ascent h1/h2
English Instructions

Thanks!

Thank you for your purchase of the Ascent wrist-mounted vario. This product was designed by engineers who also happen to
be paragliding pilots. We wanted a product that would meet the following criteria:- Small- Light Weight- Easy to Operate
There was nothing currently available that satisfies each requirement so we sat down, rolled up our sleeves, and after many
hours of hard work, prototype builds, programming, reliability testing, and test flights came up with what we believe is the best
small, rechargeable variometer available.
This was our introduction in 2008 to our v1 unit. After selling thousands of varios, getting pilot feedback, and collecting
lessons learned, we decided to do the whole thing again. We believe that this new product both improves on theoriginal concept while retaining the ascent identity that made the v1 such a success.
We know that you will enjoy this product and wish you many safe and enjoyable flights.
Thank you again for your purchase.
Ascent Products

Safety Information
Warning; This product is not intended to be used as a precise measurement of altitude, velocity, or temperature.
Warning; This product contains a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. The product must be disposed of properly. Use onlyin accordance with operating instructions.
Warning; This product and its components contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birthdefects, or reproductive harm. This notice is being provided in accordance with California Proposition 65. If you havefurther questions please contact Ascent Products.
Charging the Battery
Your vario operates on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery can provide power for at least 10 hours of flighttime, or up to 1 year standby time when fully charged. The beep volume and mode have a noticable affect on battery life
with louder and longer beeps requiring more power and reducing battery life.
To charge the battery, plug the micro-USB end of the cable into the product and plug the other end into the AC wallcharger, car charger, or computer. The screen will display “USB Connected Charging”. When the unit is completely
charged the screen will change to “USB Connected Charged”. Attention! Please use the original Ascent charging accessories. The charging circuit is rated for 1 Amp, and larger chargers can damage the charging circuit.
The product takes less than 2 hours to fully charge. Due to protection circuits it is not possible to over-charge. Whenfully charged, the icon on main menu will show full. Lithium-polymer batteries do not have a memory and there is noadvantage to letting the unit run completely out of power prior to charging. Therefore you are advised to keep the unit
fully charged so that it is ready to use when you are ready to fly.
If the battery becomes critically low, the unit will shut off and not turn on again. We recommend charging the battery assoon as possible to avoid possible permanant damage caused by over discharging the battery. Avoid storing andcharging the battery in extreme hot (>40°C) or cold (<0°C) environments.
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Product Overview
To get the most out of your new ascent h1 vario we recommend that you read the entire manual. However, we believethat once you start using the menus you will find the operation of the product easy and intuitive.
The product has four push buttons for navigation and adjustment as shown below.
Flight Exit(long press)

GPS Antennagoes back one menu step(short press)

moves up one menu position
per click or increases value of
selected variable> Fly> Log Book
> Settings> Info> Pilot Data

goes forward one menu step(short press)

moves down one menu position
per click or decreases value of
selected variable
Volume button(during flight)

Power button(long press)

Turning the vario on and off
Press and hold theturn the unit on.

button until the prompt appears (2 seconds), then with “Yes” highlighted, press the

button to

When the unit is turned on, the main menu is displayed (shown above). This screeen has five options: Fly, Log Book,
Settings, Info, and Pilot Data. Use the and buttons to highlight your choice and press the button to select. This
page also displays an estimate of the remaining battery charge using an icon at the bottom of the screen.
To extend the battery life, after 30 minutes of inactivity the vario automatically turns itself off. This will not happen in the
fly or info mode.
To turn the unit off, press and hold theInfo mode.

