How to switch between click and scroll on the G 530 rotary knob

GNS 530 knob use in X-Plane 11

Hi Michael,

On the default X-Plane 11 GNS 530, there isn’t really a separate “mode switch” on the unit itself for click vs. mouse-wheel operation. It depends on your X-Plane mouse/scroll setting and where your cursor is positioned over the knob.

Try this:

1. Move the mouse over the GNS 530 rotary knob.
2. Watch the cursor shape/active area carefully — the inner and outer knobs have different mouse zones.
3. Use the mouse wheel to rotate the knob if scroll-wheel cockpit control is enabled.
4. If it is not responding to the wheel, use left-click/drag or the click zones on the knob instead.

Also check the X-Plane setting for mouse wheel cockpit control:

Settings > General

Look for the mouse wheel / scroll wheel cockpit interaction option and make sure it is enabled if you want to use the wheel on the G530 knobs.

One thing that catches people out: the GNS 530 has both an inner and outer rotary knob area. If your mouse is slightly too far in or out, you may be turning the wrong part of the knob, or nothing at all. Move the cursor slowly around the knob and you should see the interaction change.

For entering/editing fields on the 530, remember that pressing the small knob/cursor function is what activates the cursor/editing behavior on the GPS itself.

If this is not the default Laminar GNS 530, let us know which aircraft or GPS add-on you are using, as some third-party panels handle the knob zones a bit differently.

Ian Stephens