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Pilot Side Stick Grip Buttons

D

DBone

Well Known Member
Looking for ideas... I have a CS-8 grip from Tosten (http://www.tostenmanufacturing.com/catalog/aircraft-grips/cs-8-aircraft-grip.html#). That gives me a hat switch for trim, a trigger button for PTT, then 3 more aux buttons. I'm thinking one will be AP cutoff, but I'm undecided on the other 2.

Regardless of avionics selection, I'd like to hear what others have put on the stick.

If you have specific suggestions for certain avionics, here's what my panel looks like:

EFIS: GRT HX
Autopilot: TruTrak VSGV
GPS/Nav/Com 1: Garmin 430
Nav/Com 2: Garmin SL-30
Audio Panel: PS Engineering PMA 8000
Xponder: Garmin 330
GPS 2: Garmin 696

Thanks!
 
Comm flip flop

My current plane has the Ray Allen grip with 4 buttons and PTT. I only have electric elevator trim, so I used the aileron trim buttons for AP disconnect and Comm 1 flip flop. Works great and easy to wire.

AP disconnect has proven very functional. I also like the flip flop.
 
I also have those stick grips and aside from having AF3500s my panel is similar, so...

Little button below trigger - (AF3500) audio alert mute
Trigger - PTT
Left button - (PMA8000B) COM1/COM2 flip flop
Right button - Autopilot (Dis)Engage
Hat switch (Forward/Back) - Elevator Trim
Hat switch (Left/Right) - Not used (or is that reserved for future use :) )

I thought about using a button for Tx Ident, but decided 'inadvertent application' might upset ATC a tad, also thought about using hat switch L/R for swapping screens on EFIS but thought that was a bit counter-intuitive.
 
Mine are:

Trigger - PTT
Button under the trigger - A/P disconnect
Top left button - Comm 1 flip/flop
Tob right button - Com 2 flip/flop
Hat switch - elev/ail trim
 
I have the same grip. I don't have aileron trim, so my setup is:

Hat:
fore/aft- elevator trim
side/side- nav/comm flip (comm to left (easier, more frequently used), nav to right)

right button- AP engage, disengage
left button- Alt hold engage, disengage
trigger- PTT
lower button- Xponder ident

Many who fly formation put the flap switch on the stick. I put my flap switch within thumbs reach of the throttle.

For ME, this has been the perfect setup and I wouldn't change anything.
 
Aside from the obvious trim and PTT assignments, I've got the AP CWS/disconnect on the "index" button (below the trigger) with Comm#1 freq FF and GRT page flip on the top two.

Bob
RV-10 N442PM
 
thanks for the feedback... a few more questions

Thanks for all the feedback. Exactly what I was looking for! A few specific questions:

Bob - "GRT page flip"... do you use this a lot? I've never flown behind a GRT, so I'm not sure how useful it really is. Can you describe how you use it?

Jim - Which nav/com do you have that has remote switching for both? I don't think the 430 can be remotely controlled at all, and the SL-30 only flips the comm, or at least I thought. Which AP do you have that allows for alt hold off/on remotely? That's the way my old S-tec worked, but TruTrak told me I can't do it with theirs... Just total on/off.

Thanks guys!
 
DBone said:
Jim - Which nav/com do you have that has remote switching for both? I don't think the 430 can be remotely controlled at all, and the SL-30 only flips the comm, or at least I thought. Which AP do you have that allows for alt hold off/on remotely? That's the way my old S-tec worked, but TruTrak told me I can't do it with theirs... Just total on/off.
Click to expand...

My Nav/Com is the CNX-80/GNS-480. I have a TruTrak autopilot- Digitrak with Altrak, though I have them wired together so the disengage button drops both. The Altrak must be engaged, and can be disengaged, independently (but wired this way it WON'T engage unless the Digitrak is already engaged).
 
My stick grip buttons

PTT - obvious
Small button under PTT - Flip Flop (Icom 200A)
-be carefull not to push with full hand grip before first flight :D, normal
three finger flying at base does not cause a problem.
Left top - TXP Ident (I never use)
Right top - COM memory (works great with Icom)
 
I've got a 3 screen setup and the page flip connected to the middle screen. I normally have the engine page up on that one for run-up and take-off and flip to the map screen during climbout. Frankly, it's not a big deal to just push the button on the display unit but it's nice to have on the stick. I originally had my comm#2 frequency flip/flop there but changed it during my first annual.

The GRT page flip essentially rotates between the PFD, map and engine screen views.

Bob
RV-10 N442PM

> Bob - "GRT page flip"... do you use this a lot? I've never flown behind a GRT, so I'm not sure how useful it really is. Can you describe how you use it?
 
I have a Ray Allen grip and have the following on the stick:

Flaps: toggle
PTT
Freq Flip Flop
XPNDR IDENT
Elevator Trim
Freq Memory Push button - cycles ten stored freq on ICOM 200
 
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