FrSky VARI ADV High Precision Variometer Telemetry Sensor

Look, we know you think you have the eyes of a hawk and the instincts of a migratory bird, but let’s be real: you’re standing in a muddy field in the UK squinting at a dot in the sky. The FrSky VARI ADV Variometer is here to tell you exactly how high that dot is before you accidentally breach CAA altitude limits or lose it in a cloud. Updated for the modern era with FBUS support (because S.Port is so 2015), this telemetry sensor gives you real-time altitude and vertical speed data. Essential for glider pilots hunting thermals, and equally useful for quad pilots who just like seeing numbers go up on their OSD.

Why You Want It

Because guessing your climb rate is for amateurs. This little PCB measures atmospheric pressure changes with a resolution of 0.1 meters, which is roughly the height of the grass you’re standing on. Connect it to your FrSky receiver via FBUS or S.Port, and your Taranis (or whatever OpenTX/EdgeTX radio you’re clutching) can scream at you when you hit a thermal. It supports daisy-chaining, so you can wire up a spaghetti monster of sensors—Voltage, RPM, GPS—all on one line. Just don’t wire it backwards; the manual explicitly states they aren’t responsible for your "magic smoke" moments, and neither are we.

Specifications

• Weight: 3.4g (Your drone won’t even know it’s there; your ego might).
• Dimensions: 40 × 21 × 6.5 mm.
• Measurement Range: -1800m to 10000m (If you hit 10km, please tell NASA we said hi).
• Resolution: 0.1m (High precision, assuming the weather doesn't change mid-flight).
• Operating Voltage: 4V – 10V DC.
• Current Draw: 4mA (Less power than the LED blinking on your flight controller).
• Protocol: FBUS / S.Port (Auto-detected: LED flashes slow for S.Port, fast for FBUS).

What’s in the Box*

• 1× FrSky VARI ADV Variometer Sensor
• 1× Cable Set (Plug-and-pray ready)
• 1× Manual (which you are currently ignoring by reading this)

Features and Highlights

• Daisy-Chain Ready: Link it with other ADV sensors. One wire to rule them all.
• Dual Protocol: Works with legacy S.Port and the shiny new FBUS protocol for faster updates.
• Atmospheric Sensing: Calculates altitude based on pressure. Note: If a storm rolls in, your altitude reading might drift. That’s physics, not a bug.
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Disclaimer

We guarantee the sensor works, but we can't guarantee you won't confuse "sink" tones for "lift" and land in a tree. Also, weather changes pressure—science implies drift.

Still Here?

You’re actually reading the bottom of a variometer product page? That is a level of procrastination we genuinely respect. Clearly, you care about precision—or you’re just hiding from your actual responsibilities. Either way, this sensor is lighter than the receipt you’ll get for it. Scroll up, click the button, and go catch some lift before it starts raining again.