PMDG 737 Tablet updates are available

[Bobsk8 12,836]

2 minutes ago, DAD said:

see above Brammy and even further up by Diablito: 

 

I will have to try that on my  next flight, I didn't do that this time. 

[BrammyH 449]

This reminds me I need to write a batch file to clear out those directories.

[RJC68 823]

Does it have a web server function like the Fenix where you can use an external tablet? I have an iPad mini that I use for the Fenix tablet and would be nice if yo could do the same in the PMDG. 

I haven't had a chance to do the update yet but will do later.

[somiller 694]

25 minutes ago, BrammyH said:

This reminds me I need to write a batch file to clear out those directories.

BrammyH,

If you do that would you please share with the rest of us who aren't so adept at creating such a thing?

[threexgreen 3,156]

1 hour ago, rob0203 said:

It is just what you call replace, it is even more work.

Now you have to load it in the EFB first, and then load it in the FMC.

That's how it works in the real plane. You can view your route on an iPad in the flight deck, but there's no connection between the EFB and the FMC. It's uplinked on the route page, irrespective of the EFB.

 

35 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

But it sounds better. 

Anyway, I learned something today. I used the performance calculator in the PMDG EFB, and it said I was slightly overweight, which didn't show up in the FMC. I recalculated, and then it OKd takeoff. I guess I will use that function. As far as flightplanning, I am going to do it as I always did with Simbrief downloader. 

Using just the FMC page will work of course for most simming purposes, but FWIW, that doesn't do what the EFB calculator does. The FMC only gives you Vspeeds based on very few known variables. It's a very downsized version basically. It has no idea about runway length, intersections, bleed on/off, anti-ice on/off, pressure, and can't compute an optimal flap setting. In reality, EFB results take precedence over FMC calculated Vspeeds. So it's nice that we finally have that in the PMDG.

[JYW 2,989]

1 hour ago, Bobsk8 said:

I use the downloader on every PMDG flight, why are you claiming it isn't needed anymore?

Because it isn't needed any more.

That's the whole point of PMDG's new UFT.   It imports Simbrief data, including the flight plan , without the use of the Simbrief Downloader.

[Pilot53 544]

The thing that bugs me about this was all the hype that RSR built up about it over the past two years.  Calling it revolutionary, saying he was withholding previews because he wanted us to see it in a state where we could really appreciate its unique revolutionary design (similar to what he says about the 777).  And now all we have got is an extremely basic tablet that doesnt even come close to what we have with the Fenix efb in terms of features for example.  Im a VR user, so I am grateful to at least have the perf tool and charts, that will make flying the 737 much better, but I am a bit underwhelmed overall. 

[El Diablito 328]

As good as some of the content creators are, they would've done the community a far better service if they had really detailed from A to B how this UFT works, they should've gone through every page in the FMC and shown clearly what's new and what's still missing, what gets imported and what doesn't, instead of just browsing vaguely through the various functions.

It would've cut out 95% of the questions in this thread and you would think that's why PMDG gave them early access in the first place.

For what it's worth, I find it a great addition to the cockpit and the Navigraph function is better than the FBW version, which has had random bugs for me over the last couple of months, ie: pinned charts disappearing.

Edited October 30, 2023 by El Diablito

[MDFlier 2,031]

I'm on approach to KORD in my 1st flight with the tablet.

The charts are nice and smooth on my system. No issues whatsoever. It was really nice being able to have the performance calculations visible at the same time as the FMC so I could input the values without changing the view position.

I've been using the Simbrief downloader, and I didn't turn it off for this flight, so I am not sure if having the tablet made any difference at all. I used the same workflow in the FMC that I've been using. Importing the flight plan and weather information was as simple and easy as it always has been. Maybe there's a new way to do it now, but I'm just gonna keep doing it how I always did.

after landing....

The enroute landing calculations from the tablet agreed with my manual calculations. Not exactly, but close enough. Probably due to me rounding numbers in my head.

