comm switches on grip

Has anyone out there used some of the "extra" buttons on the infinity stick grip for operating your comm? More exactly, a button for cycleing through the the memorized freq.? Or a button for flip-flop? or load a freq from a x96?
Any thing like the above? I plan on using two Icom a 200's, but may use one garmin to talk with x96.
There are 6 button / switches. I will use coolie hat for trim, trigger for PPtalk, and one thumb switch for flaps up and down, but that leaves 3 more buttons. I have other things i could use them for like fuel pump, auto pilot, radar jamming , heat seakers , but want to "scroll" through radio freq. w/o reaching up to panel when i can. And i always like to monitor second freq.
Any ideas? It is for RV8
and did anyone ever give final answer for how much extra wire to order the infinity with (pilot only)?(don't want to give the wife Too much more control! !)

KISS

You da boss. You want it than put it in, but how necessary is it? I have the same options and the EIS 4000 engine monitor also has a remote page cycle option. I decided against both. More wires, switches and the buttons are right there on the panel. Its not like either are super critical or high priority. PTT for the com, heck yes. Extra switches may just be in the way and get hit accidental, more annoyance than convenience.

It's like the flap switch on the stick thread, however that has safety implications. Every time I think of these ideas I try to resist, think Keep It Simple. NOT putting it in will save time, money, weight and maintenance (if the switch breaks you need to fix it).

I guess if you flew Sky News channel 96, flying through different controlled airspace needing constant frequency switching to do the traffic report it could be a plus. "There's a three car pileup at the fork in the road near the Slauson Cutoff. You may want to avoid the Slauson cuttoff." [1]

[1] Johnny Carson reference when he did the "Art Fern" character, the fast-talking host of a "Tea Time Movie" program, who advertised inane products and romanced his attractive blonde assistant, played by Carol Wayne. Yes memories, I was only 12 years old but still remember Carol Wayne.

I wired the green button to the right of the coolie hat as a "Comm Swap" between Comm 1 and Comm 2. To be honest, aside from when I am doing formation work (rare), I hardly ever use it. With flip-flop on both comm's, I pretty much just do all my normal transmitting on Comm 1, and do my monitoring on Comm 2.

I'd use the button for "something else" next time....maybe cycling through presets, as you suggest.

Paul

Here's what's on mine: Trigger button is PTT, hat is for the elevator & aileron trims, one side of the hat is the flaps switch and the other side a switch which one way flip flops the comm freq and the other flip flops the nav freq on the GNS480 (mounted so the switch is horizontal so not to confuse with the vertical flap switch), the side thumb button is the autopilot disconnect & control wheel steering, and the pinky button switches between comm 1 & comm 2 (SL40). I toyed with using one of the buttons to control the timer in the GTX327 but decided against it.

My strategy was to get anything I might need in the terminal environment onto the Infinity grip.

Hat - trims
Thumb switch - flaps
Trigger - PTT
Other thumb switch - landing lights
Ring finger switch - wig-wag
Pinky switch - GNS-430 frequency swap

The comm swap may not be right for you, but I think it'll come in handy for where I intend to base the airplane in the future (RHV). There, you sometimes have to change frequencies immediately after takeoff and "jump in" to another busy tower freq before you hit their airspace. I think it'll be nice to not have to reach over to the radio for that.

Paul

IDENT

If you are going to fly much IFR, you might consider IDENT.

As Paul mentioned, flying formation really necessitates the use of a flip flop if you have it available. You always get that lead that does a freq change in parade(supposed to do it in route formation) and the stick button flip flop makes life simple. Barring that, I see no need.
FWIW, here is my stick configuration

Buttons etc

I got the CH stick which started in the gaming world. It's the most comfortable for my hands. The switches can handle teen-age game inputs and should tolerate an old pilot like myself very well. Coolie hat will do elev. and aileron trim, left button autopilot (TruTrak, so does on-off and control wheel steering functions), right button Xpdr squawk, trigger for transmit, and button below trigger for comm flip-flop. Many interesting veriations out there - a good thread. Thanks. Bill

thanks

thanks for all responses so far. This helps me see what is useful and others like and don't like. So far no one is using a stick button to "jog" thru memory presets in their comms. I can come up with about 8 to 10 freq. that i will use 95% of the time so i would like to have them real handy.....

If some of the above could remember, how much if any extra wire did you order with the Infinity grip? I never thought to order more wire, but i saw someone else ask this... Kahuna?? Ironflight?

jeff

Jeff:

My thoughts are that the grip switches should be for 2 types of items: things you need when both hands are "on the aircraft" such as flaps and trim when in the pattern; things that you don't need your eyes for or don't want to use your eyes for.

Safety: Landing light on the grip because I use use it to help show my position when I see other traffic. My rational is thus: I have discovered an object that may be a hazard to me therefor, I want to turn on my landing light to make myself more visible. Hopefully, I detected the traffic using my super duper traffic avaoidance search technique so the traffic is still a small speck. If I have to go inside the cockpit to locate the L/L switch, I will loose the hazard and need to search again. With the grip switch, I can turn on the L/L without looking away from the hazard. I don't have wig-wag because I'm using 1 HID and 1 halogen in my wings.

Safety: Starter in the grip. If my engine goes out on takeoff, I can hit the starter without looking for and reaching for a panel mounted switch. It's already under my thumb while I fly the plane and glance to the fuel lever. Also a security feature because many bugs (bugs: nasty things that fly, in this case, criminals) will not locate the starter switch.

Convenience: AP control wheel steering. I will be using the AP a lot and don't want every course change to be a 2-handed operation.

Flaps, trim and PTT are pretty much universally accepted.

Ident? I don't recall the last time I idented however, I'm not istrument rated.

Flip Flop? Doesn't meet my criteria. Also, scrolling through preselects doesn't meet my criteria because you still need to look at the panel while scrolling.

I have a single screen GRT and almost went with a remote screen scroll but, I thought the other functions had higher priorities. Now if JD had a grip with 1 more switch...

Jekyll
7A

I do NOT recommend the starter button on the stick. It's too easy to hit accidentally (I've seen this happen). If your engine quits on takeoff, the starter won't help. It quit for a reason. I can't think of a mode of failure on takeoff that the starter would restore. My $.02 worth!

I used a toggle switch at the right thumb position for stepping through the memorized freqs in one direction and flip-flop in the other direction. I love it. The only thing slightly stupid about it is that in my -4, I can do the same thing by just extending a finger to the radio, which is right above the stick, but of course only when the stick is in a centered position. What fun is that?

Jeff

PTT/Trim YES, Flap NO

Jekyll said:

Jeff: Flaps, trim and PTT are pretty much universally accepted. Jekyll 7A

Click to expand...

I would by PTT and TRIM. However Flaps? NO. You can hit that an have a bad day. I put the flap by the throttle. Also you need to use a small switch and relay bank, adding more problems, weight, wiring and hassle.

There was a thread on this.

Ref: Flap switch on the stick ??? Can it kill you?

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=1611&highlight=flap+switch

jhallrv4 i have a question for you

jhallrv4

check your private messages, or email me at
[email protected]

have infinity on order---8 ft of wire added--probably more than needed, but at 2.00 per foot, cheap insurance