kallis@pen.DEC (04/17/85)
1) On blind encoders -- they're okay, I guess, but an encoding altimeter can cost almost as little. When I thought that virtually everything on the East Coast was going to metamorphize into TCAs, I added an encoding altimeter to my instrument panel and retained the old one as a backup. 2) From places like Edmund Scientific, you can pick up pretty accurate posket altimeters that you can throw into your flight bag. I got a German-manufactured one that retailed for about $50 that's fairly accurate (I've checked it against my two while aloft at various altitudes). They're also fun to take on commercial flights to see whether the crew's adhering to the FARs on pressurization. Steve