MCP for 737NG

[tennyson]

I'm in the market for an MCP for the 737NG.

Can anybody recommend one.

I've been looking at the engravity stuff, CP, go flight, but the info is a bit sketchy and I don't want to shell out a grand and find out it won't work in FSX or something.

Jay or Adrian, have you any experience in this field?

I don't want to build a cockpit, I just want an MCP to sit on my desk and make tube flying a little easier.

Any help would be appreciated,

Frank

[WayneLaycock]

Go-Flight have a 737 MCP.  It just plugs into an available USB port on your computer.  It is not cheap, abou $500-600US I think.  I have a few of the Go-Flight modules, not the MCP, and they do work well.  I built myself a fully functioning cockpit based on the 737-800 but I still use some of the go-flight modules in it.

[flyguy737]

I have the go flight MCP Pro and it's nice however you would be best to buy the best the unit from CP Flight the pro version costs more but it is the best and I am going to get one soon.

They also now have the EFIS pro on the market.

Just check out the features on the pro gear at CP flight and you wont be sorry.

I have a full sized 737NG cockpit but it is in parts at the moment due to space issues so I am stuck building a generic cockpit but still looks good.

I bought many parts from FDS, Flight Illusion and others.

PS The engravity units are fantastic like the desktop kits and the overhead panels but best is the FMC Units 

Colin

[tennyson]

THanx Guys,

I have checked out both of those and was hoping for that exact feedback.

I like the CP 737PRO but geez, it's hard for me to justify $1000 just for an MCP.

I will keep looking. I saw a firm who was selling cockpit instrumentation at the Gold Coast Flight Sim Expo last year but I can't remember if they had tube liner stuff or what they're name was.

Thanx again for your help,

Frank

[Jason]

I understand what you are saying tennyson about the cost, and i guess you need to decide what you really want, if your mechanically minded you could make your own, there are plenty of sites with instructions on how to make every part of commercial airliner cockpit by hand. I am planning an assault on a full scale 737 myself, and i am very glad i saw this post as there are a few sites there i did not know about, but i digress,

If you want just a simple MCP and have absolutely no plans to continue to add to it, i suggest you buy the cheapest you can, which i believe is the go flight MCP, BUT keep your eyes peeled on the USA and European EBAY sites, the poms and the germans seem to be aviation mad and are always selling off parts, and the USA to a lesser extent, I saw on ebay USA a fly engravity unit for sale, it went for $235 USD at the time we were 90 something cents to their $$, so stay informed and you will come out a winner. also dont forget brazil they are mad for planes also

Also be sure to stay in touch with many forums, AVSIM have a parts for sale section from memory (i really should have doen a little research before posting this reply) but there are many many available resources out there for you

sorry about the long reply

[tennyson]

Great info, Jason.

I don't mind making it, either, but it appears that there are conflicting views about the compatibility with certain add-on aircraft.

I fly the FSX 737 and the Ariane Design 737, as well as the LevelD 767 and Captain Sim 757's.

I'm also hanging out for the PMDG 737 but it looks like it's gonna be a while.

I made a set of 737 Throttle quadrant heads (to scale off a real 737) for my Saitek throttle quadrant, but I'm really not interested in turning my office into a full blown sim, just yet.

I'll check out the ebay stuff as you said and nice to know there are other tube liner followers (I still like GA as well) out there.

Thanx, mate,

Frank

[Jason]

tenny you should assume by my VA post and my sig i am a big commercial airliner fan

flyguy737 are you aware of this product, just in case you weren't, i just stumbled onto it http://www.flightsimulatorcenter.com/

[Jason]

Tenny i just had a VERY quick scope around the world, how great is technology and found these that i thought of you instantly

while this is NOT a 737 MCP it will work, and you did say basic

http://cgi.ebay.com/Go-Flight-gf-mcp-autopilot-MSX-flight-simulator-2004_W0QQitemZ180292257944QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item180292257944&_trkparms=72%3A1163|39%3A2|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

also check these forums, i think registration is required

http://www.opencockpits.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Forums&file=viewforum&forum=9

[tennyson]

Terrific!

Opencockpits has the MCP for 60euros but needs some other parts as well, so will check that out.

