I have two questions about Flight1 GTN. First, how heavy are they on fps? I found glass cockpits eat a lot of FPS and would like know how much the performance hit GTN will cause. Second, based on Flight1 website, GTN 750 and 650 each is $65 so to buy tow will be $130? That's pretty expensive.

 

And I guess they runs inside P3D. I wish there're GNS or GTN plug-ins that can run on a networked computer.

 

Oh, just another question, it seems that GTN only works when you fly in USA? How about Europe and Asia?

Pros and cons for each of the choices, but I'd say the biggest pro for the Mindstar units is that navdata subscriptions are available.  Biggest cons - currently no precision WAAS approach support and potential performance and memory issues as compared to the F1 units which do most of the heavy lifting outside of the sim's process space.  One of the most undervalued aspects of the old RXP units in FSX was that they typically improved performance over the same plane with the vendors' built-in GPSs, and while I don't have them (yet) I understand the F1 units have a similar advantage.

 

 

 

Look for the forum, search mindstar, hesynergy

 

I looked at that discussion and noticed that you hammered pretty heavily on the import FSX/P3D flightplan issue.  I think it's important to note (and I didn't notice that anyone in that discussion did) that the whole notion of importing from FSX/P3D flight plans to a nav instrument containing updated NAV data is wildly impractical from the get-go.  The navdata built into FSX/P3D is years out of date and in no way compatible with what's in units with newer navdata.  After years of using the RXP units, for example, I can tell you that even saved flight plans generated from the RXP's are life limited.  Once you load newer data, many saved flight plans become obsolete and unusable.

 

Any time you move to an add-on nav device which uses new or relatively new data, be it GA GPS units or FMSs in tubes, you by definition divorce yourself from the built-in FSX/P3D planners and their ancient nav data.  That's not a new thing - it's been the case for many years now.  A good many of us who fly with updated nav data have long since also updated FSX/P3D navaids with Hervé Sors navaid updates anyway, which absolutely BUSTS the FSX planner.

 

Scott

Mindstar has a dedicated support forum right here at Avsim. Why not drop by and read up on customer support over there? It should help you decide one way or the other.

Oh, just another question, it seems that GTN only works when you fly in USA? How about Europe and Asia?

The GTN units have a world-wide navigational database. What they don't have "out of the box" is world-wide terrain data, which is only available with the purchase of the Full Trainer package DVD direct from Garmin.

 

Even then, the only part of the DVD used is the terrain database, which is quickly copied and renamed for the "Lite Trainer" used by Flight1.

I was expecting this response from you Bert, I've seen you leading people in the direction of the Flight1 GTN before   I also intend to purchase these, but I still want to be able to use a GNS stack as well.

okayyyyy but...lookee here 

Not an owner. Two big strikes for me:

 

1) Not critical: As noted, customer support can be blunt. From the negative/ambiguous nature of some of the developer's commentary, I have a red flag.

 

2) Critical: Also as noted, no vertical guidance. Sorry, I need that for instrument work. 

 

Non-starter for me without it and as much as I hate to say it, I will continue to use FSX/RXP 530/430 until there is a better alternative.

 

(what's with these 530/430 devs?)

 

The primary RW aircraft I fly has a 530/430 combo so I need something that reproduces it pretty faithfully. I can do without terrain, but not without full navigational functionality. Seems like development is stalled out.

 

Andrew