Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

The world's most famous high performance general aviation aircraft
Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

I found the Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls and Bravo Throttle Quadrant to be amazing pieces of hardware for their price, but the configurator software seemed at best unfinished, unintuitive, and confusing, especially the early versions. I think nobody can deny they come with minimal documentation and hence a rather steep barrier to entry.

Some trial and error later, I think I’m slowly getting the hang of the configurator. There are still things that are hard (or impossible) to do, and settings that are missing. But I wanted to use my fancy new flight controls to the best of their abilities.

There are of course many ways to skin a cat. Control assignments for Prepar3D can be done natively in the simulator, through FSUIPC, using LINDA, through the A2A Input Configurator and probably many more.

I’m not particularly fond of extra dependencies here. They require setup and maintenance at best and break or introduce delays or crashes at worst.
For this reason, I set upon the path to completely redo my simulator control assignments, removing as many of these dependencies as I could.
For the A2A Simulation Bonanza, this means only using native P3D assignments alongside Honeycomb Configurator profiles. Only time will tell if this was the correct way to go. But in the meantime, I wanted to share my profiles with the community, so other people can enjoy them or use them as a basis for their own setup.

I'm currently not in possession of large amounts of spare time (and I don't even have access to my gaming pc most of the time). Hence work on these profiles will only be done sporadically.
Therefore I already wanted to share the current version (I'm calling it 0.3)
A next version with some small changes will probably come sometime next week.

Finally, here's a link to the Aerosoft download section: honeycomb profiles

I'll probably put it on Avsim as well, but only once I have a more final version, fit to be called 1.0.

Best regards,
Lars

EDIT: Aerosoft requires a forum account to download (logically) so here's a direct Dropbox link to version 1.0 for those who dont have/want an account there: download
EDIT: I've created a version ready to be called v1.0. The link above has been updated.
Last edited by Tyrion on 27 Jun 2021, 12:33, edited 3 times in total.
Best regards,
Lars Domen

User avatar
Nick - A2A
A2A Captain
Posts: 13728
Joined: 06 Jun 2014, 13:06
Location: UK

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Nick - A2A »

Thanks for the post and for your work on this Lars.

None of us at A2A own any of the Honeycomb hardware so we haven't been able to test it with the Accu-Sim fleet, but would your profile help the poster in this recent thread?

Cheers,
Nick
A2A Simulations Inc.

Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

You're welcome Nick!
I'll take a look.
Best regards,
Lars Domen

Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

Nick,
Now that I have your attention :wink:

The Honeycomb throttle quadrant has a bunch of lights and annunciator labels.
In my current profile, I programmed (those not directly mapped to a light in the Bonanza) them to turn off if the battery switch is off.

Ideally, I'd want them to turn off not based on the switch, but on the level of power supplied, for example also turn off if the alternator is off and the battery runs dry.

Do you know if there is a variable (L:Var or readable from the simulator) that would allow this? A bus voltage or something like that?
I've tried some that I found in the L:Var dump that FSUIPC can spit out, but so far without success.

Thanks,
Lars
Best regards,
Lars Domen

User avatar
Nick - A2A
A2A Captain
Posts: 13728
Joined: 06 Jun 2014, 13:06
Location: UK

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Nick - A2A »

Hi Lars,

I'm pretty sure the battery voltage will be stored in a custom variable or variables, but I'll have to check with the guys to find out which one(s) are used and if they're accessible. I'll get back to you on this.

Cheers,
Nick
A2A Simulations Inc.

Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

Thank you Nick!
Best regards,
Lars Domen

User avatar
Scott - A2A
A2A General
Posts: 16839
Joined: 11 Feb 2004, 12:55
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Scott - A2A »

Tyrion wrote: 13 Feb 2021, 13:44 Do you know if there is a variable (L:Var or readable from the simulator) that would allow this? A bus voltage or something like that?
I've tried some that I found in the L:Var dump that FSUIPC can spit out, but so far without success.
Try this variable: (L:FSXBusVoltage,number). There may be some trace voltages present when everything is off, ignore that. Just set a threshold to where you feel best.

Scott
A2A Simulations Inc.

Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

Thanks a lot Scott!!
I'll give that a try tonight.
Best regards,
Lars Domen

Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

I uploaded a new version with quite a bunch of changes.
Just completed a full IFR flight with this latest version, and I'm quite happy with it so far.

