[simpits-tech] New board, interesting

[dabigboy at cox.net]

---- geneb <geneb at deltasoft.com> wrote: 
> On Wed, 30 Oct 2013, dabigboy at cox.net wrote:
> 
> > I was going to mention that one...I still have mine in the box, not yet 
> > played with it. It looks like it will be a great little unit, I just 
> > have not had a need for it yet. I thought of using it to run an FMS, but 
> > so far the only screen I need in my old sim is radar, and that's running 
> > off a standard PC with a VGA-to-composite converter. And with the 
> > Sabreliner, it looks like I will be using almost all real hardware. It 
> > even still has its high-dollar (but old) Trimble GPS which I would like 
> > to get working with X-Plane.
> 
> It would be cool if the Trimble had a serial debug port that you could 
> feed "signal" to from XP. :)
> 
> g.

That would be too easy! I am talking to FreeFlight (the folks who handle the older Trimble gear now), and one of the guys is being very helpful about researching this for me....it seems the 2100 can be modified by the Trimble/FreeFlight shop to interface to a PC for simulation purposes, but there's no specific info about doing the same for the 3100T (the one I have), the key difference being that the 3100T also has a built-in Loran. They are nearly identical units otherwise, though, so I am hopeful.

I am also exploring the option of getting some surplus GPS signal simulation equipment that is PC-friendly, and just feeding it data from X-Plane. The cool thing about that is if I get a multi-channel unit, I could simulate multiple "satellites" and loss of signal. :)

Worst case, I yank the antenna from the Sabreliner and install the whole works in my car for the ultimate airplane nut's car GPS. :)

Matt