LXNav Remote Stick Installation in a ASW 20B

[Deming Gray]

Hello,

I wish to install an LXNav remote stick in my ASW 20B to work with my LXNav 8000 flight computer. I would like to know if anyone in this group has experience with a remote stick in an ASW 20 or any AS glider. I would like to ask about their impressions of the remote stick's use and installation. Specifically, on installation, my ASW20 has a trim trigger mounted on the stick and I want to know if this trim trigger will create a problem during installation. Also, are there any issues with routing the remote stick's wiring through the hollow joystick? If any of you have any insight or experience with remote stick installation and use I would really appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,

Deming

[Dan Marotta]

Not an ASW-20, but I mounted a stick grip in my Stemme to control my
ClearNav.Â* The Stemme has a hand brake lever mounted to the stick and
there were no interference issues.Â* It was a simple matter to route the
cable down through the stick and out the hole in the side of the stick
where the push-to-talk wires were routed.Â* Since the remote control on
the stick includes push-to-talk wires, I simply cut the wires to the
original PTT button at the top of the stick and used those two wires to
pull the ClearNav wires down through the stick.Â* I then routed the new
wires along the same path as the old wires, cutting the old zip ties to
release the old wires and adding new zip ties in their place to secure
the new wires.

It was really simple in my ship.Â* Yours may be different, but a quick
look should give you the answers you need.

Good luck!

On 6/14/2018 2:40 PM, Deming Gray wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I wish to install an LXNav remote stick in my ASW 20B to work with my LXNav 8000 flight computer. I would like to know if anyone in this group has experience with a remote stick in an ASW 20 or any AS glider. I would like to ask about their impressions of the remote stick's use and installation. Specifically, on installation, my ASW20 has a trim trigger mounted on the stick and I want to know if this trim trigger will create a problem during installation. Also, are there any issues with routing the remote stick's wiring through the hollow joystick? If any of you have any insight or experience with remote stick installation and use I would really appreciate hearing from you.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Deming

--
Dan, 5J

[[email protected]]

Deming-

I installed a remote LXNAV stick controller in my Pegase a few years ago, and while I don't have the stick mounted trim trigger, I found no significant problem with feeding the wires down the tube and out the side hole in the stick. Otherwise, the ASW-20 is very similar to the Pegase. If there is any way to use a "pull wire" to guide the fairly thin 4 conductor wire in the proper path, I suggest you use it. Otherwise getting the new lead out the side hole can be challenging. Of course it could also be routed out the bottom of the stick if there is an opening in the U-Joint bracket, but you have to be careful that it cannot get pinched as the stick is manipulated through its full range of travel. If you are successful getting the wire out the normal side exit hole, try to add a piece of heat shrink tubing to the lead to minimize (or delay) abrasion caused by the wear point between the wire and the hole in the stick. Sometimes the edges of the hole are sharp enough to cut through the wire sheathing. Leave plenty of slack at the lower end where the wire exits so that no part of the wires are subjected to strain or sharp bends. Finally, leave about 6-12 inches of wire folded and tucked inside the upper portion of the control stick tubing. This allows the stick grip to be removed without putting strain on the wires. Plus, if you have to re-route the wires for any reason, you will have some length to work with. Connection of the remote stick's four wires to the LXNAV terminal is easy- just match the wire color to the appropriate socket, push the spring loaded tab and insert the wire. For a connection like this, I like to "tin" the ends of the multistrand wire with a drop of solder to minimize strand breakage.

[Deming Gray]

On Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 6:06:32 PM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
> Not an ASW-20, but I mounted a stick grip in my Stemme to control my
> ClearNav.Â* The Stemme has a hand brake lever mounted to the stick and
> there were no interference issues.Â* It was a simple matter to route the
> cable down through the stick and out the hole in the side of the stick
> where the push-to-talk wires were routed.Â* Since the remote control on
> the stick includes push-to-talk wires, I simply cut the wires to the
> original PTT button at the top of the stick and used those two wires to
> pull the ClearNav wires down through the stick.Â* I then routed the new
> wires along the same path as the old wires, cutting the old zip ties to
> release the old wires and adding new zip ties in their place to secure
> the new wires.
>
> It was really simple in my ship.Â* Yours may be different, but a quick
> look should give you the answers you need.
>
> Good luck!
>
> On 6/14/2018 2:40 PM, Deming Gray wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I wish to install an LXNav remote stick in my ASW 20B to work with my LXNav 8000 flight computer. I would like to know if anyone in this group has experience with a remote stick in an ASW 20 or any AS glider. I would like to ask about their impressions of the remote stick's use and installation. Specifically, on installation, my ASW20 has a trim trigger mounted on the stick and I want to know if this trim trigger will create a problem during installation. Also, are there any issues with routing the remote stick's wiring through the hollow joystick? If any of you have any insight or experience with remote stick installation and use I would really appreciate hearing from you.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Deming
>
> --
> Dan, 5J

Thanks Dan for the information. Especially about using the PTT wires as lead wires, I'll probably copy that Idea.

