Free Radio

[garrylundberg]

Does your system meet the sim's requirements?
YES
Did you temporarily disable your anti-virus program during the download process?
YES
Before installing did you disable UAC. (User Account Control)?
YES
Did you install, and are you running the sim as an admin?
YES
Before running the sim did you make sure the FSX/P3D directory is off limits to any AV scanning?
YES
Does your system have the required distributables?
YES
Is your video card DX11 compatible?
YES
If applicable, did you disable any FSX to P3D migration tools (like Estonia) before running the sim?
YES
Are you using an aircraft other than a Milviz one as your default aircraft?
YES
Have you installed in the root sim directory?
YES
Do you have the appropriate SimConnect libraries installed?
YES

Aircraft: PA-30 Twin Comanche
Sim platform: P3D v.4
Operating system: Win10
Version: 1.181102
Unique ticket identifier: 969CD539-F40B-742C-367E-551343332E57

I never fly with a GPS so upon loading the PA-30 I chose "Free Radio" and the auto pilot. What I got was a panel with very poor quality radios with low resolution...not at all acceptable nor what is in the Beaver. Also the Garmin 430 is still on the panel (see attached screen shot)...and the autopilot screen is covered with the 430 screen, rendering it unusable.

I fussed with it a bit and found that if I loaded with the "Free Radio w/WX " than the autopilot was clear and could be used but the 430 was still there with the WX knobs poking thru the 430 (see attached other screen shot).

I did download and install with my antivirus turned off and as administrator. All else seems to work ok, although I have only taken it for a hop around the pattern.

Would like to get the same quality of radio graphics as in the Beaver with no 430 showing.

Please advise...thanks.

[garrylundberg]

Having trouble attaching screen shots...try again.

With Radar.png (3.49 MiB) Viewed 2591 times

Free Radio Only.png (3.23 MiB) Viewed 2591 times

[N4GIX]

The "Freeradio" option is your playground. From the top of the center stack to the bottom of the GNS430, and the copilot's knee panel where you can place any 2d gauge you wish that will 'fit' into that space.

We provide this pre-configured with a selection of default sim 2d gauges (from the ..\Gauges folder) as an example. We cannot offer any support in helping configure things for everyone's preferences.

You can edit these two .cfg files to set up your own preferred 2d gauges:


To remove the GNS430 from the panel, simply open both of the above in notepad.exe and place two slashes (//) in front of the gauge entry for it, then save that file. Select any other option from MVAMS, then reselect either of the two Freeradio options and reload the Twinkie:

//gauge08=TW_XMLGauges!FBS_GNS430_1, 0,97,500,210

[garrylundberg]

Thanks for the reply. Took out the 430 as you detailed, and that worked but the 430 screen still shows over the autopilot screen as before (screen shots attached) and with the radar the knobs still stick out from the Nav/Com 2 radio and a blank panel covers the WX. Can you advise how to fix these two items.

New Panel.png (3.33 MiB) Viewed 2569 times

New Panel with WX.png (3.13 MiB) Viewed 2569 times

As for the "playground"...I have no idea how to put any other 2d panels into those areas. All I would like is the same Nav/Com set as from the Beaver...but don't know how I would do that. I believe your saying you can not supply any support to do this...can you, at least, refer me to a post or something that would guide me through the steps. I really have no experience nor knowledge on "hacking" panels.

Thanks,

[Krazycolin]

which panels are the ones you want (as in the other plane)?

[garrylundberg]

The radio stack from your DHC-2 Beaver looks better and would be an upgrade in the graphics (Screen Shot attached) and would make the auto-pilot be part of the stack instead of separate

Beaver Radios.jpg (352.5 KiB) Viewed 2561 times

. That with a 2nd Nav/Com would be perfect. The existing DME is acceptable since the beaver does not have one.

[N4GIX]

Unfortunately, those in the Beaver are 3d modeled and totally defeats the purpose of the "Freeradio" option.

To remove the 3d WX mesh simply edit the ..\Console\console_NavStax_WX.xml file and remove this entry:
1 (>L:MV_WX,bool)

Then edit the Freeradio_WX_Panel.cfg file and comment out the gauge entry as shown in red below:

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Vcockpit34]
background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=512,512
visible=0
pixel_size=512,512
texture=$C310_VC_03

//gauge00=MV_WX!WX, 0,0,512,361

Working with placing 2d gauges is not that difficult, but does require some knowledge. I would suggest asking for fellow simmer's to help either at AVSIM.com, or my preferred resource fsdeveloper.com

[AviatorMan]

Hi, I would suggest that you do as I did and purchase the Navstax radio stock and install it in the panel with MVAMS. Their appearance and function is great and they are worth the additional $24.99. I like to navigate "old school" without GPS and the Navstax provides VOR, NDB and DME functionality.

[garrylundberg]

Thank you...thank you AviatorMan...that is exactly what I was looking for. Didn't realize this was available...never heard of it. I saw it on the list but thought it was just another fancy GPS system so never looked into it.

Just disappointed that my $40 purchase cost $65. I, mistakenly thought it would have a basic radio package like the Beaver...and every other GA aircraft I have purchased.

Thanks again.

[N4GIX]

But, in all fairness, you can use the NavStax package in any aircraft, so it's not such a bad deal if amortized between several GA aircraft.

[AviatorMan]

Yes it can be used in any aircraft that you have installed on your sim. However, to be installed in the panel the aircraft developer needs to provide a panel integration tool, which Milviz has provided for the PA30. Of the aircraft that I currently fly I have not found another that has a tool to integrate the Navstax into the panel, except the Milviz PA30. I have requested Milviz to develop a tool to integrate Navstax into the T50 Bobcat elsewhere in this forum. For non GPS users the Bobcat has very limited navigation techniques other than VFR.

[doodlebug]

It might be worth asking the other developers to support Navstax. The SDK makes integration easy.

[N4GIX]

Yes it can be used in any aircraft that you have installed on your sim.

NavStax will install itself into any aircraft as a 2d popup window, however you are correct that only developers can create the mesh and place it in the model itself for full 3d integration.