MCP Altitude Knob Suggestion

[Guest mkuebeler]

I'm sure this has been suggested before. The ERJ-145 panel by Bill Grabowski has a feature I really like. The MCP altitude knob has two mouse click areas: close to the knob the altitude changes in 100' increments (basically the way the knob in the 737NG works now). A little further out the altitude changes in 1000' increments. Makes it simple and quick to set any altitude you want instead of letting the knob spin for 15-20 seconds. How does that thing work in a real 737?

[Guest ba747heavy]

The PMDG panel has this feature as well, except that you left click a knob to change by 100' increments, and right click to change by 1000' increments.Not sure how it works in the real deal, but the videos I have seen seen to indicate that the knobs move fairly freely, making it easy to adjust the value very fast.

[Guest mkuebeler]

Excellent! Thanks, that works for the course, heading, and speed knobs, too! Is that mentioned in the AOM?

[Guest BrunoF]

Yes, on the real plane they only change by 100' increments.Bruno Francescoli.

[Guest Iz]

Actually, in the real airplane, if you turn it with your left hand, it uses 100' increments, if you turn it with your right hand, it uses 1000' increments. Of course, your standard computer mouse cannot detect which hand you're using, so it uses mouse buttons. Neato! :)

[marcom 139]

So what's the procedure when CM2 is pilot flying?If you have to level off at 6500', would CM1 set 6000 and then takeover as pilot flying while CM2 add the other 500'? ;-)

[Qavion 19]

Some Boeings panels have a feature whereby if you turn the knob fast, the displayed values increase at an accelerated rate (e.g. rotate the knob 10 increments (clicks) slowly, the display only changes 10 units. If you rotate the knob 10 increments really quickly, it may change the display a lot more than 10 units (It may increase it by a factor of 5 or 10 or something like that).Some Boeing panels have springloaded rotary switches which you can only turn through a few degrees... but the displays tick over if you hold the switches (a bit like holding a mouse key down). Some have two detents... turn the switch a small amount and hold... and the numbers click over slowly. If you turn the switch through twice the distance, the numbers click over much faster. Not sure if the NG has any of these features though.Cheers.Ian.

[Guest Stefan Bergert]

cool...which aircraft has these strange "springloaded rotary switches"? ...never heard of that before.Regards,StefanBTW: In my opinion PMDG's way of modelling the switches with right&left clicks is the best for flightsim! If you have two areas you have to concentrate to find the one specific clickspot-area, if you have one area only, you have one big clickspot-area which is easier to find.

[Guest Iz]

You guessed it! ;)Those spring-loaded double-detent knobs are in the EFIS control panel on the glareshield panel of the 737NG, 744, 764 and 777. Both switches for the Minimums and Baro Set are like that. To be honest, they're quite finnicky and take some getting used to.The 737 MCP does measure how fast you turn the knob, and changes selection accordingly (eg. turn knob 180 degrees in 1 second, add 2000 ft, turn it in a quarter of a second, add 20000 ft, or something like that).

[Qavion 19]

"...which aircraft has these strange "springloaded rotary switches"? ...never heard of that before."I now know at least two Boeings have this feature, Stephan... The 777 and the 737NG(as Iz has just said). Can't remember which MCP/EFIS switches though... I haven't had much "playtime" on the 777 :-)The switches are not unlike like the rudder trim control on our 747-400's (only a little smaller) :-)Cheers.Ian.

[Guest Stefan Bergert]

Jup, allright>>"The switches are not unlike like..."WOW ;-)Thanks,SteFan

[Guest ba747heavy]

>Excellent! Thanks, that works for the course, heading, and>speed knobs, too! Is that mentioned in the AOM?Not sure ;) I think that is one of those things you find out by accident and love your mistake :-lol

[Qavion 19]

">>"The switches are not unlike like...""Cancel that "like" ;-)Serious case of nightshift hangover.Cheers.Ian.

[Guest BrunoF]

Hahaha... Don't worry Ian, it happens. ;)Bruno Francescoli.

[Guest hkro]

Iz,You forgot to say that what you wrote is only valid for the captain; for the co-pilot it is all the way around: left hand is 1000' increments and right one does 100's.......:(