Help setting up engine start panel please

[JBaymore]

I am trying to set up my engine starting panel and seem to be missing something here. I have tried a number of things all to no avail. I am HOPING that this is doable.

The panel is closely patterned after the BAe 146-200 which is a 4 engine regional jet. There is a "Start Master" switch, a "Start Power" switch and a rotary wafer switch that selects which engine will actually be started, with an "off" position also. Then there are ground start and a flight start switches to actually start the engine selected.

The"Start Master" and the "Start Power" DPDT switches will simply run in series to each other and will have the ground lead for the line back to the Hagstrom KE72 run thru them on one leg, and on the other will be DC power to light the appropriate annunciator lights. So if those switches are not both "on", the engine selector switch and the ignition switches will have no effect at all because no keypresses will be generated from the panel.

Now here's where the trouble starts for me.......

I want to be able to select from the rotary wafer switch "engine #x" (individually 1 through 4), and then use the "Ground Start" spring loaded momentary switch to activate the actual "start"sequence" for that engine. (Fuel stuff and electricals are on other panels.)

I can't seem to find a way to do this..... at least so far. If I want the engine to start when the rotary selector is turned to the engine number... THAT I can get to work. But I can't seem to separate the engine selection from the actual "start" sequence" itself.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

best,

................john

[Pete Dowson]

I want to be able to select from the rotary wafer switch "engine #x" (individually 1 through 4), and then use the "Ground Start" spring loaded momentary switch to activate the actual "start"sequence" for that engine. (Fuel stuff and electricals are on other panels.)

I can't seem to find a way to do this..... at least so far. If I want the engine to start when the rotary selector is turned to the engine number... THAT I can get to work. But I can't seem to separate the engine selection from the actual "start" sequence" itself.

I don't understand. Are you writing a program to interface to FSUIPC, or is this all keyboard stuff direct into FS (or FSUIPC's "Keys" options) without FSUIPC's programming interface being involved? It makes quite a bit of difference.

Programming you would simply test your engine select switch position and then use the appropriate engine offsets in FSUIPC to start the selected engine.

If this is all just keyboard codes, then you probably don't need FSUIPC anyway. Just make the engine selector send the engine select sequence (E then 1, 2, 3 or 4), and your starter the normal generic starter operation.

Sorry if I misunderstand the problem but you don't give enough information for a definitive answer.

Regards,

Pete

[JBaymore]

I don't understand. Are you writing a program to interface to FSUIPC, or is this all keyboard stuff direct into FS (or FSUIPC's "Keys" options) without FSUIPC's programming interface being involved? It makes quite a bit of difference.

If this is all just keyboard codes, then you probably don't need FSUIPC anyway. Just make the engine selector send the engine select sequence (E then 1, 2, 3 or 4), and your starter the normal generic starter operation.

Hi Pete..... thanks for the fast response. Sorry if I was not clear on this....... let me see if I can explain my problem better...... if I can. :wink:

I am generally flying the BAe 146-200 by Jon Murchison. My somewhat generic simpit is loosely based on that aircraft's systems.

First off... I am not trying to write any custom code here.... I am trying to use key presses.

I am using a Hagstrom KE-72 keyboard encoder to get key presses into FS2004. I am trying to assign keypresses that accomplish the task mentioned in the last post....start engines individually using the switch configuration on the BAe type panel. The KE 72 can generate just about any keypress combo I want.....which I then need to assign to the appropriate functions.

Through using either (or both) the native key assignments available to be assigned in FS2004 or through using the "Keys" assignments available in FSUIPC, I want to be able to accomplish the sequence as follows: With the five position rotary switch (off, #1, #2, #3, #4) I want to select the engine to be started...... and then I want to hold the momentary toggle switch which actually starts the engine selected perviously with the rotary wafer switch.

For some reason the default "E" key followed by a number does NOT seem to select the appropriate engine for me. Or maybe it is really that I haven't found the correct "start" command to follow it with! Many of the "start" commands that I seem to find are specific to a specific engine number.... ie. ......... start engine #2 or start engine #4 .... so those will not work procedurally with the panel as I need them to.

I looked at another thread here in this Forum in whcih you mention something about some panels sending lots of garbage info they don't need to and that causing problems when selecting engines... and so I tried using the offset technique you suggested at x888. No joy with that one either. But again it might be the "start" command that I am not finding correctly.

I can get a single engine to be selected and ALSO start immediately no problem with the assignments in FS2004 and FSUIPC that I can find. But I can't seem to find a way to select the engine with one command (the rotary wafer switch) ..... and then start whatever engine I have already selected with the one single momentary toggle switch (that will be used to start whatever engine is previously selected).

I am probably the densest thing since depleted uranium.... and the info is probably staring me in the face..... but what the heck am I looking for for a "command" to start an engine that has already been selected by something like a "E 3" key sequence or a x888 4 in FSUIPC? What is (as you mention above) a "normal generic startedr sequence"?

