Remote Compass Errors, Mag and remote disagree.

[bobsk8]

I made a post about the remote compass going out of sync with the Mag compass a couple of weeks ago. I stopped using turns in push back with Bat off to eliminate this problem. I also now notice that as I fly the remote compass and mag compass reaings start to drift apart. Right now I am flying in the Seattle are and the Mag compass reads 241 and the remote reads 255. Should they not read exactly the same?

[alan CXA651]

Hi Bobsk8.
They should be within a couple of degrees of each other i would have thought.
regards alan.

[mallcott]

`D` key not working Bob?

[bobsk8]

`D` key not working Bob?

D key doesn't affect remote compass.

[mallcott]

`D` key not working Bob?

D key doesn't affect remote compass.

No but it should put the compasses into synchronisation. And by telling you which one moves, you can tell us which one is wrong.

Ctrl+Z will also provide the sims interpretation of the compass heading and this is the master by which the others can be judged.

Main reasons compasses don't match usually relate to a failure (fuse), operator error (not switched on or not frequently synchronised when compass drift is checked in the menu GyroDrift=True) or discrepancy in some form of updated navdata

[Nick - A2A]

D key doesn't affect remote compass.

You sure about that Bob? Looks to me like the remote compass takes its heading from the FSX gyrocompass data. Provided the remote compass is powered (i.e. main battery switched on) it should respond to the 'D' key press. (It does in my installation, anway.) In reality, I'd guess it's a retrofit item which is connected to some kind of remote electronic magnetic sensor, and/or a solid-state gyroscope. (A bit like the ones used in the A2A T-6 autopilot.)

If this is the case, clearly it shouldn't be subject to gyro drift in reality. However—as you've noticed—it seems to be a quirk of the system as modelled in the sim that it is. This is even the case when the vacuum-driven directional gyro is shut down.

Cheers,
Nick

[bobsk8]

D key doesn't affect remote compass.

You sure about that Bob? Looks to me like the remote compass takes its heading from the FSX gyrocompass data. Provided the remote compass is powered (i.e. main battery switched on) it should respond to the 'D' key press. (It does in my installation, anway.) In reality, I'd guess it's a retrofit item which is connected to some kind of remote electronic magnetic sensor, and/or a solid-state gyroscope. (A bit like the ones used in the A2A T-6 autopilot.)

If this is the case, clearly it shouldn't be subject to gyro drift in reality. However—as you've noticed—it seems to be a quirk of the system as modelled in the sim that it is. This is even the case when the vacuum-driven directional gyro is shut down.

Cheers,
Nick

OK, just checked it out, and you are correct , it works. Will have to try this on the next flight... Thanks.

[bobsk8]

Been using the D key successfully, working fine now.

[Nick - A2A]

Good stuff! Not sure whether to chalk this one down to a (potentially fixable) bug, or whether it's just a limitation of the way the heading data works in the sim.

It would seem to make more sense to me if the remote indicating compass was completely independent to the DG and just 'borrowed' its heading from the magnetic compass.

Nick