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PicaSim


John Emms 1
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So, my wife is now serious about learning to fly. A super strong thermal ate her Orion-E (we got the bits back), and we have moved onto the superb Ares Gama Pro (seriously).

Searching for a sim to work with our old PC (Windows 8.1, Intel Core 3.3GHz, 4GB RAM) left me baffled, and given recommendations on here, I downloaded PicaSim. I have got the trainer flying using the mouse, but we really need to hook up a transmitter.

We would like to use a Futaba T6EXA with the square 6 pin trainer socket. Could anyone please advise me on what I need to buy? And where to buy it?

Thanks,

John

And yes, PicaSim looks superb.

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Hi John

You’ll need to purchase a USB interface and an appropriate connecting lead. These are readily available on line; I bought mine on ebay from here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RC-USB-Flight-Simulator-FMS-Cable-Futaba-JR-ESKY/254021599924?hash=item3b24de02b4:g:xDYAAOSwd-pdAhHT

The pack included several leads to fit transmitters from different manufacturers. Sadly the quality of the leads is rather variable; the internal connections are easily broken and I’ve had one that left a pin in the transmitter socket. The only solution seems to be to take extra care with the leads; the option to buy higher quality items doesn’t seem to exist.

Actually setting up the transmitter to work properly with Picasim is too complex to go into here – suffice to say that it can be very frustrating until you become familiar with the process. Fortunately, there are a number of on-line guides and YouTube videos available to guide you through it. If all else fails, you can email the developer, Danny Chapman, who is, I understand, happy to provide new users with advice.

I hope this helps and good luck with setting it up. Picasim is worth the effort; it's a superb RC simulator especially for slope soaring.

Simon

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Thanks Trevor,

I already had the cables on order, and I had little difficulty in setting up two virtual trainers for Sandra. I am not sure if the tiniest spot of Vaseline for the pins helped with insertion, but so far so good with the cables.

Setting up the Futaba for PicaSim appears to be a little more complex though.

Thanks for the help,

John

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This video explains it reasonably well; I followed it using my 'legacy' Futaba FF6 and my current T8J. Picasim seems to need two separate rate switchs; if you have a single one covering all channels (eg Futaba T6J) it doesn't work very well...the rates only functioned on yaw.

https://youtu.be/f91szj4rFbk

Hope this helps

Simon

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  • 9 months later...

Mitchell, that depends on how you're using it and what you're using it for.

 

Re the former, I assume you've got it set up on your PC rather than just sliding your fingers on a tablet or smartphone screen, and that you're using an actual transmitter via a USB lead/dongle?

 

Re the latter, I've used it a lot over the years, including originally teaching myself to fly with a two-chan glider, now mainly for refining my slope soaring aeros etc where the physics and graphics are excellent for the job.  Its suitability for learning to fly power is perhaps more limited than one of the other well-known simulators, but once you've played around a bit with the settings and selected a suitable model from the list (forget the Spit etc), then its perfectly do-able.  The default high-wing, tricycle-undercarriage trainer is 'underpowered' but more than adequate for a novice.  For power flying (again I'm trying to use it refine my power aeros) I don't get on brilliantly with the 'panoramic' recreation ground setting and prefer to use the flat land nestled between hills (with a runway added and some wind for realism).  The best way of maintaining orientation with the ground-landscape (critical for real flying as well as the sim) is to keep the view relatively wide (play with the settings to achieve this), while using the zoom window in the top left corner of the screen to a good size so you can see the orientation and attitude of the model at all times close up.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jon

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