Don't know how much it would be to ship it to Qld, though.

Might be worth more than the unit itself.

Thanx again, Jason.

Frank

[flyguy737]

tenny you should assume by my VA post and my sig i am a big commercial airliner fan

flyguy737 are you aware of this product, just in case you weren't, i just stumbled onto it http://www.flightsimulatorcenter.com/

Hi Jason yeah I am aware of hem I am buying the 737 TQ from them soon

[Jason]

I fly the Ariane Design 737

IS it any good, its a bit steep in price and has that ridiculous re install thingy

[WayneLaycock]

I have dealt with Opencockpits and use a lot of their component boards in my cockpit setup.  The MCP for 60 euros is just a panel.  You will need to purchase on top of that all the switches, rotary encoders, digital readouts, LED's to mount on the panel.  Then you need on top of that the electronic hardware to make the switches etc. talk to your computer.  Their completed module (plug and play) looks quite good for the price 356 euros or 298 without a box but when you convert that to $AUD it comes out a little expensive.

[Jason]

according to XE http://www.xe.com/ucc/  it is 623.063 AUD (excluding shipping) but for how it looks and I assume it works flawlessly, for the serious 737 sim builder i would say it is a small price to pay

[Bulldog]

Wots an MPC

[tennyson]

Thanx Wayne. When u put it like that, the go flight one all set up for 600 bucks (inc. shipping) looks better value.

Bulldog, we are talking about the 737 autopilot (commonly called the Mode Control Panel).

Frank

(Aluminium capsule flyer)

[Bulldog]

Thanks Frank 

[tennyson]

Hey Jason,

I know we touched on this before, but the Ariane Design mob have released a new version of the 737NG 900. I had the old version and loved it, but the Company has issues with bad frame rates and is a pain when it comes to activation and reactivation.

Having said that, I found it to be the most technically advanced tubey (barring the Level D 767) and a hell of a thing to fly, so I'm gonna pay some extraordinary amount and upgrade.

I'll let u know how it goes,

Frank

[paulj]

Hey Guys,

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here but I've got to tell you that some people are having a bad time with

Ariane 737.

I'm not saying that's it's not good for desktop pilots but if you want something more

real in a cockpit then this is not for you.

Have a read of this forum http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13094&highlight=Ariane

and you will see what I'm talking about.

I'm using the Opencockpits MCP and EFIS plug and play modules in my 737ng pit

and they are working great. Again things to consider are what software you are going to use with them.

The FSX default 737 works ok with the MCP but not any good with the EFIS (there are simply no offsets available

for use with the interface cards that drive the modules)

The PMDG 737 for FS9 is another that has problems due to PMDG using their own propritory offsets that they will not release to the cockpit building community.(There are however work arounds available that will circumvent this but at the expence of having to use a full registered version of FSUIPC and the SIOC computer language from Opencockpits.)

The only real aircraft software manufacturer that has really helped the cockpit builders is the Level_D 767 team who have made a SDK available. Again though there needs to be work done to get this to work with your MCP.

I myself am using the Project Magenta Software and SIOC to get my pit to function correctly but this is a very pricy piece of software and not everyone wants that level of detail.

What I'm trying to say is that no matter where you get you MCP from (Go-Flight, Engravity, FDS, Opencockpits etc)

that is only the hardware and you will require further software besides Microsoft Flight Sim to make it work properly.

So please don't assume that plug and play is simply a matter of plugging into a usb port and you are away.

cheers

Paul

[tennyson]

Thanx for weighing in, Paul.

There is another thread somewhere here on the FTX forum about the entire story of Ariane. There is some speculation as to the general operation of the company, but I personally sent an email to Boeing and they fully endorsed his product (I don't know if that means much to a flight simmer???).

I was told to do a search on the net about Ariane and if you do the same you will find many interesting articles on the business.

I knew all of that and still went ahead with my purchases (which have cost me considerable money) and I too have had problems that are still not sorted out.

When it was working, though, it was practically the only aircraft I would fly from all of my add-ons.

My priority now is to get a reasonably priced MCP for my desktop, to make flying somewhat more enjoyable, but I would like it to work with most of my aircraft and not just the tube liners.

