New GPS Available

[Hesynergy]

Chas, the question you probably want to ask is, "Can the [insert avionics suite] allow me to proceed direct to a fix along a flight plan?"

You're not EDITING The flight plan (that's a different use case), you're just needed to go direct to a fix along an existing flight plan.

I've seen some commercial sims outfitted with the Mindstar G-1000, and they could do it. I assume the GNS430/530 implementation would allow it as well. It's pretty easy, "FPL, cursor, move the field to the desired fix, direct, enter, enter." Then hit the FPL button again to go back to NAV screen".

Keith,

Thanks for the speedy reply!

Yup GLV2000 manual said it would obliterate the remaining route...must use the default FSX code… but it does allow one to delete or add a waypoint, thus editing the FP....As I said above, it was flakey...inconsistent..at jusssst the right time...your Direct-> IPIHO command.

So when you issued that command Friday morning, if I had had a Mindstar GNS530, it would have allowed me to bypass VNY and retain the rest of my flight plan, and, based on your observed history of me doing this same flight, I would have had a passing grade at least to Bolder?

....problem there was I had Rwy 25R set up after the CRESSO STAR....not expecting a visual approach into a very hazy 19R...I got flustered at the departure from what I expected, and instead of STAYING LOOSE... I blew the approach....

Question: at Boulder, when you assigned me the KLAS 19R visual approach, could I have requested 25R ILS approach instead?

Thanks a bunch for what seems like confirmation for my Mindstar 530/430 purchase, and your terrific Pilotedge!

Chas

[JustinWheat]

Does anyone know if the mindstar gns530 is undock able to a second window? I would like to use the 2d popup panel and move it to the Emuteq GNS hardware. Thanks,

[Hesynergy]

Chas, the question you probably want to ask is, "Can the [insert avionics suite] allow me to proceed direct to a fix along a flight plan?"

You're not EDITING The flight plan (that's a different use case), you're just needed to go direct to a fix along an existing flight plan.

...
Keith,

...
Thanks a bunch for what seems like confirmation for my Mindstar 530/430 purchase, and your terrific Pilotedge!

Chas

Well now I read the big blue print... post facto purchase…

***** Important Note *****

When using the G1000, you SHOULD NOT attempt to view Microsoft Flight Simulator's "Navigation Log" when you have loaded a flight plan through the G1000 functions, and you SHOULD NOT attempt to "file IFR enroute" using the simulator's communications options. There is a conflict between the G1000's flight-planning functions and Microsoft's Navigation Log and flight planning functions, and this conflict results in a crash of the simulator program if you attempt to use these Microsoft functions in a G1000-equipped aircraft. Instead, you should simply enter all the information either exclusively from the G1000 or exclusively from Microsoft's Flight Planner. We have reported the issue to Microsoft and as soon as a workaround is available to us, we will make it available to you. At this time, to the best of our knowledge, these are the only conflicts between the simulator and the G1000

***** Important Note *****

Guess what!?

It works!… I'll have to believe 'em bout the enroute crash part since I can't get... enroute....

But putting in a flight plan from FSX FROM THE GROUND...definitely

1. Does NOT enter the data into the Mindstar 530/430 and;
2. Crashes P3Dv2.2, and I suspect FSX as well.

Mindstar appears to neither accept FSXs flight planning or P3Ds or the wonderful Aivlasoft's EFB generated Flight plans(which include insertion & deletion of fully enumerated SIDS and STARS. The SIDS and STARS btw, are found automagically from the departure/landing runways, which are automagically found by finding the real world winds...cool huh?).

I have FSBUILD...which can generate numerous flight plan formats...the nearest to RealNav(MindStar's proprietary(but is it ...ahemmm...readable?)) AIRAC database is "NavData/Real CRT"...alas, is NOT RealNav.


