B737 White dots at the corner of DUs
 

Hello,

I wondered what the white dots are at the corner of all 6 DUs. Left bottom for all of them except on lower DU it's at top right.

Anyone knows what they are for?

Light sensors

Turn your flashlight on and put it over the "white dot",you will see what happen on your DU screen

Perfect, thanks :)

- for cheapskates, put your thumb over the sensor................

"- for cheapskates, put your thumb over the sensor................"

Is that the same thumb a certain Very Large airline insisted was the only digit to be used for varying the V/S selection via the "thumbwheel"??

Rapidly running out of hands here...........! ! :rolleyes:

Yes - I had to report an F/O once who used his index finger on the V/S wheel. Bad show. Standards have slipped since our days.

Granted.

I believe the reason for the restriction was that flight crew were less likely to use their thumbs for nose picking, with the attendant health risks and yuk factor in the more civilised airlines.

But I humbly accept I may be wrong, and look forward to correction...........;)

I believe these light sensors work best when you have all the DU brightness selectors in the "auto" position. Most pilots seem to turn the brightness selectors to full bright in daytime and keep on dimming them when the darkness kicks in. However if you leave these selectors in the mid detend position, the sensors will adjust the DU brightness automatically to adapt to the current lighting conditions..

Wonderful in theory....

Same as pack temp selectors..in auto..total useless.:hmm:

The light sensors adjust the display brightness with the brightness knobs at all settings. The detent is not auto, simply a mid position. The knobs provide pilot control of the display intensity over and above the auto brightness ie turn the brightness to 3/4 and it will still vary with the ambient conditions but at a brighter overall setting than in the mid detent position. The technical manual does not state that the detent is an auto position, at least not in the manuals I have!

Manuals make no reference to an AUTO position, but it is a good starting position for all pilots.

Indeed many I fly with go full bright, with no additional brightness capability should it be required in a non-normal situation.

Personally I favour the midrange position and let the auto dimming take care of the rest, saves a lot of work and allows for sufficient light in all conditions.

Skyjob, a lot of work?? You mean rotating the knobs when it gets dark/light?

I think it's best to let everyone set the brightness at their preferance:ok: