2nd Monitor

[HPNPilot1200]

I'm looking at adding a second monitor to my rig to speed up the process at which I can do things and have the ability to leave something on one screen and use something else on the other.

I have a Dell 17" Flat Panel LCD using 1280 x 1024 resolution....now my question is: If I purchase a 15" Flat Panel LCD with a max. resolution of 1024 x 768, do you think this would work?

I have a video card that accepts both VGA and DVI (Nvidia GeForce 6800)

Would it be worth it to just match a monitor with the same resolution so both screens can display the same amount of stuff?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Greebo]

What you want to do will work, but I don't know if will make you any faster at what you do, because your mouse can only be in one place at a time, and your eyes can only focus on one screen at a time.

So just admit you want a dual monitor rig for the coolness factor.

 

[mikea]

I have (had) two 20" NEC CRT monitors. The nVidia drivers for Windows have pull down options that let you set it up any way you want. Windows and the mouse go from one screen to the other. You tell it which is left and which is right. I am using both the VGA and DVI connector on an nVidia GeForce 6nnn card. I could even add the S-video TV out to the mix.

And yes, it's great for Flight Sim. You can only have the main view on a single monitor, but you can undock and move the windows with the GPS and other views to the 2nd monitor. It's way cool.

I say had because the newest NEC monitor went dead. I'm thinking of getting it fixed by a local shop. I figure I'll throw $100 at a repair. Still, I really hate how much desk space they take up.

I'll be getting 1 or 2 20" or larger LCDs in the next year. The word is that the handful of manufacturers like Samsung have finally tooled up enough to have some actual competition and the prices should drop at the same time as newer, bigger, sharper models come out. I'm noticing a lot of "LCDs on sale" emails are showing up n my inbox.

See http://www.slickdeals.net for the deals that pop up on Dell 20" and 25" LCDs. The artechnica review said Dell's was the same display as Apple's 24" Cinema display.

This one is expired, but it comes back every month. You have to jump on it when it shows up:
http://www.slickdeals.net/?fromMont...oYear=2005&site=slickdeals&pastdeals=Go#p6600

 

[HPNPilot1200]

Thanks for all the thoughts Mike. I'm looking at getting it for FS as well as online controlling, since it's much easier to pull up a chart and drag it up. I will talk to my stepfather and see if he can get anything at work that the IT dept. has sitting around since he is in a fairly high position. If not, I have $100 gift gard for circuit city and might look into getting something there and seeing if they can match the price to something at another electronic store.

I wouldn't want anything larger than a 17". This will probably be located above a desk hutch so I will have one screen on the desk and one about 2 feet up on a desk hutch. I don't have the horizontal space for side-by-side, and for what I need, the above setup would work great.

If anyone happens to come across any deals, I'd appreciate a PM or E-mail.

Thanks again!

 

[SkyHog]

Thanks for all the thoughts Mike. I'm looking at getting it for FS as well as online controlling, since it's much easier to pull up a chart and drag it up. I will talk to my stepfather and see if he can get anything at work that the IT dept. has sitting around since he is in a fairly high position. If not, I have $100 gift gard for circuit city and might look into getting something there and seeing if they can match the price to something at another electronic store.

I wouldn't want anything larger than a 17". This will probably be located above a desk hutch so I will have one screen on the desk and one about 2 feet up on a desk hutch. I don't have the horizontal space for side-by-side, and for what I need, the above setup would work great.

If anyone happens to come across any deals, I'd appreciate a PM or E-mail.

Thanks again!

You ever see those people with mock Control Towers? Wraparound Monitors, a scope, etc? You should do that. How cool would that be?

 

[HPNPilot1200]

You ever see those people with mock Control Towers? Wraparound Monitors, a scope, etc? You should do that. How cool would that be?

[Unofficially] We did it at an annual event where most of the vZBW controllers from VATSIM get together outside of Boston and control for hours and hours. A staff member/controller programmed a new {thing} and we used a projector to display it although it was not a 360 degree device.

You can find more pictures about the event here:

http://hpnpilot1200.org/gallery/teaparty05
http://www.bostonartcc.net/gallery/tea-party-2005/IMG_0213
http://www.bostonartcc.net/gallery/tea-party-2005

[/Unofficially]

Jason... B)

 

[HPNPilot1200]

Well I got my second monitor hooked up and well...but having some problems.

I have a nVidia 6800 gfx card and in 'Nview' using the "Vertical Span" mode. I have a Dell LCD on the bottom and a pro-view LCD on the top (both 17"). My problem is that Windows Logon screen and creating a slideshow of pictures results in both of the screens used, I only want the Dell used.

I want to use the Pro-view (on top) to drag things up there and use it that way, don't want it to span up there. I tried 'DualView' but it sets it up using a horizontal configuration, not vertical. All I need is 'DualView' in a virtical setup.... The guy at nVidia couldn't help, so the SUP is calling me Monday/Tuesday.

Any help?

Well I got my second monitor hooked up and well...but having some problems.

I have a nVidia 6800 gfx card and in 'Nview' using the "Vertical Span" mode. I have a Dell LCD on the bottom and a pro-view LCD on the top (both 17"). My problem is that Windows Logon screen and creating a slideshow of pictures results in both of the screens used, I only want the Dell used.

I want to use the Pro-view (on top) to drag things up there and use it that way, don't want it to span up there. I tried 'DualView' but it sets it up using a horizontal configuration, not vertical. All I need is 'DualView' in a virtical setup.... The guy at nVidia couldn't help, so the SUP is calling me Monday/Tuesday.

Any help?

Problem solved...disregard

 

[TangoWhiskey]

What you want to do will work, but I don't know if will make you any faster at what you do, because your mouse can only be in one place at a time, and your eyes can only focus on one screen at a time.

So just admit you want a dual monitor rig for the coolness factor.

I program faster when using dual monitors... I can have code FULL SCREEN on one monitor, and documentation, SQL database table information, my watch / debug lists, etc. on the other.

Beats Alt-Tabbing back and forth... and so I'm more productive... and thus, "faster at what I do."

To answer the original question, you can run two monitors at different resolutions, but you'll lose major "cool factor" points. Just buy another one like the one you have... off eBay, used. Save the money for flying.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

I program faster when using dual monitors... I can have code FULL SCREEN on one monitor, and documentation, SQL database table information, my watch / debug lists, etc. on the other.

Beats Alt-Tabbing back and forth... and so I'm more productive... and thus, "faster at what I do."

To answer the original question, you can run two monitors at different resolutions, but you'll lose major "cool factor" points. Just buy another one like the one you have... off eBay, used. Save the money for flying.

Hi Troy,

I bought a 17" Pro-view at circuit city for $200 of which I had a gift card there for $100, so I only paid 100 out of pocket. It is the same resolution and surprisingly enough, the colors/whites are purer and crisper (and VERY white, not dull) than the more $$ Dell monitor I have.

Still figuring out some settings in nVidia's software, but I'm getting it to do what I want to do...but still need to figure some problems out.

Thanks again and it really HAS increased what I can do on my computer!!

Jason

 

[Henning]

[Unofficially] We did it at an annual event where most of the vZBW controllers from VATSIM get together outside of Boston and control for hours and hours. A staff member/controller programmed a new {thing} and we used a projector to display it although it was not a 360 degree device.

You can find more pictures about the event here:

http://hpnpilot1200.org/gallery/teaparty05
http://www.bostonartcc.net/gallery/tea-party-2005/IMG_0213
http://www.bostonartcc.net/gallery/tea-party-2005

[/Unofficially]

Jason... B)

I'm confused, are y'all actually ATC controllers, or a group whose hooby it is to simulate ATC? If it's a hobby and you're good at it, there's always ads for ATC personelle world wide. I know they're recruiting them here in Australia. If y'all are really ATC,.......hhhmmmmmm.......y'all must really love your jobs, good on you. Now regardless of all that, how tight is the simulation, and are you all playing off the same sheet of music as an orchestra so be it? How large, complex and busy is the traffic? Who/what is conducting said orchestra? Is it set up realistically to the system? Looked a bit interesting. The times I visited ATC, I was amazed at how antiquated and archaic the equipment was. Radars were old and high maint, peices of paper were going around the room, your "hand off" as it were, and the slips would come in off a printer from the facility that was handing you off, say Kansas City Center to Memphis Center. Information management was key. I was also very impressed with the way the people worked with it. Makes you think about all the other man hours of work others do to keep you flying, especially IFR. Even when you're VFR, you can be an annoyance to them . Ronald Reagans dream would have been to have ATC clubs.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

I'm confused, are y'all actually ATC controllers, or a group whose hooby it is to simulate ATC?