... lacking a FMS DATA cartridge input, per the real GNS 530 DOCS,since that is the ONLY documentation you get...manual entry of a flight plan is the way it's done... I am not interested in entering each waypoint by hand,<-started this response at 11:00M est....did numerous draft "saves"...since my lost message debacle on my ipad's Safari....and during that time I Emailed Mindstar the above queries, AND...HAND-ENTERED....the IFR-5 test route,

KBUR *RW08 [vct] VNY IPIHO TWINE LANGE SLAPP BOGET PMD ETHER DAG JOKUR DANBY SARAS WHIGG CRESO BLD KLAS

....thinking once it was all entered I would kill myself.....nottttttsooooobaaaaaad....if I'd done that in the default 530, this would be a suicide note....

Soooooo What technique, or flight planning software will generate a Mindstar compatible flight plan?

lacking that....back to my original message....what do YOU GA aircraft, -NOT FMC Tubeliner(heh...heh) Weenies IFR TestTakers... use...for NON-Destructive Direct->GPS AND waypoint edit(delete/add)...or are you all Marlboro men who turn and burn with one VOR and a DME???...yes I saw Keith's I-5...layed back....coool, calm, and collected SID/STAR Triangulation treatise on waypoint pointage and nav to Boulder and smoooooth glide into lovely KLAS....and I hate him for making it look so easy...grin

....IS there an answer?...gonna go fly now...and wait for a response from y'all....btw....DID NOT spring for the RealNav....yet...

Pissed.....welllll...pissed?....

certainly...Perplexed...

Chas

[Keith Smith]

reality xp garmin 530. load the sid and star, then go.

otherwise, tune vors.

the stream of consciousness posts are pretty hard to read. You are likely to get more help with succinct, pointed questions.

[Hesynergy]

1.reality xp garmin 530. load the sid and star, then go.

2.otherwise, tune vors.

3. the stream of consciousness posts are pretty hard to read. You are likely to get more help with succinct, pointed questions.

1 RXp doesnt work in P3d
2 gotcha
4...no...2 ....no 1"?....oh yeah...3. Yessir!!

C

[Hesynergy]

Open circuit betwixt brain and fingertip

on the way to Vegas with Aivlasoft EFB.jpg (649.42 KiB) Viewed 7593 times

Exciting news for me and I believe y'all ...Aivlasoft EFB...Totally functional free 30 day trial...

I bought mine after a day...and it took me until yesterday to discover that it AUGMENTS the default FsX/P3D 500gns...I can quickly swap to EFB...insert or delete ...waypoints...Activate, the default 530 Picks it up the edit and flys the new flight plan...no hitches, no gettups....effectively giving me a Direct->To WITHOUT DESTROYING THE REMAINING WAYPOINTS...since all the waypoints in the EFB are Dct anyway....anyone wanna buy a Mindstar GNS 530/430?

c

[twharrell]

The refresh rate can be changed in the GNS.ini file. The numerical value is in seconds, so you can adjust it to your liking. It's set low because some lower end systems can experience screen flickering if refresh rate is adjusted down (i.e. faster). It's nice to be able to do that.

Also, plugging Mindstar gauges into aircraft really isn't difficult. In fact, go to the Mindstar website and they have an entire instructional on how the aircraft files are organized in general, how to interpret all those parameters in the panel.cfg file, and how to integrate the Mindstar units.

The Mindstar GNS units simulate everything you need for instrument training/ flying. Not all features of the units are simulated because many of these features are not needed for training. For example, having a terrain map is not essential. Sure, it's nice for situational awareness, but it isn't necessary. Plus, it's was an optional feature on those devices when they were released many years ago. The map uses the default FSX/P3D map, so the RXP map does look better. And,yes, the map data is outdated. Again, nice to have, but not essential. Mindstar has said they will update the map in the future,but that accessing that map data is very expensive. If the commercial customers don't want it, then it isn't a priority.

