Keep spreading the word about how much more you get with an AM setup vs using those old out of date FIP’s. I still can’t get over how much those things cost and how many you need for a decent nstrument set. Not to mention the lack of glass cockpits. I hate to see folks wasting money on those things when there are much better options these days.
Hi Sling,
So true. This has transformed my setup.
The only Logitech panel I am still using is the radio panel. (I have 2).
It’s arguably the only one worth having. I find it very handy.
Everything else is boxed up till I can sell it all.
Thanks so much.
Keep in mind guys that you can build your own Knobster for about $32.00 - For the price of one Knobster you can have 3-4 Dual Rotary Encoders and it will also work with Air manager 
Sure you can and many people do this but if you are using the propwash encoder as is the common choice then they are not as good quality as the one used in the real unit. They work but I’ve done a direct comparison and they don’t work as well and IMHO don’t feel as nice.
You are absolutely correct about the cheaper encoders. But, there are still many encoders out there, including Grayhill, etc. which are basically the real thing and you still can come out for 1/2 or 2/3 of the price of a single Knobster.
Oh and one more thing, for the Logitech Flight Instrument Panels (FIPS), don’t discard them completely. You can change a lot of functionality and gauges on these with https://fipgauges.com/ - Remember, these have 8 buttons, an LCD screen and 2 encoders that can be completely customized and put to great use 
Absolutely. The Grayhill and even Alps encoders are harder to source though and it’s why people tend to go with the propwash ones. I’m not sure you’d make much of a saving if using a pro Grayhill optical encoder those things are super expensive and hard to get but you are right you can get a decent one and make your own knobster. I tried a few different types.
As we said on the knobster you can make something with the knobs and buttons for way less and the screen is just too small to be really useful across all cockpits. I suppose if you already have them it’s ok but I would never recommend someone buy them new these days. They are just a poor choice now.
Without doubt Air Manager is one of the best products released to the masses
The FIPS have their purpose though if you already have them; browse through those gauges and even with a small screen you can do some great things in your cockpit. Some designs can function really well for CAS, Annunciators, Emergency, Warnings, and many more…I just like the fact that it’s a whole package with encoder, button and screen that is already programmed and very functional.
I have a Knobster question that maybe one of you can help me with. I watched a video showing how it’s added to the top menu in the sim so that you can select it’s functionality from within the sim. That’s cool but not exactly what I’m looking for.
Can the Knobster be set up with my Streamdeck (or really it just needs to be setup with a keyboard so that I can then set those keys to my Streamdeck)? What I’d like to do is just hit a key so that the Knobster controls my overhead light, then a different key so that it controls the range on a map.
Hope that question even makes sense. Thanks.
You don’t want or need knobster for that when you can use a regular encoder and button(s). You can program it however you want.
Thanks for the reply. Can you give me an example of what you’re talking about though? Not sure what you mean.
Any encoder with an additional button or buttons for mode selection connected to an Arduino using Air Manager or Mobiflight etc would achieve that.
In case it helps anyone else in the future, I installed two DIY Knobsters using the following items from eBay.
(EC11EBB24C03 Dual Axis Encoder with Switch 30 Positioning Number 15 Pulse Point)
Compatible Arduino Nano V3 16Mhz
Terminal Mount block
They all work fine.
I also created a wiring diagram for myself to make it easier when I was installing because there is only a pin number table on the Siminnovations Knobster DIY Wiki page.
I sent this diagram to the support team at Siminnovations about a year ago because I thought they might include it on their page but they said it was “not good enough”.
There is still no diagram on the Siminnovations wiki.
Hopefullly my diagram will be good enough to help someone doing a DIY Knobster.
Feel free to pass it on
Great job! The diagram looks great and all the info is very useful. Thanks for sharing and trying to help others! 
Apologies for being a Newbie. I’m very excited about what I’m seeing above, and after flying the Carenado Mooney to remind me of my Mooney Super21 in the old days, I’ve started on the PMDG B738. I’m using lots of different stuff: Alpha and Bravo and rudder pedals, MSFS Popout Manager, SpaceDesk, AviaServer, and have the overhead panel running over my head (21.5" ancient Android I managed to get running with a Microsoft Edge browser, after Chrome, Firefox, etc., all failed either to run or to display the aviaServer overhead image), 3 main screens, the FMC on a 10" tablet, the PFD, MFD, and engine gauges static on a monitor below the main screens, and I’m trying to get the radio panel on a 19" Samsung tablet to put
on my lower right side, where it belongs. I’m running SpaceDesk on the tablet, and can put up the (community-provided) 737 radio panel and move it onto the tablet, but
then the problems begin:
- many of the dials don’t respond to touches. The knobs highlight and rotate, but the radio frequencies don’t change. Other knobs (outer ones, it appears) work just fine.
- those same malfunctioning knobs work fine under mouse control, just not fingers
- many of the mode knobs are inop… for example, transponder is stuck on ALT, ADF stuck to ON, etc., even when using the mouse.
- the knobs on the ADF tune the ACTIVE frequency, rather than the standby… and the transfer is inop. That’s not the best if I were ever again actually to use NDBs, as I used to have to at the airport where I originally based a Skyhawk. But then, my old ADF didn’t used to have a standby, so maybe it’s okay… I assume that the implementer of the panel just didn’t mess with the ADF standby, but left it in the panel for the sake of looking like the real thing… nice symmetry.
Anyway, I’d appreciate very much any advice about the radio panel… particularly about getting the knobs to work! I’m trying hard to eliminate any need for mouse clicks! (I’ve got the glareshield instrument panels arriving from Istanbul this week, and can’t wait to get them installed!!!)
Thanks to all,
Erik
Quick followup… the knobs work fine… I just didn’t realize that the inner knobs need to be first poked, then rotated from way out where the outer knobs are rotated, too. I was always avoiding that area so as not to accidentally disturb the outer knobs. So no real problems left on my list above… some stuff just not implemented, I’m guessing because the radio panel doesn’t match the stuff in the PMDG 737-800… like no TA/RA setting, etc. So I’m just not worrying about it. I’ll go with the mouse to the MSFS panel when I need to turn that on.
A lot of Air Manager users have at least one knobster to control the rotary dials and switches. It makes control so much easier and realistic. You can buy one or DIY your own.