Trying to make sense of some information. :mellow:

 

First, there's Mindstar Productions Inc. with its President Stasi Pete Poulus. Must be the Stasi Todd refers to in this post.

Stasi and his team are very accessible and will gladly answer your questions and help solve any technical questions.

Now that same Stasi Pete Poulus also runs Realnac Data LLC. There isn't any overlapping personnel, it's literally the same guy. Mutual benefits.

 

The companies all reside at 10821 MONTICELLO DRIVE GREAT FALLS VA 22066 which happens to be the same town Todd lives in as per his profile on, e.g., another site. Location KJYO, Virginia, USA. That's Leesburg Executive Airport, some 15 miles away from the Mindstar/Realnav HQ.

 

I didn't find this because I was searching for Todd, but because almost every major flight sim forum currently features info on the 'new and exciting' gauges from Mindstar. So that's Aerosoft, A2A, Flightsim.com, simforums, other plane devs or networks. Example links given. All of them received that info from the same guy. Thanks, Todd. I guess.

 

As mentioned before, WarpD and Bill also connect as per this post. So I guess that seeing the gauges receiving at least some support (which isn't bad at all) from a certain direction, Bill's, isn't that surprising. While the excitement expressed sometimes is.

 

So could the persons involved please confirm that we are not looking at some rather clumsy cross-promotion attempt? Feel free to follow the links as they are not confidential or hidden nor made up. If I'm wrong, it should be easy to show.

 

 

As for the product itself. Me says it's only fair to wait for some real user reviews when it comes to the capabilities. I can't report that the examples on the enhanced data coverage were able to impress. Actually, I felt like the dev in charge wasn't really aware of what e.g. RNP legally means and how a GNS430 could make use of it. Subjective impression.

 

As for the calculation on what the new gauges will cost. Less! But that's a superficial view since you won't be aiming at sticking to FSX data (from 2006 and before), so every 50 Dollar package will mostly likely need the 40 bucks subscription. Mind you, two years of usage means two times of 40 Dollars, so that 'old' RXP one time payment with the free 2011 data could gain some advantage. Leaving out the focus on the features, we don't know how the Mindstar gauges perform in that regard yet. And major improvements over the (data) competitors are in a 'to come' status only. Means that it'll take time, even after the official product start.

 

I happily apologise if the facts on the promotion get disproved. So far, I don't think that a quality product needs that kind of market entry. And if it would, I'd have expected a more clever setup, if you know what I mean. :mellow:

However, hearing that the units won't ship with ANY AIRAC at all... yikes... It is going to essentially be a default GPS unless I shell out an additional $40? No thanks.

 

Is this a correct statement?

 

 

My preference is to keep the magvar data and enroute navaids as up to date as I can (matching current chart data) and then deal with the airports as I can.

 

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation, Scott! :good: Which parts of the magvar/navaid package do you use to achieve that? The updated "magdec.bgl" is a must, I presume, but do you also use the "FSXNavaids_Installer"? And, have you tested the "MagVarCorrector" to update BGLs? I've done some testing myself, but ended up getting ILS approaches even further off current published values than with FSX default (although I did mainly test near 2WA1 and KCLM, an area which tends to be very problematic in terms of MV at any rate... try plotting a leg from TOU VOR to JAWBN intersection and then reverse it in Skyvector, for example).

 

Thanks!

Tym

 

 

First, there's Mindstar Productions Inc. with its President Stasi Pete Poulus. Must be the Stasi Todd refers to in this post.

Now that same Stasi Pete Poulus also runs Realnac Data LLC. There isn't any overlapping personnel, it's literally the same guy. Mutual benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

Stasi...now that's a heck of a nickname.  Or is that his real name?

 

ttiocs, thanks for side explanation about the alignment discrepancies

I’m looking forward to this Mindstar release since it was posted a few months ago. I’m sure it will be a high quality addon with updatable datasets, cross fill, dual GNS´s 430/530 etc.
 

But the lack of terrain display in the GNS´s is taking me aback as I fly VFR/IFR in any weather conditions, and if it turns nasty, I would be flying “blind” into airstrips/small airports (that have none or very limited navaid support) located in mountainous areas in the middle of Alaska, the PNW, the Rockies of for that matter the rest of the World. (IMO in non VFR conditions, GPS is a must). 

 

I really don’t look forward into mixing a top quality Mindstar GNS with a moving map or a stock GPS just to see terrain.

 

"WarpD The reason:  cost." In my case I wouldn't mind paying more to get terrain data. (Within reasonable price)

 

So please Mindstar devs, give us your best and I’m sure you will be rewarded by many happy customers.

 

Cheers.

Is this a correct statement?

No, it is not.

I’m looking forward to this Mindstar release since it was posted a few months ago. I’m sure it will be a high quality addon with updatable datasets, cross fill, dual GNS´s 430/530 etc.

 

But the lack of terrain display in the GNS´s is taking me aback as I fly VFR/IFR in any weather conditions, and if it turns nasty, I would be flying “blind” into airstrips/small airports (that have none or very limited navaid support) located in mountainous areas in the middle of Alaska, the PNW, the Rockies of for that matter the rest of the World. (IMO in non VFR conditions, GPS is a must). 

 

I really don’t look forward into mixing a top quality Mindstar GNS with a moving map or a stock GPS just to see terrain.

