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Alt hold only with TruTrak

zkvii

Well Known Member
Hi,

I have a TruTrak DigiTrack VSVG and I want to make sure I'm not missing the obvious here. I can't work out a way of just having the Alt hold function.

It seems to be 'engage' which is the steering and then optionally alt hold. GPSS or GPSV can be then activated. Anybody got just alt hold / GPSV running without the roll contol?

Thanks,

Carl
 
Alt Only?

Carl,
You can disengage the Altitude portion of the autopilot by going into the setup mode and turning the ALT to OFF. I?m sorry that it can't be done the other way around. Trutrak will let you fly wing leveler with out Altitude hold, but no Altitude function with out the Roll servo engaged.

Alex De Dominicis
 
Disconnect roll servo

I`m not sure why one would want alt hold without roll, however one could install a switch in line with the roll servo.
Cheers
 
I`m not sure why one would want alt hold without roll, however one could install a switch in line with the roll servo.
Cheers

I actually do this quite often. I have a Pictorial Pilot (which is roll only) and an Altrack (which is pitch only). I will frequently depart my home field and stay under the Houston Class B for a few miles, so I climb up to a few hundred feet below the floor and set the Altitude Hold to make sure I don't bust the airspace while I hand-fly around a few other airports and those pesky big towers that get in the way.

I also find that when I am getting radar vectors, the Pictorial Pilot doesn't give you a good standard rate turn (it turns slower), which annoys the folks giving the vectors, so I'll hand fly turns while letting the altitude hold stay engaged, then re-engage the roll channel when I'm on the new heading.

It's nice to have the flexibility.

Paul
 
Use the AP to steer?

I actually do this quite often. I have a Pictorial Pilot (which is roll only) and an Altrack (which is pitch only). I will frequently depart my home field and stay under the Houston Class B for a few miles, so I climb up to a few hundred feet below the floor and set the Altitude Hold to make sure I don't bust the airspace while I hand-fly around a few other airports and those pesky big towers that get in the way.

I also find that when I am getting radar vectors, the Pictorial Pilot doesn't give you a good standard rate turn (it turns slower), which annoys the folks giving the vectors, so I'll hand fly turns while letting the altitude hold stay engaged, then re-engage the roll channel when I'm on the new heading.

It's nice to have the flexibility.

Paul
This is an excellent description of why you'd want it and anyone who has busted the floor of class B airspace knows why you'd want the altitude hold running. My solution to this would be to fly the lateral direction with the AP course selection knob (GPS mode rather than NAV mode). I often do this to steer around stuff - mostly airspace. My DigiTrack flys standard rate turns.
 
Carl,
You can disengage the Altitude portion of the autopilot by going into the setup mode and turning the ALT to OFF. I?m sorry that it can't be done the other way around. Trutrak will let you fly wing leveler with out Altitude hold, but no Altitude function with out the Roll servo engaged.

Alex De Dominicis

This is correct. The later versions of the Digiflight II software (v 2.24 or later) will allow you to turn the pitch axis off. It is the first screen in the vertical setup screen. There is no way to engage the vertical axis independently from the lateral axis at this time. Thanks!
 
Futures

There is no way to engage the vertical axis independently from the lateral axis at this time. Thanks!

Hi Lucus

OK - thanks for the details - it would be a useful function - like Paul I'd like to be able to maintain a height / vertical profile whilst being able to move around the track. Let us know when / if the enhancment comes along.

Regards,

Carl

PS: great to have the vendor watching / helping directly @ VAF. A way of contacting you privately would be useful to (either PM or Email for registered users) as I've been unsucessful with your corporate web contact methods.....
 
Hi Lucus

OK - thanks for the details - it would be a useful function - like Paul I'd like to be able to maintain a height / vertical profile whilst being able to move around the track. Let us know when / if the enhancment comes along.

Regards,

Carl

PS: great to have the vendor watching / helping directly @ VAF. A way of contacting you privately would be useful to (either PM or Email for registered users) as I've been unsucessful with your corporate web contact methods.....

Carl,

I went ahead and enabled PM's. You can also contact me via email at [email protected]. Thanks!
 
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