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chflyer View Drop Down
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    Posted: 28 Nov 2018 at 6:37pm
I have a couple questions about the IFD Trainer, and possibly same with real unit (need to test in the plane). I'll ask here, even though the only IFD Trainer documentation is in the IFD100 manual (so this thread should perhaps be under IFD100).

1) Does anyone know how to set a GPS starting position for the aircraft in the trainer/sim? I know that this is done automatically as soon as a first waypoint is created in the new FPL, but I have a reason for not wanting the starting position to be the FPL origin.

2) Same question regarding setting the aircraft heading to start. There is a slider to set the aircraft heading, but this doesn't seem to have any impact. If I create an FPL in the trainer, the current aircraft icon/position is at the centre of the origin or first waypoint, heading north (360). Of course this is almost never the departure runway heading, so if a SID is programmed and then the sim started the aircraft heads off north and intercepts the SID at some point along the first leg, which is not realistic.

The sim and real IFD device can only have one origin programmed in the FPL, as the first waypoint. SIDs can only be programmed for this first FPL waypoint. It would be useful to able to add a SID to an airfield waypoint other than the origin. It is also not possible to navigate to the origin (if the flight starts from a different location that then FPL origin wpt).

I operate out of a VFR airfield and standard procedure for the Z FPL (VFR->IFR joining) is to proceed VFR to a nearby IFR airfield where clearance is given to join the circuit and then when low level over the runway in use, the tower issues an IFR SID clearance for that runway. The only way to program this into the IFD (or sim) is to set the IFR airfield as the origin waypoint in the FPL. If the cursor is on the origin waypoint and the D-> key is then selected on the ground at the VFR airfield before taking off, in an attempt to get guidance to the IFR airfield origin, a new direct-to waypoint is added after the SID instead. In other words, it is not possible to go "direct to" the origin in the FPL.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviSteve Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2018 at 10:13am
1. The only way to set the GPS start position in the trainer app is to set an origin.

2. The heading slider is only effective when there is no flight plan entered.

I think you've already hit on the best way to accomplish your scenario.  Enter the IFR airport as the origin, enter the SID, then go -D-> the origin (which will add the active leg after the SID).  Once you've reached the IFR airport and are ready to start the SID, move the cursor up to the correct leg in the SID and activate it.  You can then insert appropriate enroute legs after the SID.

Steve Lindsley
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2019 at 7:11am
The IFD Trainer for 10.2.3.1 is now in the App store.

At first start there is a form to complete with name, address, tail#, etc. and before that a few words describing some of the new stuff. This is a one-time step that is then skipped subsequently.

Those with Jepp subs will need to download all the dbs again (Terrain, Obstacles, Mapdata, Navdata), but cycle 1904 is available now.

As I think Steve has already shown there is a new line at the top with different possibilities beyond the sim state. Avidyne has a Youtube channel with tutorial videos, and the tutorial tab links to them. The documentation links to pdf manuals on the Avidyne web site. At the moment these are still the manuals for the previous release, IFD540 PG is rev 6 from Mar 2018 so doesn't include info about 10.2.3.1. I hope that will appear before the release becomes available. But we can play with the new features in the trainer. One item that really jumped out at me was the increased visibility of the "Avi Plantain" ... Yeah ;-)

I ran two subsequent approaches to the same airport today, and a question came up about the second one. The airport is LSZR and it has two IAPs for R10 .... ILS and RNAV. I set up the sim for an arrival at SITOR for the ILS 10 app, with a loop first around the hold at SITOR. That worked fine, with the usual caveat that the sim uses gps tracking to simulate the ILS. But the Missed App was correct for the ILS...... probably just for the arrival.

I wanted to follow that with the RNAV R10 back to LSZR. It also begins at SITOR, so I added a HOLD at SITOR and then added LSZR after it at the end of the FPL, along with the RNAV R10 (identified as SITOR.RNAV 10 in the IFD FPL). This approach starts at SITOR and TOD is then 0.3 NM later at ZR700 which is the FAF. However, the wpt's listed in approach loaded is missing the FAF wpt at ZR700, and it didn't start as expected at SITOR but the first waypoint was the MAP at ZR701 (rwy threshold) This left a gap between the hold at SITOR and the MAP at ZR701. Also, there was no thin line on the left showing the RNAV approach loaded. There is an Activate Approach LSK, but this doesn't react when pressed. Also, I don't see how to remove the gap. Normally, one just selects the gap on the screen and an LSK appears to connect the waypoints. That is not the case here. I see no way to remove the gap and activate the approach. See the screenshots below. What's interesting is that the FAF ZR700 appears on the map, but not in the FPL wpt list.