Does that help explain what is happening? Hope so. If not enough info... I can try again. :)

best,

................john

[Pete Dowson]

First off... I am not trying to write any custom code here.... I am trying to use key presses.

Ah .. probably quite difficult then, as you have less control.

Through using either (or both) the native key assignments available to be assigned in FS2004 or through using the "Keys" assignments available in FSUIPC, I want to be able to accomplish the sequence as follows: With the five position rotary switch (off, #1, #2, #3, #4) I want to select the engine to be started...... and then I want to hold the momentary toggle switch which actually starts the engine selected perviously with the rotary wafer switch.

Okay. But you do realise that the starter has to be held on, don't you? In some aircraft this is done magnetically, but in FS it's held with the mouse or, by keypress, the repetitions whilst you hold the button down.

For some reason the default "E" key followed by a number does NOT seem to select the appropriate engine for me. Or maybe it is really that I haven't found the correct "start" command to follow it with!

You could check the Engine selection by moving the throttle (eg numkeys 9/3) and see which engine throttle moves.

A possible problem is interference between the E and thr number from the panel you are using. Try a default panel.

If all else fails, you can construct an FSUIPC control which selects the engine by writing to an offset. But let's leave that until it is needed.

Another alternative is to program the keypresses to set/clear FSUIPC flags and use these (editing) in conditionals for the starter switch.

Many of the "start" commands that I seem to find are specific to a specific engine number.... ie. ......... start engine #2 or start engine #4 .... so those will not work procedurally with the panel as I need them to.

Unless you use them conditionally with conditions set by the selector.

The generic start is something like J then +/= repretiviely, for a jet, or M and similar for a prop, isn't it? I have really forgotten most about keyboard assignments, but try them on a real keyboard, then you'll know.

Regards,

Pete

[JBaymore]

Okay. But you do realise that the starter has to be held on, don't you? In some aircraft this is done magnetically, but in FS it's held with the mouse or, by keypress, the repetitions whilst you hold the button down.

Hi Pete... wow... fast !

Yup, I do realize that. My first step here is to get the keypresses set up just using the regular keyboard befoer I try to assigne them to the KE72... and I haven't even gotten past THAT yet :wink: . the KE72 programming is simple :lol: .

You could check the Engine selection by moving the throttle (eg numkeys 9/3) and see which engine throttle moves.

Good thought... I'll go try that shortly.

A possible problem is interference between the E and thr number from the panel you are using. Try a default panel.

I just tried starting individual engines on the default Boeing 747. No joy.

The generic start is something like J then +/= repretiviely, for a jet, or M and similar for a prop, isn't it? I have really forgotten most about keyboard assignments, but try them on a real keyboard, then you'll know.

I've been playing with this on the real keyboard this I can't seem to get the default J key to do ANYTHING. I THOUGHT it was just hold down the J key until the engine spun up enough.... I didn't remember (or see docs on) the plus bit too. I'll try that. Thanks.

As to straightforward key assignment "possibilities"........ in the default FS2004 assignments I see "All Starters on/off", "Engine Autostart", Jet Starter Select", and Starter 1 (2,3,4,)" as available choices. In the FSUIPC "Keys" section I see available "Engine Autostart", "Toggle Starter 1 (2,3,4)", "Toggle All Starters", "Starter 1 (2,3,4) Set", Engine 1 (2,3,4) Autostart".

Am I missing something?

This seems like this task SHOULD be simple.... but it is driving me nuts. 8)

best,

...................john

[JBaymore]

OK...... I got it!!! :oops:

Pete... thanks for the tip on testing to see if the throttle moved with the "E" and number commands. It DID work on the individual throttles... so I then knew that I had to find out what the dang START command was that would work.

The "J" key for Jet Starter Select" in the default fs2004 assignment list does not seem to do anything at all ....at least that I can find. The Ctrl+E "Engine Autostart" would always start all the engines in sequence from 1 to 4even if you first pressed "E" and then a number to select a specific engine.

What I finally found that worked (for me) was to use the "E" + a number to select the specific engine...and then to use the "All Starters on/off" command in the default FS2004 assignments. Even though it says "all"....... it only starts the one previously selected. (Thanks Microsoft! :roll: ) I had skipped over that possibility previously because of the "ALL" word in the title. I am assuming that I could also have used the "Toggle All Starters" key assignment available in FSUIPC... but why make it more complicated.

So... Pete, thank you for helping... it really did..... even though this was not a "FSUIPC specific solution". I really thought I would have to use FSUIPC to accomplish this.

best,

.................john

[Pete Dowson]

OK...... I got it!!! :oops:

Great! Thanks for letting me know.

Regards,

Pete

[JBaymore]

Pete (+ all),

Wired up the overhead engine start panel last night........ works perfectly now. Yay!!!!!!

Thanks again.

best,

....................john