B737NG CAPT REPORTS DIFFICULTIES WITH ELDEE 3 ARRIVAL TO DCA AND THE NOTAM ADJUSTMENTS TO CROSSING RESTRICTIONS.

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A VERY EXTENSIVE BRIEFING FOR ARR INTO DCA WAS CONDUCTED AS THE FO HAD ONLY BEEN HERE ONCE; AND HAD LANDED TO THE N; WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LESS CHALLENGING. CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDED THE RESTR AREAS; THE RIVER VISUAL CHALLENGES; RWY RECOGNITION (RWY 19 VERSUS RWY 15); ETC. AFTER LOADING THE ELDEE ARR INTO THE FMC; THE FO MENTIONED THAT HE HAD WRITTEN ON HIS PLATES SEVERAL ALT CHANGES FOR THIS ARR; WHICH WERE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS IN THE FMC. I LOOKED IN THE PAPERWORK TO FIND A NOTAM REGARDING THESE CHANGES; AS DID THE FO AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND THESE. ASSUMING THAT THEY WERE TEMPORARY RESTRS; WE WENT WITH WHAT WAS IN THE FMC AND WHAT WAS ON THE CURRENT STAR PLATE. THE FIXES WERE ALL CORRECT; BUT THE VERT PROFILE HAD BEEN CHANGED. THE JUMPSEATER; WHO IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RNAV ARR; HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN ITS CREATION; WAS ALSO PROVIDING INPUT. AFTER RECEIVING OUR DSCNT CLRNC; WHICH CONSISTED OF ONLY 'CLRED TO DSND ON THE ELDEE ARR' (NO ALT MENTIONED); WE PROCEEDED TO DSND ON THE DEFAULT FMC PROFILE. THE VNAV FUNCTION OF THIS UPDATE HAS AN ANNOYING CHARACTERISTIC OF SLOWING TO THE NEXT XING AIRSPD/FIX; WELL BEFORE THE FIX. FOR EXAMPLE; IF A FIX HAS A 250 KT SPD; YOU CAN STILL BE 10; 20 MI AWAY AND THE VNAV SPD BUG COMES BACK TO THAT SPD. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH OUR SPD AT THE SAME TIME WE ASCERTAINED (FROM OTHER RADIO TFC) THAT WE DID INDEED HAVE THE WRONG ALTS IN THE FMC. I BEGAN TO DIVE FOR THE ALT; THINKING I WAS HIGH ON THE PROFILE; AS THE FO QUERIED THE CTLR; WHO ASSURED US THAT THE NEXT FIX WAS AN 'AT OR ABOVE.' SO I DON'T BELIEVE WE MISSED ANY XING RESTRS; BUT THE PROFILE WAS ALL MESSED UP AFTER THAT; WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO MY ARR FOR THE RIVER VISUAL BEING HIGH. FIX THE ELDEE ARR; OR SUSPEND IT UNTIL A NEW PLATE CAN BE ISSUED; OR ENSURE THAT THE NOTAM INFO IS MORE PROMINENT IN THE PAPERWORK. AS AN ASIDE; I NOTICED THE ELDEE CHANGES IN MY PAPERWORK FOR THE NEXT DAY'S DEPARTING FLT. AT THE VERY LEAST; IN THE INTERIM; HAVE THE CTLRS CONFIRM THE FIRST ALT FIX WHEN ISSUING THE CLRNC. THE JUMPSEATER; AN AREA EXPERT AND RNP ARCHITECT; HAS INFORMED ME THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ARR.