Smart Coupler II
Smart Coupler II LE
(click on image for a closer look)
How Do I Use the Smart Coupler?
Course Mode:
To follow a GPS course, fly your aircraft to place it on course and on heading. Use your GPS receiver's built-in CDI indicator to help do this. You must have previously told your receiver that you want to fly to a waypoint. Once on course, push and hold the Smart Coupler's course button for about 1/2 second. The indicator will light. Your aircraft will now fly to the waypoint that you put into your receiver. For the Original Smart Coupler, course mode is enabled all the time, so simply enable your autopilot after placing your aircraft on course
If you put a flight plan having multiple waypoints into your GPS receiver, your aircraft will follow the entire flight plan, including heading changes at waypoints. If you have a wing-leveler type autopilot, your aircraft will fly the entire route without intervention from the pilot. Some autopilots that use heading bugs require that the bug be with in a few degrees of the course. If your autopilot is one of these, you must set the bug to the new heading at each waypoint. As far as I know, all Century, Piper and Cessna autopilots with a bug require that the heading bug be set. S-TEC autopilots and all wing-levelers do not.
Heading Mode:
To hold a heading, simply turn your aircraft to the desired heading and wait a few seconds to let the GPS receiver calculate your ground track. Then push and hold the heading button for about 1/2 second. The indicator will ligh, and the aircraft will hold your heading (ground track). Once in heading mode, your can skew your heading left or right by tapping the Course or Heading buttons. Your heading will change by about 1 degree per tap.
Intercept Mode:
To intercept a GPS course, place your aircraft on a heading that will cross the course (flight plan) that you have set in your GPS receiver. Press and hold the intercept button for about 1/2 second. The indicator will light. The aircraft will hold the heading (ground track) until it crosses the course, then it will turn and follow the course. The indicator will switch to show that your are in course mode when you intercept. The Smart Coupler II LE does not include intercept mode.