Re: Auto climate controls

[Robert Houk - WorkGroup Server Firmware <Robert.Houk@East.Sun.COM>]

   > You guys are unduly harsh on the system's design.  I have it in my A4q

   Indeed...

Nonsense. I hate stupid machines that think they are smarter than I
am. I *HATE* stupid f*****g moron engineers who think they know better
what *I* want and need, and when I need it. (I constantly have this
argument with various system architects here who can never seem to
accept that fact that they cannot forsee all possible configuration
scenarios in advance, that there might well be cases where a reason-
ably intelligent person might want to choose "the other way" for
some reason. Good defaults and a reasonably non-totally-braindead
algorithm to handle most cases, fine. But let a person override the
system and select explicitly when so desired...)

   > the temperature and it does the rest.  It gives you enough manual
   > overrides to make it as adjustable as a manual system.  I don't see why
   > a fully manual system would actually be easier to use.

   It would not be easier to use.  Even a poorly calibrated auto system is 
   much better than a manual system.

I dunno . . . the manual system on my ole UrQ I'd just set and pretty
much leave alone unless conditions change radically. I can select a
nice constant "breeze" on my fingers/face/etc, at a selected tempera-
ture, and it just stays there.

With the A4's system, it WILL NOT leave the fan speed alone. I am
constantly adjusting either the temperature or the fan speed in order
to maintain the "gentle breeze" that *I* want. I spend almost more
time playing the damn envinromental control subsystem than I do
commercial-skipping on the radio.

I understand the concept of "humidity control". And I *KNOW* that
when the outside air temp is 38 (F), and the dewpoint is down
around 10 (F), I do *NOT* need the A/C to dehumidify the air. If
anything, I need recirc to *CLOSE* to try to capture some of the
humidity escaping with every breath.

Further, when it is 37 (F) and the dewpoint is 37.01 (F), and I
have a buncha HeavyBreathers(tm) in the car, then I *DO* desperately
need the A/C cranking to keep the windshield (and side and rear
windows) reasonably transparent. This the car refuses to do. (My
UrQ I have almost trained to do this; my old Mitsubishi would
happily respond to my hitting the little ole A/C button and suck
all the moisture right out of the cabin.) Instead, I have to crank
up the temp and fan to max and OPEN THE WINDOWS. Grrr!

And Recirc -- GRRR! That is just plain petty f*****g pigheaded
stupidity. When it is -20 (F) outside air temp, and the dewpoint
is somewhere south of that . . . (Or, alternatively, I am stuck
behind some smelly diesel monstrosity, or a cattle truck, or...)

Now, IFF (and that is a damn big IF) the system truly had a manual
setting so that I could select outlet air temperature and fan speed,
I would be relatively happy. But it won't even let me select a fan
speed manually, just an offset from the speed it would otherwise
select. So I am constantly left juggling buttons . . . Just changing
course from South/into-the-sun to East/in-shadow, I have to kick
the temperature about 5 degrees to maintain comfort level. Gets
real annoying on curvy/twisting/winding roads.

I have *NO* objection to wonderful fancy Auto functions (and yes,
I have even had days when it actually did just what I wanted), but
give me the ability to select what *I* want.

					-RDH