DIY RADIO STACK HELP

[Justin Browning]

Hello,
I am trying to build my own simple, generic radio stack and control ALT, DG, VOR1, VOR2, ADF, and HDGBug with as few buttons/switches as possible. My plan is to:

On the instrument front, have a single pushbutton to select either Altimeter, Directional Gyro, VOR1, VOR2, ADF, or the Heading Bug and then use either a rocker switch, rotary encoder or, two pushbuttons (one for + and one for -). I will most likely go the pushbutton route, as I have them on hand.

So can I setup then individual instruments with single push button select and then use a generic increase and decrease selection?

Attached is a graphic of the intent, please disregard the layout and colors, as it is a WIP and is being used to illustrate plan.

Thanks.

[Justin Browning]

I think that I will go with rockers for the instruments in the orientation of the way they logically operate (Alt being up and down, and other instruments being left and right). Then I will only use COM1,NAV1, and XPNDR for now. I am going to use a button for Increase and Decrease on the instruments and then COM1 Fine Inc, Fine Dec, etc. The XPNDR will just be increase on the 1000, 100, 10, and 1 digits.

If anyone has a suggestion on how to set up the original plan, that would be great.

Thanks again.

[No Longer Active]

Making a simple radio stack is not a problem, your design appears basic, but I really haven't got a clue how you intend to implement your 'instrument select' without writing some sort of software to be able to do this. It would probably be easier to have a small panel with dual encoder knobs (or an encoder a toggle), each encoder will control each gauge, infact I know this IS easier, why make a simple radio stack design complex, coz thats going against the concept. I really like your idea, but its the instrument select, that could be challenging.

The only way I could think of, is wiring ALL your instruments / radio modules to one encoder or button set and then placing a switch between each in the off position so that you have to switch on what you want to control it and then have to turn it off so that you can turn the next one on....its complex no doubt, personally I would keep to an encoder set for each gauge / radio purely for simplicity.

All the best,

Alex

[Cessna172sim]

One solution is to use one sideways tilted LCD panel and make a front plate with 'bridges' over it to simulate multiple units like we did:
http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/kuvat/GA+Avionics+panel+project/Project+3+-+Spring+2010/uusi+alapaneeli+001.jpg
http://www.lentosimulaattori.1g.fi/kuvat/GA+Avionics+panel+project/Project+3+-+Spring+2010/uusi+alapaneeli+007.jpg

In the picture it looks there's multiple smaller LCD panels but it is only one single unit. We are running Reality XP Waas software:
http://www.reality-xp.com/professional/garmin-gns-waas/index.html

For the electronics we use OpenCockpits.

[flyinjake]

Vectro,

I would be interested in building a panel similiar to yours. Need to research your site and RealityXP. Will reality Xp run on a secondary computer using simconnect or registered FSUIPC?

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

nice work Vectro..... impressive
rgds

ian

[Roland]

Hi Justin,

If you use a selector switch for selecting function, you could use the FSUIPC compount button programming method as I used:
http://www.simprojects.nl/interface_with_mjoy-16.htm
http://www.simprojects.nl/fsuipc_compound_button_programming.htm

[Cessna172sim]

Vectro,

I would be interested in building a panel similiar to yours. Need to research your site and RealityXP. Will reality Xp run on a secondary computer using simconnect or registered FSUIPC?

All programs are running in a single basic home gaming computer. Reality XP is just a undocked window in FS2004 that is dragged to it's own LCD screen. The screen works via USB.

Here is the component list:

Lower Radio-panel GNS430+Autopilot+adf+transponder parts.

From Elfa: www.elfa.se
35-548-05 Push bu.sw. APE1F-2M-10 6
35-556-04 Cap black AZ303 6
35-680-45 Keyboard switch 3FTL6 24
35-685-08 Cap black 1P09 25
35-685-65 Cap white 1P06 9
35-665-60 Keyboard switch FSMCD 10
75-057-46 SMQ250CTP lens clear 3mm 1
75-026-93 EL204IT LED 3 mm red 1
35-014-59 Rocker sw. SP C1522ATBB 1
49-576-68 Epoxy lam.P20 75x100x 0,5 1
38-260-70 Knob 16mm A 25 16 060 4
38-260-39 Knob 13mm A 25 13 040 2
38-270-94 Cap 13mm black A 41 13 000 2
38-271-85 Cap 16mm black A 41 16 000 2

From Leo Bodnar http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/
Rotary encoder CTS288 model 288V232R161B2 2
Dual concentric rotary encoder with pushbutton ELMA E37 2

From Ebay:
Samsung SyncMaster U70 - 7" Photo Frame or Mini Monitor 1

From opencockpits: http://www.opencockpits.com/
Encoders card (For ELMA E37 with special code. 1
Code can be found here:
http://www.overkillsystems.com/id12.html
Mastercard 1
Expansion card (for USB connection) 1

The PCB:s are home made. I have the pictures, codes, etc. ready and can share everything free of charge. I don't have any plans how the actual construction is made ready so you will need lot's of electronic skills but if you feel that you are in this level I can provide all the info.

