PFC Avionics Stack, GPS controls?

[remind]

Hi Pete and others.

You may not be able to answer this unless you have access to PFC avionics stack.

One of the units on the stack below the Auto Pilot Unit, is what I belieave is to command the GPS in FS afct.

Although I am not that familar with the GPS, I understand the basics.

Anyone have a manual of how to program this unit to work in FSX or do they know if it will work?

I will post this at the PFC forum, but I never get replies from there, not sure it has many members or active ones.

TIA

Phil

[Pete Dowson]

One of the units on the stack below the Auto Pilot Unit, is what I belieave is to command the GPS in FS afct.

In FS that part of the stack was never pre-programmed for GPS use. It does have alternative functions as an advanced MCP / Autopilot, and in fact the same unit is re-labelled for this purpose when obtained as part of the PFC centre console.

The problem has always been that the FS GPS implementations haven't been very usable from keyboard or button operations, being very mouse-oriented. There are controls provided in the FS control repertoire (and listed in FSUIPC's drop-down assignments lists), but I never found them to work correctly or, in some cases, at all.

Although I am not that familar with the GPS, I understand the basics.

Anyone have a manual of how to program this unit to work in FSX or do they know if it will work?

No. All you can do it to try to assign, in FSUIPC (you'd need it registered), the buttons to their nearest equivalent FS GPS control, via the Buttons assignments dropdowns, and test them out. Maybe they work better in FSX than they did in earlier versions, I don't know.

Regards

Pete

[remind]

Hi Pete,

Okay thanks for reply and information, I always did wonder about it and what you say about using FSUIPC to assign buttons, I have tried, only a few work along with the GPS in FSX afct.

I know PFC have a new unit, which would fit where current one is, well almost.

It appears to work with FSX from what I have read and been told, but it is a USB connection, not a connection with the rest of the stack, which is interesting why it has been done that way, maybe due to what we have already said.

1k AUD approx, Price is way to much for me at this stage, if I decided to use the GPS more in FSX, I may consider it.

Cheers

Phil

[Pete Dowson]

I know PFC have a new unit, which would fit where current one is, well almost.

It appears to work with FSX from what I have read and been told, but it is a USB connection, not a connection with the rest of the stack, which is interesting why it has been done that way

I think all the new PFC gear is now USB, with different drivers. They changed the control boards completely. I'm afraid I don't know anything about the GPS -- isn't it designed to work with specific add-on gauges or other software?

Most of the FSX controls for the Garmin G1000 work reasonably well, I think. Maybe you should try those? I know TRC (the folks who make SimKits) have hardware G1000 look-alikes which work with FS, and I think they use those controls (but I'm not sure).

As you can probably tell, I'm not really into GPS use on aircraft. I stick with the traditional cockpit instrumentation, the stuff in the 737NG's being modern enough for me! ;-)

Regards

Pete