SF34 FLC OVERSHOOT ASSIGNED SCT ALT WHILE DISCUSSING POTENTIAL WAKE TURB OF PRECEDING B737.

Narrative

WHILE CLBING AT NIGHT IN VMC TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT; THE CREW GOT INTO A CONVERSATION REGARDING THE AVOIDANCE OF THE PRECEDING ACFT WAKE TURB. I DELIBERATELY DECIDED TO FLY THE ACFT 'RAW DATA' INCREASING THE RATE OF CLB. IN DOING SO; WHILE FOCUSED ON THE STEEP CLB; THE CREW DIDN'T HEAR THE 1000 FT CALL (ALT PRESELECT ALERT AURAL CHIME) AND WENT THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT. THE AURAL CHIME WENT OFF AND I REALIZED WE WERE ALREADY CLBING THROUGH 7500 FT. WHILE CORRECTING FOR THE DEV; WE WERE CLRED BY ATC TO CLB TO 9000 FT; AND TO CHANGE FREQ TO ZLA. THERE WASN'T ANY CONFLICT TFC. THE FLT CONTINUED TO ITS DEST WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. ATC NEVER QUESTIONED THE CREW ON THE ALTDEV THAT OCCURRED. IT HAS BEEN A CLR LESSON FOR THE ENTIRE CREW -- MOST OF ALL; WHILE FOCUSED ON OTHER TASKS -- ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF A LONG WORK DAY; I SHOULD HAVE HAD AT LEAST THE FLT DIRECTOR TURNED ON INSTEAD OF FLYING WITH RAW DATA. THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED US FROM MAKING SUCH A MISTAKE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 499639: THE FO SWEARS THAT THE ALT PRESELECTOR DID NOT SOUND ITS APCHING ALT ALERT. IT DID APPEAR TO BE FUNCTIONING THOUGH. WE HAD BEEN PREOCCUPIED BY AVOIDING THE WAKE OF A B737 THAT HAD DEPARTED BEFORE US. I WILL INSIST IN THE FUTURE THAT WE WILL USE THE FLT DIRECTOR OR FULL AUTOPLT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. WAKE ENCOUNTERS HAVE BEEN INCREASING AT MY AIRLINE. FOR ME; AND PERHAPS OTHER PLTS; THE FEAR OF ANOTHER BAD ENCOUNTER IS OCCUPYING OUR ATTN.