Regarding WAAS - it will be implemented in the future. There are some legal hurdles that have be overcome do do this. In order to drive the vertical guidance of the HSI's and VOR gauges within P3D you have to hack into the code which is a no-no. In the Redbird simulators, I believe Mindstar units do have WAAS because Mindstar has also created custom 2D gauges for those simulators. I know what the reaction will be - "well, RXP does it." Yes, on some addons it does work. But I know on some addons, the HSI and VOR "glideslope" does not work on LPV approaches (unless you use the RXP flightline gauges, of course, which are custom). Some 3rd party aircraft addons, which have custom gauges and are made to work with RXP, do have a functioning glide path. Otherwise, you cannot just hack into the code to make the default glidepath work. That is a no-no. Understand Mindstar is a commercial aviation software company, not a flight sim developer. They work very closely with Lockheed Martin ESP, the commercial form of P3D that is used in Redbird, so permission has to be gained to implement a lot of the features. Those things also cost money. A lot of money. So unless, the commercial customers want it (and they pay big bucks to get it), it won't happen. But rest assured, these features will be implemented and at no additional cost to you.

Another point. $50 gets you the 430 and 530, plus crossfill capability. The gauges work in FS9, FSX, P3Dv1.4, and v2.2. RealNav, a sister company of Mindstar, provides Navdata subscriptions. This is commercial data. 4 cycles for $40 annually. Commercial customers pay several hundred dollars annually for 12 cycles. And, no it is not the same as Navigraph and Navdata Pro. And, no it isn't a new navdata provider. RealNav has been in existence longer than the others. You just never heard about it because it used to be commercial only. The Navdata can be used in the G1000 and GNS units. Additionally, Eaglesoft Development group announced they will be using RealNav in their upcoming Citation XLS+, CJ1+, and Beech 400XPS.

So, you have 2 good Garmin options now. I hope this answers any questions.

Todd

[Hesynergy]

Great info Todd!

1. Am correctly understanding you to imply that you don't have crashes when you load an fsx/P3d or any other 3rd party flight planner outputting standard Fsx/P3d flightplans into a Mindstar 530/430 GNS equipped plane, on the ground NOT enroute?
2. If you don't experience crashes, what flight planning software have you found allows an entire flight plan, i.e. The IFR #5 route I enumerated above, to be loaded into the Mindstar 530/430 GNS ?

3. If you are you are a regular user Of the Mindstar 530/430 GNS, I would love to know what method of flight plan input you employ, and why.

Anxiously awaiting your reply to help me decide whether to keep my purchase of the Mindstar 530/430 GNS or ask for a refund.

Thanks,

Chas

[Keith Smith]

Chas, I haven't used the Mindstar software, but if it's emulating a 430 or 530 properly, there should be no need to use a 3rd party tool to load the flight plan. A pilot operating a real 430/530 would get in the airplane, pick up the clearance, then program the 430/530 at that time. This would be achieved by pushing the FPL button, which should show the current airport as the first (and only waypoint in the flight plan), then you could load the SID by pressing the PROC button, selecting the departure, runway, SID and transition, then entering the destination airport, pressing PROC and selecting the STAR.

The whole process takes about 15-20 seconds in the airplane. It'll take a bit longer in the simulation because you're using a mouse to simulate the turning of the knobs which can slow you down a bit.

[Hesynergy]

So to confirm:

1. The only way of entering a flight plan into the Mindstar GNS system is manually and;

2. All 3rd party flight planning software, designed for any version of Microsoft flight simulator, including Microsoft Flight Simulator's, own flight planner, what ever the version, including the current Prepar3d, which were meant to create a flight plan, save it for later use or export to the appropriate vehicle or flight simulator vehicle or avionics, won't work with the Mindstar GNS system, And;

3.If we choose the the Mindstar GNS system, those historically and currently available flight planning methods, designed specially for that use since the inception of the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise, are no longer valid nor viable as directly usable inputs to the Mindstar GNS system, and;

4. In most, if not all cases, if the above historically viable flight planning methods are used for input with a plane configured with the Mindstar GNS system, the simulator will crash.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks,
Chas