Jon,
Allow me to offer a small suggestion, which may or may not have been offered.
I always try to be on my downwind led at 30 seconds to the spot and off my shoulder.
This is where I crack the flaps for inital slow down and use my mental pre landing check list.
at this point is where you would flip your landing mode ON, and crack the flaps.
This allows me to make distance / time adjustments just after the dowind to base turn, with ease and consequently the base to final trun, making flap adjustments, as required to the spot.
As always Practice is required, for any given "Proceedure"..
I too, have been ruined by the Stylus, I have flown many and sold just as many Jr radios for the very reason that you discuss. I Have been flying a MPX Profi 4000 for several years now and am happy.
I do know a couple of guys, who are sorta buged by some of the nussiance, issues with the radio, However, considering what is out there, this box is very close, to being a competitors radio.
I too am considering the new JR, as backup, only to support the JR Boys, for what they are doing for us, the soaring community, in terms of the fantistic support that they are showing the industry. ( Thank You John D and Peter F)
Hope this helps...some
Jack
--
Jack Strother
Granger, IN
LSF 2948
LSF Level V #117
LSF Official 1996 - 2004
CSS Gold
Jack Strother
Granger, IN
LSF 2948
LSF Level V #117
LSF Official 1996 - 2004
CSS Gold
-------------- Original message --------------
I'm real close to buying a 9303, but have this one nagging concern I can't seem to work around. I can deal with the different switch locations, etc. Just as being different. No big deal. The 9303 has many super positive features that I find very attractive.
First, let me say I've been heavily influenced by the Airtronics way of doing things, as I have owned a Vision, and now a Stylus for several years. I program the radio specifically to reduce pilot workload. Less things to think of and less things to remember. This has lead me to use the flight-mode switch to control almost all settings. The XP9303 also shares this philosophy. Great! Just what I am looking for. Lots of free mixers too. Seems almost trivial to setup a wing with 6 servos on the TE.
I have this one nagging issue about landing mode. I realize the 9303 can have the FLAP -> ELEV mixing in all flight modes, so there is no safety issue (ala 8103).When I use crow for landing mode, I want several different mixes. Things like reverse diff, aileron -> rudder, etc. As you may know, with the Vision and Stylus, landing mode is automatically engaged when the flap stick starts to be pulled down. This overrides any other flight mode in place at the time. Not so with the 9303.
With the 9303, the pilot must remember to pull the flight mode switch to engage LAND mode. This is fine. But... when is a guy to pull that landing mode switch? If I pull landing mode at 1 or 2-minutes to go, then handling will quirky when I'm cruising around. If I forget to put it in landing mode at all, handling will suffer on final approach. Ideally, I think landing mode should engage precisely when I start to pull the flap stick. Not before, not later. There's that pesky Airtronics mentality. ;)
To me, this is a serious pilot work load issue, ideally rememberin to pull the LAND switch just as I'm entering my final turn. I certainly do not need one more thing to remember to do during the last 30 seconds of flight.
So, JR experts... how am I supposed to do things with this radio? Is a lobotomy required? I'm ready.Thanks,
Jon
