Apollo II Morrow GX50 GPS readout radio Ver 1.2

New with this version:
Now the MSA display shows correctly the value for Minimum Safe Altitude.
Also there is a better working for the power on selftest when power of the GPS
is on and the avionic main switch in the panel is off.

UPS Aviation Technologies description:
Features
High resolution, daylight readable graphics display
Automatic display intensity
Back-lit buttons
Simple “Direct-To” navigation
Datacard database for easy user update and replacement
Nearest waypoint search (includes airports, VORs, NDBs, intersections, and user
 waypoints)
Remote waypoint search

Navigation Displays -
Lat/Lon to 0.01 minute
Bearing and distance to waypoint
Ground speed and track angle
Desired track and distance between waypoints
Cross track error with numeric and graphic CDI
Display of the “TO” waypoint ident
ETE and ETA to the “TO” and destination waypoints
Altitude (from altitude encoder/converter input)
Minimum safe altitude and enroute safe altitude

Map Displays -
Full screen map
Split screen map with distance speed, bearing, track, crosstrack error, "TO"
waypoint, and zoom level
Smart key, 1- button map declutter,Tri-state
On map waypoint selection for information, direct-to nomination
Track up, desired track up, and magnetic north up options
Runway diagrams and runway names displayed
5nm ATC rings around airports with control towers
Airspaces displayed by sector or outer boundary
Airspace display controlable by type
Route line displayed
Automatic waypoint sequencing
Built-in simulator for trip planning and training
User definable navigation pages with auto sequencing
30 flight plans of 20 legs each
500 user waypoints created by lat/lon or by radial/distance from a reference
waypoint
Real time clock (time and date) in UTC
Countdown timer
Flight timer
Automatic or manual magnetic variation
Parallel track offset

Alerts for -
Loss of navigation data
Arrival at waypoint
Special use airspace

Annunciators -
MSG (message)
PTK (parallel track)
OBS/HLD (waypoint sequencing hold)
APPRCH (approach enabled)
ACTIVE (approach active)


Note:
For further information and comparing the gauge with the original instrument,
visit http://www.upsat.com/dwnlds/gxdoc/gx60-user-r3.pdf
and download the User Manual for the SL60.

Description:
This gauge is a readout for the FS2002 GPS. It displays the current GPS NAV data
from the FS GPS and provides 14 display pages with GPS CDI needle, minimum safe
altitude, altitude hold feature, altimeter setting, end altitude computing,
flighttime, time in UTC and a countdown timer. Also messages will be displayed
for the countdown timer and GPS functions. As the original this gauge has some
"smart buttons".

The data displayed are based on some of the Apollo GX50 NAV pages. It does not
simulate a GPS with database and menu.

This gauge provides the data needed to navigate and fly using the values of the
MSFS GPS in a realistic display. You have to use the FS built-in GPS for
changing GPS modes.


The display, buttons and knobs:
See the picture ExplGX50.bmp which gives an overview of the display pages and
functions.

The display contains 14 pages with the GPS readouts, a CDI to intercept the
desired track to next waypoint, a flighttime/time page, a countdown timer and
more.

The small knob on the upper right side turns the GX50 on and off. If the
instrument is turned on you will first see test screens for a few seconds.
You can have the power switch always set on and use a central avionic circuit
switch in your main panel to set the power of ALL radios in this package.

The buttons below the display are "soft coded" buttons.

The MSG button let you read the timer and GPS messages. If a message is
generated by the gauge an indicator is blinking above the MSG button.
Pressing the MSG button shows the belonging message. Pressing MSG again removes
the message from the screen.

The INT button is one of the smart buttons. It indicates "SKP" while the power
on selftest is in progress. Pushing the SKP button while the selftest is running,
will skip the test.


The buttons on the right side of the display are "hard coded" buttons.

The NAV button sets the radio to the so called NAV mode, this means that the GPS
functions are active and not that the GX60 provides NAV frequencies in addition.
Only in NAV mode the various display pages are selectable.

The D-> button toggles the FS GPS window on and off if GPS window is window02 in
the panel.cfg file.

The INFO button opens/closes the FS ATC window.

The SEL button works in the UTC time page, the Altimeter Setting page, the End
Altitude page, the Altitude Hold page and in the Countdown Timer page. Pressing
SEL starts a blinking cursor for the digits and you can change the values.

The ENT button let you finish the entries of the selected/changed values.

The selector knob at the lower right side of the radio has two parts: a large
knob and a small knob. Depending on the current mode and page the knobs have
different functions:

- while in NAV mode the large knob selects the displays for NAV, Altitude Assist,
  GPS position and the timer page. The small knob selects the various available
  pages for each kind of display.

