Electronic gauges that give digital readouts of numbers can also be less than helpful. Remember the airspeed readout you found difficult in the simulator Frank?
Trends, rather than absolute values, are more informative, and more commonly utilized both consciously and sub-consciously, than many realize. Analog gauges are easy to discern/detect trends... such as increasing or decreasing values... and they are easy to use when selecting a configuration quickly, or in poor light or turbulence. (1121 on an analog gauges is at the 10 o'clock position and 2450 is at the 2 o'clock position... while the four digits representing those two values are simply ...four digits that require reading/interpretation.) Movement on an analog gauge in a counterclockwise direction is a reduction, while movement in a clockwise direction is an increase in values. Peripheral vision can quickly determine that the relative position of a needle is about right. Four digits, ... are four digits. They must be read/interpreted and decided upon. (These are also reasons why even in more sophisticated aircraft such things as "digital" altimeters are also equipped with analog type needles. In fact, extra expense and design engineering is required in fully electronic instruments frequently in an attempt to portray their information in non-electronic, analog style. The displays are frequently designed to emulate analog needle gauges.)
A wavering needle is a distraction. So are dancing digits. I gave away my digital EGT in a 206 and bought an analog unit for that reason. (A wavering needle in an analog gauge is most likely a defective drive or gauge which simply needs repair or replacement. Dancing digits in the digital gauge happens for similar reasons, either the sending unit is unstable, has a poor ground, poor connector, loose/failing components in the circuitry, etc. The original EGT in my 206 was repaired twice before we decided we were tired of it's constant changing digits, especially when backlit at night.)
Of course, a properly operating digital gauge can be a superior diagnostic tool. Just some thoughts.
) line at 2700. Is this correct?
