Cruises

[Doug]

Rob ... I just put up the new "mini panel" (Nav_Stack) file on The Moorings - Maintenance Shop. (It's a "cobble" of gauges, but works darned well). Later we'll make a real "panel" out of it. Grab that, it has a pretty good explanation in it. When you are using it, be sure to turn the nav/gps switch to gps (just like you have to do in a plane), then it senses the gps track and isn't looking for a "nav" frequency (which we cannot use on the boats). Then Click on the NAV button and the AP button ... it should start tracking for you.  Also, try CTRL-W for the autorudder on/off.  We're trying to find a good switch for that, but no good one so far.

All of this is strictly experimental, Jeff is learning every day the "mysteries" Microsoft hid in the "fabric" of the boats. And we are basically taking an airplane model, taking off the wings and telling it that is is now a boat (they don't listen well sometimes!).  We've got more to do ... but it is a lot of fun trying. I had tried to make the boats respond to the autopilot. One made a "splash wake" like a train ahead of and behind the boat (uh, well that didn't work!) ... another great engineering move I made caused the Malibu to literally dance on its tail and hop around on its motors... uh, (I'm a chem E!).  But alas, Jeff seems to be able to actually get these things to come under his spell.

As for the cruises, I'm waiting for a low flier to try one of the cruises. Get in a heli and fly wavetop and it is one AMAZING view from down on the water. I flew the Griffin Passage yesterday when I finished it with an ultralight about 10 feet off the waves ... wow. The gps route avoids the islands (where with plane routes we use the islands as waypoints) ... so flying very low these take you around the islands.  A lot of fun for heli's and flight-seeing planes.

Doug

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[jeff3163]

I don't have the F-111 gauge.  Was it a freeware plane?  Is it the Aardvark?  No plane I have uses a file called "Minipnl", as I can't locate any such animal on my computer anywhere.  And believe me, I have hundreds of planes.  Almost 300 actually.  I came up with many "Cessna208.gau" files on my computer.  It seems to be common among many of my planes.  Even the AH-64 apache uses something from it.  I can't understand why the water rudder switch wouldn't show up for you.  I installed the panel, and there is no autopilot gauge, but the water rudder switch shows up for me.  It is located high up on the panel, top left.  Above that cool digital speedometer.  I can give you my Cessna208.gau file, and you could give me your "Minipnl" file, via email zips.  Then we'd have to include them in your panel .zip for other people with the same problem. 

Edit - I just zipped up a copy of the Cessna208.gau file, and I think it'll fit into an attachment right here.  So if I press the "post" button and it works, that's half the problem solved, I think.  You should be able to just paste the file to your "Gauges" folder, and it'll work for you. 

Edit 2 - Ok, it was still more than 500 kb, so didn't work.  Doug, I'll have to email it to you.

Edit 3 - I just replaced the F-111 autopilot with a 737-400 autopilot.  Not as pretty, but everyone has one.

The line is:  "gauge00=737-400!Autopilot,   22, 267, 134, 30" (no quotes)

(trying to keep on topic) ---> . . .  And this is the Bella Coola to Ocean Falls cruise, just coming out of Bella Coola.  Did you know that you can drive right up the falls and into the lake behind it?  Go up the short little stream, directly at the falls, and you'll pop right up to the top and into the lake.  Strange yet cool.


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[Doug]

I sent you the minipnl I had ... but I only started messing with FSX in late December and haven't put a jet in here at all ... so I don't know where it could have come from.  I don't have the right fuel for them, so I don't fly 'em.  Thats why I figured it was standard.

D

[jeff3163]

Thanks.  I got it.  It's much better looking than the old 737-400 AP.


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[Doug]

I know the speed crashes (which we really out to rename "idle" ... but would the yaw damper help us in any way?

D

[jeff3163]

I wonder what it does "software wise" ... maybe we could trick it, as a switch in the XML (to be a water rudder?)

D

(Hmmm, busy day I guess.  I don't remember this post.) Just a quote from Doug?  Is this referring to the Yaw damper switch?  Anywho, I have this route I've been using with the boats.  It goes from Misty's to Lucky Lindy's Place.  I thought I'd put it out there.

The autopilot's yaw damper seems to be inactive, as is the autothrottle.  As for water rudders, the boats have between 4 and 7 under them now.  Two just wasn't good enough for me.  The Scirocco has 7.  It's very heavy and hard to turn.

(edit-Misty's to Lucky Lindy's Place SP.zip updated (4/23/11), to avoid an island.  Should be smooth sailing now.)

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