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 25 727 + CIVA INS (Read 37133 times)
slakr007
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727 + CIVA INS
Dec 9th, 2011 at 12:28am
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I have been using the CIVA INS add-on with the 727 for a while now and just started encountering a problem.  Essentially, after engine start, the "BAT" light illuminates on all three units and all they die shortly thereafter.

Has anyone else encountered this...maybe it's a bug in the CIVA unit?  I suspect it has something to do with switching from the APU to the engine-driven generators.

When starting the engines, I have the APU running with the field and generator breakers closed to supply power.  The bus tie breakers and engine field breakers are closed while the engine generator breakers are open.

After starting the engines, I check that the engine generators are generating power, then close the engine generator breakers one at a time...which trips the APU generator breaker.  I then switch to using the engine 1 generator.

That's pretty much the way the checklist describes it.  Maybe I am doing something wrong, though.
  
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Markoz
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #1 - Dec 9th, 2011 at 3:16am
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It sounds like once the APU generator breaker is tripped AND before you switch to GEN #1, the INS loses power completely. Try closing the engine generator breaker for engine one, then switch to GEN #1, before closing the rest of the engine generator breakers.

I don't use the INS in the 727 at the moment. So I can't try this myself to see if it will work.

Mark
  

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slakr007
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #2 - Dec 9th, 2011 at 9:59pm
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Mark,

Thanks for the response.  I tried it last night and it seemed to work.  Kind of weird.  If I recall correctly, the electrical system should automatically use standby power so there is no interruption in power.

I will have to run carefully through the steps that verify auto-standby in the checklist to see if maybe I am screwing something up there.  Or, maybe it's just an integration issue with the CIVA unit and switching quickly as you suggested is the work around.

Anyway, thanks again.
  
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CoolP
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #3 - Dec 9th, 2011 at 10:55pm
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If it would happen more often, you could cheat with that electrics tweak from Marc. http://www.captainsim.org/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1319547655 This should give you endless battery power, so the INS will always be happy.
  
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slakr007
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #4 - Dec 11th, 2011 at 6:29am
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I think the reason I did not have trouble before might have something to do with a misconception I had about the breaker switches.  For some reason, I thought you had to lock them in the up position.  If you click on them and move the mouse, they stay in the up position.

So, I used to have all of the bus tie, generator, and field switches locked up along with the field and generator switches for the APU.  I guess that prevents the APU from actually tripping.  (I wonder what that would do to the electrical system in a real 727.)

Anyway, I can't find any reliable way to keep the CIVA units from dying without doing that.

I tried switching to standby power, then connecting the engine generators, then switching to an engine generator for power.  No go.

I already had the ground electric tweak in effect because the avionics used to die during taxi, so that apparently doesn't help.

Oh well.  I finished a 22-leg, around-the-world tour tonight.  I guess I will just fly old-school from now on since I actually have charts for the US and don't really need the CIVA any more.
  
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fsxpaul
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #5 - Dec 12th, 2011 at 8:13pm
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I have the same issue with the CIVA powering off. I keep my eye on it during the first leg for a battery warning. If I encounter one, I'll quickly toggle 'Shift+M' to clear the battery warning.
  
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fsxpaul
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #6 - Dec 13th, 2011 at 3:40pm
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I made a flight last night and had the CIVA 'battery' issue and now a severe CIVA navigation problems as well. Restarted FSX and tried the flight again and still had problems. Then I remembered the CIVA config file (CS727 in my case) could be corrupt. I deleted the config file and a new file auto generated after loading my aircraft.

I no longer had my navigation problems and the battery issue also disappeared!
  
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CoolP
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #7 - Dec 13th, 2011 at 3:50pm
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Nice tip, Paul. You mean the isd file in the Civa folder?
  
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fsxpaul
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #8 - Dec 13th, 2011 at 3:59pm
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That's correct, located in the CIVA directory.

In my case, from my panel.cfg, the file in quotes :

gauge36=../civa/INS!Config,            0, 0, 0, 0, CS727 // this gauge initializes the Civa INS gauges, "CS727.Isd"
  
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slakr007
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #9 - Dec 20th, 2011 at 3:22am
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fsxpaul,

Gave your tip a shot to no avail.  Still received the battery lights about a minute after start.

How do you go about starting up?
  
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fsxpaul
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #10 - Dec 21st, 2011 at 6:08pm
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I was incorrect about the battery issue going away. Deleting the ISD file did correct my CIVA navigation problem though.

My start-up goes as follows (parking brake set):
1. Power-up the CIVA unit.
2. Enter aircraft position coordinates.
3. Load AWC file.
4. Align CIVA (fast align).
5. Load ADC file while aligning CIVA.
6. Switch CIVA to 'Nav' when green light illuminates (accuracy '05' or lower).
7. Change both rotary switches on engineer panel to 'Gen 2'.
8. Toggle the battery main switch twice (Shift+M) This seems to work for me.
9. APU start.
10. Start engines (2, 3 & 1).
11. APU off.

This method has worked for me.
I don't bother with turning on the APU breaker as the engine start-up goes pretty quickly.
I'll do some more testing to try and find a way to use the various breakers.
  
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fsxpaul
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #11 - Dec 22nd, 2011 at 6:19am
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I did some testing tonight and determined that if you toggle the battery switch twice your CIVA power will not fail.

Powering the aircraft or the CIVA unit first doesn't appear to make a difference...just have to toggle the battery switch!

If you start with running engines then this 'fix' doesn't do anything, only in a cold-n-dark state.

Edit: This doesn't work from a saved cold-n-dark flight. It will work from starting with the default aircraft, shutting down the fuel (Ctrl+Shift+F1) and the battery (Shift+M) then load the 727.
  
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lucatrader
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #12 - Dec 23rd, 2011 at 11:47pm
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great 3d guys.....   Cheesy
could u please tell me how to purchase that add-on?
  

[url=http://www.captainsim.org/yabb2/YaBB.pl?virboard=wxrb;num=1298995955]
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mark767
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #13 - Dec 28th, 2011 at 10:13pm
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CIVA INS if freeware.

http://www.simufly.com/ins/
  
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lucatrader
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Re: 727 + CIVA INS
Reply #14 - Jan 2nd, 2012 at 2:12am
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could anyone upload a panel.cfg with civa installed?
Should I put some of the civa folder into the 727 folder?
Sorry, but their instructions are a mess
  

[url=http://www.captainsim.org/yabb2/YaBB.pl?virboard=wxrb;num=1298995955]
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