There were was one "anomaly" during my flight. After landing, I turned off runway 27L at R, crossed G, crossed H, made a sweeping left turn and ended up on B. The little blue airplane on the moving map in the tablet showed me on T for a moment, got stuck, then disappeared. I am in drone mode tracing my taxi back, and it's clear that the FSDT layout isn't current, as the charts on the tablet are showing an XX designation after crossing H on R and no sweeping turn where it changes to B in the sim. Anyone know what year FSDT's KORD layout is from? 

So far, I am perfectly satisfied. The tablet filled in all of the missing items in the cockpit for me how I fly. No more external apps, or immersion killing Navigraph chart windows.

A wish list item for me would be having the GSX menu on it so I could do away with that window, too.  

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by MDFlier

[Christopher Low 5,381]

2 hours ago, thepilot said:

Considering the features and user interface (what would Michelangelo say?) of this tablet, it is underwhelming at best... if it took them 18 months or so finish this then I'm seriously concerned about their engineering prowess. I hope they manage to come up with a decent 777. 

They released a very decent 777 in P3D (which I fly almost every day at the moment), so I see no reason why they will not be able to do it in MSFS.

[jcomm 5,974]

3 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

They released a very decent 777 in P3D (which I fly almost every day at the moment), so I see no reason why they will not be able to do it in MSFS.

Indeed Christopher, 

I'm back to P3D for a while now, enjoying that same 777 200 LR, and while I miss the EFB available if you purchase the ER version, and evn better fruter extend into the -300, I will not be ready to pay that amount right now for a P3dv5.4 addon which I don't really know if will ever be ported to P3Dv6 ( time will tell ).

I keep MFS in a (big because it's Premium Deluxe edition) corner of my disk, and every time I start it it's either for an update or to fly the **only** addon I still fly in MFS - the PMDG 737-700...

[MDFlier 2,031]

As a test, I turned off Simbrief downloader to see what changed. At the map screen, I realized that there was no flight plan saved anywhere for me to load up. I always load the flight plan on the map page because even though the Fenix and the PMDGs don't need it, MSFS does so that ATC will know what I'm doing. I ended that flight, and restarted the downloader. I changed the settings so that it saves the MSFS flight plan but nothing in the PMDG folders.  

After restarting the sim, I found that the process works exactly like it did before with the exception that it is now getting the information from Simbrief instead of the saved files. Enter departure airport and position on the pos init page. Click RTE at the bottom and type the destination airport code, which adds it to the departure airport code in the scratchpad. Press key next to CO ROUTE and then press FLT PLAN REQUEST key and it shows origin airport, destination airport, and distance on the next page. Press the select key and then press load and then the exec button after it lights up. Flight plan loaded. Simple. Then I press the DEP / ARR button and fill in the runways, SID and STAR. Continue with PERF, etc. after that. The only real difference that I see are there are 4 less files to clean up later.

[Max Kraus 341]

This tablet works great. Does what it says. I have to say I'm a recent convert to using the Navigraph in-tablet charts instead of the toolbar app window now. All the calculators work nice and the options are not too elaborate and overly cluttered. METAR has no issues in my location.

[RJC68 823]

8 hours ago, Pilot53 said:

The thing that bugs me about this was all the hype that RSR built up about it over the past two years.  Calling it revolutionary, saying he was withholding previews because he wanted us to see it in a state where we could really appreciate its unique revolutionary design (similar to what he says about the 777).  And now all we have got is an extremely basic tablet that doesnt even come close to what we have with the Fenix efb in terms of features for example.  Im a VR user, so I am grateful to at least have the perf tool and charts, that will make flying the 737 much better, but I am a bit underwhelmed overall. 

I am also not sure if it was worth all the hype, it does seem very basic indeed.

Is there a way to automatically import the weights and fuel from Simbrief? I tried a couple of flights and from what I could see I still had to load the fuel & payload manually from the FMC. Not sure if I am missing something.

[Pilot53 544]

20 minutes ago, RJC68 said:

I am also not sure if it was worth all the hype, it does seem very basic indeed.

Is there a way to automatically import the weights and fuel from Simbrief? I tried a couple of flights and from what I could see I still had to load the fuel & payload manually from the FMC. Not sure if I am missing something.

Nope no way to do that yet unfortunately...