Engine Gauges make the panel almost complete!

[Michael Carter]

Well, after more hair-pulling I've managed to integrate the Probst 727 engine gauges into the Dreamfleet 727 with pretty good results.

This is going to seem strange looking down at the instruments instead of up. ;)

I'm still having an intermittent problem with the gauges disappearing. I'm not sure why they do that. I have a solution that I'm going to use if it keeps doing that.

I guess I can pretty much count out having any flap gauges, real or on a monitor.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h146/boeing722/Enginestack0011.jpg

[Geremy Britton]

Fantastic. That's the pic we've all been waiting for, for many many months now. And to see those rhetched holes filed has calmed my imaginary OCD ;)

I'm nearly as proud of your sim as you are. And i don't even own it. LOL

Keep up the great work mike

[phil744]

Yes Yes and Yes!! fantastic, at last the holes are filled !!:) Will you be making the bezels that go round them?

Such a sweet setup, well done

[Polmer]

Your MIP looks fantastic with the new addition.

Let us know if you find a solution to your gauges disappearing.

~Polmer

[Michael Carter]

Thanks guys! No one is happier to see those holes filled than me!

The gauge bezels have been finished for six months now. Except for the EPR bezels. I have to make three of those. The rest I'll install tomorrow after a having a few rounds of self congratulatory Paulaner tonight!

I just finished a three-round hop around Heathrow airplane patch. The gauges are smooth with no jerking or lag, but I noticed my EGT gauges don't work. Well, I was warned that the gauges may not function properly if used with another aircraft other than Richard Probst's or Mike Stone's.

I'm not too worried about it as I don't pay much attention to it anyway.

The fuel flow gauge has more area than I first imagined that it would on this monitor. I didn't think I would see any more than the top third, but I got 3/4th's out of it.

There is absolutely no frame rate hit at all with the second video card and third monitor running on the FS system. I couldn't be happier with the way things worked out.

The gauges have not disappeared at all tonight like they did last night. I think a defrag with O&O fixed that. I had panel files, bitmaps, configuration files, and .gau files all over the FS folder before I got this to work. And I was copying and pasting quite a bit until I did get it working.

There is joy in 727 land tonight!

[Tony Hill]

Looking great. there is nothing like having the gauges in the panel rather than looking at the VC or 2d on screen!


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[Michael Carter]

That's exactly what I've been having to do. I'd open the DF engine stack, and move the panel down low on the outside view monitor until only the EPR and N1 gauges appeared. Everytime I wanted to check my fuel flow against the EPR book value I had to move the darn thing back up.

I sure hope Joe checks in here soon.

I've decided to just cut a couple of flap gauge panels out of a blown up bitmap and stick them into a bezel and glue them to the panel. There's no hope of ever having the real things working, but that's a small compromise for what I have.

During the build I've only lost three indicators that weren't wired anyway and two gauges.

[Rodney]

Looks real nice Michael. Now don't forget to update your sig pic.

[Michael Carter]

Yeah. I have to get the "Money shot" soon!:D

How's your's coming along?

[Michael Carter]

Two nights ago the gauges disappeared (except for the EPR bug knobs) halfway to Munich. This was about a 1.8 flight. It occured when I brought up the radio panel pop-up and made a frequency change.

Last night I flew over a two hour flight and they all stayed. Nothing funny happened with them. I was opening panels, flipping switches, rotating knobs, sometimes in rapid sequence, but still they didn't disappear.

I still can't figure out why it does this. I have, in the past experienced other DF gauges blanking out temporarily on the engineer's panel which has not been altered in any way. When I switch to an outside view this usually fixes it. I didn't think to try it out on the engine stack two nights ago. :roll:

It's as though the FS aircraft panel file forgets where the bitmaps are.

Oh well. Maybe it will occur less and less as I fly it more and more.

Difficult to set power based on speed, pitch, and engine sound. :)

[fweinrebe]

I've decided to just cut a couple of flap gauge panels out of a blown up bitmap and stick them into a bezel and glue them to the panel. There's no hope of ever having the real things working, but that's a small compromise for what I have.


I am sure you will be able to make the flap gauges out of R/C servo motors.

My PC9M Trim indicators will be made out of 3 x R/C Servo motors (8gram). I already hooked 3 R/C servos to a PIC18F4550 that interface to my PC via USB on the prototype board. See http://www.avcocalc.net/Project/ElectronicsSection/TrimIndicators/tabid/191/language/en-ZA/Default.aspx. I was able to move the R/C servos to an exact location. (Disregard the one photo. It shows the Rotary Encoders connected to the board).

[Tony Hill]

Difficult to set power based on speed, pitch, and engine sound. :)


There's another way??? :-?


;) :) :) :)





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[Michael Carter]

I am sure you will be able to make the flap gauges out of R/C servo motors.

My PC9M Trim indicators will be made out of 3 x R/C Servo motors (8gram). I already hooked 3 R/C servos to a PIC18F4550 that interface to my PC via USB on the prototype board. See http://www.avcocalc.net/Project/ElectronicsSection/TrimIndicators/tabid/191/language/en-ZA/Default.aspx. I was able to move the R/C servos to an exact location. (Disregard the one photo. It shows the Rotary Encoders connected to the board).


I don't think that would work. It's hard to see in the photo, but the monitor covers 3/4 of the flap gauge mounting holes. To add to the problem, these are both dual needle gauges.

But thanks for the suggestion anyway.

That's what happens when you don't have the correct size monitor for the application.

[fweinrebe]

I don't think that would work. It's hard to see in the photo, but the monitor covers 3/4 of the flap gauge mounting holes. To add to the problem, these are both dual needle gauges.


Oh yeah now I see it on the photo. I thought they were some background lightning coming through.

[Michael Carter]

Here's an updated photo with most of the bezels in place except for the EPR and one flap gauge.

All of the missing panel screws have been added too.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h146/boeing722/Panelwbezelsandscrews01.jpg

[Jackpilot]

I have seen recently dual needle flap gauges on ebay...??
Just putting the real faceplates and needles would look good (better than Bitmaps)
see if I can trace it back..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kratos-Flap-Position-Indicator-Aircraft-Instrument_W0QQitemZ180330114195QQihZ008QQcategoryZ26442QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

??