There comes a time when we start to consider how time has progressed, and the technology and standard of our equipment has changed over the years.
The changes are so gradual that we don't seem to notice them until we are forced to update our aircraft, engines or radio. Then we see the difference between what we bought years ago, and what is available now!

Newcomers to the hobby are able assume that all r/c sets have all the bells and whistles, are as reliable as possible, and are supported by heaps of add-ons and internet support.

But there are many of us who were lucky enough to see r/c modelling develop into a pastime where models were retired from lots of use, rather than a seemingly repeating tendency to be re-kitted for a variety of reasons!

The state of the hobby for me as a fun flyer was brought home to me when I first saw the Picolario Talk vario, and saw the possibilities.
I wouldn't have considered that a unit on a circuit board, 23x80x10mm, which will fit in most aircraft, could do what I could not; that is, to observe and report what was happening inside my model!

The Picolario is a vario, altimeter, flight pack monitor, and basic data recorder.
Although it can be custom programmed to your requirements, I used it as I received it. It feeds the data into its voice synthesiser, then transmits it to you via a small uhf receiver.

I haven't suffered any range loss as a result of transmitting from the aircraft, but a check is essential when installing, or making any changes.
It just plugs in to a vacant channel on your receiver, and is powered by the rx pack. Pack it in shock-absorbing foam, and let the 100 mm antenna protrude outside the fuselage if it's carbon fibre. Use common sense, and locate the transmitting antenna away from the rx antenna as far as possible to minimise the potential for problems. I could only get it 100 mm away, and had no problems at all.

If you are using all of your channels, the manual says that you could use a Y lead, perhaps from your rudder channel, enabling you to use it with a 2 channel radio!
Using a vacant channel gives you the ability to switch the vario on or off as required.
It's current consumption is low at 45 ma., so it can be left on continously. Hence the Y lead suggestion.
As set up on the rudder, (left stick vacant, rudder on the right, no ailerons) left rudder switched it off, neutral switches it on, and right rudder requests an altitude call! Altitude is also announced automatically every 50 metres, but you can request it any time.
In this mode, I left it on continuously. Putting it on an aux. channel with switch or pot lets you switch it off if you like, and is easier to operate.

But I now miss the beeps if I turn it off; plus I don't hear battery voltage changes which are announced at each .1 volt.
It revealed a new dimension in my flying! I've used it both in a soarer, and my Senior Telemaster, and it has become an essential part of my flying kit now because I depend on it.

I first fitted it into my son's ageing Big Birdy, and I was surprised at what it told me.
The first thing that struck me was my poor guesses at altitude. What I thought was 30m was more like 50m. Now, I thought I could guess 100m fairly well, as I had worked at a radio station with a 91m mast. But it was usually almost twice as high as I estimated. Must be scale effect.
I was able to make meaningful adjustments to elevator trim, and set up the descent rate accurately. Sure, you don't NEED to do it, but it was good to try something, and hear what was happening before it became obvious from the ground, and major height was lost!
And it was a real buzz when I turned onto base leg at about 10 metres for one landing, and the tone started rising. I continued circling, able to stay in the lift easily until I was at my limit downwind (trees), having climbed to over 60m. I love that kind of surprise.
Anyway, I had lots of fun with it in the glider, and was able to read its actions during flight quite accurately. Riding the wind gusts to gain height one day was a new experience, and was impossible without the vario.

I was also trying to take airborne photos from my Senior Telemaster when I thought of installing the vario to give me a better idea of altitude.
Again, it added a dimension which I started to count on when flying for photos. I'm still getting used to the idea of noting the altitude and relating it to the pics, but I'm catching on, and wouldn't be without altitude information now. You would be surprised at the actual altitudes we fly at. Yes, even 40 size models!

Technical details are: altimeter resolution 1m, climb/sink sensitivity 5 cm/s, weight 40g, current 45 ma, supply voltage 4.4v to 10v, frequency 433 MHz LIPD licence free 16 channels switchable. A commercial LIPD UHF transceiver supplied to receive the voice data. (Buy another for short range family CB!) and supplied with JR compatible connector.
A tip, remove the batteries from the transceiver after use, the tactile buttons have caused me to flatten two sets of batteries by objects gently pushing them while in storage during the week.

As the ancient Greeks said, you get what you pay for, and the cost of the system is about the same as a good computer radio. This is because of the design work and goodies that are soldered in it. Inspection shows that there are some serious semiconductors in there, and miniaturised too!
I didn't do anything with the data recorder, but that's a whole new world.

It is a complex device, and does its job well. Protect it in your aircraft, look after it on the ground, and you will have it for a long time, and you can fit it to most models.
If a mate buys one too, just change frequencies. But then you need to both listen to, AND watch the right model! But no, no-one would fall into that trap would they?

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