ICP - 7 / Markpoints > No Snowplow?
-
Hi!
Wanna ask if it is not possible to stay in Snowplow-mode (and in db2-mode) / aktiv (TMS up) after pressing 7 (Mark) in the ICP?
To me it is alwas switching back to “normal” AG-FCR mode… The problem is, when changing to Snowplow-mode *after pressing 7 (Mark) in the ICP you cannot activate the mode (no cursor slewing), because it is signing a new mark point with TMS up.
TIA
Earlybite -
It sucks doesn’t it? Trying to make a markpoint in GM when you already have the cursors in a good position is annoying, with SP it’s impossible because the reason you say.
The problem is with no target FTT (GMTT for GMT) the default initialized mark mode is… HUD. Guess what the radar does in mark point HUD mode? It changes to AGR to give the most accurate HUD mark cue. That’s great except it loses our FCR place. With no SP required you can at least change back to into GM and slew to where you were and make the mark as before. Trying to do this in SP is futile as TMS up won’t “ground” the SP cursor for slewing since it is being used to designate mark. You can change to GM modes but the cursor is CZ’d from any slews you made previously (grrr!).
However if you are in FTT then the radar won’t “reset” to AGR but will stay in FTT. So if you can FTT a radar significant object that’s what you want to do prior to marking. If at all possible FTT the thing you want to mark and then enter mark mode. In FCR is SOI and FTT then mark will initialize to FCR and not disrupt the radar. If at all possible FTT the contact prior to marking!
This is counter to the real airplane which does not use AGR to support HUD marking and will not change the radar to AGR. The elevation is assumed to be the same as the current sighting point (steer or one of its offsets) which reduces accuracy. The upside is the FCR is undisturbed by entering the mark mode and even if an OFLY is automatically created it’s a simple matter to change mode to another sensor and make the next mark the FCR cursors, FTT or no.
-
Hm Ok I thought I was the only one with this problem. I figured I had to assign new keys or something.
On a separate note, is it possible to set a markpoint using your HSD cursor? I.e. you move your HSD cursor to where you want to mark and then set up markpt?
I figure it isn’t possible because I haven’t seen it done in any of the tutorials. I just wanted to make sure that it is impossible.
-
Well… the main issue you have isn’t exactly the Markpoint/SP issue but the issue that FCR isn’t working as should. There is no SPI management so the GM FCR movement is limited by the STPT position when in STP mode, this isn’t realistic, with SPI you can slew the cursor freely all over the place regardless of FCR MFD range, and of course slewing is always saved until you CZ, so you never really lose the SPI position unless you want to. With SPI working as necessary, SP mode will become what it meant to be, a “side” mode that let the pilot concentrate on a target of opportunity that is at different position than the SPI position, without losing the SPI position itself.