Fuel cutoff

[N4865G]

Hallo Peter,

I searched through your forum and found one post relating to my problem, which is assigning CH TQ buttons to engine fuel cutoff switches in my PMDG737NG.

You advised that fuel cutoff in jets is the same as mixture axis in props.

I therefore used the buttons tab in the FSUIPC and on the right hand side assign my 2 buttons to mixture lean/mixture rich options.

It still does not work.

Am I mistaken that you can do it this way?

Thanks

Dom

[Pete Dowson]

I therefore used the buttons tab in the FSUIPC and on the right hand side assign my 2 buttons to mixture lean/mixture rich options.

What were the precise controls you assigned? If they are definitely what you say, then they will be operating the fuel cut/idle levers just rear of the thrust levers. Where are you looking?

Am I mistaken that you can do it this way?

No. Does Ctl+Shft+F1 cut the fuel and Ctl+Shft+F switch it on, in your Jets? These are the default assignments in FS (and have been for many many years). They operate the controls called MIXTURE LEAN and MIXTURE RICH, respectively. They are for all engines. There are also separate ones for each engine, named MIXTUREn LEAN etc, where n is the Engine number 1-4.

Regards,

Pete

[N4865G]

Thank you for yuor reply Peter,

ad.1 once again, I wanted to assign a button clicks (if you will) on my CH Throttle Quadrant to fuel cutoff switches in PMDG 737NG.

I decided to use first two leftmost available buttons in the front raw of buttons on my CH TQ.

I opened a 'BUTTONS' tab in the FSUIPC clicked the first button upwards and checked the 'select for FS control option' on the right hand side and then using a drop-down menu chose the 'Engine 1 mixture rich'. Then I clicked the same button downwards and following the same path chose 'Engine 1 mixture lean'. I did the same for second button and second engine respectively.

Now, going back to FS I used these new button assignments to bring the fuel to flow and it did nothing.

Hope this makes it more clear.

Thank you very much indeed,

Dom

[Pete Dowson]

I opened a 'BUTTONS' tab in the FSUIPC clicked the first button upwards and checked the 'select for FS control option' on the right hand side and then using a drop-down menu chose the 'Engine 1 mixture rich'. Then I clicked the same button downwards and following the same path chose 'Engine 1 mixture lean'. I did the same for second button and second engine respectively.

Erthese "buttons" are in fact toggle switches, not buttons? Do they actually have separate button numbers when pushed up from when pushed down? It doesn't seem very likely to me, yet that is how you say you have programmed them. It sounds like you've programmed them only to set Lean, overwriting the Rich settings?

Please go back into FSUIPC's buttons page and review what you have actually done. If the switches are actually seen in the PC as ONE button, you can only program them ONCE. You program one value for "Press" and the other for "Release". I wouldn't know whether your switches are "on" when up and "off" when down, or vice versa, but "on" is "press" and "off" is "release".

Regards,

Pete

[Bob Church]

Hi Pete,

>> Erthese "buttons" are in fact toggle switches, not buttons? Do they actually have separate button numbers when pushed up from when pushed down? It doesn't seem very likely to me, yet that is how you say you have programmed them. It sounds like you've programmed them only to set Lean, overwriting the Rich settings? <<

They are separate, basically the same momentary switches as are on the yokes. The up and down positions are seen as individual buttons and the switch returns to the center (off) position when it's released.

Best regards,

- Bob

The StickWorks

http://www.stickworks.com

[N4865G]

What a rapid response Pete,

Your argumentation does not seem right to me I am afraid as alongside in the same raw of buttons I have my flaps extend/retract assigned to another button.

Therefore, pressing one upwards retracts the flaps, and pressing it downwards extends them.

That suggests we have two seperate inputs per each of the buttons, right?

Please let me know if there is anything else I could check with my setup to make things even clearer.

appreciate your time a lot,

Dom

[Pete Dowson]

Therefore, pressing one upwards retracts the flaps, and pressing it downwards extends them.

That suggests we have two seperate inputs per each of the buttons, right?

Yes, but you can tell VERY easily by just seeing different button numbers register in FSUIPC's buttons page (centre, top -- gives joystick number and button number).

I have just connected a device with several buttons, programmed 4 of them for the separate engines 1 & 2 Rich and Lean, OKayed out of FSUIPC, then brought up the default 737 throttle quadrant and tested their action on the start leverls botton central in that graphic. they operate perfectly.

Show me the Buttons section of your FSUIPC.INI, and confirm what button numbers you get on operating those 'levers'. You could also log the results of pressing the buttons -- see Logging pages, select the ones for logging buttons and controls (non-axis types).

Regards,

Pete

[N4865G]

OK, Pete, sorry for the late reply.

Here we go then.

My CH TQ leftmost buttons give the following inputs:

leftmost button up: Joy #2, button #0 - select for FS control, control sent when button pressed: 'Mixture 1 rich'

leftmost button down: Joy #2, button #1, as above 'Mixture 1 lean'

second from the left button up: Joy #2, button #2, as above 'Mixture 2 rich'

second from the left button down: joy #2, button #3, as above 'mixture 2 lean'.

Now, this setup works perfectly OK with other aircraft, just not the PMDG 737.

Thanks

Dom

[Pete Dowson]

Now, this setup works perfectly OK with other aircraft, just not the PMDG 737.

Aha!

In that case there are two likely scenarios:

1. They are actually controlling the fuel switches in their own code, or using alternative methods. In this case you will need to find out if they allow keypress assignments for them and if so, program your switches accordingly, or

2. They are intercepting the controls before they get to FS and preventing them operating because of some other interlocking requirement not yet met. You probably have to go through all the overhead settings to make sure you are in a position to enable those switches -- for instance, is the relevant engine spooling up and the N2% value in the correct range?

This really is now more a question for PMDG, if it isn't documented already.

Regards,

Pete

[N4865G]

Right, I shall talk to them then.

Thank you very much indeed Peter.

Best regards,

Dom

[Graham Pollitt]

Hi

did you manage to find a solution to your fuel switch problem?

I have the same thing with my quadrant and would like to know if you had a successful outcome please

thanks

Graham