PilotEdge Forums

Chas,

The crash issue does occur. It's annoying, but I know they are working on it. What I do is make sure my default aircraft is not one upgraded with the Mindstar GPS units. So, why it is annoying, I never have a problem with it because I don't switch from one aircraft to another, i.e I know what I am flying before I start the sim.

You cannot import a flight plan into the Mindstar GPS units, but you can save a flight plan manually entered into the units. So, unfortunately you have to use these units like they do in the real world.

One little feature that people may not know about is you can enter waypoints using your keyboard.

Realize these units have only been out for about a year, so it'll take time for 3rd party aircraft developers to jump on board. I know MilViz wants to be able to give its customers the option to use Mindstar in the future. Hopefully they will make the B55 and C310 "compatible" in the near future. You can put the Mindstar GPS into the VC's of both but the measurements are a little off so the fit isn't perfect. I also hope RealAir will get on board. It's really up to we, the customers, to demand integration from all of these 3rd party developers. As for Carenado, I've asked for both Mindstar GNS and G1000 integration in their aircarft and they are not interested. So, Carenado will continue to be lame in my opinion. Shame.

Todd

Yeah I talked to the manufacture this afternoon and he confirmed the only way to input data is manually.

That's really a shame on such a beautiful unit and I'm sure it's the most faithful GNS 530/430 on the market.

But I just can't justify incompatibility and the price.

You are absolutely right about us banding together and demanding performance and compatibility. The only way that we can talk is with our pocketbooks or closing them as the case may be.

Thanks for all your input, and onward and upward!

I do want you to try out the EFB that I spoke of several times on this very topic ...it got me a pass on the IFR-5 test this afternoon!!! Took
Six tries!!!

The Aivlasoft EFB let me make a quick on-the-fly edit of a flightplan to essentially create a Direct->to SLAPPY, by deleting the predecessor waypoints and then pressing "Activate" Pumping the new data into my stock 530GNS, and still keeping the following waypoints! There are so many cool features that I'm just going to let you giggle and grin when you discover them yourself.

Chas

Chas,

Ultimately this comes down to a question of of personal preference about the fidelity of the simulation you're flying. Aivlasoft EFB is a very neat product -- I've owned it since it was first released and I like it a lot as a flight planner. It also works great as a moving map display while in-flight -- but: it's not a tool you could use in a real airplane. I personally prefer for my simulated flying experience to have the highest fidelity possible, so I won't use Aivlasoft EFB in-flight. I will (and do) use Foreflight -- it's an even deeper EFB than Aivlasoft (and MUCH more accurate from an approach plate perspective), and is a tool that definitely IS available to use in a real airplane -- but it will NOT change the programmed flight plan in whatever FMS is in use. In the real airplane you have to do that "manually" and that's what some of us prefer to do in simulated flights as well.

It all depends, I guess, on your objectives when you get in your flight sim. A real-world pilot probably won't want to use anything, no matter how useful, that wouldn't apply to a real airplane. Similarly a "hard-core" simmer who wants the highest possible fidelity for his/her simulated flight won't either. A "gamer" won't care much at all about fidelity. In between there is plenty of room for folks who know (a) they'll probably never fly a real airplane, (b) don't really care if their simulated flight isn't exactly simulating the real world, and (c) are flying at least as much (or more) for entertainment than training.

The fact that you're here on PE means you too find the challenge of flying by the "rules" more fun and challenging than just jumping in the simulator and flying point-to-point without regard to FAA regs. If you choose to take a few shortcuts on with your equipment, that's totally fine -- just understand that folks have different motivations for flying on PE, and when training is higher priority than entertainment, you can't use every neat add-on.

-M.

Mark Hargrove wrote:Chas,

Ultimately this comes down to a question of of personal preference about the fidelity of the simulation you're flying. Aivlasoft EFB is a very neat product -- I've owned it

...you can't use every neat add-on.

-M.

I absolutely understand Mark. Most likely, I will never be able to afford to
1. Afford to get my ticket
2. fly occasionally much less on a regular basis.
3.Justify the subscription to Foreflight.


I'll use the tools there are affordable, justifiable and available to me that make my job in the sim cockpit easier...that doesnt mean I wont take a look at the "new bestie Aviation aid"....grin...

In your terrific VFR V3 test tutorial#2@24:25, you mentioned that you are an actual pilot. It makes absolute sense for you to use that bit of kit in the real cockpit AND in your mighty 6 PC Sim....btw, did you get my message re using the Warpalizer with Three short throw LCD projectors and a curved screen as a possibly more economical and efficacious alternative to your rig?

Good input though...thanks!

Chas

Chas,

Hmm. I don't think I saw your message about Warpalizer. I'll go read about it.

Thanks!

Does the mindstar 530 have a 2d popup panel that can be integrated into the emuteq gns unit?

Chas,

Respectfully, what are you wanting exactly? The Mindstar gauges were not created for the flight sim enthusiast in mind. They were developed specifically for commercial simulators, where you have to enter everything by hand, just like the real world. One thing you can do to make life easier is enter way points using your keyboard. I can enter a flight plan in 2 minutes, fly direct, load an approach, etc. It has every major function you need. I'm afraid the option to load a flight plan from FSX or a 3rd party flight planning program does not exist and never will. You can, however, save a flight plan entered into the units manually.