 

"WarpD The reason:  cost." In my case I wouldn't mind paying more to get terrain data. (Within reasonable price)

 

So please Mindstar devs, give us your best and I’m sure you will be rewarded by many happy customers.

 

Cheers.

 

I've stated that terrain display (as in TAWS type display, not just the default terrain overlay) is on our list of things we want to add to the units.

I've stated that terrain display (as in TAWS type display, not just the default terrain overlay) is on our list of things we want to add to the units.

Well thanks Ed, I guess I missed that, in this sea of posts!.

 

Cheers.

Well thanks Ed, I guess I missed that, in this sea of posts!.

 

Cheers.

Even I'm lost in this thread... the only thing not lost in this thread are the conspiracy theories.

 

I will point out that the basic terrain overlay is present in the 430/530... just not the TAWS terrain avoidance display.

Well, darn. People are on to me. Mindstar is located in VA. I live in VA. In fact the pics I took in the RedBird simator were taken at KJYO (Leesburg). And guess what, I not only have met Stasi, I actually sat next to him in the simulator. My cover is blown. You guys are too good. ; )

 

I did post about this gauge package in multiple places. I'm getting the word out because I really am enjoying these gauges and I want others to enjoy them as much as I do. I like the products Mindstar produces and the developers have always been helpful. Here's an example of the types of support they provide: I had an issue getting the G1000 to work in P3D (my fault completely). Stasi provided a link to access my computer from his office computer and was on the phone with me for almost an hour while he fixed my issue. You just can't beat that level of service, folks. These are good people.

 

Todd

 

 

Quick tip: when using either the GNS 430 or 530 in the VC of the A2A Cessna 172, you must place a dummy rxpGNS.dll file in your P3D/gauges folder (same folder as FSX) so the configurator will let you choose either the GNS430 or 530. You, of course, have to replace the RXP gauge entries in the panel.cfg file with the Mindstar gauge entries. This workaround was shared with me by another A2A customer, so this discovery isn't mine but it's an easy and elegant solution.

So much for 'conspiracy theories' I guess.  ^_^

 

Thanks for the background, Todd. Would have appreciated it beforehand. Puts enthusiasm in perspective. Yes, I think that's the point. :smile:

 

As for the arguments pro or con the data subscription (as you saw, folks seem to be interested), I'm looking forward seeing some more solid ones for pro. Maybe you can help.

Mindstar Aviation has not announced the 430/530 GNS units anywhere.  Period.

 

Todd Harrell has chosen to make all of those posts on his own.

 

To be honest, I wouldn't have the time nor the inclination to go to all of those places for any reason, let alone to pretend something that isn't.

 

CoolP... I believe you're attempting to imply that Todd is Stasi is Mindstar.  In that regard you are 100% incorrect and if indeed that's your intent, you do indeed owe Todd an apology, or two, or three.

 

Edit: I see Todd beat me to it.

Would there be a way to read FSX's own terrain mesh within "X" radius of the aircraft's current position? I may be wrong, but I believe the terrain display in the Leonardo MadDog MD80 works in this fashion...

The idea is a good one but the Maddog example is not. If you look into the MADDOG2008 folder, you'll find a egpws.dat at some 760mb. That's your terrain display. In a way, this reflects the operation of the real EGPWS since it doesn't scan the terrain (some seem to relate to radar) but instead reads a data base and knows about your position.

 

Still, for the sim, if could be beneficial to just scan in real-time as you could take into account any sort of user installed mesh, and it's errors. :mellow: If the costs on the data base would be a large factor, that's another item cleared. So I'd call your suggestion a good one.

 

 

Which parts of the magvar/navaid package do you use to achieve that?

 

I use the magvar data, but have not tried the correction tool.  As I understand it, the tool is mainly to make uncorrected things like ILS's display properly in the map view, but doesn't change things on the ground.  I think. :-)  The data is a manual install, so you need to back up the old .bgl.

 

I also use the FSX Navaids installer.  This an automated installer which will install updates to regions as you select, and makes backups automatically.  Download the latest, run it and it will only install what needs to be updated.

 

There is also a waypoints update available, but I don't use that as I don't use anything which would use waypoints from FSX data like the built-in GPS.  I currently use RXP exclusively (other than Navigraph in the Mustang), which is why I'm interested in the Mindstar solution if/when I move to P3D. I can't deal with the thought of using the default GPS.  There is also no provision for removing outdated waypoints with these, BTW.

 

Scott

Ed, you used my last name! Now my cover is really blown! ; b

I wish there was an option like $15 more and that it would release with a more or less non dated nav data.

I only need 1 nav cycle and it would be cheaper than buying a subscription.

 

I think if you talk with realnav and offer them money to include 1 cycle they maybe wont say no.

 

because for the ~$50 only you get navdata from 2005 ? which would be 6 years older than the reality xp one.

and to have a newer one than 2005 you have to pay ~$90 which would be still cheaper than the reality xp full bundle, but an ~$65 for the gns + 1 cycle navdata would be much better for me.

It sure is, when I proposed a theory that a release of the GNS without any form of current AIRAC cycle amounts to the GNS merely being a vehicle to sell RealNav subscriptions, I was immeadiately asked by Ed Wilson of Mindstar to name a single addon that uses updateable navdata that provides a current cycle:

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/423351-mindstar-gns-430530-release-this-friday/page-3#entry2825155

 

It was easy, as the PMDG 777 does just that.

 

Matthias

 

well the pmdg 737 also included the latest navdata when it was released.