Hi,
After much research and help from several people in this forum, I ordered the Viper MIP with MFD displays last week, and they arrived today.
A quick review/critique of this package follows:
The size of the MFDs and UFCP doesn’t disappoint. The DED is very clear and easy to read, and works flawlessly with BMS (4.37 as of the time of writing), as do the MFDs and displays.
The MFD display resolution is outstanding, and the brightness, clarity, and contrast of the displays is excellent. They have a very wide viewing angle, and put my main 4K display to shame (I’m not kidding). The TGP image on the MFD is bright and clear with excellent contrast.
The buttons feel like the rubber buttons found on industrial control equipment, but that isn’t a bad thing (it just means the tactile feel is not prototypical). It should, however, mean longevity and a long service life.
Much is made of the key caps themselves being silicon, but so long as you keep your hands clean, they should prove durable.
Probably the weakest area of the UFCP is the dobber switch. They implemented it with a 4-way hat with button press, and the dobber itself is constructed from plastic, giving a somewhat imprecise feel to the switch, but the press action itself feels solid.
The units are a little too light for free-standing use on a desk (as I have it presently) but some brackets to hold them together and extend backwards to add stability would solve this. They do sell desk clamps to attach them to the edge of the desk, and the propensity for the MFDs to tip over backwards, especially when pressing the OSBs at the top, can be mitigated by supporting the top of the unit when pressing a button. The MFDs are not top-heavy however, and sit stable on the desk.
Shipping was fast (5 days) from China to the UK, and everything was very well packaged and nicely presented.
A neat feature of the MFD bezels is in-between the OSB buttons are additional buttons, that otherwise act as the dividers between the OSB buttons. This allows for mapping of additional functions without detracting from the overall look. You gain 16 buttons per MFD, for 32 in total. Useful for auxiliary switches such as autopilot control, CM switches, etc.
For someone who doesn’t have the tools to DIY, or is looking for a desk-pit (as I was), I’d say this is a solid offering, and reasonably priced, when you consider the cost of other ICPs on the market, and the cost of a small display or two for the MFDs. The DED is the icing on the cake.
Given the quality of the displays, the quality of the ICP and the DED, and the plug-and-play nature of the units, combined with the very simple-to-use software, I’d rate these a solid 9/10.