Two small issues (radio altimeter calls; Altitude constraints)

[Chrjs 61]

Hi,

 

i've already a few hundred hours on our beauty and she is really almost perfect - after 1 year of NGX i went back to some other planes (JS41, Concorde) but quickly switched back to the NGX since everything else seems just to buggy.....

 

But i have/found two small issues i want to discuss here, maybe some of you have noticed these things as well - maybe it is just a problem on my side.

 

1. radio altimeter call-outs on through-flights

I noticed when i fly more than one leg, the radio altimeter call-outs work just fine on the first leg, but are not there during the second. I only noticed this in the 737-700 with the HGS installed. Or is there some way to re-initialize the call-outs?

 

2. is a more complicated / strange issue

i will fly the CTP event on Saturday with the 737. I did 2 test flights to check for fuel and do some oceanic training. Both times i experienced a problem with the FMC. Both times i edited at some point throughout the cruise the parameters for descent (first the predicted winds, then an altitude constraint). By changing these values suddenly all waypoints had an altitude of about 1400ft as a fixed/calculated constraint. Of course i got teh message that i was about 37000ft above the VNAV Path and the Speed started to decrease as it is normal for being beyond the ToD. Both the pages for Takeoff and Cruise were blank. During the first attempt i tried to insert the cruise altitude again for every waypoint but got quickly a CTD. During the second attempt i did nothing and the simulation continued. After i initiated the manual descent (finally some math again ) i had to switch the arrival Runway and suddenly all the time+fuel predictions of the FMC vanished.

 

I'm flying quite regularly to EGLL and i've never encountered such a problem before - maybe it is related to the very long route including waypoints defined by latitude/longitude?

 

Anybody else experiencing such problems? the day after tomorrow will finally be the "last", and third attempt to cross the pond with th NGX - i keep my fingers crossed....

[G-CIVA 62]

1. In the centre of the MINS (BARO/RADIO) Button in the top left hand corner of each EFIS Mode Selector Panel you will see 'RST' - by pressing this you can remove the currently set minima value on the PFD & the BARO/RADIO Minimums callout will also be reset...this should do the trick.

 

Make it part of the scan/flow when you tidy up the MCP as you trundle back to the gate after landing or as you prepare the flight deck for your next sector.

 

2. It sounds like you were fiddling around with the CRZ ALT on the LEGS Page or entering an incorrect value there or the same on CRZ Page or DES Page & possibly entering an incorrect value there. By doing this it sounds like the FMS logic moved forward inadvertantly to DES mode. If this happens place the aircraft in a pitch mode other than VNAV, re enter the current CRZ ALT on the CRZ Page of the CDU @ LSK 1L & EXEC. Once everything looks correct you can reselect VNAV.

 

Always make alterations to the CRZ ALT via the ALTITUDE SWITCH/WINDOW on the MCP & by using the ALT INTeVene button adjacent to this area on the MCP & as a cross check follow through by checking on the CRZ Page of the FMS that the new CRZ Alt is set there in magenta. It's normal for the PF to keep his CDU on the Take Off/CLB/CRZ/DES pages & the PNF to keep his CDU on the LEGS Page during flight. SOPs differ from operator to operator. So have each one set as you see fit.

 

ALT CONSTRaints for your STAR or arrival are normally loaded when the particular procedure is loaded via the DEPARR Page as you are probably aware. It's difficult to chase down exactly where things went south without a screenshot.

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

[Chrjs 61]

1. In the centre of the MINS (BARO/RADIO) Button in the top left hand corner of each EFIS Mode Selector Panel you will see 'RST' - by pressing this you can remove the currently set minima value on the PFD & the BARO/RADIO Minimums callout will also be reset...this should do the trick.

 

Make it part of the scan/flow when you tidy up the MCP as you trundle back to the gate after landing or as you prepare the flight deck for your next sector.

 

2. It sounds like you were fiddling around with the CRZ ALT on the LEGS Page or entering an incorrect value there or the same on CRZ Page or DES Page & possibly entering an incorrect value there. By doing this it sounds like the FMS logic moved forward inadvertantly to DES mode. If this happens place the aircraft in a pitch mode other than VNAV, re enter the current CRZ ALT on the CRZ Page of the CDU @ LSK 1L & EXEC. Once everything looks correct you can reselect VNAV.

 

Always make alterations to the CRZ ALT via the ALTITUDE SWITCH/WINDOW on the MCP & by using the ALT INTeVene button adjacent to this area on the MCP & as a cross check follow through by checking on the CRZ Page of the FMS that the new CRZ Alt is set there in magenta. It's normal for the PF to keep his CDU on the Take Off/CLB/CRZ/DES pages & the PNF to keep his CDU on the LEGS Page during flight. SOPs differ from operator to operator. So have each one set as you see fit.

 

ALT CONSTRaints for your STAR or arrival are normally loaded when the particular procedure is loaded via the DEPARR Page as you are probably aware. It's difficult to chase down exactly where things went south without a screenshot.

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

1. I already do that before the second takeoff to get rid of the pink line on the altitude tab. In addition, i'm not only loosing the "minimum" calls on the second leg, but all callouts (also 500, 400,......). MAybe somebody can confirm that he hears them on a second flight.

(btw, i'm also using FS2Crew)

 

2. The problem is that i don't do anything different than on my usual flights to London (insert the winds for descent, change a speed or altitude cosntraint). The only difference is that the route is much longer and includes coordinates as waypoints - a very strange issue. I will try your solution of changing to a moder other than VNAV and reconfigure the Cruise Altitude - but not tomorrow, last time i had a CTD trying that and I dont want to experience that tomorrow after a flight of 5+ hours in one of the busiest airspaces on Vatsim of the year. If it happens again i will make some screenshots and then revert to basic airmanship - getting my calculator ready and study my sheets with numerous rules of thumbs for speed calculations, ToD, RoD.....