I also have one extra frontplate (seen in the pics) since we now have backlighted version ready.

[Bernie]

Hi Vectro,


From Ebay:
Samsung SyncMaster U70 - 7" Photo Frame or Mini Monitor 1

I hope you don't mind me butting in here but I was wondering how well the photo frames (USB Type) worked as a mini monitor. Have you found them OK?

Kind Regards

Bernie.

[Cessna172sim]

Hi Vectro,


From Ebay:
Samsung SyncMaster U70 - 7" Photo Frame or Mini Monitor 1

I hope you don't mind me butting in here but I was wondering how well the photo frames (USB Type) worked as a mini monitor. Have you found them OK?

Kind Regards

Bernie.
At least in our setup they seems to be working flawlessly. You just plug them in and Windows sees them as a extra monitor. Samsung is a very special since you can tilt the picture from its own setup. This is very important since in the FS2004 it is not possible to tilt undocked windows. We also cropped the window titles and frames to make the GPS screen fit in the screen better. These aspects in mind I can only recommend this kind of setup.

[Ronson2k9]

Can't you adjust the orientation of the monitor via video card software? My nvidia card will let me set the orientation of the monitor output.

[Cessna172sim]

Can't you adjust the orientation of the monitor via video card software? My nvidia card will let me set the orientation of the monitor output.
I'm sure this is also possible but I would still have to confirm it from my brother who is responsible for all the building and planning.

[flyinjake]

Thanks for the information Vectro,

I took a quick look at RealityXP and the software does interest me. During the short look I did not notice if it could run on a second computer which is something I would like. I downloaded open control from FSOPEN last night and messed with it until I accidently closed it without saving what I was working on.

From what I could tell it has the ability to run on a second computer. You can place controls on it and more importantly set it up on a monitor to display items such as frequencies. Tis may work similiar to yours.

Interested in the panels. Did you make them or had them made? Actually for me I need to work on the other items first.

Please keep the information coming.

Again, Thanks

Jake

[Bernie]

Hi Vectro,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. I might think about giving them a try as they are reasonably priced.

Kind Regards

Bernie.

[Cessna172sim]

The frontplate in the picture is ordered from Germany:
http://www.schaeffer-ag.de/index.php?id=97&L=1

You download the Designer software from their website and then make your desired frontplate.
You can then place an order and wait for the finished product via post. Pretty easy and straightforward.
The quality is 100% perfect and since the panels are powder coated aluminum it doesn't wear out.

The only minus is quite high price. Our frontpanel cost appr. 260 USD.

Right now we are actually updating the frontplate. My friend built his own CNC machine and he made us a new backlighted front panel. You can find more info from this topic: http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php/23357-Backlighted-avionics-panel-for-GA-cockpits
BR,
/OP

[Justin Browning]

So, the simpit has been progressing at a very slow rate (or not at all) and I am currently on P3D instead of FSX. I was looking at using the Mindstar G1000 on my panels (sure its not completely realistic for all airplanes, but it handles all my needs) and undocking them, but for the life of me I can't get them to show in Full Screen without first being in Windowed Mode and switching.

My system has two graphics cards in it (ATI Radeon HD 5570 and nVidia Quadro NVS 290). The ATI handles 3 monitors on an Eyefinity setup and the NVS has two monitors attached via DVI.

Both cards work just fine and I can use them without problems in the sim (visual quality reduced to get decent FPS), but I am hoping there is a way to not have the annoyance of switching from Windowed to Full-Screen and vice versa each time I open the sim or switch aircraft.

To fix, if able, I am more than willing to wipe the computer clean and start from scratch.

Thanks in advance.

Justin



EDIT: I'd be willing to go to X-Plane and use the FlyThisSim software if I could find a plugin like FS Force 2. Oh, and I have seen the Flight1 stuff, but would rather not have to spend a few hundred dollars to just run gauges (plus the cost of finding a second computer that would run them.)