No issues a week ago... now I have three.

[Guest j-mo]

I am in need of assistance. I've been using the 747X for the last month and I recently posted about my positive experience with it. I have flown many flights now, performed both manual and autolands, programmed the FMC (including speed and altitude constraints issued by RC) over and over. I attribute my early success to absolutely devouring the manual as well as having lurked in this forum for over a year.Over the last week or so, the experience has gone south. I now have three issues that have arisen, and I am quite frustrated because I cannot figure them out. Before I get into them, let me just say that I am not a newcomer to complex airliners (I've got many hours in the Level D 767-300), just new to this one.Hopefully it's not a problem combining them in a single post. Mods, if I should break these into separate posts, just let me know. OK, here I go:1. VNAV vs ALT HOLDYes, this one bit me starting a week ago, exactly as stated in the other thread that had some 77 replies. I have no idea what triggered it. If I understood that thread, some solved this by clearing out both the "Panel States" and "Saved Flights" folders, so I did this. Since doing this I have only had two flights, out of about 20 or so, that the problem was gone. All the others have had the problem continue. If there is some other solution, I haven't found it. I would be grateful for advice on this.DETAILS: I always start FSX with a default plane at a default airport, then end the flight before loading up the 747X. I always use the Cold and Dark panel state that came from PMDG. I use FSX on Vista 32; Saitek X52; ASX & X Graphics,; Radar Contact; AI Smooth. I have no add-on scenery (alas). My other add-on aircraft are Level D 767-300 and Eaglesoft Piper Twim Comanche. That's it.2. Overhead Cold & Dark Panel StateBeginning 3 -4 days ago I have many buttons/switches that can be in different positions when I load this. I have not seen this reported before, but I suppose I could have missed it. Examples:-IRS knobs can load in either OFF or NAV position;-HYD DEMAND buttons can be either AUTO or OFF-GEN CONT, AUTOSTART, FUEL XFEED, FUEL PUMPS, WINDOW HEAT, YAW DAMPER, ZONE RST all can be either ON or OFFThere are a couple or others, as well. It's not that these are either all ON or OFF, but there doesn't seem to be any consistency in where they will be. There has been a benefit to this problem: I seem to have learned the Overhead panel pretty well! This is not a major issue to my getting the plane started, but it makes me wonder if there is something amiss with my installation.3. FMC DiscosStarting today, my FMC has started throwing me discos that it won't let me remove. This is happening to flight plans that I have successfully programmed before. Here is one I have been programming for the last several days. It's a flight plan I pulled from Flightaware:TNCM - MDPPPJM - B520 - STT - MALIE - SJU - BQN - PTAI have been using this flight to teach myself some of the finer points of the 747, plus the approach is fun and moderately challenging, ending with a manual landing.I have programmed this maybe 20 times with no discontinuities, but now I get one immediately between PJM and STT, and the FMC will not allow me to remove it.=====================================================================At this point, I'm wondering if I need to uninstall / re-install, but thought I would ask here for advice first.Honestly, I'm mostly concerned with the VNAV vs. ALT HOLD issue, as I can work around the others, but with all that seems to be going on I thought I would include everything in this post.Let me make one thing clear: I am not bashing this plane- on the contrary, I love it! But I need some help gettin' her out of the maintenance hanger.Thanks in advance![Edited for spelling, arghh...]

[downscc 1,327]

<>I glanced at wpNavRTE.txt and found that airway B520 should take you from PJM to STT (Cycle 0808), you should get three fixes on the LEGS page if entered correctly:B520 022 STT 18.355819 -65.024561B520 023 PASIC 18.294814 -64.650017B520 024 LARPP 18.205269 -64.108808B520 025 JUICE 18.130939 -63.666667B520 026 PJM 18.038114 -63.118333Are you putting the airway in the left column (route)?

[Guest j-mo]

Hi, Dan-Thanks for your reply. Yes, B520 is going in the LSK, and those WP's are in the legs page as always. I just tried again, and noticed that the disco appears just after entering my departure runway, 09 in this case, on the DEP/ARR page. I honestly don't remember if I've ever put this in without getting the disco. Should I not be entering the departure runway? I know I've done this with other flight plans with no problems. If the answer is that I should not, then I need to learn about how to know when I should/shouldn't.BTW, still using Cycle 0805 that came with the plane.Thanks again, Dan!