button for 2 seconds. Note that it is not possible to turn the unit off while inStarting and Ending a Flight
Use the and buttons to highlight Fly and then press the button to enter Fly Mode. The unit will not start recording a flight (and by default not beep) until the velocity threshold has been crossed. This thresholds can be adjusted in the
Settings menu. To exit and save the flight, press and hold the or button.
As soon as the unit is turned on, it will attempt to start aquiring satellites. Please make sure that the antenna has a clear
view of the sky during use and especially during the calibration process. This process should take less than 3 minutes
however we suggest that you turn the unit on and enter the Fly mode early in your setup routine.
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Wrist Strap
The wrist strap is secured to the vario body by two spring pins (similar to those used on a typical watch). To remove thestrap (to replace it with a new wrist strap or the included riser strap) place the vario face down on a non scratchingsurface and with a small screwdriver or similar tool place the end between the spring pin shoulder and the vario body.
Carefully compress the spring pin several mm and the pin should disengage from the body. Repeat on the other side.
Installation of the strap is done by inserting the spring into the strap hole and aligning one end of the pin into one of theholes in the back cover. Carefully compress the other end of the spring pin while aligning the tip with the other hole inthe body. Release the pin and be sure to give the strap a good pull to make sure that the pins are well seated andengaged.

Wrist Strap

Spring Pin
Reset Switch
Lanyard Hole

Press Here

Troubleshooting
If the vario is “frozen” and not responding, there are a few ways to reset the unit. Plugging the vario in to a computer or a
power source may help (especially if the problem is low battery related). If not, then it is possible to perform a software
reset by pressing all 4 buttons at the same time. If this does not help, it is possible to perform a hardware reset byinserting a paper clip or other similar pin into the hole on the back of the unit and pressing gently until you feel a “click”.
When reset, the screen will go blank and return to the start-up screen. Please note that the flight logs will not be erased.
If it is ever necessary to perform a reset, please send an e-mail to support@ascentvario.com with a description of the
problem and solution.
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Fly Mode
When you enter flight mode, the unit will beep twice to indicate the current volume level. When you first enter fly mode,
the lower two lines show the GPS calibration status. After the calibration is completed, the word “Calibrating” will
disappear - although it will continue to try to improve the accuracy of the calibration until a launch is detected.
Please make sure that the front of the vario has a clear view of as much of the sky as possible throughout this importantcalibration process. We recommend to place the vario flat on the ground during calibration (not on your wrist).

Calibrating
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Satellites

782%% Calibrated

5m

Approximate Horizontal Accuracy

The main fly screen is shown below. By briefly pressing any of the four buttons during the flight, the screen will temporarily display other flight information (as shown on the next page) for 5 seconds and then return to the default screen.
If you press any of the four buttons twice within 5 seconds, the alternate screen will become “sticky”. Pressing the same
button a third time exits the alternate screen and returns you to the main fly screen.
A long press of theorbutton will exit Fly Mode and stop the recording of flight data.

Exit Flight(long press)

MSL
Alt
Vert
Speed
Ground
Speed
Track
Wind
Wind Directionand Speed

4,730
+ 850
20.3
WNW

SW@14

Glide

9.3:1

True (MSL) Altitude(or Altitude Relative to launch depending on settings)
Averaged Vertical Speed(adjustable in the “Flight” settings)
Ground Speed(Instantaneous)
Heading(Instantaneous)
Glide Ratio(5 second average)

Exit Flight and Turn Off(long press)

The wind speed and direction are calculated based on the fastest and slowest ground speed recorded while turning in acomplete circle. As you continue to make additional circles, this value is slowly adjusted and improved. While flying
straight, it stops re-calculating and the last known wind speed and direction are remembered and displayed. The next
first complete circle will then come up with a new value. Elongating your turns and/or flying in a poorly shaped circle
should not affect this calculation. However artificially speeding up and/or slowing down during the circle will alter the
calculated values.

5Fly Mode - Alternate Screens
By briefly pressing any of the four buttons during the flight, the screen will temporarily display other flight information(as shown below) for 5 seconds and then return to the default screen.
If you press any of the buttons twice within 5 seconds, the alternate screen will become “sticky”. Pressing the same
button a third time exits the alternate screen and returns you to the main fly screen.
Graphic Fly Screen / Airspace

N

3000
GND

3500
1500

This page will display the last two minutes of your track. The triangle points the directionthat you are travelling. North is always “up”.
Press theorbutton to zoom in and out.

If you are near any restricted airspaces, they will display (along with the altitude). The solidline indicates that the airspace is at your altitude, and the dashed line indicates that the
restricted area is above or below you.

2 mi

Please note that the airspaces warning features are only included in the h2 firmware. If you
are interested in an (English only beta) version for the h1, please send an email to
info@ascentvario.com.

