ALT AP MODE IN D180

DMACLEMENT

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Hi,
For various reasons, I have not been flying my MCR for a year ! And my knowledge of the D180 AP and AP 74 is somewhat rusty.
A) Yesterday All red lights were flashing on my AP74 (HDG, TRK, NAV,ALT and the AP main switch). It seems that interferences with the strobe lights were responsible for this situation. When I switched the strobe lights off, everything (almost came back to normal).
B) Beside this incident, I am a bit confused with the ALT mode. Having configured the target altitude in the EFIS (FL65), and this altitude showing in the bottom right corner of the EFIS, I then armed the ALT function and engaged the AP. But the current altitude at which I was flying was maintained and the aircraft did not climb to the required FL. I had to climb manually. Could it be that the ALT mode functions like the HDG mode i.e that the current situation at the time of engaging the AP  is maintained and that further action is required to modify it
Thanks for your advice.
Dominique
 

Dynon

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A) The lights on the module will come on when it is not communicating properly with the EFIS over the DSAB network. This likely means, given your diagnosis, that there is interference between your strobes and the DSAB wires that connect your devices. A few things to check: Do any of the DSAB wires come close to your strobes or the wires going to it? Are you DSAB wires twisted per the installation manual to avoid interference.

B) It depends on how you have your autopilot configured. In one configuration, the ALT bug (which is the AP target when in pitch mode) will synchronize to your current altitude so that the AP always holds altitude when you engage the autopilot. In the other mode, the ALT bug is left to what you set it at, and the AP will immediately climb or descend at the vertical speed specified in setup. Also, make sure the vertical speed setting is greater than zero.
 

DMACLEMENT

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Thank you for your valuable contribution to solving my present difficulties.

A) I have no idea as to how was the EFIS and the AP74 have been installed but I shall contact the technician who did the job.

B) Yes I thought about the vertical speed setting is not =0... and I shall check this immediately. How can I configure my EFIS/AP to climb immediately the AP is engaged. I do not recall having seen anything to that purpose in my FlightDEK-D180 Pilot's User Guide.

Thanks for your help.
 

DMACLEMENT

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Hi

Today, in order to solve item B) of my initial message, I tried to locate the necessary options on my EFIS to use either modes of altitude settings (The firmware on my EFIS is 5.1.1 and might to allow for those adjustments. A number of menus do not seem to be available...like PRE SELECT CONFIGURATION.

I could not trace the menu to access the vertical speed setting.(or the bank angle when using the 180° turn around).

Best regards.

Dominique
 

Dynon

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If the pre-select options were added in 5.1 per http://www.dynonavionics.com/RevLog_EFISD100.php, so it should be there.
 

DMACLEMENT

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Thank you.

I am using the CLASSIC display format. Could it be that the available menus are different in the MODERN format ?
 

Dynon

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I don't think it depends on that, but you can try switching it over temporarily to double check.
 

DMACLEMENT

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I finally managed to identify the page to configure my AP as I wanted. problem solved...

However, I could not set the airspeedmax as I wanted it. The necessary field in the pitch servo page,as you can see on the attached picture, has been set at 118kt cannot be changed upwards - only to a slower speed (I would have liked to set it @ 130kt).

I suspect that this is due to the aircraft parameters and I was not able to change the speed limits of the aircraft since this requires that I connect my D180 and use a specific Dynon program. A number of data with respect with to the aircraft performances have never been filled out the the EFIS was originally installed.
 

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Dynon

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Check your programmed v-speeds, which do not require the support program. The AP airspeed max can't be set higher than than 95% of Vne. You want to look under EFIS>SETUP>IASCLR menu for the airspeeds.
 
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