(Copied from my reddit posting)
The other day, I broke down and bought a couple of the logitech flight radio panels. For the most part I don’t have too many issues (they could have improved on the hardware just a bit to make it feel a bit more like a KX 165A, and the frequency spacing’s are a bit too close).
The curious problem I’m running into; typically I assign COM2 to the second set of frequencies (usually for ground based and ATIS), and COM1 for Tower as well as Departure/Approach. The second unit I bought is pulling double duty for the squawk and NAV 1
When firing up the pair earlier, it seemed that MSFS 2020 only recognized COM1 active. I tried changing the bank associations (i.e. swapping the upper active/standby bank) for COM 2, but it appeared that this didn’t changed anything. To get around this I have to renter COM 2 frequencies into COM 1
Has anybody been able to emulate a proper COM1 COM 2 set up within MSFS2020 with the logitech equipment (currently flying a steam gauge 172)?
As a P.S. I’m wondering if this is a model issue on the sim side of things or a hardware issue (i.e. logitech could in theory create something like the KMA-28 to interface
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I only have a single radio unit, but it works fine for me. I use SPAD to control it though, which allowed me to configure a long press of the transfer button to switch from 8.33KHz to 25KHz channel spacing. The Logitech software doesn’t allow for that as far as I know.
COM1/COM2 does work, but to interact with in-game ATC I have to use the mouse to interact with the second tab. This means the keypad I have set up on my Streamdeck, for options 1-9, now apply to COM2. I’m not sure if there is a way to flip between those to screens in the ATC dialogue by any other method than mouse.
That part, having Tower on COM1, and Ground on COM2 is really clunky because of that.
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I have a dual stack of the radio panels with one stack set for COM1 & COM2 and the other stack set for NAV1 and XPDR. So far, I’ve only noticed that COM2 doesn’t light up if the plane I’m in only has a single COM capability. As far as hearing the second radio, unless you open up the Tower communication panel and highlight COM2 there, you typically don’t hear anything in most of the aircraft. I have noticed though that you can manually turn on COM2 in the Carenado Seneca and as long as the radio is tuned in, you will hear transmissions. Typically, I use COM2 for ATIS information so kind of a convenient thing…
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I’m wondering then,
It might be plausible then to assign a spare toggle with the honeycomb bravo to toggle between COM 1 and COM 2. It’s not the most ideal implementation (as you can’t monitor the other), but it just might work
Edit, it doesn’t appear the toggle option works, I did end taking a couple screen shots (although it bit more of the monitor status, and not a com 1/ com 2 switch, i.e. push the com1/ com2 button in and not the rotary option) of the xml variable though, I’m not sure how to map them (I’ve had the honeycomb bravo monitor the state of the variables for the annunciator panel, but its a pull instead of a push)
The Dev’s might want to look at this and enable a new controls option (would have thought that the autoswitch would have toggled the comms, but it doesn’t appear to do anything)
I know this doesn’t help you now and I certainly don’t want to be critical of you for going with the Logitech panels, after all it’s a personal choice. But I just have to say that for anyone else considering spending on these do yourself a favour and take a look at Air Manager and a knobster. IMHO it provides better realism through a choice of radios and plenty more besides. A choice of displays and hardware suppprted if required. Did I mention it’s less than the cost of one Logitech panel and you can have as many radios or instruments as you so desire.
As for the Logitech FIP’s well a few of them soon add’s up and isn’t a patch on what Air Manager can offer. I’ve never understood why people buy those things. Each to their own I suppose.
The software might be, but you still need the extra panels, and one Knobster is close to twice the price of a single Logitech panel, last time I looked at least.
They’ve come down it seems. €95 from one site. My Logitech panel was about £50.
£50. Was that second hand or a sale or perhaps a while ago because currently they seem to be retailing for £100.
In a quick search where I live Air Manager and knobster are around the same price or cheaper than one Logitech radio panel. $251 v $250-300. If you want 2 Logitech panels then it’s a big difference. Yes you need a display for AM but you can use a tablet, Rpi display or an existing monitor. Point is you have choices and don’t necessarily need to buy something. You can also make your own knobster for much less which drops the price even further.
Like I said I’m not being critical of those that have these already but putting it out that there are IMHO better choices.
This was early last year, before things went crazy due to COVID shortages. I got them from Amazon.
If you don’t have an extra screen or tablet, then you have to buy those, and they are definitely going to be more than a Knobster.
Yes, you can make a multi-panel with AirManager, but if you don’t need that there are cheaper alternatives, and my Logitech panel set does everything I want. The whole lot was perhaps £170, as the multi-panel was the most expensive IIRC. A Knobster, plus software, and screen/tablet will be considerably more than that.
AirManager looks a lot better though! 
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Yep some prices have gone silly. Although I did note the other day that Logitech quadrants where I am have reduced in price. Go figure.
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No hard feelings over the personal preferences (bit of hardware guy myself),
Logitech (as mentioned originally) could improve their hardware a little bit to interface a bit more natively and perhaps the comparison could be a bit more objective than purely personal preferences
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