We are a group of *simulated* ATCS and do this for fun on the internet. We all have to train though, and learn SOP's for our facility(ies). Fore more information visit the VATSIM website and/or Virtual Boston ARTCC (vZBW)
for more information. Note: It is all simulated, so don't take it as the real ZBW .

If it's a hobby and you're good at it, there's always ads for ATC personelle world wide. I know they're recruiting them here in Australia. If y'all are really ATC,.......hhhmmmmmm.......y'all must really love your jobs, good on you.

Again, we're simulated, but we enjoy it.

Now regardless of all that, how tight is the simulation, and are you all playing off the same sheet of music as an orchestra so be it? How large, complex and busy is the traffic? Who/what is conducting said orchestra? Is it set up realistically to the system? Looked a bit interesting. The times I visited ATC, I was amazed at how antiquated and archaic the equipment was.

The simulation is 95% realistic. We operate via the internet and we are on the radar side, while virtual pilots connect through a program the install into their Flight Simulator Program (programs are available for X-plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002/2004. We have a simulated radar client that depicts targets as they would normally appear (we do have an option to select which radar type we want, right now it's mainly ARTS [Approach Radar] and DSR [Center radar]. The skill levels of the pilots are mainly poor because they don't know what they're doing half the time, but the rest of em' are real sharp and are real certificated pilots just practicing approaches, etc.

I'm a member at vZBW (excuse me if I substitude ZBW for vZBW) and I work at Boston. I switch around occasionally, so if we have staffing at Boston already (DEL up to APP and CTR) I'll move to a class C Approach such as PVD or BDL. Traffic is dependant on the time of day and the day itself and fluctuates often. Some nights I could be vectoring 20 aircraft for the ILS to 22L or I can be giving 1 touch-n-go clearance to a 172 in the pattern at Boston Logan (heh, yea, that ones a joke, but does really happen )

Radars were old and high maint, peices of paper were going around the room, your "hand off" as it were, and the slips would come in off a printer from the facility that was handing you off, say Kansas City Center to Memphis Center. Information management was key. I was also very impressed with the way the people worked with it. Makes you think about all the other man hours of work others do to keep you flying, especially IFR. Even when you're VFR, you can be an annoyance to them . Ronald Reagans dream would have been to have ATC clubs.

We use automatic handoffs which basically all the facilities are doing now. We type in a nice key command (which real facilities do) and the datablock of the aircraft to be handed off starts flashing on their screen. I personally use flight progress strips, but we have not formally created a system to make it automated and have strips pop out, etc., so I have to hand-write them for now. Note: I only use them during low/moderate traffic. Our radar client has it's own set of virtual strips in it, so I revert to those when I'm too busy to right it down.

Let me know if you have more questions. The VATSIM website explains it well, so I recommend you head over there for a while and read up.

 

[Henning]

The simulation is 95% realistic. We operate via the internet and we are on the radar side, while virtual pilots connect through a program the install into their Flight Simulator Program (programs are available for X-plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002/2004. We have a simulated radar client that depicts targets as they would normally appear (we do have an option to select which radar type we want, right now it's mainly ARTS [Approach Radar] and DSR [Center radar]. The skill levels of the pilots are mainly poor because they don't know what they're doing half the time, but the rest of em' are real sharp and are real certificated pilots just practicing approaches, etc.

So, If I got MSFS or X Wings, and have a broadband connect, I can log onto your "system" and y'all would handle ATC for me? So I'd get clearances and vectors all over a headset?

 

[HPNPilot1200]

So, If I got MSFS or X Wings

It's MSFS or Xplane, not

X Wings

and have a broadband connect, I can log onto your "system" and y'all would handle ATC for me? So I'd get clearances and vectors all over a headset?

Yes, but all the ATC is on a volunteer basis. We don't always have "full" staffing since volunteer's do this as a hobby, but you can usually find someone. VATSIM simulates the whole world, and is subdivided into regions and then into ARTCCs/FIRs. I was 'plugged in' on Boston Approach this morning and gave vectors to aircraft for the ILS 22L this morning at KBOS and had a VFR who wanted flight following and vectors to Nantucket. You can operate via text or voice, but voice is preferred and MUCH faster. (You'll likely get priority over text pilots if you're on voice)