Need ideas re small secondary displays for instruments

[Medic1030 0]

I'm setting up my new system this week (built around an i7-4790K and GTX 970 and running Windows 10).  I currently have a 27" monitor, which I plan to use for my primary display for now.  I'd really like to get 1 or 2 rather small monitors to use for my PFD/MFD and a few other instruments if possible.  The only problem is that I only have about 10.5-11" of vertical clearance below my main display in which to put any secondary displays.

 

I'm not married to any specific aircraft yet as I'm still learning and trying to figure out what I like, so this won't be aircraft specific.  For now I'll be doing a fair bit of flying in the Carenado B1900D, but I plan on working my way up to the PMDG 737NGX eventually.

 

I'm looking for some input re display ideas for this setup that would be reasonably priced.  I was thinking of using a second-hand iPad with Duet Display, but I don't know how this will impact performance, and I think it will only support use with a single iPad (not ideal given the small screen size).  Any 15.5" or smaller widescreen monitor would work I think (with no stand), but these seem to be very hard to come by other than a few USB monitors, which I've read will really impact performance with FSX.

 

Does anybody have experience with reasonably-priced and effective smaller displays for something like this?

 

Thanks.

[MarkDH 234]

Does anybody have experience with reasonably-priced and effective smaller displays for something like this

 

Do not go near USB monitors, they will cause you nothing but hours of frustration. You have two options in my view.

 

First, search Amazon for 'small VGA monitor' and you will find lots of 7" and 10" monitors at a reasonable cost. These are generally intended for use in cars for reversing cameras or entertainment systems. You will usually have to buy (or re-use) an AC power supply too. I have two of these from different manufacturers and they work fine. One is a touch-screen, which I never got to work, but I just use it as a regular display. VGA has the overwhelming advantage of being a mature technology that will 'just work' with Windows.

 

Second, you mentioned iPads. Again, unless you have rock-solid first-hand information that they will do what you need I would steer clear of clever 'dual display' apps. They will usually have limitations or flaws that will defeat FSX. I would suggest you look at Air Manager from SimInnovations, a 2D panel construction program that allows you to build, run and customise panels on separate 2D displays. Air Manager supports the iPad as a client and I believe you can run any number of iPads with panels on them. You can also run AM panels on a PC, so this would also work on your small VGA screens. AM supports other clients too - I think they are working on Android at the moment. (The downside of this solution is it is only for AM panels, so it would not give you the facility to drag FSX 2D panels to the iPad.)

[Medic1030 0]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I was able to find a relatively cheap 4:3 10" monitor advertised as a CCTV monitor that has both VGA and HDMI inputs.  The specs list it as a TFT LCD with resolution: XGA 800x600 / 1024x768 / 1280x1024.

I was thinking of getting 2 of them.

Does anyone have any experience with similar small displays for PFD/MFD/Gauges?  Will the resolution pose a problem?  I've read somewhere that FSX doesn't like it when there is a resolution difference between displays.

[MarkDH 234]

I've read somewhere that FSX doesn't like it when there is a resolution difference between displays.

 

And I've read the JFK is still alive, the moon landings were faked and 9/11 was an inside job! I routinely use several monitors connected to FSX running at different resolutions, as do many people.