[Deming Gray]

On Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 8:07:01 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> Deming-
>
> I installed a remote LXNAV stick controller in my Pegase a few years ago, and while I don't have the stick mounted trim trigger, I found no significant problem with feeding the wires down the tube and out the side hole in the stick. Otherwise, the ASW-20 is very similar to the Pegase. If there is any way to use a "pull wire" to guide the fairly thin 4 conductor wire in the proper path, I suggest you use it. Otherwise getting the new lead out the side hole can be challenging. Of course it could also be routed out the bottom of the stick if there is an opening in the U-Joint bracket, but you have to be careful that it cannot get pinched as the stick is manipulated through its full range of travel. If you are successful getting the wire out the normal side exit hole, try to add a piece of heat shrink tubing to the lead to minimize (or delay) abrasion caused by the wear point between the wire and the hole in the stick. Sometimes the edges of the hole are sharp enough to cut through the wire sheathing. Leave plenty of slack at the lower end where the wire exits so that no part of the wires are subjected to strain or sharp bends. Finally, leave about 6-12 inches of wire folded and tucked inside the upper portion of the control stick tubing. This allows the stick grip to be removed without putting strain on the wires. Plus, if you have to re-route the wires for any reason, you will have some length to work with. Connection of the remote stick's four wires to the LXNAV terminal is easy- just match the wire color to the appropriate socket, push the spring loaded tab and insert the wire. For a connection like this, I like to "tin" the ends of the multistrand wire with a drop of solder to minimize strand breakage.

Thanks Mark, I'm glad to hear that your installation of the LX remote stick went smoothly. That gives me some confidence. I appreciate the tip of leaving spare cable in the joystick and using heat shrink as protection for the cables.. I'll incorporate both of those ideas.

[JohnO[_2_]]

I have installed several remote stick controls onto LXNav equipment. SZD55, ASW24E, ASG29 and Ventus 2c. Some of these have a trim trigger incorporated and it does not present a problem. I particularly remember the SZD55 had the trim trigger wire going through the column and the wires from the controller just ran to one side and there was never a problem.
Be careful with leaving excess wire inside the stick!
I have had two installations were the wires from the LXNav control were bunched up near the top and managed to be trapped and damaged against the top of the stick. I now take the top plate and electronics out from the top of the handle and check the wire routing into the top of the control stick.

[Matt Herron Jr.]

On Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 1:40:10 PM UTC-7, Deming Gray wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I wish to install an LXNav remote stick in my ASW 20B to work with my LXNav 8000 flight computer. I would like to know if anyone in this group has experience with a remote stick in an ASW 20 or any AS glider. I would like to ask about their impressions of the remote stick's use and installation. Specifically, on installation, my ASW20 has a trim trigger mounted on the stick and I want to know if this trim trigger will create a problem during installation. Also, are there any issues with routing the remote stick's wiring through the hollow joystick? If any of you have any insight or experience with remote stick installation and use I would really appreciate hearing from you.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Deming

I just checked with Cumulus soaring yesterday on compatibility of the Lxnav stick with an asw27b with trim trigger. They reported that there is no cut-out for the trigger, and they might ship the stick with the bottom collar not glued in so the owner could fit it up. But if the collar is then glued in, is the stick now permanent? How are the edges of the stick dressed where the trim trigger hole is cut? I think they are covered in leather... I didn't have ready solutions for these issues, so I cancelled my order... I would love to hear a success story on Lxnav stick and ASW27.

Matt

[Roy B.]

I have the LX Stick controller on my '29 (#29014) in South Africa. It clears the trim trigger fine. The only negatives are that I don't like the way the set screws stand out (they are sharp edged and much too long) and I really do not like the switch on the front of the controller (usable to switch from regular to netto vario) that your small finger rests on. I disabled that (via computer setting). But there were no issues with fit or function. I did not do the install myself.
ROY

[JS[_5_]]

Caveats: I've only installed one LX stick grip, in an LS. Only flown with one, in a JS.

I'd cut the stick grip down so the bottom is above the trigger. Doubt you'll miss it.
Something else to consider when installing a stick remote is the panel layout. The remote control head will hide instruments. As the ASW20 is EXP, you could trim a few cm off the top of the stick and the grip even more so that the top of the remote about the same height as the top of the current stick and the bottom clears the trigger.
Or if you're able, cut a notch in the front of the LX grip like Rex did with one ClearNav grip for me.
If you can fit it, using heat shrink or "spaghetti" (can't find a package with the trade name) is great for protection. The plastic split loom probably won't fit.
Set screw problems such as Roy mentioned can be fixed using shorter screws.
Jim