- while in NAV mode on the previous described pages in context with the SEL
  button, and SEL is pressed, the large knob changes the cursor position and the
  small knob changes the values of the digits.

How to use the course deviation indicator (CDI):
Press NAV and click left/right on the small knob to select a page where the CDI
is shown in the upper part of the display. Watch the CDI while flying. The
little triangle as a symbol for your aircraft points always head up TO the next
waypoint. The course deviation is indicated by little arrows and they stand for
the left/right XTrack. If XTrack is less than +/- 0.05 nm, the arrow points
straight ahead. To intercept the desired track "follow the arrows". On the
left or right side of the CDI screen the XTrack in nautical miles is displayed.

How the flighttime timer works:
The built-in flighttime timer starts automatically when power is on and the
selfstest is finished.

How to set the UTC clock:
Press NAV and click left/right on the small knob to select the time UTC page in
the NAV display. Press SEL to activate the cursor on the hours position. Click
the small knob left/right to decrement/increment the hours. Click the large knob
to set the cursor over the minutes position. Click the small knob left/right to
decrement/increment the minutes. Press ENT to accept the new adjustment.

How the minimum safe altitude works:
In the original instrument there is a database which containes informations
about heights of terrain and obstacles. Because this gauge has no access to
such informations when flying over the FS scenery, we use a little trick to
simulate the minimum safe altitude. FS returnes an internal "radar height"
value meassured from aircraft to ground. This current value plus an addition of
2000 ft gives the minimum safe altitude rounded to the next 100 ft. If you are
proceeding in more or less "flat" terrain an addition of 1000 ft may be
sufficient.

How to set the local altimeter:
Press NAV and click left/right on the large knob to select the Altitude Assist
display and page. Press SEL to activate the cursor for the barometric pressure.
Click the small knob left/right to decrement/increment the value in steps of
0.3 mb. Press ENT to accept the new adjustment.

How to compute end of climb or point of descend:
Press NAV and click left/right on the small knob to select the End Alt page. The
default value is set to minimum safe altitude.
Press SEL to activate the cursor for the End Altitude. Click the small knob
left/right to decrement/increment the value in steps of 100 ft.
Press ENT to accept the new adjustment. While flying to the next waypoint the
GX60 computes the estimated distance from the waypoint when you reach the
desired end altitude. This is depending on current waypoint distance, current
vertical speed and current ground speed.

How to use the altitude hold feature:
Press NAV and click left/right on the large knob to select the Altitude Assist
display. Click the small knob to select the Altitude Hold page. The default
value is set to the current pressure altitude.Press SEL to activate the cursor
for the altitude to hold. Click the small knob left/right to decrement/increment
the value in steps of 100 ft. Press ENT to accept the new adjustment.
The altitude hold feature has a buffer of 300 ft. If this buffer exceeds, a
message will be indicated above the MSG button. You can watch the difference
between altitude hold an current altitude by selecting the page Baro Alt in the
NAV display.

How to use the countdown timer:
The built-in countdown timer can count down from 99:59:59 to 00:00:00. To adjust
the timer press NAV and click left/right on the large knob to select the
countdown timer page. Press SEL to activate the cursor. The default value of 3
minutes is set automatically. Click the small knob left/right to decrement/
increment the minutes. Click the large knob to set the cursor over the hours or
seconds position. Click the small knob left/right to decrement/increment the
digits. Press ENT to accept the timer adjustment. If the timer has count down to
00:00:00 the message indicator is blinking. Press MSG to read the message
"Countdown Timer Expired".


Notes:
This is version 1.2 of this gauge and if any updates are required I will release
them. Send me an email if anything doesn't work as expected.

Copyright and Distribution:
This gauge is released as Freeware.
Copyright (C) Gerd R. Nehr, GeRoN Brainware
As freeware you are permitted to distribute this archive or the gauges contained
therein subject to the following conditions :

-   The archive must be distributed without modification to the contents of 
    the archive. Redistributing this archive with any files removed or modified 
    is prohibited.

-   You can use this gauge in any panel of your own. You may also freely 
    distribute this gauge, subject to the no money restriction.

-   No charge may be made for this archive other than that to cover 
    the cost of its distribution. If a fee is charged it must be 
    made clear to the purchaser that the archive is freeware and 
    that the fee is to cover the distributor's costs of providing 
    the archive. You may NOT make money with this gauge in 
    any form. The undersigned asserts his legal and international 
    right to be recognised as the author of this gauge.

- The authors' rights concerning this archive must be respected.


GeRoN Brainware
Gerd R. Nehr
[email protected]