Dash 8 Questions/Observations

[Guest Murf]

Let me begin this post by saying WOW! This is probably one of the best panels I've ever downloaded. Absolutely great work!! I have a couple of questions/observations that perhaps someone can help me with.1. SOUND - The sound is absolutely fantastic but is there a way to lower the volume or mute it temporarily. When flying online with Roger Wilco I often find it is difficult to hear the controllers over the roar of the engines. The standard FS Sounds Off key does not seem to affect this panel.2. MAIN PANEL - I have made the changes to the panel.cfg that were recommended in this forum and it has helped the "pop-up" panels, but the main panel is still very difficult to read. For example when setting the IAS or VS in the autopilot status window I can't make out the numbers at all. I'm running 1024x768x32 but I've tried higher resolutions without any better results.3. AUTOPILOT WHEEL - The wheel next to the autopilot buttons that is used to set IAS and VS sometimes hits it's upper limit when performing descents. This requires me to tempoarily turn off the AutoPilot and roll the wheel back to the centre position and then re-engage the AP.4. YELLOW LIGHT - When following the check list and shutting off the Standby Hydraulics after takeoff I get a yellow caution light on the light panel. I can't read it clearly but I think it mentions AC (I should have taken a sceenshot). Is this caution light supposed to be present with the standby Hyd. off?5. YELLOW & BLACK HANDLES - I realize these are non functional on the panel, but I've always been curious what function these handles actually perform.I would appreciate any information anyone can provide on these points.Thanks again Oleksiy Frolov for a fantastic panel. I'm looking forward to Version 2.

[Guest]

Hi Murf,Regarding item 3:"3. AUTOPILOT WHEEL - The wheel next to the autopilot buttons that is used to set IAS and VS sometimes hits it's upper limit when performing descents. This requires me to tempoarily turn off the AutoPilot and roll the wheel back to the centre position and then re-engage the AP."Have you tried using the TCS (Touch Control Steering) feature? By holding down the keyboard brake key (usually ".") you can adjust pitch, vs, and heading. Release the key when you have adjusted to what you want, and the a/p will resume with that setting. Can't help with the other questions, but hopefully this will solve one issue.Don Shaffer

[Guest Murf]

Hi Don,Thanks for the reply. No I hadn't tried that yet but I will on my next flight. For some reason I was thinking that the TCS was only for bank angle.

[Guest Murf]

I hate to bump but....BUMP

[Guest]

FWIW I had the same problem with on-line flying and the sounds. Although they're gorgeous, the inability to reduce the ambient volume versus RW makes it almost impossible to use for online flying. I've emailed Oleksiy to see if there's a way to disable the sounds and replace them with other sounds for online flying. I'll post the response.

[Guest]

Have you tried to adjust your sounds settings in flight simulator? Like.. tuning down the Engines part and Cockpit. I did that and it worked for me, I can hear the controllers on RW clearly now. Drew Andersonhttp://www.dr3w.net/flightsim/

[Guest]

You must be using a different Dash-8 to me then, because that makes no difference whatsoever as the sounds are played straight to DirectSound - they don't go through the FS sound code at all. Proof of this is the fact that if you hit 'Q' to turn sounds off, it makes absolutely no difference. You can turn all of the sounds off in 'Options' and you'll still hear the engines roaring away. I think we may be talking about a different Dash-8. This is the one by Oleksiy Frolov.Cheers,AndyEGTR

[Guest]

On point 3, I noticed that if I tried to select, say, -1500fpm it may seem to stop around -900fpm. However, if you briefly select the opposite pitch for a couple of clicks, it then seems to work OK again in the direction you originally wanted to go. From the previous example, if it had stopped at -900fpm and you clicked it nose up to -700fpm you'd then find that it would happily go all the way to -1500fpm as required. It's clearly a buglet, but nothing major.Cheers,AndyEGTR

[Guest Murf]

Adjusting the FS2002 sound settings have no effect on the Dash-8 engine sounds. They seem to be generated as part of the panel itself. Pausing the sim or even turning all sounds off does not help. I imagine that there would have to be a volume control or mute button built into the panel in order to control the sound.

[Guest]

OK. Think I found, accidentally, a way: I have a SBLive and when I adjust the settings to 4 MB, instead of 8, the sound is, like, divided by two as well. You can hear ATC and all. Note that the sound in my case, doesn't lose its quality. Give it a try.This beautiful a/c is filled with little bugs, but it's, er, attaching. Being a Fly!er as well, I'm used to that feeling...

[Mike S KPDX 597]

These handles are manual overides for duel hydro systems for roll control and pitch control. This would be used in case of malfunction on either side (on Horizon Airlines 200 series these are called sys 1 and sys 2). By pulling up and rotating left (45 degs) the vertical handle, for example, you would be isolating the RIGHT hyd system from the rudder control fluid manifold, thus isolating the right side sys 2 controls. These are used very rarely and almost exculsivly to isolate leaks, however I am aware of one case about a year ago where the left wing boards went inop because of fluid contamination (grit). Thus, horizontal handle, pull, twist right, and sys 2 controls both wings, done deal. In larger aircraft this is hanled in a more automated way vs. manual. However, in the Dornier 328 (similar size to the Dash) it was also automated. Hope this helps.

[Guest Murf]

Thanks for the explanation of those handles Mike.I just received a response to an email I sent to Oleksiy about the issues in my original post. I am posting the contents of that email here for everyone