Volume / Coordinates

VolumePressing thethe volume.

button will display the current volume. Press theorbutton to adjust

Latitude0.00000

Longitude

0.00000

Current GPS Coordinates - These can be useful during flight if you would like to radio withother pilots or people on the ground where you are.

Peak Values

Max
Alt
Rel
Alt

4,730 Maximum Altitude this flight (ft or m)
Relative to launch (ft or m)
1,290 Altitudue(or True (MSL) Altitude depending on settings)
Max Lift
850 Maximum instantaneous lift this flight (non-averaged) (fpm or m/s)
Avg Lift
620 Maximum averaged lift this flight (fpm or m/s)
Max Sink -730 Maximum instantaneous sink this flight (fpm or m/s)
Flight Info

13:24 Time
Duration
1:56 Duration of Flight (h:mm)
Distance
6.3 Distance from Launch (mi. or km)
And
Direction
NW Direction from Launchfrom Start
Temp.
76.5° Temperature (°F or °C)
Time

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Log Book
Use the andbuttons to highlight Log Book and then push the button to enter the Log Book. The h1 can store
flight summary data for up to 999 flights. Pushing theandbuttons will scroll through the recorded flights.
Pressing the button will allow you to see additional flight details. Note that the data in the log book will be saved even
if the battery is completely discharged or the unit is reset.

Flight #Date:
Start Time:059
29/01/2011
15:36

Flight Duration:
Max Dist:

1:40
12.5miMax Temp:
Min Temp:

80°F
60°F

Flight #059

Max Ground
Speed:
N@35.7
Max WindSpeed:
SW@9

Flight #Maximum temperature
Minimum temperature

059

Start Alt:
Max Alt:
End Alt:

12,083
18,522
175

Start (Launch) Altitude
Max Altitude
End (Land) Altitude

Max Lift:
Avg. Lift:
Max Sink:

+520
+480
-510

Max Lift (instantaneous)
Max Lift (averaged)
Max Sink (instantaneous)

Maximum Wind Speed

059

End Location
33.81973
Lat:
Long:-116.96423> Delete?
• No
o Yes

Flight Duration
Maximum distance from Launch

Flight #Maximum Ground Speed

Start Location
33.82087
Lat:
Long:-116.95718

Flight #Flight Log Number
Launch Date
Launch Time

Launch GPS Coordinates

Landing GPS Coordinates059
Use the button to highlight Yes and then push the button todelete this flight. Note: this action permanently deletes this flightnumber from the log book and the remaining flights will not be
re-numbered.

7Settings
To enter the Settings Menu, highlight Settings on the main menu and press the button. From this page you can selectwhich catagory of settings you wish to modify. There are currently nine choices: Altimeter, GPS, Beep, Flight, Airspace,
Date & Time, Units, Compass, Memory, Display, and Language. All of these settings are saved even if the battery iscompletely discharged.
Altimeter

Altitude Calibration• GPS (WGS84 Geoid)o QNH Pressure> 1013.25 hPao Altitude> 1,752 ft

This setting allows you to select whether to use the GPS to calibrate the pressure altitudeprior to launch, or to set the altitude manually. The GPS uses the WGS-84 Geoid method todetermine the altitude. This should approximately match standard pressure altitude.
The QNH Pressure is the the extrapolated barometric pressure at sea level. This can befound by contacting your local airport. Some competitions may require you to calibrate
the vario using this method.
Alternatively, if you know the altitude of your launch, you can manually calibrate the vario
based on this.

Altimeter cont.

Displayed Altitude• Pressureo GPS (WGS84 Ellips)

This setting allows you to select whether to display the altitude based on pressure or GPS.
The pressure altitude is what normally defines airspace. The WGS84 Ellipsoid altitude isclosest to what would be shown in Google earth and other maping software. The IGC
track log file records both GPS Ellipsoid altitude and Pressure alttude 1x per second.

Altitude Reference• True (MSL)o Relative to LaunchThis setting selects what altitude is displayed on the main fly screen. The Relative to
Launch altitude is automatically reset to zero for every flight when you first enter the flymode. Relative altitude may be more convenient for some site flying.

