Frequently Asked Questions

Who should consider the ClearNav?

• Developing cross-country pilots - The improved situational awareness provided by ClearNav will help beginning and intermediate cross-country pilots develop their skills more quickly and confidently, and get more out of each flight.

• Contest pilots - Big improvements in task optimization and tactical guidance (especially for Area tasks) will appeal to contest pilots at all levels. Greatly enhanced visual and audible SUA alarms will make 1,000 point penalties a thing of the past.

• Ridge and mountain pilots - ClearNav is the first instrument to do a thorough job of showing how both terrain and wind affect the areas a glider can reach.

• OLC pilots - Look for task optimization and a streamlined flight submission process.

• Pilots who must cope with problem airspace - Better depiction of problem airspace and configurable monitoring of close approaches will give pilots much better tools for flying close to airspace while staying legal and safe.

Why not a touch screen?
Graphic displays often use a touch screen for user input; the ClearNav doesn’t. There are two important reasons for this:

• Visibility – Adding a touch-sensitive layer to a screen reduces its brightness, an unacceptable compromise for an instrument whose most important goal was an uncommonly bright and clear display.
• Ease of use – On a desk or in the palm of your hand, a touch screen is very easy to use; in a glider cockpit, it is much less so: The display may not be located at a convenient distance for touching; the pilot’s right hand is busy on the stick; turbulence and g-forces often make accurate screen-touching difficult and time-consuming.

Our research showed that a properly designed remote keypad was superior to a touch screen, and pilots who use the ClearNav report that controlling it is quick and intuitive. One ClearNav beta tester even described the ClearNav remote as “genius.”

Why not a wireless remote?
This is relatively easy to do, but has critical disadvantages:

• Wireless remotes require batteries (which tend to die at inconvenient moments)
• Wireless remotes are easy to lose
• Interference is possible

For these reasons, we decided that a wired remote is a better choice for a gliding instrument.

Does NK offer a variometer?
Not yet—this is planned for 2009. It will be designed to integrate with the ClearNav and maximize the benefits of both instruments and will also reflect the variometer expertise of NK’s development team.

Can I install the ClearNav myself?
Definitely. We have put a great deal of thought into designing installation options that accommodate every glider and panel configuration. No special tools are needed, and the wiring nexus board makes installation easier than for almost any other gliding instrument.

How do I download a flight log from ClearNav?
You simply transfer the secure flight record, already encrypted by ClearNav’s advanced security functions, to either an SD card or a USB memory stick. No cables, protocols or waiting are required.

How do I update ClearNav maps or turnpoint data?
By means of the SD flash card or USB memory stick. Terrain, map and turnpoint information will be available on-line, via the NK website and other established and well-regarded data sources. Using your PC, you’ll download the information and transfer it to your SD card or USB memory stick. The ClearNav takes care of transferring the files when you load the card or stick, and you’re ready to fly with the latest data.

At soaring contests, last-minute turnpoint changes can be a nuisance. With ClearNav, you simply put the latest turnpoint file on your SD card or USB stick, and it will supersede the outdated data as soon as it is plugged into your ClearNav.

What if more than one pilot wants to fly a glider equipped with ClearNav?
Not a problem. ClearNav uses “personality” files, in which a pilot’s preferences (for units, display configuration, and many other things) are stored. When ClearNav starts up, you will choose the desired personality. Your ClearNav can store as many of these as necessary—it would be no trouble to support a dozen different pilots.

Does ClearNav include a PC-base configuration application or flight simulator?
You can experiment with all ClearNav functions while on the ground or at home simply by connecting the ClearNav to a standard glider battery. The ClearNav software is also PC compatible and can be run in simulation mode and operated using a standard keyboard. (The remote keys are mapped to the keyboard in this application, and the size of the ClearNav window will be controlled by the resolution of your monitor.) We will also offer a simple configuration utility which will allow you to speed creation of your pilot profile by using your computer and keyboard and transferring the profile to your ClearNav.

Does the ClearNav correct airspeed for air temperature?
The ClearNav permits you to enter air temperature to further minimize airspeed calculation errors. (Errors in airspeed calculation relating to temperature ratios are 3 to 4% worst case. Entering ground temperature is sufficient to reduce these errors to less than 1%.)

Does ClearNavigator include thermal centering or airmass history?
While these features will not be offered at release, we will continually be assessing the addition of requested software features. Our goal will be to include features that are desired by the majority of our customers and can be added without compromising usability and visibility. Software updates will be easy to install via download from NK’s website using the SD card or USB memory stick. All software updates will be free for one year. After one year, bug fixes and updates will be free, but version upgrades will be sold for a reasonable charge.

Does the ClearNav display speed-to-fly?
We will be adding vario-based display features as we develop our own variometer. At release, the ClearNav will be compatible with the Cambridge 302 (and will facilitate download of flight records from the 302). We are not presently planning to duplicate items displayed on the 302, but are open to suggestions from our users.

Is ClearNav compatible with FLARM?
Yes. The ClearNav will accept input from a FLARM unit, and will clearly display the location.

When will ClearNav be available?
We are offering a limited “first flight” of instruments to our dealers for delivery in May and June of 2008. These units are being offered at a discounted price to customers who are willing to participate in the final stages of development and de-bugging of the software. All first flight units will receive all software updates as they become available. Please check with our authorized dealers to determine first flight unit availability.

Following our first flight release, we will move to production release in late summer or early fall. Deliveries will be prioritized by order commitment, so please contact the dealer of your choice soon if you seek a delivery in 2008.

Will there be charges for software updates?
Bug fixes and minor updates will be distributed free of charge via the internet. Version upgrades will be free of charge for a minimum of one year and will be reasonably priced thereafter.

When does NK expect IGC approval of the ClearNav as a secure flight recorder?
NK has been working closely with the IGC to ensure that the protocols and algorithms employed by the ClearNav are in compliance with IGC requirements, and the ClearNav development team has extensive experience in designing compliant flight recorders. We will be submitting the ClearNav for approval in mid-May, and anticipate that we could have approval this summer. We are committed to obtaining approval as quickly as possible.

Can I run other soaring software packages on the ClearNav?
The ClearNavigator application is custom-designed to work with the ClearNav remote-control based user interface and to maximize the benefits of the large bright display. As computer users well know, with a system comprised of software made by one party and hardware by another, the source of a system problem can be a mystery, making it difficult to obtain support. For this reason, NK has invested significant resources into creating our own top-notch soaring software application and will be committed to providing excellent documentation and support as well as upgrades and improvements driven by user demand. At present, NK is not seeking to open the ClearNav platform to other applications, but we will be open to discussion with our customers and other software authors.

What warranty will be provided?
The ClearNav will be covered by a full Two-Year parts and labor warranty, with factory service available for the life of the product.

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