Functions for use with +/-

User Support Hub Hardware & Peripherals
1

Hi,

I’m trying to set my Honeycomb Bravo TQ up and one of the options im exploring is to use the INCR/DECR (+/-) knob to tune various radios.

In the default configuration the context of the +/- right knob relates to the setting on the left knob, with possible values SELECT ALTITUDE BUG, SELECT VS BUG etc.

Now I’m trying to reassign the left knob so that various settings allow me to tune things like radios and altimeters.

I’ve had reasonable success but not really achieved what an ideal setup. Let me explain.

If we focus on changing the NAV radios, what ive tried is assigning the following to the left and right knobs:

[CONFIG1]
ALT + INCR => INCREASE NAV 1 (WHOLE)
VS + INCR => INCREASE NAV 1 (FRACT)
HDG + INCR => INCREASE NAV 2 (WHOLE)
VS + INCR => INCREASE NAV 2 (FRACT)
And similar for DECR.
The problem with this is that it requires two settings on the left knob to tune a single radio.

Alternatively, i can do the following:
[CONFIG2]
ALT + INCR => INCREASE NAV 1 (FRACT, CARRY)
VS + INCR => INCREASE NAV 2 (FRACT, CARRY)
And similar for DECR.
This allows me to tune radio with a single setting on the left knob, but the increments are so small that it takes a long time and a lot of clicks of the knob to change from 108MHz to 116MHz (for example). I know its a well constructed device but id prefer a bit more mechanical sympathy.

What i’d really like is something similar to the way the heading bug is changed with the +/-. When the +/- knob is clicked, the heading bug changes by 1 degree, but if i spin the heading bug, it changes in larger increments. This way you can do coarse/fine tuning with the single setting.

I had hoped for similar behaviour for [CONFIG2] above but that isn’t the case. Am i missing something?

My only other option appears to be a setting called NAV RADIO (see below)

image

This works well in that if i click the button for NAV RADIO I can use +/- to tune NAV1 in 1 MHz increments, while a double click tunes NAV1 in 25kHz increments - Great, but i can’t seem to work out how to switch it to NAV 2.

The text “Follow by SELECT 2 for NAV 2” is a bit cryptic for me, does anyone know what this means?

Cheers,
Mark

2

One can be very creative with all the buttons and switches in the Bravo. One thing that is almost impossible to do is to tune the VOR1 or VOR2 OBS. I solved this using three buttons. I used one switch, JB 34 and JB 35 setting JB 34 for “SELECT 1” and JB 35 for “SELECT 2”. These are added to other buttons for the action to happen

For example I first set JB 18 to VOR OBS. JB 34 is SELECT 1, JB 14 is MINUS. For decreasing VOR1 OBS, I use JB18 + JB34 + JB14. This means VOR OBS + SELECT 1 + DECREASE.

Another example is to increase VOR2 OBS is JB18 + JB 35 + JB 13.

I don’t know if using SELECT 1 or 2 will work for you. Try it out!

BTW, I have also assigned one button to multiple actions. For example JB 37 is set to SET ANTI ICE OFF and SET WINDSHIELD DEICE off. JB 36 sets both of these ON.

3

Thanks for the insight, some good thoughts there.
However, I cannot find anything in the key bindings called SELECT 1 or SELECT 2.
What part of the tree do they fall under?
Cheers,
Mark

4

Actually, I think I get what you’re saying. The SELECT 1/2 you’re alluding to is one of the switch positions, rather than an explicit binding.

That’s a good approach for tuning the vor obs.

But the reference to “SELECT 2 for NAV 2” from the screenshot on my original post makes it read like it is a specific function that can be bound to a key?

Also, with specific reference to the NAV RADIO function from my original post, how would I use that function and have it used to tune the nav 2 radio?

5

This turned out to be a classic case of blindness.

The select 1 - 4 are available in the MENU subsection of the key bindings.

Cheers,
Mark

6

Thanks for this thread. I don’t know why it took me so long to grasp programming the Bravo, but I’ve tried several times to get away from using the mouse while flying and always got frustrated trying to create what I wanted. I felt like grandma when the TV input button gets hit on the remote control. Programming the Bravo in Flight Simulator felt like it was it’s own strategy game inside of a game, but I finally got it.

What about the “INCREASE VOR1 OBS” and “INCREASE VOR2 OBS” control binds? Were those added since your post? What drives me crazy is how tediously slow tuning these knobs can be. Forget about the Incr/Decr knob on the top fo the Bravo. You’d be cranking that knob all day. Even if you bind these to a wheel that spins freely, it’s like Flight Simulator can’t read the button pulses fast enough, or it starts ignoring them at a certain rate. I bound the OBS knob to the Bravo’s trim wheel plus a rocker switch and it takes about 20 seconds to spin the needle 180 degrees. If you start spinning that wheel faster, it takes even longer. That’s better than fumbling with the cursor and clicking on the knob while you’re trying to fly the plane though I guess. The mouse wheel doesn’t seem to have this issue, but then you have to click on the control. I wish I could could cross bind across different devices, like throw a rocker switch on the Bravo and spin the mouse wheel to control the OBS knob. Does Axes and Ohs solve this issue?

Edit: I see there’s an “INCREASE VOR1 OBS (FAST)” bind under a separate OBI category. But it doesn’t appear to work when I bind to it? I guess I don’t have this figured out.