GPS

GPS Units• DD.ddddd°
o DD°MM.mm’
o DD°MM’SS”

This setting selects the units for GPS display
Decimal Degrees
Degrees, Decimal Minutes
Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

GPS Altitude• Ellipsoid (IGC spec.)o Geoid

The IGC specification require the recorded GPS altitude to be “Ellipsoid Altitude”. Unfortunately, many maps display the GPS altitude from the .igc log instead of the pressure
altitude. GPS Ellipsoid altitude can be up to 50 meters different than the typical mapping
software. To make the altitude look better on 3d maps, we recommend to use “Geoid
Altitude”.

Beep

Beep Style• Shorto Longo Sweep
Sink Alarm• Alarm On
o Alarm Off
Sink Rate> 590 ft/min

Ascent has three beep options. Short (which is “quieter” and sounds closer to our v1
Standard beep), Long (which sounds “louder”), and Sweep, which updates the frequencyof the tone mid-beep to the latest vertical speed information. Note that longer beeps, andlouder volume settings require more power and slightly reduce the battery life. Therefore
the “Sweep” beep is limited on the h1 to medium volume to ensure a minimum of 10 flight
hours.
It is possible to turn the “Sink Alarm” on and off.
This is the instanteanous negative vertical speed required for the sink alarm to go off.
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Flight

Vertical Speed Avg.
> 01 seconds

This is the number of seconds over which the displayed vertical speed is averaged. The“beep” always uses the instantaneous vertical speed.

Start Flight> 07 mph

After entering Fly Mode, the unit waits until this customized velocity threshold is crossed.
A series of beeps will play to indicate that the flight has initiated.

Preflight Beep
• Off
o On

Prior to a flight being initiated the “preflight beeps” can be suppressed. This prevents theunit from making annoying and battery wasting beeps prior to launching.

Airspace

Airspace Alarm
• On
o Off
Vertical Proximity Alarm>500 ft
Horizontal Proximity Alarm>500 ft

The airspace proximity and violation alarm can be turned off if desired. Please notethat the airspaces warning features are only included in the h2 firmware. If you areinterested in an (English only beta) version for the h1, please send an email to
info@ascentvario.com.
The aispace proximity alarm can be customized. There will be one warning when you
come within this distance of an airspace, and a second warning when you enter theactual restricted airspace

Date & TimeTime: 14:19
UTC Offset:> -8:00
Date
07/20/2012
Date Format
o DD/MM/YYYY• MM/DD/YYYY

The time is set automatically using the GPS signal, however you need to enter the
UTC offset manually.

The date is set automatically using the GPS signal, however you can choose which
format you would prefer the date displayed.

Units

Altitudeom• ftDistanceo km• mi
Temperature
o °C
• °F

Units Continued...
On these pages, you cancustomize the displayed
units.

Vertical Speed
o m/s
• fpm
Ground Speed
o kph
• mph

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Display

Compass

Compass• Cardinal (WSW)o Degrees (252°)

On this page, you can customize
the way Compass directions are
displayed.

Contrast> 35%

The display contrast is
pre-caliblrated, however canbe adjusted here if desired.
This setting makes theentire display lighter or
darker.

MemoryFlight Log Book
125 Flights
12.5% Full
> Clear Log Book?

There are a maximum of 999 Log summaries available in the Flight Log Book. When theseare full, it will be necessary to clear the Log Book before recording more tracks.
There are up to 50 hours of track log (igc/kml) memory available (1-second intervals). After
this tracklog memory is full, it will start overwriting existing tracks (oldest first). Clearing thelog book automatically erases the related tracklogs.

Language cont.

Languageo Čeština
o Deutsch• Englisho Español
o Françaiso Italianoo Norsk

Here it is possible to selectthe language for the vario.
Please contact us if you are
missing your language, or if
you find a translation error.

o Русский
o Slovenčina
o 日本語
o 한국어

Info
To enter the Info screen, highlight “Info” on the main menu and press the

Ascent h1/h2
Software: v1.374 / v2.401
Serial# 2C2001AC
07/20/2012
10:38:05

Ascent hardware version (h1 or h2)
Ascent firmware version
Unit Serial Number
Date
Time

Altitude:
Lat:
Long:

AltitudeLatitudeLongitude

71.3m
0.00000
0.00000

button.

