Acs gps

[bobvan]

Can anyone tell me how and where to get ACS GPS? They keep listing

it in the gauge folders, and included the guage zip file but it

does not appear in the panels. Is there an associated program to install?

 

Thanks for any help

[whitegn]

The file is acsgps17.zip, available from the FS98 Gauges section of the downloads here on Flightsim. I would suggest you download the file to a temporary folder/directory and read the included documentation.

I've never used the PM (Private Message) of this forum, but if you're prepared to give it a shot and send me a message, I'd be happy to discuss what I've done with ACSGPS via email. (Don't post your email address on this forum). Your profile doesn't mention where you are, so be aware of any time differences between your time and my time in this little paradise down here in the bowels of the earth.

 

Graeme W

[whitegn]

I see there is a Version 2.00 of this gauge family (acgps20.zip) in the FS98 Misc section of the downloads (FS98/FS2000/FS2002 ACS-GPS Gauges Family v2.00). May be better to use that in preference to acgps17.

[BobSeaman]

As I recall, V2.0 only updated some of the display backgrounds. Still, I'd opt for the newest version. :)

 

I've been using ACS GPS since the FS98 days. One thing you may have to experiment with is how you install the program. If you're running a newer version of Windows (not sure about XP or Win7, but defiantly on anything newer) you'll need to find the right compatability mode.

 

I'm running FS2002 on Win10. FS runs in XP comp. mode while ACS GPS and another program called Nav run in Vista comp. mode. There are some trade offs to doing this, but you HAVE to be sure the GPS can talk to the sim while you can still program the GPS.

Just find the combo of comp. modes that allows everything to run and then DON'T MESS WITH IT. :pilot:

Also be sure you're using the latest version of FSUIPC for FS9.

 

ACS GPS works great and you can re-program waypoints mid-flight, but there are a couple of quirks to get used to.

 

Mostly, your ACS display will always be off by one mile and one minute. This is due to how the GPS displays time and distance data. Let's say you're 30.7 nmi from a waypoint. ACS will display "30" because everything to the right of the decimal point just gets dropped vs getting rounded up or down. This isn't a big deal unless you're doing precise navigation where those numbers after the decimal point matter. Otherwise, you'll always be short by about 1 mile or you'll be 1 minute late.

Just always ADD 1 to the displays when they update/count down and you'll be fine.

 

Also, DO NOT try to access the ACS data manager by clicking on the gauge's hot key spot. In most cases your sim will freeze or shut down.

Just minimize FS and click the data manager icon. This should pause FS and you'll be able to edit way points or load another set of way points. Be sure to click the LOAD TO GPS button and then select FS as the main window and un-pause. Your waypoints should update with no problems. Remember that ACS GPS was coded for Win98 and Win2K. ;)

 

Its also handy to know that ACS GPS flight plans are saved and read as machine code and NOT as text. This can make things tricky if you're looking to fly text-based plans. Either enter the data by hand in the ACS GPS data manager or find a flight planner that can read imported flight plans and export them as ACS GPS plans.