question about gauges (probably a dumb question)

[Guest qantas744]

Hello, I really love the PMDG 747 but I have one question. When the engines are off and my plane is sitting at the gate, it seems the power is off because I see no gauges lit or showing. I would think that when the engines are started everything would turn on, but nothing does. I can still fly the plane and use autopilot, overhead panel, but I cant see my speed, altitude, ect... is there just a switch I have to switch on or what? Any help appreciated.. I attatched a screenshot--> http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/157120.jpg

[markadeane 272]

Hi QANTAS744,Just so you know, there is a rule in the forum that you must sign your name to posts, just to keep a personal touch on things. In any event, welcome to the forums! :-)It sounds like you haven't followed the pre-start procedures in the manual (if this is incorrect my apologies). This add-on is considerably more detailed than anything you'll have flown in FS so far, so be prepared to do a bit of reading to get up to speed. Trust me when I say that it's a rewarding process.Just to get you started, I suggest you refer to section 5 (Normal Procedures) of the manual. Follow those procedures through and you should find it all comes together nicely. As an indication, the preflight in the 744 can take between 15-45 minutes depending on how realistically you approach things. Even in a rush I've never been ready to go in less than 15.If you have any questions after this, come back and post in this thread and we'll help you out.Cheers!

[Guest qantas744]

Acutually, the gauge display is visible for about 1 minute, then it just goes black, and thats with the engines started...

[markadeane 272]

OK. Well, if you've followed the procedures in the manual, started the engines, and there are no orange lights showing on the overhead, and the displays still fail, then you might be looking at a license validation issue. You'll need to contact PMDG support directly if that's the case.CheersEDIT: Further info available at this linkhttp://ops.precisionmanuals.com/wiki/PMDG_..._and_Validation