Anyone have any suggestions how to proceed? Did I do something wrong setting this up? When the screenshots were taken, the sim was just going around the hold. I can't figure out any way of exiting the hold or proceeding with the approach. Also, the approach doesn't seem fully loaded, due to the missing FAF ZR700.










Edited by chflyer - 21 Mar 2019 at 7:15am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Catani Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2019 at 4:27pm
From the datablock on the left, it looks like the IFD thinks the ILS 10 is still the active approach.  That apparently is having an effect on the ability to load another approach, or to leave holding, or other things you mentioned.  Not sure why that would be so, but to test the idea I'd delete the ILS 10 and then load the RNAV and see if things are improved.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviSteve Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 12:31am
  Change to expanded view :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ddgates Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 3:29pm
My IFD trainer updated to the new version.

Frequency both comm and nav areas are blacked out, and the corresponding datablocks are grayed out.

Is it supposed to be like that?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote teeth6 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 7:51pm
No. I’m not seeing that.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviSteve Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 1:43pm
Originally posted by ddgates ddgates wrote:

My IFD trainer updated to the new version.

Frequency both comm and nav areas are blacked out, and the corresponding datablocks are grayed out.

Is it supposed to be like that?
That would happen if you have the trainer configured as a 510.  Go into settings and choose a model with a radio (e.g. IFD440, IFD540, IFD550).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AZ Flyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 8:23pm
Just an FYI, even with a radio model selected, the additional NAV/COM datablocks cannot be selected.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviSteve Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 10:24pm
Originally posted by AZ Flyer AZ Flyer wrote:

Just an FYI, even with a radio model selected, the additional NAV/COM datablocks cannot be selected.
Are you talking about the COM/VLOC Standby datablocks?  If so, I just tried it on my home iPad with the trainer configured as a 540 and as a 550.  In both cases, I was able to configure and use those datablocks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 3:53am
Same here. No issues entering and swapping frequencies on my IFD Trainer as 540. Works as it always has.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 6:42am
Duh! You're right Steve about expanded vs compact view..... should have picked that up.

However, the question is still open for me about the best or proper way to actually set up and fly a new procedure (same airport) after a missed approach, when the missed ends at the IAF for the new procedure.

In this particular case and often, a hold is needed for course reversal at this shared fix. I've found 2 ways to do this:
1) Add the hold after the IAF for the 2nd approach (RNAV 10).
2) Add the hold at the end of the missed approach, just before the gap. This is the safest, because one can do so up front when entering the approach itself and ensure that worst case, one will have guidance to enter a hold at the end of the missed.

As soon as the last leg of the ILS 10 missed approach becomes active, the "Activate Approach" LSK appears, but is not selectable. This behaviour seems to me to be a bug. There should not be an LSK presented that cannot be selected. What also seems to be a bug is the inability to connect the wpt's before and after the gap.

Catani is correct that the 2nd approach cannot be activated as long the we are still flying the missed for the first approach, even though the "Activate Approach" LSK is present.

In option 1) the first approach can be deleted once on the final leg of the missed by selecting the active waypoint with the cursor and then CLR and ack the prompt. This will jump the gap and make the IAF for the next proc the active waypoint which is what one wants.

In option 2) the "Activate Approach" LSK will appear as soon as the hold turns magenta. However once the hold has been fully entered (i.e. passing the fix the 2nd time, after the entry is flown), the "Activate Approach" LSK may become active. There is no indication of whether it is active or not. If it is active and pressed at any point during the hold, the active leg becomes a "direct to" the IAF for the new approach from wherever one happens to be in the hold. If one waits until on the inbound leg of the hold, that is fine and desirable. However if the new approach is activated when on any other leg of the hold, the direct to heading can be problematic. If the "Activate Approach" LSK never becomes active (i.e. pressing it has no effect), then one needs to delete the hold via selecting it, CLR, Ack. Again, one needs to be careful here to be on the inbound leg to the fix, otherwise deleting the hold will result in a direct to from current position to the new procedure IAF.

