[CAN NOT REPRODUCE]Manual - Creating a New Waypoint

[Captain Orso]

On page 467 it says:

 

We now need to create the properties of the new waypoint:

1. Enter the elevation of the new waypoint in feet using the keypads/scratchpad and press the LSK next to the elevation field (EL).
   
2. Enter the latitude of the new waypoint using the keypads/scratchpad and press the LSK next to the latitude field (N or S).
   
3. Enter the longitude of the new waypoint using the keypads/scratchpad and press the LSK next to the longitude field (E or W).
   
4. Enter a unique name for the new waypoint using the keypads/scratchpad and press the LSK next to the name field.
   

1) Entering the elevation first is senseless, because when you subsequently enter either latitude or longitude, elevation will be nulled out. Once latitude and longitude are entered, elevation can be entered and will remain as entered.

 

2) There is no mention of entering N, S, E, W at the beginning of latitude or longitude strings. This is optional and the setting of the previous entry will be retained, but it is also the only way to change the setting from for example N to S.

 

3) Not sure if this is a bug in the SW or the manual, but to enter longitude, you must use a leading 0 or 1 for it to be valid; otherwise it will not be accepted.

 

4) While following the above, you can truncate latitude and longitude entry by omitting the entry of trailing zeros behind the decimal point. However if you do this, it will display blank behind the least significant digit entered. In normal programs I would say this is an error, and truncated missing zeros should be filled with '0' digits. Maybe Fairchild was lazy and actually did it this way, IDK, but it seems odd to me.

[Emmy]

Re:.#3 … If it’s the same as LAT/LON entry in the Viper, only East requires a leading zero. West should not.

[Captain Orso]

How would the system know whether you were trying to enter 11° 12.345' or 111° 23.45' if all you enter is 1112345?

[Ziptie]

Are you saying there is a bug/error in the manual, or are you having an issue entering coordinates into the CDU?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Ziptie

[BIGNEWY]

Hi,

 

sorry we are unable to reproduce this at the moment

 

thank you

[Frederf]

This isn't so much a bug report than a "the manual could be improved."

 

1. Perfectly sensible observation. Since CR plucks elevation out of DTSAS when L/L or grid is entered leading with the elevation is wasted effort on technique. Sensible technique would be to enter elevation last (and optionally if CR elevation is acceptable) and the manual would just shuffle the order of the steps.

 

2. Seems not to be specifically mentioned either way. It would be nice for the manual to mention what is and is not valid entry. I couldn't tell you specifically all the particular rules. I know EWNS prefix is valid but I can't remember what happens if you omit, do you need leading zeroes, what happens on partial entry, etc.

 

3. Viper requires full character entry so if window is X wide then you need X numerals entered (no more or less) which means leading zeroes and doesn't accept partial entry. There's no difference between east and west in how it works, probably being used to entering 3-digit longitude in NTTR and 2-digit in Caucauses suggests that it has something to do with the direction. A-10 if memory serves is a lot more flexible. I'm almost positive leading zeroes are not needed. "E422134" is a valid entry for E 024*23.340'.

 

4. I can't remember but I thought it displayed full digits for truncated entry. 1*00.000' should display all the zeroes regardless of how it was entered. If entering "1" shows "1 blank blank blank" instead of "1 zero zero zero" then that should be reviewed.

[Captain Orso]

It's mostly a request for the manual to be updated, which is in a sense a bug, albeit not in the software, but there is no section on the manual, so...