COMPASS / MAG VAR / LAT Control Panel
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Right console, lower front section — positioned adjacent to the ILS and Lighting Control Panels.
Provides manual and automatic control of the aircraft’s magnetic heading reference system, which synchronizes the Directional Gyro (DG) and Magnetic Slaving Unit (MSU). It allows correction of magnetic variation, adjustment of latitude compensation, and synchronization of heading data displayed on the HSI and other navigation instruments.
HDG (Heading Knob)
Rotary control: Adjusts the slaved gyro heading reference.
Label: “HDG ±” with PUSH TO SYNC function.
Push action: Instantly synchronizes the DG with the magnetic sensor (for calibration or manual correction).
SYN/IND Indicator
Dual-needle display showing the synchronization status between the Directional Gyro and Magnetic Compass.
Centered needles: System aligned.
Deviation: Indicates slaving error.
MAG VAR (Magnetic Variation) Selector
+15, 0, –15 — adjusts system correction for local magnetic declination relative to true north.
SLAVE / DG Selector
SLAVE — automatic synchronization between DG and magnetic compass.
DG — manual mode for free directional gyro operation.
LAT (Latitude) Adjustment Knob
Large rotary dial marked in degrees (0–90).
Adjusts latitude compensation for the earth’s magnetic dip effect on gyro precession.
N / S Selector
Selects hemisphere for magnetic correction (N for northern, S for southern hemisphere).
Recommended Hardware (simpit build)
1 × Rotary encoder with push (for HDG + push-to-sync).
1 × Dual analog indicator (or simulated on OLED) for SYN/IND gauge.
MAG VAR, SLAVE/DG, N/S.
1 × Large rotary potentiometer or encoder (for LAT adjustment).
Panel material: 3 mm black acrylic with engraved white labeling.
HDG and LAT: 25 mm diameter with marked index.
Switches: mini toggles with silver bat handles.
Backlighting: Soft green edge or indirect LED illumination.
DCS-BIOS Bindings
COMP_HDG_ADJ
COMP_SYNC_BTN
COMP_SLAVE_DG_SW
COMP_MAGVAR_SW
COMP_LAT_ADJ
COMP_NS_SW
Real Aircraft Operation
This system ensures accurate heading display by maintaining alignment between the Directional Gyro (DG) and magnetic compass.
In SLAVE mode, synchronization is automatic; DG mode allows manual operation in case of slaving unit malfunction or heavy magnetic interference.
Verify SLAVE mode for normal operation.
Adjust MAG VAR and LAT for current geographic region.
Use PUSH TO SYNC if compass/gyro drift becomes apparent.