Simflyer Garmins

[Bob F 0]

Has anyone tried them yet. I have the reality-xp 530 and apollo. Are these comparable? The fact that you don't have to run the garmin trainer in the background is appealing.Bob

[blave 0]

I have not purchased this company's stuff, but I'd betcha a dollar that the accuracy of it is nowhere near that of the RealityXP product - simply because the latter is wrapped around real GNS software.From what I can tell, they've added on the "30" part to the FS2004 "GNS500" - i.e. the comm radios - resulting in an approximation of the GNS530. But again I'll bet that (for instance) the instrument approach logic and overall operation is very similar to Microsoft's offering, which in many ways doesn't behave like a real Garmin at all.I also feel the pain of running the 16-bit Garmin emulator in the background just as you do (it definitely affects framerates no matter what RXP says), but then again it's running *real Garmin code* rather than an XML programmatic emulation. As an RL pilot I want the accuracy, since I fly airplanes that have GNS430s and 530s in them... You may not be as picky as I am though 8^) .Dave Blevinshttp://www.flightfactory-simulations.com/h...ster_banner.jpg

[Arklight1 140]

I have almost all of the RXP products. Dave is correct, the GNS530 is VERY nice but it can tax your game performance, to what extent depends on your system specs. Also it is 2x as expensive as the Simflyers offering, IIRC, and only includes the GNS530. The Simflyer stuff is pretty cheap and many find it just perfect for FS. Personally, I like the package. :)

[Manny 1,293]

I bought the prior version about two weeks ago. Yup.. I was one of those suckers.I had Reality 530. But I was interested in the 430, cause Its in the 182 that I plan to fly for real.It had bugs.. when I click on flt plan..the flight plan bleeds outside the Garmin window...I stopped using it. Again..the ones I used was the earlier version that I bought two weeks ago. I wish they had told me a later version was coming out in two weeks. Oh..well but then it was only $12 bucks..what the heck.

[kerosene31 349]

Make sure you read the FAQ in the official forums. The author tells you what the gauges do and don't do. Reality XP vs Simflyer Garminhttp://www.simflyer.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=16Default GPS vs Simflyer Garminhttp://www.simflyer.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15Basically you get an enhanced GNS530 with very similar functionality to the default GPS. The notable exception is that the Nav and Com frequencies are on the unit as well. You also get a nice 430, GMA 340 and GTX 330 units. Putting this stack on an existing GA panel is a nice option. The gps units do look much better than the default, although not up to some others (notably the Reality XP). The performance hit for the gps is next to nothing (just like the default)This is NOT a competitor to the Reality XP 530. It doesn't have the features of the real unit. Overall, I wasn't "blown away" with the package. Although for the money, I can't complain. If you want a true garmin 530 simulator, go with RXP. If you want a nice stack of instruments to place in your panels without any framerate hit (and without having to run the trainer app in the background), this package is worth a look. Check out some screenshots of some of the panels from the official site:http://www.simflyer.net/downloads/page2.html#dakota_gnsv4

[kerosene31 349]

The more I use these, the more they grow on me. The biggest problem is simply finding room on existing panels for the whole stack. The best way to use them is by having popup windows, as the default gps does now.

[Bob F 0]

Thanks for the coments. I think I'll put my credit card away and stick with Reality-XP.

[jcboliveira 1]

DaveI made extensive tests with GNS530 and default GPS. In my FS is doesn't affect the frame rates more than the default.EDIT: tests with a 2.4 Nvidia 4200, with no AI, default 172, no gauge in panel, clear weather, no addons, no modules, no AA, 32 bits, default cfg, except 1024x768.Jos

[Guest aca_dia]

Ditto. The Rxp 530 with the current update has no noticeable impact on my frame rates.

[blave 0]

I see a perceptible framerate drop when the RXP530 is visible (and as far as I know I'm running the latest stuff; this is my favorite FS2004 add-on!). This might be because I'm also running the RXP Jetline4 stuff, which are fairly demanding (and as a result, gorgeously smooth in operation).dBhttp://www.flightfactory-simulations.com/h...ster_banner.jpg

[Guest cast1010]

Neither here, actually it's better than the default GPS. (Talking about RealityXP GNS530)Carlos.

[Guest _patrol_]

Could someone please tell me if the map (Nav) display in the Simflyers GPS is more readable than the default? It appears to be from the screenshots I've seen but I can't really tell. If it is I'll probably buy it.ThanksDavid

[kerosene31 349]

I threw some quick screenshots on my website, showing both the default and Simflyer garmins at 10 and 20 nm, respectively. BEWARE - these pics are big. I left them at the original resolution I run (1280x1024):http://it-dev-cas7.pn.buffalo.edu/garmin.htm

[Guest _patrol_]

Thanks for the screen shots Craig.David