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Ascent Control for Windows

Please navigate to the support tab of www.ascentvario.com to download and install the latest (v1.070) “Ascent Control
Software- Windows”. Please note that Microsoft.NET 4.0 (or newer) needs to be installed on your computer. This ispre-installed on most computers, but if not a quick search on the internet will find the download link.
To connect your variometer to a computer plug the micro USB end of the supplied cable into the product. Plug the otherend of the cable into a computer USB port. If you have problems with the connection, please make sure that you areusing the original “data” cable, and not just a usb charging cable.
When you connect the h1 to your pc, the Ascent Control software should automatically recognize the device and display
the Serial Number. Click “About” to see the current version of the Vario Firmware, PC Software and USB driver.
If you have an internet connection, the software will compare the firmware on your vario with the latest version available
on our web site. If the firmware on your h1 is out of date, it will recommend that you download and upgrade to thenewest version. Use “File -> Upgrade Firmware” to upgrade to the latest version.
If you have any difficulties with the installation or connection, please send an e-mail to support@ascentvario.com. Please
include the vario firmware version (shown on the info screen of the vario), ascent control version (shown on the about
page of the pc software), and what operating system you have (Windows XP, Windows 8, Windos 10, etc...).
It is necessary to fill out the first 3 lines of the “Pilot Data” form (Pilot, Glider
Type, and Glider ID) in order for the downloaded .igc tracks to be “valid”
and accepted by most FAI competitions. This information, along with theCompetition Class, Competition ID, and Site will be stored on the varioand hardware encrypted into the header of the downloaded .igc file. It is
not possible to edit the .igc file without making the g-record “invalid”.
Click “Download Log Book” to download the complete log book on thevario in .csv (comma seperated values) format. This file can be easily
imported into a spreadsheet program such as Excel.
Select the tracklog that you wish to download using the pull-down menu,
and then select the format (.igc for gliding competitions such as Leonardo,
or .kml for Google Earth), then click “Download Tracklog”.

The ascent vario is compatible with several 3rd party softwares such as GpsDump, GpsDump for Android, and ParaFlightBook. These pc softwares use the Ascent Control driver, so it is necessary to first install the Ascent Control software
before using them.
11Windows - Airspace
Please note that the airspaces warning features are only included in the h2 firmware. If you are interested in an English
only airspace version for the h1, please send an email to info@ascentvario.com.
Of course, we cannot be sure that we have the latest and correct airspace for every country. The raw airspace data wastaken from open air files found on the public domain. Therefore, this feature is meant as an aid, and not as a complete
replacement for checking a sectional for current and temporary airspace restricitons.

Open Ascent Control and click: File -> Manage Airspaces... Then click “Upload” and then select the airspace that you wish
to install. It is currently only possible to upload one airspace at a time. If your area of the world is missing or if you find aerro in the airspace file, please send an email to info@ascentvario.com.

After uploading the airspace file to your vario, you will be able to see a map showing the airspaced.
Please note that it is currently only possible to upload 1 airspace file at a time.

12Connecting to an Apple Computer - (10.7 and newer)

Please navigate to the support tab of www.ascentvario.com to download and install the latest (v1.20) “Ascent Control
Software- Mac OS X”. Drag the downloaded “Ascent Control.dmg” to your Applications folder.
When you connect the vario to your Mac, theAscent Control software should automaticallyrecognize the device and display the Serial
Number and current firmware version. If thevario does not connect to the computer,please check that you are using the original
cable. Many “apple” usb cables are somehow
different than standard uUSB data cables.
If you have an internet connection, thesoftware will compare the firmware on yourvario with the latest version available on our
web site. If the firmware on your vario is out of
date, it will recommend that you download
and install the latest version.