As for add on compatibility, that is not Mindstar's fault that there are not many compatible addons...yet. Remember it's only been out less than a year. RXP has Ben available to simmers since FS9. So, you need to petition the aircraft developers, not Mindstar, about compatibility. From what I understand, MilViz is one developer that does want to jump on board. Give it time and I think you'll see more and more VC compatibility. The problem with a lot of developers right now is they are sour about any 3rd part gauge integration since the RXP developer went AWOL and has not said anything for years (I'm not being critical of the RXP developer b/c for all we know he might be sick, but having zero communication is still not good).

Cheers,

Todd

JustinWheat wrote:Does the mindstar 530 have a 2d popup panel that can be integrated into the emuteq gns unit?

Justin,

Good question. Last I heard the answer is yes. I would contact Mindstar about that or, better yet, contact Emuteq.

Todd

twharrell wrote:Chas,

Respectfully, what are you wanting exactly?

Chas's wise-ass-answer, hereafter known as,("CWAA"), "two blondes and a red head!"

"The Mindstar gauges were not created for the flight sim enthusiast in mind. They were developed specifically for commercial simulators, where you have to enter everything by hand, just like the real world.

("CWAA"), "...then he needs to learn how to play nice with the big boys"

"One thing you can do to make life easier is enter way points using your keyboard. I can enter a flight plan in 2 minutes, fly direct, load an approach, etc. It has every major function you need.

I'm afraid the option to load a flight plan from FSX or a 3rd party flight planning program does not exist and never will.

("CWAA") Au contraire,Todd, my esteemed friend and fellow wannabe aviator, see below.

You can, however, save a flight plan entered into the units manually.

Cheers,

Todd

Let's trade revelations,

You tell me how to use keyboard in Mindstar, and I'll l will let you read what Mindstar techsupport have to tell us about loading legitimate FSX flight plans into their 530/430 GNS… their words, not mine.

… Fair Nuff?

Know that the order of these messages, has been changed to show the historically correct sequence

From: Chas [mailto:hesynergy@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2014 2:46 PM
To: support@RealNavData.com; support@MindstarAviation.com
Subject: Flight planning software

You cautioned that FSX would crash if filing an enroute flightplan or looking at the FsX flight log while using your G1000

... filing a P3d IFR flightplan on the ground using the Mindstar 530/430 GNS will also crash P3Dv2.2.

Do all flight plans have to be entered manually?

What Flight planning software for fsx/P3D is compatible with RealNavData and Mindstar 530/430 GNS?

Thanks in advance for your speedy response.




Thanks,and have a wonderful day!


Chas (iPD)

Please visit http://www.katrinasangels.org

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 28, 2014, at 4:10 PM, "Mindstar Aviation" <support@MindstarAviation.com> wrote:

The only way to enter flight plans is to do it manually from the Mindstar avionics screens (430/530/G1000), just like in a real airplane.

From: Chas Gmail [mailto:hesynergy@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2014 4:45 PM
To: Mindstar Aviation
Subject: Re: Flight planning software

In reference to the comment
"The only way to enter flight plans is to do it manually from the Mindstar avionics screens (430/530/G1000), just like in a real airplane. "

Then you have broken A thirty-five year old precedent established when Microsoft flightsim was bought from Bruce Artwick.

I had every reason to
Believe that your GNS 530 was no different from ALL other MS/P3d GPSs to date in its ability to take in flight plan data from external and particularly internal sources...namely the product which gives yours the ability to run, Prepar3d and MS Flight Simulator.

I have no doubt your product outshines all others in its fidelity to the real GNS530/430, but when you failed to give it the same historic ability to read and install external flight plan data, it is no longer a viable or even
truly compatible with the above mentioned sims.

Therefore, I sadly have to request a refund. The software will be destroyed on my end, with an
Affidavit, attesting to the same if you need one.


Begin forwarded message:

From: "Mindstar Aviation" <support@MindstarAviation.com>
Date: April 28, 2014 at 4:49:53 PM EDT
To: "'Chas Gmail'" <hesynergy@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: Flight planning software

Then why don’t you just save your flight plan from your flight planning software to one of the names that the GNS expects to find, and then tell the GNS to LOAD that stored flight plan? I realize this is not the same as your flight planner INJECTING a flight plan dynamically into the simulator, but if your flight planner can save flight plan files that use the traditional DECADES old format for flight plans, then the GNS unit can read them. It’s only one extra step, but maybe that will solve your problem. To see where the files go, just save a dummy flight plan in the GNS430, then look at your “My Documents \ Flight Simulator X Files” folder (or My Documents \ Prepar3D Files) .



The format he alludes to, is the following one through 20, do an "everything search" (just the best search tool you will likely ever find http://www.voidtools.com ) for files in your documents folder as mentioned above for the following:

MPI_GNS_FPL01 -through 20.PLN , MAYBE 0-19 since that's how they are named inside GPS…

Cool huh?.... It's got me debating on whether I want to press the issue on a refund…

Regards to all,
Chas

twharrell wrote:Chas,

One thing you can do to make life easier is enter way points using your keyboard.
Todd

How? I cannot seem to find the magical incantation to get the FPL entry to listen to the keyboard. what's the trick?

-M.