Thanks Panthercules, you're right, I didn't go far enough to the right. Now the Position Keeper behaves exactly like I wanted. No side effects to my experience (off-line single player).
I like the PK as well as the torpedo tube panel to show and be available right from the start. As they don't obstruct anything I want to have them availabale all the time.
I'd like to do something for you in return, but unfortunately I'm obviously not enough initiated into the secrets of menu_1024_768.ini as to even find the correct entry for the torpedo tube panel. But I try to learn...