How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

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Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2092
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by Paughco »

Fellow Connie pilots: I like to fly my Connie, but I don't like messing with the Sperry autopilot. I use the default autopilot, and it works like a champ with my Garmin GTN 650. Soon I'll fly my Connie across the Atlantic with the A2A MP Misfit Squadron. Yeah, it'll be a long flight, but we'll manage. One of the guys posted a link to this cool weathership program: viewtopic.php?f=133&t=57235&hilit=weathership. I downloaded the program, and it looks pretty interesting. It calls for a modification to the panel.cfg, as shown below. Only problem is, you can't use the default autopilot with the weathership program. Maybe you have to decide if you're gonna fly in the '50s, or if you're gonna fly in the 2020's, but you can't mix 'em up. Well, I figured out how to make it work. The edit calls for making a change to the Shift+6 radio panel. I changed it so that the weathership 2D panel replaces the Shift+8 engine control panel, which I never use. Here's the deal:

The edit in the Readme_how to install.txt calls for replacing the test under [Window05] as follows:

------------------------------------------------ begin ------------------------------
Open the panel.cfg in the panel folder and overwrite these lines:

[Window05]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=186,261
pixel_size=186,261
window_pos= 0.05, 0.99
position=6
visible=0
ident=96
sizable=0
zorder=3

gauge00=L049!radios, 0,0,186,261


With these:

[Window05]
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0
size_mm=1000, 425
window_pos=0.20, 0.10
window_size=0.60, 0.35
//window_size=0.47, 0.35
visible=1
ident=96

gauge00=L049!radios, 815,50,186,261
gauge01=Weatherships!WeathershipsSYS1, 0, 0, 1, 1
gauge02=Weatherships!WeathershipsSYS2, 0, 0, 1, 1
gauge03=Weatherships!WeathershipsGUI, 0, 0, 605, 425

//[Window05]
//Background_color=0,0,0
//size_mm=186,261
//pixel_size=186,261
//window_pos= 0.05, 0.99
//position=6
//visible=0
//ident=96
//sizable=0
//zorder=3

//gauge00=L049!radios, 0,0,186,261
------------------------------------------------ end ----------------------------------------------------

First thing I did was put [Window05] back the way it was. Next thing was to think about which of the other windows I don't really need. OK, I always have career mode off, so I don't used Shift+9 to see my accolades :roll:, but maybe someday... I never use the Shift+8 feature which allows one to select which engines keyboard or throttle controls affect. I've got a pretty good system for startups, and I haven't used the Shift+8 key in years. That's [Window07]. So here's the change I made to panel.cfg:

----------------------------------------- begin ------------------------------------------------------------
[Window07]
BACKGROUND_COLOR=0,0,0
size_mm=1000, 425
window_pos=0.005, 0.63
window_size=0.60, 0.35
//window_size=0.47, 0.35
visible=1
ident=96

gauge00=Weatherships!WeathershipsSYS1, 0, 0, 1, 1
gauge01=Weatherships!WeathershipsSYS2, 0, 0, 1, 1
gauge02=Weatherships!WeathershipsGUI, 0, 0, 605, 425

//[Window07]
//Background_color=0,0,0
//size_mm=330,100
//position=7
//visible=0
//ident=95
//sizable=0
//zorder=2

//gauge00=L049!selector, 0,0
----------------------------------------------- end -----------------------------------------------

Note that the new [Window07] doesn't include the line

gauge00=L049!radios, 815,50,186,261

That way the 2D radio panel, and hopefully the default autopilot, have not been disturbed. Guess I'll fly the Connie this evening to see if it works.

Seeya
ATB
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twsharp12
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 480
Joined: 15 Dec 2015, 09:30

Re: How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by twsharp12 »

Really good info. Thanks!

Gypsy Baron
A2A Master Mechanic
Posts: 3396
Joined: 02 Aug 2008, 17:04
Location: San Francisco

Re: How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by Gypsy Baron »

The weathership gauge is passive. It should have no effect on autopilots or visa versa.

Not sure what sort of issue you are seeing.

Paul

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Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2092
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by Paughco »

I think it has to do with the recommended change in the panel.cfg. The weathership 2D panel takes the place of the usual Shift+6 radio panel. The usual Shift+6 radio panel also contains the default autopilot. Something like that.

Seeya
ATB
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Gypsy Baron
A2A Master Mechanic
Posts: 3396
Joined: 02 Aug 2008, 17:04
Location: San Francisco

Re: How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by Gypsy Baron »

There are 2 panels involved here. The default Window05, which is the radios only and opened with panelID 96
and wimdow11 which contains the radios and the autopilot and opened with panelID 102.

Replacing the original Window05 with the Weathership version means that you only have the default radios and
the weathership gauge present. If the 'autopilot option is selected then Window11 replaces Window0 and of course the
Weathership gauge as well.

Just taking a quick look at this, One only needs to duplicate the entries for the Weathership gauge in Window11 for
it to be present no matter which autopilot option is selected.

Paul

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Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2092
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by Paughco »

Thanks for looking into this. If there's a simpler way to have both the weathership and my default autopilot, I'll have to try it, but I think I'll wait until after our flight tomorrow. The optimal deal would be if I could have the weathership 2D panel show up, but no change to the radio 2D panel, including no change to the smaller default autopilot panel.

Thank you
ATB
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Gypsy Baron
A2A Master Mechanic
Posts: 3396
Joined: 02 Aug 2008, 17:04
Location: San Francisco

Re: How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by Gypsy Baron »

The person that wrote the instructions for the Weathership installation on the Connie apparently did not know
about the 'window swap'. By modifying only Window05, when someone selects the default AP, the Weathership gauge
will disappear, as you found out.

To prevent this, the Weathership modification would need to be made in BOTH Window05 and Window11. The scaling of Window11
is different and that would need to be addressed for the 'swap' to work properly.

It is probably easier to just use another window for the gauge, as you and I have done.

-=GB=-

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Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2092
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: How to use the weathership feature with the default autopilot

Post by Paughco »

Thank you for the discussion. In my best John Wayne voice, "Well, men, we got a mission to go on!"

I remember my pal Paul Sylvestri saying that as we slid the hangar doors open on a Saturday morning at Half Moon Bay Airport.

Seeya
ATB
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