I did say I would start a new thread for the bugs that I've found, I'm afraid there's a bit of a list......
One of the problems I have had is with starting the engines. The autostart function works fine, it's the normal engine start where I'm having trouble. When I action the starter switch, the starter starts, then stops, then restarts and continues like this for the full starter switch cycle.
Upon investigation using Doug Dawsons event logger gauge, I have found that the starter toggle (1,2,3 or 4) is toggling every second or two, so the engines never get up enough speed to actually start. Perhaps what it needs is a variable, that monitors the state of the starter, so that it only toggles once at the beginning, and a second time at the end of the cycle.
My second problem is with Yellow Hydraulic Circuit, I can't get any braking upon landing. I have tried AC and DC pump switches in all positions, PTU, both engine pumps and still can't get above 1 bar on the Yellow Gauge when braking. Incidentally on my last landing, I was running out of runway fast and used the parking brake as a last resort, which gave a full scale deflection on the gauge and stopped the aircraft. So it seems that there is hydraulic pressure somewhere !!
And finally HDG hold seems to be giving some trouble as well. I was already using HDG hold, descending from 10,000 ft to 2,000 ft , had been given 2 course corrections by ATC and everything fine. However when between 3,000 and 4,000 ft on receiving my course to final, I was unable to get the aircraft to follow this course and had to resort to the bank control on the pedestal, to turn to final.
Well I think that is enough to be going on with Matthias, if you need more info on these bugs don't hesitate to PM me.
I'm very sorry for this long delay. Unfortunately I had no possibility to write you sooner after my last message here.
"Upon investigation using Doug Dawsons event logger gauge, I have found that the starter toggle (1,2,3 or 4) is toggling every second or two, so the engines never get up enough speed to actually start."
Hmmm, strange thing. Seems that I have to make a separate FSX starter.
"Perhaps what it needs is a variable, that monitors the state of the starter, "
This would be no problem.
"My second problem is with Yellow Hydraulic Circuit, I can't get any braking upon landing. ....... I was running out of runway fast and used the parking brake as a last resort, which gave a full scale deflection on the gauge "
This is a further strange thing, because my panel just use one hydraulic bus for the normal brake and parking brake at the moment. Could it be that FSX uses a separate hydraullic bus for the normal brakes? And if so, why is this special bus active in a panel with it's own hydraulic system? Really strange. Unfortunately I need FSX to see what's going on here.
"However when between 3,000 and 4,000 ft on receiving my course to final, I was unable to get the aircraft to follow this course and had to resort to the bank control on the pedestal, to turn to final."
Well, here I think it's not a problem of the panel, because HDG hold is a standard function in all altitudes. Don't know what happened here but I'm sure it's not a problem of the panel version.
I hope that I have my new computer soon to nstall both FS versions and see how it runs with FSX. I'm sure a lot of the things you wrote could be fixed. Thank you very much for this report.
I have sent you a PM with a solution for the starter problem.
Concerning the other problems I have a bit more info which may help you to debug them.
Brakes are fine on startup. If I test them in flight they are still working up until descent, at which time they gradually fade e.g. FL250 - 3.5 bar FL200 - 3.0 bar 15000ft - 2.5 bar 10000ft - 2.0 bar and at touchdown barely 1.0 bar. If I make a second flight directly afterwards, when reaching cruise altitude, the brakes have come back !! Is there something in the braking/hydraulic systems that can be affected by altitude ?
I think the HDG problem is caused by the GPS/NAV switch. When switching, even if HDG HOLD is already selected, the autopilot switches to the externally controlled HDG. My temporary solution is to then click once on LNAV and then HDG which seems to cancel the external HDG control.
Thank you very much for the file with the starter corrections. Yes, seems that you're right and FSX really needs a separate version.
Just some words about your last report:
"Is there something in the braking/hydraulic systems that can be affected by altitude ?"
Definitely not. The hydraulic system of the BAe 146 and ARJ panel is very simple. It just checks if the engines (2 and/or 3) are running (those are standard FS variables), if electric power is given (those are my custom variables) and if the necessary switches are on (also my own custom variables). I think there is a new FSX condition which affects the brake pressure. However it must be a condition of the aircraft itself (cfg or airfile) because there's no possibility to affect my custom variables.
"think the HDG problem is caused by the GPS/NAV switch."
The HDG hold switch of my BAe 146 panel has no function when the NAV/GPS switch is set to GPS. This is a condition I've programmed to the autopilot. The reason is quite simple. Normally you just switch on GPS when a Flightplan is loaded. When you follow a standard GPS flightplan, my HDG hold must be off, because it has a higher priority and so the FS couldn't follow it's own plan. Also the FS needs the controlling of the HDG course in GPS mode sometimes. But this is not new or FSX special. I've added this condition already in the old FS2002 panel.
It may be important for you to know, that the standard HDG hold is almost always on. The question is just from where it gets it's course command. When using HDG hold, it gets it's course from the readout of the autopilot, when using LNAV it gets no fixed course command to allow external moduls to send their course, when using neither HDG nor LNAV and no NAV command, the heading is adjusted in a temporary variable in the moment the other modes were disengaged. There are some further sources when in Roll mode or in a NAV mode for example. But it would be too complex to explain everything here.
just an impression that FSX do something to the brakes. As I described the brakes worked something fine for me (actually, as I said about 700° I got mixed up) But then I thought: Well it must be nice if I get on axis-controlled with some microsoft pedals. This works too. Until I decided to change it back again because of valuable space under my desk. And now: Zilch, Zero, de nada! Button and key works, which is to say, I can release the parking brake with them. But now pressure no brakes. Can someone just hit me on the head for changing a running system?
Well, I call back when I got it sorted out.
best regards
Edit: Oh well. I mixed it up myself. When you change the keys it seems that the repeater is standard 0. So all I had to do was to change it back to the middle position. Palani