Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

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DMdoc
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Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by DMdoc »

Love the Comanche, but the STEC-30 autopilot is a pain. Surely some real-life Comanche owners have updated their APs (?), and I would like to do so with my A2A Comanche.

What I'd like to do would be to copy an existing AP from one of my other aircraft (in panel.cfg) into the Comanche's panel.cfg (saving the existing cfg "just in case"), while deleting the STEC-30 from that file. I presume I'd also have to do the same sort of trick with the [autopilot] section of the Comanche's aircraft.cfg file. I realize it'd be a pop-out only, rather than integrating into the airplane itself.

I've done this sort of upgrade with some old-timer aircraft that didn't originally have a AP, such as those from GAS, but I couldn't get this to work when I tried it in the A2A Comanche.

Anyone have any thoughts about the feasibility of such an "upgrade" for the Comanche? And has anyone successfully done an upgrade (and if so, with what AP?)

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Lewis - A2A
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Re: Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by Lewis - A2A »

Hello,

no this is not possible. What issues are you encountering with the AP its a widely used very capable AP system.

thanks,
Lewis - A2A
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DMdoc
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Re: Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by DMdoc »

Lewis - A2A wrote:Hello,
no this is not possible. What issues are you encountering with the AP its a widely used very capable AP system.
thanks,
Lewis - A2A
Two thoughts about the STEC-30:
(1) it can't be pre-set for an altitude to hold
(2) it doesn't want to follow the flight plans that I set up in my Flight1 GTN750.

Hence I was hoping there's some way to disable the STEC-30 in favor of another AP.

alan CXA651
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Re: Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by alan CXA651 »

Hi.
I use the A2A GPS and it follows the GPS plan exactly , or you can have it in nav mode for hdg select, but i believe when the F1GTN750 is used the normal nav/gps switch becomes inop and you need to use the nav/gps switch in the gtn750.
There are people on here with same F1GTN750 in the pa250 who seem to have it working without issues , it looks like a complex unit that can do a lot more than the basic GPS so are you sure you have it set up in correct mode , for the aircraft to follow your plan , maybe someone who has this unit in the pa250 could help sort out what might need selecting , that you may have overlooked.
regards alan. 8)
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AKar
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Re: Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by AKar »

DMdoc wrote:(2) it doesn't want to follow the flight plans that I set up in my Flight1 GTN750.
You can think it only has a track hold but no track capture. You need to help it a bit around turns. Old school stuff, but pretty capable still. While forcing you into the loop a bit. Easiest way is to remain hands-off-the-wheel is to preselect the heading of the next leg to the bug, and about when your PlayStation prompts you to turn now, switch to the heading mode. When reasonably established, switch back to the TRK! Pretty soon you nail it every time.

-Esa

DMdoc
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Re: Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by DMdoc »

All of which is why I'd like A2A to allow newer APs, as they allowed the newer GTN750. Even the "stock" AP from the FSX default airplanes would be an improvement == if only I could figure out how to make it function!

Since A2A could do cute tricks like having an glove box door that opens, I'd hope they could arrange to allow an newer (daresay, better?) AP for us who are more into flightseeing than we are aircraft-operation-authenticity connoisseurs.

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Oracle427
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Re: Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by Oracle427 »

FYI - Some RW feedback here. http://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtop ... 79#p478979

RW APs on these aircraft are all about the same. The STEC-30 is an excellent autopilot. It tracks as well as any other, but it lacks some bells and whistles like VS modes and capture. It also does not have intercept prediction. Despite that the performance of the AP in sim with an "upgraded" AP is not realistically going to be significantly better. All you will have are more modes.

I used the STEC-30 for several years and loved it for it's simplicity. It was great to fly coupled to the LOC on an ILS with that thing.
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

alioth
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Re: Replacing STEC-30 with other Autopilots

Post by alioth »

give it a try!

Stec30 is one of this comanche features I like most.
I think it is the perfect autopilot for this kind of GA plane.
It works very well, it is perfectly simulated, and it keeps you awake.

I like it so much for this plane that I wouldnt use a kap140 if it were avalaible.
I like it so much I have made a hardware one for my home cockpit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLYafAxSRM0

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