I'm sure that isn't an unreasonable request so I'll just keep trawling and gathering info until I make a decision.

Thanx for your thoughts,

Frank

[Jason]

so I'm gonna pay some extraordinary amount and upgrade.

I'll let u know how it goes,

Frank

Cheers, that would be good

[Quinn]

Wots an MPC

Whew! - am I glad to see that I was not the only one

[flyguy737]

to add to paulj's comments

with the go flight MCP and pro they will work on all aircraft without further software however you wont get LNAV and VNAV to work unless you use project magenta.

most real life like MCP's and efis units are programed around FSUIPC and without it you'll find it just looks pretty.

I use project magenta software to make my cockpit real. It is expensive now I bought it when it was first out so it was heaps cheaper but if you want to make a cockpit this is where you should start as the software from PM includes efis and MCP and CDU

whilst only software it still works quite well and then worry about the hardware.

That's the way I started out, Software first, cockpit second hardware third.

Cockpit building is expensive as I already stated before I have spent over $10,000 but that includes a $2,000 LCD screen. I have been building for 3 years now.

To save money I built my own 737 overhead to start with. total cost about $200.

[tennyson]

Update:

After many months of hassling to get my Ariane 737 to work again (it failed when I loaded a new set of NVIDIA drivers), I have given up.

I think I mentioned in the above post that I was gonna upgrade to the version 2 they just released, but after waiting a few weeks for a reply, I finally got told they are not compatible and I have to buy a whole new model.

At last count the bare aircraft without paint would cost 175 bucks!

Whilst I am not stingey with my money when it comes to FSX, I draw the line here.

I bought the original at 69 pounds, paid 20 pounds for the paint jobs (very disappointing, only about 8 liveries, none of which are ozzy) and throo no fault of mine it has ceased to work and now I have to go buy another product...........ah, no thank you very much!

I think with the world wide economic downturn, these vendors will have to pull their finger out and start giving simmers better value for money.

If FTX can do it, then why not them?

Frank

P.S. As a consequence I ordered the Wilco 737 from the Flight Sim Store. It's an earlier model (300, 400 and 500 I believe) but it will have to suffice until PMDG get their finger out.

[tennyson]

Forgot to add that I'm still looking for an MCP to use for the 737, so if anybody has one for sale, I'd be interested. Could save me looking for a new one,

Frank

[CoNa]

Even though it's not an 737 replica, this one does have the full functions of both the 737 EFIS and MCP, as well as radio.

All to a quite nice price.

http://www.vrinsight.com/

I have the VRi CDU myself, and would probably have started with this if it was available when I begun building my generic cockpit.

Would have saved me a lot of money and headaches

[Binkles]

I've got a number of the blank opencockpit boards that I haven't populated yet, I bought from someone a pack of 7 I think it was for a very cheap price.

My problem is more the "eye candy" part, with building the mcp, or anything further.  The other problem with building a panel, is will it work with the plane.  Especially when you're looking at overheads etc.

I was going to build a 737, but have changed that to a 767 as every switch, light, and display can be controlled by hardware, where as I don't think there's another plane that offers that.

I also have the Project Magenta stuff that was given to me as a prize from an old job I had, but never used it - sadly the systems module wasn't out at that stage.

[tennyson]

Thanx Conny,

I checked out that web site but it's in Belgium and the shipping rates to Australia are nearly as expensive as the unit itself.

Maybe they have another distributor here in OZ?

It looks good, tho and I don't mind the interface.

I got my Wilco 737 today and am slighly disappointed with the quality of the product.

It is fairly complex in nature but the fact that it is the earlier models, (300, 400 and 500) leaves me wanting more.

The buttons and switches are (mostly) without 3 dimensionality in the virtual cockpit and very hard to turn on and off.

Liveries are good and it comes with a stack of freebies (Where is Qantas......hahaha) and it's a whole lot better than flying the default FSX 737.

It also came with the flight manual from Mike Ray. His books are excellent and very concise.

I think if they update this product it could get better and I'd be interested in looking at the next generation of product.

Overall, for 60 bucks it is pretty good value for money.

I'll certainly be flying the pants off of it in the coming months.

Frank