I have E6B apps on both my phone as well as my tablet but I sometimes think that the old-fashioned E6B would be nice to have along. I am getting ready to order a new one since my old one is pretty worn out (it is an el-cheapo student pilot special). I primarily use the electronic one these days, but I was thinking about picking up one of these: http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/2514 (http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/2514)
It only does time/speed/distance, but as an observer, that's all I will really need it to do. Also, it's small and unobtrusive and the battery will never die. I could just clip it to my knee board and it will always be there.
Does anybody here have one of these, and if so, is it as handy as it looks? How about the construction? Fairly durable?
Ed
I haven't seen one of those in decades. Didn't know they even made them anymore. Anyway I had one when I was in high school, used it to impress the girls. As a student pilot and Private Pilot I tried using it in the plane and it was just too small to use and read accurately. Later it just sat around in a junk drawer and somewhere and sometime it just disappeared. (In the 10th grade the girl that later became my wife took it away from me and said "grow up".) I still have a shirt Pocket size E6b I got from the Army and it is almost too small to really be usefully accurate in the plane. I prefer the electronic one on the ground for planning and the full size manual E6b in the plane .
Quote from: edgallop on March 30, 2013, 05:12:50 PM
I have E6B apps on both my phone as well as my tablet but I sometimes think that the old-fashioned E6B would be nice to have along. I am getting ready to order a new one since my old one is pretty worn out (it is an el-cheapo student pilot special). I primarily use the electronic one these days, but I was thinking about picking up one of these: http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/2514 (http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/2514)
It only does time/speed/distance, but as an observer, that's all I will really need it to do. Also, it's small and unobtrusive and the battery will never die. I could just clip it to my knee board and it will always be there.
Does anybody here have one of these, and if so, is it as handy as it looks? How about the construction? Fairly durable?
Ed
Doesn't look very handy, too small to read in a bouncy aircraft. Ditto for the watches with an E6B on them. I like the full sized version, and so do some others. Don't forget, it has a sectional chart scale on the edge also (dropped my scale where I could not find it on my private check ride, and used that instead).
Who among us is going to argue with this guy, who uses a full sized E6B?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10901121@N06/1196208102/#lightbox/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/10901121@N06/1196208102/#lightbox/)
I've got several different versions and sizes of E6B's, one that size is mainly a novelty. It's too small to read with any accuracy and is missing the more important calculations that you would find on a regular E6B (TAS, Temps etc.) Most of the calculations you can do with the keychain model can be done faster in your head with a little rounding. If you want a smaller E6B, check out the pocket size E6B-1 https://airlinerdispatch.com/shop/viewitem.php?productid=59 (https://airlinerdispatch.com/shop/viewitem.php?productid=59)It has all the standard calculations and is easily readable in the cockpit.
Quote from: Al Sayre on April 09, 2013, 01:51:02 AM
Most of the calculations you can do with the keychain model can be done faster in your head with a little rounding.
^^ +1
When working as a Mission Observer, I use the following quick numbers:
1. CAP cruise speed is 120 KIAS (or 2 nm per minute). One can figure out time to grid or time for RTB pretty closely with simple mental math.
2. CAP searches a grid at 90 KIAS (or 1.5 nm per minute). CAP grids are 15 nm (when flying north south) and therefore time to cover from one corner to another is 10 minutes. West east bound will be less than 10 minutes. Half the time if we are talking about quarter grids.
Works like a charm and very close to the real numbers without using a E6B.
Nothing wrong with having an extra E6B on board though... as long as you know how to use it.
I prefer the large aluminum E6B. Normal size. Or the iPhone.
(http://www.m0a.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/E6B.jpg)