Responding to ATC via Yoke Butons

[Mithras 87]

I've struggled to find a method of replying to ATC choices by programming numbers 1 - 4 to buttons on my Saitek yoke. I kept thinking back to around 1980 when I was lucky enough to get a guided tour of RAF Finningley, a local training base. I sat in one of the Jet Provost cockpit and asked the technician if the red button on the joystick fired the guns. No, it was for clicking on the radio ...  

 

After some experimenting, I used the Saitek software to create a profile the programmed the keys I needed. The left red button brings up ATC, and the thumb buttons on the yoke left and right are keys 1-4. I press the red button to cancel the ATC box. Perfect, now I can reply to ATC while on finals, which I just couldn't do before. Go away! I'm trying to fly! 

 

Only niggle now is having to touch a mouse button before I can zoom in or out, after using the ATC window. 

[N60JBravo 27]

 

 

Only niggle now is having to touch a mouse button before I can zoom in or out, after using the ATC window.

 

If you are using the + and - keys on the keyboard to zoom hit the backspace first, it's right there.

 

regards,

Joe

[airernie 263]

An alternative;

 

I programmed the left button on my Saitek Cessna yoke to open/close the ATC window .

 

I then programmed VAC (Voice Activated Commands) to respond to 1, 2, 3 etc.to select the specific request/reply options.

 

That leaves the other buttons free for other stuff and talking into the headset microphone..even if only "number one, number two, etc." makes the experience even more realistic.

 

The other benefit is that I can use VAC to pause or center my TrackIR, pause the sim, etc.

 

Ernie

[Mithras 87]

VAC? That's a new one on me, I will go and investigate ...

Ah, maybe something for the future ... I have no mike on my headphones at the moment, and am bathing in the glow of self satisfaction from programming the yoke!

[scott967 62]

I used fsuipc to program one of the rockers on the saitek yoke for atc menu 1 and 2.  That takes care of most of the need to respond to nags.

 

scott s.

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[robb13 22]

Why not use a small touch laptop or small touch screen monitor on top of the yoke  with Extended Screen on and slide the ATC window ( plus Kneeboard etc) over to it and then the ATC options can be quickly touched and hand quickly return back to yoke control. I use the buttons on the Throttle unit to turn ATC and Kneeboard on and off. Also too the GPS and its buttons can then be touch operated too, however note that the GPS window has to be left on or it will need resizing every time its switched on.