[Mats_J 2]

Alex,DISCOs are not bad. They are there to tell you you need to look at your route. You probably had them there all along. Take a habit of looking through your flight plan route before take-off and before definitely before approach.Cheers,

[Guest j-mo]

Hi, Mats!Yeah, I understand what you are saying. And as you suggested, I have always checked for them.I fiddled with this, and notice that if I select RWY 27 from the DEP/ARR page, I get a disco that I can remove, no problem. But as soon as I change to RWY 09, I cannot remove the disco.Now, PJM is at the airfield, and my route is generally westbound. Does this have anything to do with it? My clearance says to takeoff RW 09 using published procedures. I have so far been unable to find these (can anybody point me on this?) so after getting to flaps 1 I have basically been flying a procedure turn during climb to initial altitude, which is either 5,000 or FL 6. If I don't enter a runway on the DEP/ARR page, then there is never a disco, and I can easily fly the plan using my ad hoc procedure. I always am cleared to my next altitude during this, but this is getting away from getting the unremoveable disco if I input RW 09.After monitoring this forum for over a year, I am extremely impressed with how knowledgeable and helpful everyone is, so thanks again in advance to anyone who chimes in here.

[Airbrakes 0]

When you select a new runway that has no procedures are you adding a runway extention?I think its 2 or 3R LSK. You should then be able to clear the Discontinuity using the runway extention.

[Guest j-mo]

Hi, Kevin-Thanks for replying. No, I'm not adding an runway extension, so I seem be missing something here. I see it listed in the AOM on page 351 as a valid waypoint type entry, but I can't find the explanation for how to do it (or else I am too daft to figure it out!). How would I do this? Is it a type of PBD?Thanks in advance!Update:- OK, I searched the forum here and see how it's used for arrival, but I don't see anything about runway extensions on departures. Maybe I'm still missing something.

[downscc 1,327]

Once you figure it out it seems easy... the difference between runway 09/27 is 180 degrees... the FMS is telling you it can't get to the first fix from one of those runways because it's not near an intercept heading.I have no sids/stars at my home airport and disco errors happen unless the runway happens to point somewhat towards the first fix.The common sense workaround is to take off without LNAV, using MCP HDG on runway heading until above 1000agl, flaps up and established on your climb. Then chg HDG towards the first fix, complete the turn, (assuming the first fix is on the top line of LEGS) press 1LSB twice, EXEC, and LNAV on to let the FMS take over.Hope this helps

[Guest j-mo]

>Once you figure it out it seems easy... the difference>between runway 09/27 is 180 degrees... the FMS is telling you>it can't get to the first fix from one of those runways>because it's not near an intercept heading.>>I have no sids/stars at my home airport and disco errors>happen unless the runway happens to point somewhat towards the>first fix.>>The common sense workaround is to take off without LNAV, using>MCP HDG on runway heading until above 1000agl, flaps up and>established on your climb. Then chg HDG towards the first fix,>complete the turn, (assuming the first fix is on the top line>of LEGS) press 1LSB twice, EXEC, and LNAV on to let the FMS>take over.>>Hope this helps>Hi, Dan-Yes, this helps me understand more about how the FMS "thinks." So, it seems that I should not select a departure runway in this case (to avoid the DISCO), is that correct?====================================================================Still looking for help resolving the VNAV vs. ALT HOLD issue as this just is not going no matter how much I empty out my Panel State and Saved files.Anyone?

[Airbrakes 0]

Basicly a runway extension is a waypoint for a runway with no procedures. For some reason the FMC dosent allow us to use a airport or a runway as a waypiont so we have to compromise.Next time you select a runway go with a runway extention of at least 8NM. To do this you would enter 8 in the scratchpad ( after you select the runway ) and press 2 or 3R LSK. As I said earlier I'm not exactly sure which one it is. Execute the changes and then go to the LEGS page of the FMC. Close the Disc. by pressing the LSK for the runway extention and pressing 1L LSK and Execute the changes.That should work.

[Airbrakes 0]

BTW are you getting the Disc. on departures or arrivals?If you are getting them on departures thats a whole new ballgame. Some SID's come equipped with a holding pattern or a vectored waypoint which the FMC hates both of those. Before you leave the gate youll have to check the legs for these type of waypoints and get rid of them. Instead of the hold press the LSK for the next waypoint and use that as a direct to. Youll want to do the same thing with vectors.

[Guest j-mo]

Kevin-Re-read my post, and I see that I wasn't crystal clear: the DISCO is on the departure end, between PJM and LARPP. Thanks anyway!

[Airbrakes 0]

Ok I reread your post.... Try putting in the departure runway first and then put in the route.

[Guest j-mo]

> Try putting in the departure runway>first and then put in the route.Um... that makes no sense to me (of course, I'm still new to this product). Dan's response in Reply #7 has cleared this up for me.Thanks anyway.