It is necessary to fill out the first 3 lines of the “Pilot Data” form (Pilot,
Glider Type, and Glider ID) in order for the downloaded .igc tracks tobe “valid” and accepted by most competitions. This information,
along with the Competition Class, Competition ID, and Site will be
stored on the vario and hardware encrypted into the header of thedownloaded .igc file. After downloading, it is not possible to edit the.igc file without making the g-record “invalid”.
Click “Download Log Book” to download the complete log book on
the vario in .csv (comma seperated values) format. This file can beeasily imported into a spreadsheet program such as Excel.
Select the file you want to download using the pull-down menu, andthen select the format (.igc for gliding competitions such as Leonardo, or .kml for Google Earth), then click “Download Tracklog”.

13Windows - Airspace
Please note that the airspaces warning features are only included in the h2 firmware. If you are interested in an English
only airspace version for the h1, please send an email to info@ascentvario.com.
Of course, we cannot be sure that we have the latest and correct airspace for every country. The raw airspace data wastaken from open air files found on the public domain. Therefore, this feature is meant as an aid, and not as a complete
replacement for checking a sectional for current and temporary airspace restricitons.

Open Ascent Control and click: Ascent Control -> Manage Airspaces... Then click “Upload Airspaces...” and then select theairspace that you wish to install. It is currently only possible to upload one airspace at a time. If your area of the world is
missing or if you find a erro in the airspace file, please send an email to info@ascentvario.com.

After uploading the airspace file to your vario, you will be able to see a map showing the airspaced.
Please note that it is currently only possible to upload 1 airspace file at a time.

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Care of ProductUse the official micro-usb cable, and charging adapters. Under no circumstances charge with an adapter that provides
over 1A current.
Your product is constructed of high quality materials and does not require maintenance other than cleaning. Clean the
product using a soft cloth dampened with a mild detergent solution and then wipe dry. AVOID chemical cleaners andsolvents that may damage plastic and braided nylon components.
Do not store the product where prolonged exposure to sun, heat, rain, snow, or extreme cold may result in permanent
damage.
Do not store the unit where the buttons can be depressed as this may lead to the battery being drained.
The product is not waterproof so do not immerse it in water.
Specifications
Altimeter:
High resolution (10cm), temperatue corrected, pressure sensor
GPS or user calibrated altitude
True and Relative (to launch) altitude
Display in meters or feet with 1 meter (3 ft) resolution
GPS:
48 Channel GPS Receiver
Variometer:
Customizably averaged digital display with 0.1 m/s (20 ft/min) resolution
Instantaneous audio with adjustable volume
Sink alarm with user selectable threshold
Temperature:
Ambient temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius with 1 degree resolution
Memory:Automatically records Flight Log summary data for up to 300 flights
Automatically records up to 50 hours of 1-second interval detailed tracklog data
Trackogs can be downloaded in .kml format (Google Earth) or .igc with hardware encrypted g-records
Display:
Black & White Transflective Graphic LCD with 128 x 128 pixel resolution
Battery:
Custom 830 mAh rechargable lithium-ion battery with Sanyo cell
Physical Properties:
8.3cm (3.28”) x 5.4cm (2.13”) x 1.5cm (0.59”)

15

Software License Agreement
By using your Ascent Flight Products variometer you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the following
software license agreement.
Ascent Flight Products grants you a limited license to use the software embedded in this device in the normal operationof the product. Title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights of the software remain Ascent Flight Products.
Your product’s software is property of Ascent Flight Products and is protected under the United States copyright laws
and international copyright treaties. The structure, organization, and code of the software are valuable trade secrets to
Ascent Flight Products and shall remain so. You agree not to decompile or reverse engineer the software to be used inany other way. You agree not to export or re-export the software to any country in violation of the export control laws of
the United States
Limited WarrantyYour Ascent Flight Products vario is warranted to be free of defects in materials or workmanship for two years from thedate of purchase. Within this period Ascent Flight Products at its sole option may repair or replace any parts that fail innormal use. These repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer. The customer is responsible forshipping and handling of the item.
The warranty does not cover failures due to abuse, misuse (including charging with the wrong charging adapter),
accident, liquid ingress, or unauthorized alterations or repairs.
To obtain warranty service, contact Ascent Products by e-mail. Do not return the unit without first contacting Ascent
Flight Products.

Contact Us
For questions or assistance with your vario please contact
www.ascentvario.com
info@ascentvario.com
Please also “like” our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ascent.vario) for occasional updates.

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