn you of restricted airspace.
Click the images for more information.
Micro Varios
Micro varios are the simplest form of vario. They make a beeping sound to indicate rising and falling in altitude. They have no screens and don’t need any input from the pilot whilst flying, as such they are a great piece of kit for beginners, hike & fly pilots or as a backup vario.
| Skybean 2 | Syride SYS’One V3 | |||
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| Size | 62x28x15 mm | 5.3cm x 4.3cm x 1.4cm | ||
| Weight | 26g | 19g | ||
| Battery | 250hrs | 290 hrs | ||
| Rechargable | Yes | No – cell coin battery | ||
| Mount | Helmet, velcro | Wrist, helmet | ||
| Target | Beginners, hike&fly | hike&fly | ||
| Price | £67 | £65 |
Standard Varios
Standard varios give an altitude reading as well as logging your flight time but do not have airspace or navigation features.
| Skydrop Vario | Syride SYS’Alti V3 | FlyMaster Vario SD | FlyMaster Vario LS | Flytec Element Alto | |
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| Size | 28 x 62 x 15 mm | 10cm x 6.1cm x 1.7cm | 155 x 92 x 24 mm | 126 x 73 x 12 mm | 138 x 72 x 24 mm |
| Weight | 68g | 75g | 176g | 89g | 122g |
| Battery | 7,5-13hrs | 150hrs | ~60hrs | 250hrs | |
| Rechargable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No – 2 AA Batteries |
| Mount | Risers, flightdeck | Risers, flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Flight Deck |
| Memory | SD card | 150hrs | up to 248 flights | up to 248 flights | Logs takeoff and landing times |
| Compass | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Can be plugged in to computer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| *GPS based functions * | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Design your screen | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Target | Beginners, XC, hike&fly | Beginners, hike&fly | Beginners, hike&fly | Beginners, hike&fly | Beginners, hike&fly |
| Price | £220 | £184 | £179 | £165 | £179 |
GPS Varios
GPS varios have the features of a standard vario plus the advantage of GPS tracking. Perfect for cross country flying as a GPS vario will also warn the pilot when approaching restricted airspace.
| Syride Sys’GPS V3 | FlyMaster GPS SD | FlyMaster GPS SD 3G | FlyMaster GPSLS | Ascent vario |
Syride SYS’Evolution
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| Size | 10cm x 6.1cm x 1.7cm | 155x92x24 mm | 155x92x24 mm | 126x73x12 mm | 83.4mm x 54.0mm x 14.9 mm |
11.2cm x 17cm x 1.5cm
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| Weight | 83g | 212g | 232g | 110 gr | 83g | <300gr |
| Battery | 40hrs | 10hrs |
Between 20 & 30h
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| Rechargable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mount | Risers, flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | wrist, risers | Flight Deck |
| Memory | 75hrs/30 flights | **16GB SD card up to 248 flights | **16GB SD card up to 248 flights | Storage for around 150000 trackpoints | 999 flights +50hrs detailed tracklog |
2000h flight (1pt/sec)
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| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can be plugged in to computer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| *GPS based functions * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Design your screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Livetracking | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Airspace warning | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Maps | Only to calculate height above ground | Yes, downloadable | Yes, downloadable | Yes, downloadable | No | Yes |
| Send text | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| ***Competition features*** | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| ****Live features**** | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Target | hike&fly, XC | XC | XC | Beginners, XC | Beginners, XC, hike&fly |
XC, Gadget lovers
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| Price | £299 | £369 | £539 | £499 | £299 | £599 |
NAV
Nav instruments are designed with competition pilots in mind.
| Digifly AIR BT | FlyMaster Nav SD | FlyMaster Live SD | FlyMaster Live SD 3G | Oudie Basic | Oudie 4 | |
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| Size | 156 mm x 93 mm x 19 mm | 155x92x24 mm | 155x92x24 mm | 155x92x24 mm | 156 mm x 93 mm x 19 mm |
156 mm x 93 mm x 19 mm
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| Weight | 180g | 212g | 232g | 232g | 350g | 350g |
| Batteri | 30 hrs | |||||
| Rechargable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mount | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Separate velcro for risers, leg and flight deck | Leg, flight deck |
Leg, flight deck
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| Memory | SD card | **16GB SD card up to 248 flights | **16GB SD card up to 248 flights | **16GB SD card up to 248 flights | SD card | SD card |
| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can be plugged in to computer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Altitude | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| *GPS based functions * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Design your screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Livetracking | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes, with Oudie Live App |
Yes, with Oudie Live App
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| Airspace warning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maps | Yes | Yes, downloadable | Yes, downloadable | Yes, downloadable | Yes, rivers, roads lakes etc |
Yes, rivers, roads lakes etc
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| Sends text | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Download speed | N/A | N/A | Up to 53.6 Kbit/s | Up to 7.2 Mbit/s | Via Oudie live |
Via Oudie live
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| ***Competition features*** | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes |
| ****Live features**** | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes, with Oudie Live App |
Yes, with Oudie Live App
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| Target | XC, competition | XC, competition | XC, competition | XC, competition | XC, competition |
XC, competition
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| Price | £589 | £489 | £629 | £659 | £675 | £540 |
For more information on any of the products listed above feel free to call our office on 01273 858170 or pop into our shop on the A27