This seemingly random behaviour of the "Activate Approach" LSK is rather unnerving. Ok on the sim, but I wouldn't want to experience it for the first time in the air. Bottom line for me is that when flying consecutive approaches that end and start at the same fix, best approach is to use the CLR button to delete the last fix of the missed once the leg to it is active.... that will make the IAF of the next proc the direct-to and active fix. The approach itself will activate automatically.








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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AZ Flyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 10:56am
Originally posted by AviSteve AviSteve wrote:

Originally posted by AZ Flyer AZ Flyer wrote:

Just an FYI, even with a radio model selected, the additional NAV/COM datablocks cannot be selected.
Are you talking about the COM/VLOC Standby datablocks?  If so, I just tried it on my home iPad with the trainer configured as a 540 and as a 550.  In both cases, I was able to configure and use those datablocks.
You're right- I wasn't scrolling to the NAV/COM fields with the knob.  It works just fine.  Thanks!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviSteve Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 11:17am
Originally posted by chflyer chflyer wrote:

... the question is still open for me about the best or proper way to actually set up and fly a new procedure (same airport) after a missed approach, ...
Sorry Vince, I noticed the Compact view thing and pretty much quit reading after that assuming that was the whole thing.

First, you are correct about the Activate Approach button being non-responsive.  It's a bug.  I'll even take the blame.  The software is trying to insert a leg to SITOR in order to close the gap, but with the new rules regarding the gap between a missed and subsequent approach, that operation is just ignored.  You can simulate what it's trying to do by putting the insert cursor immediately before the gap and entering waypoint SITOR.  What should really happen is that the software should do a -D-> the SITOR leg that starts the RNAV10.

We are so dang close to getting 10.2.3.1 out the door that it's likely a fix for this won't get included in the release.  However, if for some reason we have to open it back up (which I hope we don't), I'll get it in.

I don't really think there's a "proper" way to accomplish your scenario because it's more about how each individual pilot thinks about it.  Most missed approaches in the US end with a hold on the reverse course in order to set you up to try the approach again.  So to me, it makes more sense to put the hold at the end of the missed.  Outside of the US, however, it's much more common for missed approaches to end with a leg other than a hold, leaving the aircraft heading away from the airport.  So, it might seem more natural for you to have the course reversal at the start of the next approach.

If you put the hold at the end of the missed, I think the best way to get to the RNAV10 would be to leave the hold as the active leg until inbound to SITOR on the reverse course, then move the cursor to the first leg of RNAV10 (SITOR) and press -D->.

If you put the hold between SITOR and ZR700, then I think you would have to start the ILS missed and wait until crossing D277G.  Ater crossing D277G, I would move the cursor to the first leg of RNAV10 (SITOR) and press -D->.

In both of those cases, you end up doing a -D-> the first leg of the RNAV10 approach.  It's just a matter of when you have to do it.  As I mentioned above, that is exactly what the "Activate Approach" button will do (once it's fixed).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar 2019 at 9:15am
Thanks Steve for taking the time to write such a complete response.... you've essentially confirmed my two options, except the use of D-> rather than deleting the active wpt so there is no surprise about what is done next.

I can live with that until the fix comes out. I'd rather have focus on getting RF legs added. ;-) All the new Garmin boxes announced yesterday can do that out of the gate.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ddgates Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2019 at 7:37am
Originally posted by AviSteve AviSteve wrote:

Originally posted by ddgates ddgates wrote:

My IFD trainer updated to the new version.

Frequency both comm and nav areas are blacked out, and the corresponding datablocks are grayed out.

Is it supposed to be like that?
That would happen if you have the trainer configured as a 510.  Go into settings and choose a model with a radio (e.g. IFD440, IFD540, IFD550).
Doesn't matter - 540, 550.  No frequency boxes and options grayed out in config.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 May 2019 at 8:16am
Checking out the 10.2.3 Trainer, I'll post this here, although it might be more appropriate elsewhere depending on whether it is 10.2.3 related or Trainer related. I might also have a setup issue.

All the ETA fields in the datablocks and "At:" fields in the FPL waypoint blocks seem to be relative to the time the sim has been running, starting at 00:00z. The UTC and LT time in the datablocks reflect the correct current time though.

When starting the sim, entering a FPL and then activating it, the FMS mode waypoint boxes all show "At:" 00:xxz where 00:xx is always relative to 00:00 at the time the FPL was activated rather than expected actual UTC time. Same for all the ETA datablocks.