Changes:
0.5: 15-febr-2021: First public update
  • FIX: Annunciator lights not bound to Bonanza lights now also depend on the FSXBusVoltage, instead of the battery switch.
  • UPDATED BINDING: Anti Ice light on when Pitot heat on (used to be when off)
0.4: 14-febr-2021: Internal version
  • UPDATED BINDING: Bind the LOW VOLT light to the ALT (alternator) light in the Bonanza.
  • UPDATED BINDING: Bind door light to Bonanza Door light
  • UPDATED BINDING: Reverse cowl flap sense to make it more intuitive (up = in, down = out)
  • ADDED: Bind the ATT VS button on the AP panel to the ALT ARM in the Bonanza.
  • ADDED: Master Caution light on when oil temp below 38°C and battery switch on
  • ADDED: Bind the VS light to the ALT ARM light
  • ADDED: Master Warning light on when Oil temp above 116°C or Oil pressure above 100 psi or CHT above 238°C (ignores battery switch state due to logic limitations)
  • FIX: Low Fuel Pressure light when fuel pressure below 1.5psi as per manual (used to be 0.85)
  • FIX: Low Oil Pressure light when oil pressure below 30psi as per manual (used to be 26)
  • FIX: Vacuum light when suction below 4.2psi to match gauge (used to be 3)
  • FIX: Cowl flaps typo in readme fixed
Links in the first post are updated for the latest version.
Best regards,
Lars Domen

User avatar
vtracy
Senior Airman
Posts: 236
Joined: 13 Feb 2011, 09:03
Location: nr Munich, Bavaria

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by vtracy »

Lars,
I am watching this thread closely, too! I have a Honeycomb Bravo installed and an Alpha yoke ordered.
My first experience with the configurator is like yours: not very intuitive. I am hoping that aerosoft will update/and improve their software support for the sets. At the moment, configurator V2 is - in my humble opinion - not the last word. Also, the database of profiles for the Bravo is missing almost all the A2A aircraft. As I found out, it is not simple to configure the A2A aircraft so that all their functions work as intended. On another forum here, I found that you want to find LVars to properly handle, for example, the gear and flaps levers.
I am cuurently trying to make the flaps lever work correctly, i. e. like the virtual lever does. So far, I could not make it increase or decrease the flaps. I suspect that I need LVars for that. I have all the GA aircraft by A2A and the warbirds. So, I may need quite a few profiles for the very different functions. Look, for example, at the landing lights in the Spitfire that can go u and down separately left and right, and light up or off!

I am hoping that aerosoft who sell the A2A aircraft, too, will work with the community to supply us with the profiles.
Volker
Image
Image

Image
Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing!

User avatar
Kobradelta1000
Airman First Class
Posts: 94
Joined: 22 Jun 2010, 05:24

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Kobradelta1000 »

Have the honey alpha and bravo- the hardware is superb for the price, same counts for the vri mcp panel (1st version), the software is an absolute pain in both cases.. And for 500€$ a no go for all who doesnt have programming skills..
i use the Linda software from the community and program it there like in the very good Thrustmaster binding software. Not all features what honeycomb could offer is supported, but at least it is usable for me. If there wouldn't be Linda, i would have sold or not even bought this softwarely unsopported piece of.... damn good hardware😁
Reg
Klaus
from LOWG

Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

LINDA is a very nice piece of software. I've used it as well. Especially like the automatic detection of aircraft and automatic profile switching.
But I've also had problems with it, most of all it not registering events of only sending them to the sim with a delay, sometimes of up to 20 seconds.
That's why I dove into the Honeycomb Configurator. :wink: It's a lot less capable than LINDA, but I've gotten the profile for the Bonanza as I want it, and I got rid of the problems I had. :D
Best regards,
Lars Domen

OGfishm0nger
Airman
Posts: 43
Joined: 25 Feb 2018, 18:07

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by OGfishm0nger »

Lars,

I've looking looking at your Bonanza profile to help me figure out how to set one up for the Cherokee and it's been very helpful so thank you for that.

One question though: how did you determine that 6V was the correct low threshold for allowing the annunciator lights to light up? I'm trying to figure out an appropriate number for that and for triggering the LOW VOLTS light in the Cherokee. I've poured over the manual but haven't found any clues there.

Thanks!

Tyrion
Airman First Class
Posts: 60
Joined: 21 Jan 2013, 08:57

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by Tyrion »

I'm glad it helps!
I went about it the old-fashioned way: bound a key in FSUIPC to export L:VARs (List Local Panel Variables)
and then turned on all heavy electric users until stuff started to fail. Then it was just comparing those L:VARs and seeing at what voltage those failures happened.
What made it easier is that turning off some electrical loads lets the voltage climb a bit again, which makes lights and so on turn back on. So load until things fail, load off, export L:VARs, load on export L:VARs, and compare those 2 lists.
It just cost me some time and a starter motor in the Bonanza that now needs some attention from a mechanic :wink:

EDIT: the found value I used to turn off the annunciator lights on the TQ. For the low voltage light I would pick a value a bit higher of course :wink:
Best regards,
Lars Domen

OGfishm0nger
Airman
Posts: 43
Joined: 25 Feb 2018, 18:07

Re: Honeycomp Alpha and Bravo profiles for the Bonanza

Post by OGfishm0nger »

Thanks for that! I'll be messing around with that this weekend I think. :D

new reply

Return to “Bonanza "V-Tail"”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests