PM boeing new builts

[aluver]

There are new builts for PM boeing suite ( gc448, mcp 418,... ) but no changes indication, do someone know something about that ?

[michelmvd]

There seems to be major bugfixes in the CDU, but one very annoying bug (- when selecting a STAR or arrival RWY, once your routing is set, or inflight, results in a complete mix up of your route and the aircrafts restarts /return to the beginning of your route -) is still there. I contacted support about this matter and hoping to receive an update about this.

GC major graphics updates - addional flags - before IRS alignment is done (atleast for B744) Very nice - amber colours also updated.

MCP : I don't know

B. rgds
Michel

[aluver]

Thanks Michel.

So best thing to do : try it ! I will do that tonight and see... and give feedback if I see something interresting else .

Stephane

[mauriceb]

There are new builts for PM boeing suite ( gc448, mcp 418,... ) but no changes indication, do someone know something about that ?

I have tried MCP418 and I had problems with it, so I had to go back to 416. What happened to me is that if I press the TOGA switch on my throttle assembly, the N1 light on the MCP does not light up, but the engines spool up anyway (I use the FDS MCP which is a great piece of hardware).

Since I am using the offset for the N1 light to enable my servos in my autothrottle, the servos were not doing their thing. When I went back to MCP416, everything worked again as it should. I tried a couple of times with 418 with same bad results, so I'm sticking to 416 for now (414 OK as well).

Maurice

[michelmvd]

I know there has been a change for the B744. In the aerosoft MCP when pushing the TOGA switchesd, the THR led came up, and that was not correct for the B744. Only in the PFD annuciantors THR REF may come up. In the MCP418 this was corrected.
Maybe this is related to your problem
Michel

[mauriceb]

I know there has been a change for the B744. In the aerosoft MCP when pushing the TOGA switchesd, the THR led came up, and that was not correct for the B744. Only in the PFD annuciantors THR REF may come up. In the MCP418 this was corrected.
Maybe this is related to your problem
Michel

It probably is related. In the list of PM offsets, there isn't one actually for the N1 light on the MCP. In fact, that offset is actually named 'THR' and not N1 (04F0 bit 10).

I got an answer from Jonathan at PM. He said that this is the correct behaviour. According to him, the N1 light on the MCP should not light up when you press the TOGA switch on the throttle quad. If that is really true, then I'm pretty sure I'll be able to use another offset to enable my servos rather than the N1 light offset.

I'm curious though if there are any real Boeing 737 pilots in this forum who could confirm this. I'm pretty sure Jonathan is probably right, but I would feel better with confirmation from a current 737 pilot (although it does look like the 737 is similar to the 744 in that respect with the difference just being the name used ..THR vs N1)

Thanks,
Maurice

[Trevor Hale]

This is exactly the kind of feedback we require. Thanks Maurice.

This PM forum, is not monitored by the folks at Project Magenta, in fact, what Maurice has done here is exactly how we intend the Pm section to work. To discuss issues and suggestions that the staff at PM have responded to.

Kudo's to you.

Trev

[Peter Dowson]

It probably is related. In the list of PM offsets, there isn't one actually for the N1 light on the MCP. In fact, that offset is actually named 'THR' and not N1 (04F0 bit 10).

I got an answer from Jonathan at PM. He said that this is the correct behaviour. According to him, the N1 light on the MCP should not light up when you press the TOGA switch on the throttle quad. If that is really true, then I'm pretty sure I'll be able to use another offset to enable my servos rather than the N1 light offset.

Just a quick look ... might offset 051C offer the answer?

Bit 2 TOGA *mode* Active

Otherwise I can only think of checking the Annunciator modes.

Regards

Pete

[Bob Reed]

That is strange.. If the N1 light does not come on when you press the N1 button... What is the N1 light for?

[mauriceb]

That is strange.. If the N1 light does not come on when you press the N1 button... What is the N1 light for?

The N1 light does come on, but only when you do a flight level change to a higher altitute. This apparently is the correct behaviour for a 737 MCP. According to Jonathan, their software (I assume MCP418 ) was recently certified by some certification authority, so he is pretty sure this is the right behaviour.

So, I'm just going to have to find another offset for my purpose which is to enable power to the throttle servos when pressing TOGA. And thanks Peter, offset 051C (Bit 2 TOGA *mode* Active) may be the answer I need?

Maurice

[Bob Reed]

This may also explain all the changes to the CDU if they where working on certification. And the lack of response to the problems. Lets see what happens.

[mauriceb]

This may also explain all the changes to the CDU if they where working on certification. And the lack of response to the problems. Lets see what happens.

Could well be. According to Jonathan, Enrico just got back from a trip and is still trying to catch up :)

Maurice

[Peter Dowson]

That is strange.. If the N1 light does not come on when you press the N1 button... What is the N1 light for?

Er .. who says it doesn't come on when you press it -- that button engages N1 thrust mode. The TOGA button(s), on the thrust levers, near their base), engages a different mode (T/O or G/A depending on previous mode). At least I always assumed they were different in some way?

I think that it is possible that Enrico's code actually does (or used to do) the same thing for all three in terms of advancing the throttles (I don't even know if they are supposed to have different N1% target values). Maybe that's where the confusion comes from. And of course those without the luxury of a separate TO/GA button would have got used to pressing N1 instead.

I expect all this applies to the 744 MCP if you substitute THR for N1 above.

Regards

Pete

[Westozy]

The CP Flight MCP substitues the N1 button as a TO/GA (It is optional in the CP software), it does light up and there is a pair of pins on the back of the unit for those who wish to connect their own TO/GA buttons on their throttles which is what I plan to do later on. The CP Flight gear is very well thought out and performs faultlessly with my PMDG set-up.

Gwyn

[mauriceb]

Er .. who says it doesn't come on when you press it -- that button engages N1 thrust mode. The TOGA button(s), on the thrust levers, near their base), engages a different mode (T/O or G/A depending on previous mode). At least I always assumed they were different in some way?

Regards

Pete

Yes, you are absolutely correct here. And you were also right about the offset 051C (Bit 2 TOGA *mode* Active). That solved my dilemna about enabling the A/T servos. So I have now gone back to MCP418 and all is well on the Canadian front :D

Thanks for everyone's inputs,

Maurice

[Trevor Hale]

All is well on the Canadian front :D

Thanks for everyone's inputs,

Maurice

Maurice, Just a year ago I lived at the Bottom of the 400. I had an Airbus In the basement.

I would have loved to see your setup.

Trev

[mauriceb]

Maurice, Just a year ago I lived at the Bottom of the 400. I had an Airbus In the basement.

I would have loved to see your setup.

Trev

Trev,
Just a year ago I didn't have much to show except a Boeing 737 throttle which took me a year to build. I still don't have that much although I have been accumulating many things almost exclusively from FDS since I live 10 minutes away from there and I really like their stuff.
I would have liked to see YOUR Airbus. I see you moved to the near Arctic :D Are you able to start your SIM in the deep freeze? :p

Anyway, here are a couple of links of my project. Until I move to Gravenhurst in 3 years, I won't have enough room to build a shell & projection system for my project. In the meantime, lots of work to do still...linked yokes & rudders, overhead etc...:roll:

Cheers,
Maurice

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/549398024hromFI"><img src="http://thumb0.webshots.net/t/57/657/0/91/81/2095091810051510320cZiYhV_th.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Webshots.com"></a><br>by <a href=http://community.webshots.com/user/mau_ben> mau_ben</a>

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[michelmvd]

I'm happy the THR led thing finally has been solved, as this was a longterm misbehavior of the Magenta MCP. We talking here about the TOGA mode. (Pushing the TOGA buttons on the thrustlevers). The important thing is that in the PFD at the moment the TOGA mode is set, the thrust annunciator goes to THR REF, as this is what the aircraft is actually doing. Thrust is managed according settings then.
So it looks that the little and the big boeing aircraft behave very simular, but maybe in other terms.
B. Rgds
Michel