Obstacles not showing in HDX PFD or Map

[5footface]

I have recently noticed that my HDX setup is not showing obstacle information in wither PFD or moving map. I have the visibility set to five miles, and have definitely flown within five miles and 1000’ of many obstacles.

I have a valid obstacle file loaded (up to date with the Airac cycle) and have confirmed in the setup menus that the desired obstacle file (which is also present on the USB key in the aircraft is installed.

It is a dual HDX system, both panels have the same European obstacle dup file loaded from third party supplier, airmate.

Any advice would be very welcome.

 

[Rhino]

Is it selected as a MAP LAYER in MAP CONTROLS? If it is, I'd try downloading and installing the database again. That sometimes fixes problems like this.

 

[5footface]

Thank you very much for your reply. If I look in map
Layers there is no option for obstacles being turned on or off. The pilot’s guide shows these as the only options:

 

[swatson999]

And you have a licensed Navigation Mapping Software? Is this a new installation?

 

[5footface]

Dear swatson999, thank you for replying.

I operate in the uk. We have to use one of a couple of licenced suppliers. My contract is with a company called Airmate.

I have had skyview for several years, but the HDX installation is only around a year old.

I could not 100% swear that have seen obstacle data with the hdx installation as I have only flown the plane relatively recently. My brother has done most of the flying and he cannot recall either way.

 

[Spert]

If I recall correctly, that setting does not select the visibility (distance) at which it shows obstacles, but rather the scale map at which it displays them. Try looking on a 5 mile, or lower, scale map and see if they appear.

 

[Marc_J._Zeitlin]

If I recall correctly, that setting does not select the visibility (distance) at which it shows obstacles, but rather the scale map at which it displays them. Try looking on a 5 mile, or lower, scale map and see if they appear.

This. Unless you've got the map at a scale of 5 miles or less, you won't see obstacles. I generally set stuff to 12, 20 or 30 mile scales, depending upon what it is, with some stuff set to 100 miles or more if I want a larger picture.

 

[5footface]

Thank you to Spert and Mark. I had misunderstood the meaning of the scaling. I went out with the scaling set to a much higher value and some obstacles appeared. This shows that the dynon part of the deal is working correctly.

However, it also showed that there is something odd with the obstacle file as it is only showing a tiny handful of obstacles in the uk (perhaps revealing why I hadn’t encountered any in flight).

I have attached a screenshot of what it is showing in northern France vs what it shows in the uk.

Northern France

Southern England

The zoom level is different. But this zoom level for southern England is spanning around 60miles in a part of the country where there are dozens of masts and wind turbines and NOTAMed obstacles. Yet only three obstacles show up, and each of them is an erected crane.

As the dynon part of the food chain is clearly functioning, I will take this up with the supplier of the obstacle database to ask what is going on.

Thank you for helping me get here.

 

[swatson999]

Dear swatson999, thank you for replying.

I operate in the uk. We have to use one of a couple of licenced suppliers. My contract is with a company called Airmate.

I have had skyview for several years, but the HDX installation is only around a year old.

I could not 100% swear that have seen obstacle data with the hdx installation as I have only flown the plane relatively recently. My brother has done most of the flying and he cannot recall either way.

Sounds like you have identified the cause here, but just to be clear...I was talking about the software license that you have to buy from Dynon (a one-time purchase) for the mapping software to operate all features and display obstacles after the 30-hour free license period runs out.

 

[Spert]

Do your obstacle subscription and download selections include UK? I’m unfamiliar with the region breakdown over on that side of the pond, but if each country is a different region, and UK got deselected, your results would make sense.