Pro Flight Multi Panel

[Warrant]

Anyone tried it?

I purchased it and so far its a COOL gadget.

It contains an autopilot, autothrottle, pitch trim and flaps gauge. This saves me several pop-up windows. I'm so happy with it i'm gonna order the radio panel as well. It works excellent in IFR flight (the prio 1 reason for me to purchase it).

Anyone else with a thought about it?

[Warrant]

Since nobody seems to be aware of these fine add-on's :kilroy:, some impressions of the two panels by Saitek:

The AP or Multi Panel:

All features but a Mach selectable are present and funtional. Swithes are lit, and the panel looks and performs great. However, in a few aircraft the AP function shows a few bugs....When alt is set and engaged and switching to another feature (VS/IAS/HDG/CRS) it might occur when turning the switch all previous set date seems lost (this is not the case but you have to turn the wheel a little to see the previous set settings again).

The panel itself features: a double row display for ALT/VS/IAS/HDG&CRS. On the left side there is a selectable knob to access and edit this data/value. On the right there is a metal rotating knob (single row/level) to adjust the values is the several screens. To the right there is a Auto Throttle Arm Switch and a Pitch Trim Wheel. Below that there is a Flaps up/down witch. Below the display there are the LED-lit activation switches for the AP. All are present but the Mach selectable.

The Radio Panel:

All functions well, however: Using the right windows for non active freq's is not working well. I can only change the left (active) freq's with the knob, switching with the act/stby button will swap the two freq's, but still only the active freq (left two windows) will be adjustable.
Nice thing is that all other radio and transponder stuff is accessible and editable with this panel.


The panel itself features:Two rows of freq display, separated in a left and right display in two rows.
On the left of each row there is a selectable switch which allows you to access COM1/COM2/NAV1/NAV2/ADF/DME and transponder. On the right side each row has a metal knob (bigger wheel selects the first three digits, the smaller selects the last two), and finally to the far right eacht level has a selectable switch for Active/Standby.

So, final report......

A few bugs to repair (software update), but it is all functional, and it looks great! It is a real enhancement of the FSX system, since i now only have the GPS window and the radio chat window cluttering my desktop while flying. Two additional Saitek features/gadgets for that, and a new "all in one" Saitek USB hub feature thingy, and i'll be a total happy customer. In short; a nice and usefull add-on for IFR flight!


Here a few pic's:

[harleyman]

Purty cool.....

Its way out of my knowledge ..And my desk MUST stay uncluttered as it drives me nutso !


I'm likeing it though...Nice set up for sure....

Now tidy up that desk...LOL

Great reviews too BTW...Thanks for that...

[kjb]

I love that kind of stuff. I started with the GoFlight goodies, then added a TRC372. Eventually I traded the TRC372 for a TRC472, with an old Garmin 295 on top.

Oh...I'm not posting pics of my desk. Your desk is fastidiously tidy compared to mine!

[rdyoung]

The Radio Panel:

All functions well, however: Using the right windows for non active freq's is not working well. I can only change the left (active) freq's with the knob, switching with the act/stby button will swap the two freq's, but still only the active freq (left two windows) will be adjustable.


Is it possible that the aircraft your were using at this time was limited to radios with no standby frequency? This is defined in the Aircraft.cfg file in the Radios section (of course). Aircraft radios that have a standby frequency window will behave just like you have described if the radios section of the Aircraft.cfg file has not included standby in the settings. You can refer to a default aircraft like the Beech Baron to see what this section should look like with standby freqs enabled.

I know someone who has this radio panel and he has not mentioned having any difficulty with standby frequencies.

Rick

[limjack]

Some day.....some day.....I want to get all the little gadgets. I already have some but not hooked up at this time. Only one computer in the house and shared by two other family members. I got tired of hooking up everything, setting up my flight and then taking everything down so my stuff would not be in the way of others. I have been dreaming though...dreaming of setting up my own station in the garage with all my toys. Its good to dream!

Jim

[Warrant]

Is it possible that the aircraft your were using at this time was limited to radios with no standby frequency? This is defined in the Aircraft.cfg file in the Radios section (of course). Aircraft radios that have a standby frequency window will behave just like you have described if the radios section of the Aircraft.cfg file has not included standby in the settings. You can refer to a default aircraft like the Beech Baron to see what this section should look like with standby freqs enabled.

I know someone who has this radio panel and he has not mentioned having any difficulty with standby frequencies.

Rick

Sometimes the radio responds (including with the aircraft suggested by you)...but sometimes it does not (freezes partly or complete). I tested it with a wide range of aircraft in multiple occasions, including the payware C-130, F-16 (AS & IRIS), Carenado C-172, and the default Baron.

I often get a device freeze or non responsive or "device shut down" response from FSX, even after hours of flight.

The response of the stand-by function also is sometimes random (and Yes, i know a bit or two about the aircraft cfg, not quite new in FS:kilroy:).

Any other experiences with these devices?

I run the stuff with Vista Ultimate 64 with FSX SP2

[rdyoung]

I don't have the radio panel but I have the other two. My brother has the radio and multi panel and he has experienced an occasional freeze of the panels when rapidly changing settings. I have not seen this (maybe once early on when rapidly changing HDG or CRS). I have suggested to my brother that the next time he has a freeze he might try killing the SaiPanel process in Task Manager, then re-running the plug-in manually from the shortcut in the Windows Programs menu. I don't think he has tried this yet but it might permit a restart of the panels without having to exit the sim and start all over again.

My brother has mentioned that he has seen the standby freq. behave much as you have for an aircraft without standby freq. enabled in the Aircraft.cfg file. He hasn't mentioned seeing a problem when the standby freq. was enabled.

We are both running this on Vista Home Premium 64-bit.

We haven't found a way to use or turn on the VS button, have you? Adjusting VS once ALT is engaged works fine.

Rick

[Pepere]

I have the GoFlight GF-MCP Advanced Autopilot and works very good in most aircraft except. CS, PMDG, Flight1 and Wilco(E-Jest Series) aircraft other than those it's saves so much time in having to find click spots in VCs. I also have the Flight Deck Console and six other modules I've collected, $, over the years. Would not fly with out them....... <TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-LEFT: #70a8ed 1px solid" width=10></TD><TD align=left></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Does anyone have the Saitek-Pro Flight Multi Panel? Does the auto pilot work with Wilco, Flight1 (Super 80) etc aircraft?

David
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[Warrant]

We haven't found a way to use or turn on the VS button, have you? Adjusting VS once ALT is engaged works fine.

Rick

The VS button gives me no trouble at all. I can select the VS and adjust, with or without Alt selected. The only bug i've noticed is when IFR with AP engaged and when directed to another altitude when climb or descent has not yet completed, the new Alt setting will result in a 500ft/m climb/descent (regardless of previous or default setting). This is simply overruled by selecting VS and select +/- 100ft/m and then go back to intended VS.

The Saitek shortcut in taskmanager is a trick i had for my switch panel. Gonna do the same for the multi and radio panel. Hope Saitek will sort this out and release a patch soon.

[rdyoung]

I think the one plug-in runs all three units at the same time.

Rick