I suspect and hope that this is just a idiosyncrasy of the trainer and not a bug introduced with 10.2.3.1. I hadn't noticed it before in the trainer, and once the trainer app is updated to 10.2.3 I can't go back. Perhaps some here can check the old version?




Edited by chflyer - 02 May 2019 at 8:17am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SteveMcD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 May 2019 at 11:17am
Just getting back to using the Trainer. iPad Air 2. Software says 10.2.3 but app store indicates that I have the latest (10.2.3.1) downloaded. Set to IFD540 mode. I see some improvements since last time, but I ran into some issues that seem specific to the trainer, not the core software. (Whew!)

1. (Not new.) I really, really want to turn of traffic alerting. When I'm trying out approaches and other detailed nav, getting traffic alerts is annoying and frustrating. I'd hoped that was a user setting (I turned off terrain alerts), but didn't see one.

2. Docs/videos say initial altitude at origin WP is 1000 AGL. When I set a simple airport-to-airport flight plan (eg. CYSA-CYKF), I'm starting at 0 AGL. Then I get one of two scenarios: (a) It heads to CYKF and starts a climb but continues climbing, seemingly to whatever ALT bug setting was left over from before. (b) It stays at 0 AGL and flies towards the HDG bug, ignoring the flight plan. (Yes, I confirmed FPL mode.)

3. In AP mode, altitude setting drifts. I can set any altitude and then watch it change itself, sometimes slowly, sometimes fast (up to 10000' at one point).

4. In FPL mode, I'd like to be able set HDG bug so that it's ready when I switch to AP mode (just like real flying). Currently, I switch to AP mode, A/C starts to turn random direction as I scramble to set HDG bug correctly. I guess I can pause, switch to AP mode, set HDG bug, switch back to FPL, unpause, but that's clunky. The HDG bug remains visible, so keeping the HDG slider visible at all times would be useful.

5. Similarly, in FPL mode, I'd like to be able to adjust altitude, so I think that the ALT bug should be there at all times. That would also be useful to be able to see what FPL mode has set the ALT to.

6. When setting HDG bug, I'd like to be able to move the slider past 0 or 360. Currently, if I want to go from 030 to 330, I must slide right, which initiates a right turn until it figures out that I'm really wanting to go left. Perhaps a knob/dial would work better than a slider.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mfb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2019 at 11:22pm
These are all good ideas, especially the one about turning the traffic off. I hate the way those symbols buzz around like flies! They’re distracting and they don’t add anything to the simulation.

Is anyone listening at Avidyne? Comments?

Thanks

Mike
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2019 at 9:20am
Has anyone had an issue with configuring the trainer frequency datablocks following update to 10.2.3.1 software?

It runs fine for me on my ipad 10.5 but on the 128GB ipad mini 4 with iOS 12.2 the frequency boxes are missing. It doesn't matter if I set the model to 440 or 540. I've tested with it set to be an IFD540 and an IFD440 under both iOS settings menu and in the trainer under Settings.

The basic issue seems to be that the 2 frequency blocks at the top are missing. It almost looks as if the trainer thinks it is configured as an IFD510/410 without comm or VHF nav, except that a VLOC Radio frequency datablock can be configured.

 Normally (i.e. on the ipad 10.5) the top 2 frequency blocks (active & standby) are fixed and cannot be set or changed. When turning the knob starting at left block in the top line, the next selectable datablock is under the 2 top frequency blocks. However, these 2 blocks are missing on the ipad mini 4 and moving the datablock left from the top line, it selects a 1-line blank datablock in the left column, where the 2x fixed freq blocks should be.

Interestingly, when I touch that spot, a freq keyboard pops up. I can select a freq, but when I type enter, the kb disappears along with the frequency because the block isn't shown.



Note that only VLOC Radio is presented as an option.

Following screenshot is after touching the wpt datablock at upper left.




Edited by chflyer - 19 May 2019 at 9:20am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AviSteve Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2019 at 3:48pm
Pretty odd.  Did you try resetting the datablocks to factory defaults?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2019 at 4:27pm
Thanks Steve. That did the trick!

Clicking the Datablock LSK changed it from setup to presets. The Datablock Presets was set to Custom. I changed it to Left Block Default and everything looks normal again!
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