#bluetooth-le.
Posts on the Alpisto engineering blog filed under#bluetooth-le.
- 01#flybeeper#sun-vario#variometer
FlyBeeper SunVario: the vario you never charge
A solar audio variometer the size of a matchbox that runs off a lithium-ion capacitor instead of a battery. Thirty minutes of morning sun fills it from empty; a minute on USB-C is enough for a flying day. 29 × 34 × 12 mm, 9.8 g, one button, Bluetooth to your phone.
7 min read - 02#flybeeper#variometer#barometer
Why I don't put an accelerometer in my vario
A phone's barometer isn't bad — it's read badly, and that's most of why phone-only varios feel laggy. Why I poll a dedicated baro at 60 Hz instead, why an IMU costs more than it gives, how it lies to you in a spiral, and where sensor fusion actually belongs.
7 min read - 03#flybeeper#fanet-vario#fanet
See and be seen — a solar FANET vario you never have to charge
The FlyBeeper FANET Vario is a wireless, solar-powered FANET beacon and barometric variometer in one. No GPS inside — it reuses your phone's, works as a plain radio driven by the app, and puts you on the map for nearby pilots. Full app, BLE protocol and specs. A quiet pre-order at €149 with free shipping.
13 min read - 04#flybeeper#fanet#lora
FlyBeeper FANET: a Bluetooth Bridge to the FANET Radio Network
An always-on BLE bridge to the 868 MHz FANET data network. No on-board GPS — the smartphone provides position, the device just radiates. Solar-powered, years of standby, full radio configuration over GATT so apps can transmit FANET, ADS-L or anything else on the same radio.
6 min read - 05#flybeeper#tas#airspeed
FlyBeeper TAS: a Bluetooth True-Airspeed Sensor with a Purpose-Built Pitot Tube
A purpose-built BLE true-airspeed sensor for paragliders and hang gliders up to 103 km/h IAS. Custom CFD-designed pitot tube with a 4% correction coefficient versus 50% for hobby tubes, four PCB revisions ending in USB-C supercap charging, and standards-compliant BLE GATT services.
9 min read - 06#flybeeper#ps1#pressure-sensor
FlyBeeper Pressure Sensor: an Always-On Bluetooth Barometer for Flight Apps
An external BLE pressure sensor for paragliding flight apps like xcTrack and SeeYou Navigator. Always on, pair once and forget — wakes the moment the app subscribes to ESS pressure notifications. ±2 cm/s vertical-speed resolution from an SPL06, 5-year standby on a single CR2032.
5 min read - 07#flybeeper#rc4#remote-control
FlyBeeper Remote Control 4: a Bluetooth Four-Button Remote with Multi-Year Battery Life
An always-on four-button BLE remote for paragliding flight apps. No power switch, deep-sleep when idle, automatic wake when an app connects — battery life measured in years from a single CR2032. Built on Nordic nRF52, exposes the standard Automation IO Service.
3 min read - 08#flybeeper#mini-bt#variometer
FlyBeeper mini BT: a Tiny Bluetooth Variometer Built on Zephyr RTOS
A dwarf-sized BLE 5 variometer on nRF52 + Zephyr RTOS, exposing pressure, temperature, altitude, four-button remote and OTA updates through standards-compliant GATT services. The entire stack — GPIO, SPI, PWM, ADC, FLASH, OTA, DFU, BLE, GATT, plus the OS — fits in 200 kB.
18 min read