Introduction VATSIM. It’s a word that few MSFS enthusiast haven’t heard of. It’s the venerable system developed back in 1999 that allows armchair pilots to experience flight simming as it was meant to be - alive with as-real-as-it-gets air traffic crowding the airways around the world. And with that realism comes the need for air traffic control, for without it, virtual planes occupying the same spot at the same time becomes a distinct possibility, resulting in the unpleasant consequences of a collision. In order to enter the world of VATSIM, one is required to have the necessary software that not only allows for existing in that realm in the first place, but to interface with their excellent ATC services. Enter Squawkbox 3, the creation of one Mr. Joel DeYoung. Installation and Documentation
This third and latest version of Squawkbox is available for download from any number of sites (including right here at Avsim.com). However, the primary source of this software is from the VATSIM site itself. A beautiful thing about it is that it is completely free (you heard right… you can put the wallet away); how much you want it boils down to your desire to fly on the VATSIM network. Activating the
installer gets things going, and the guided process is as simple
as it could be.
One major item to keep in mind is that during the
installation, you must determine whether you intend to run SquawkBox
as an MSFS-integrated module (MSFS+SB simultaneously), or a completely
separate program that will
be run on a different computer. To simplify matters, choosing to run
MSFS and SB on the same PC puts SB on your hard drive as an integrated
module
(as was done in the course of this review). Following the set up of
the basic SB components follows the program’s suite of AI aircraft,
which by default overrides the MSFS library of planes, or any 3rd
party variety you
may have installed. Note - Oh… almost forgot. Besides being compatible with FS2002, a version of SB3 also exists for X-Plane as well. Just in case any end users of that product are reading this. Getting Started As far as the integrated version of SB3 for FS2004 goes, starting the add-on is as simple as accessing the option under the menu’s MODULE submenu. There’s a bit of a wait looking at the splash screen as the system fires up and gets going on its self tests and initialization processes. Once all is said and done, say goodbye to the splash page and hello to a couple of key interfaces that you’ll get very familiar with. The first is SB3’s main window, and it is from here that most of the program's operations are accessed from. At first glance, it looks like the MSFS MP chat window, which is not too far from the truth. Once connected to a server, the large left window serves as the portal in which all incoming and outgoing text-based communications (and SB3 system messages) will pop up in, while the text entry field is located immediately above it (as opposed to below in the MSFS version). With only one difference, it operates just like its MSFS cousin; click right onto this specific field, type away, hit ENTER, and voila – your message is sent out into the SB world. And that is where the similarities end and the differences commence. For one, the right side of the window does not display all users on the server. Instead, it is an ATC List, showing the user every ATC controller within range of your aircraft, and their associated frequency. The other main difference is the START button located at the upper left corner, which we’ll get into shortly. The last comparative difference is that little X button at the upper right corner of the interface. It does not close out the program as its outward appearance implies, but rather minimizes the main window to a dimension that does not interfere with the pilot’s view of the outside world.
Going back to that START button. This is the control which accesses SB3’s menu interface, and without it, you certainly won’t be getting anywhere soon. Almost all of the program’s functionality is found within, and you’ll be wanting every one of them. A simple glance above will give you a great idea of what you find there. The smaller of the two windows is the Transponder. You’ll quickly discover that, unlike the main Squawkbox window, you won’t be interacting with it very much (it pretty much boils down to selecting ON or STBY, and occasionally hitting IDENT), but that does not imply that it is no less essential than its larger SB cousin. Used in conjunction with the aircraft’s/helo’s radio and transponder, it provides for the direct interaction of the VATSIM’s radar and radio systems, letting you be seen on the controller’s scope, and to talk or chat with the controller and/or other pilots. A side function is to give the pilot an at-a-glance status of the COM radios (ie – are they getting a signal on the currently selected frequencies). Getting Connected Because of the nature of VATSIM, connecting onto one of the servers is a little more involved than just picking a server and hitting CONNECT. The ATC system that SB3 was designed to work with demands a little bit more info than the user’s name. The good news is that SB3’s connection menus make the process as easy as it can be. The CONNECT option in the START menu is the place to start
After choosing one of the several servers (it really doesn’t matter which one as they all seem to work with one another), the user has to enter some key information before getting in. Highest on the list is a valid VATSIM login credential, absolutely required if you want to get inside the VATSIM world (no worries – getting this is free as well). Also necessary are the items the controllers will be interested in, namely what plane you’ll be flying, it’s callsign, home base, and the name you used when you registered for VATSIM. Omission of any of this info will result in the servers refusing your connection.
Hitting the CONNECT button automatically fires up FS2004’s multiplayer, as well as communicates with a VATSIM network. A successful connection launches you into their realm, confirmed by the connection status at the bottom-left of the main window. Further confirmation of this is provided in the SB3 System/Chat Window as a status message. Any ATC controllers that are in range will then conveniently pop up on the right side. Finally, the program, by default, overrides any weather and or AI traffic setting that might be in play and employs it’s own based off of the chosen settings within the program. Note to FS2002 users – The connection protocols for SB3 does vary if you are using this earlier rendition of MSFS. These differences are outlined in the manual. First, Let's Text... Now that we’re in, it’s time we get into the operation of this program. This is where SB3 really comes into its own; once active, the use of the program is as easy as proverbial pie. As previously noted, texting others through SB3 will be no mystery to MSFS MP fans as the basic procedures for both are pretty much identical, right down to clicking its main window keys. (likewise, attempting to chat without first clicking on the window will have the unfortunate effect of activating whatever sim-function is assigned to that (or those) particular key(s) – be careful). The only change in the routine, is that in order to communicate with another person through it, all parties must be on the same active radio frequency. For those die-hard MSFS MP chat users, hitting the default ENTER key brings up the window as an alternate text interface, and it works fine as long as you desire to broadcast in the clear to everyone that happens to be on freq. It's entirely up to you which one you use. Anything that displays into the text window eventually scrolls across the top of the screen, confirming the message got through.
The main and alternate chat windows also have other purposes. A prime example of this is what the developers called ‘dot-commands’, a series of preprogrammed instructions that can be entered into the main chat window (or the alternate MSFS one) that serve a variety of useful functions. For example, entering ‘.metar <airport>’ will call up the current weather conditions at that airport in the window. And then there’s ‘.com1 <frequency>’, which inputs whatever frequency you specified into that specific MSFS radio. Some of them even access options that are normally found in the START menu, a handy little shortcut that’ll save you some time. A differing text function of the add-on is private chat. Accessed through the SB3 START menu (or via dot-command), it allows users to contact whomever they wish on a private channel, independent of all others who might be monitoring the frequency. All that is needed is the specific callsign of the user you wish to contact, and once entered, a discrete chat window pops into existence. As long as the user uses this specific window, he or she can shoot the breeze about whatever might come to mind, regardless of their location in the VATSIM world. No specified frequency is required. While in VATSIM, I found that this separate chat window was used more often than not for a variety of reasons (general questions, ATC clearances, requests, etc), as to not clutter the main window that everyone is watching. And Now, Let’s Talk… Texting is all fine and well, but many an MSFS user got the sim in the first place for a certain sense of realism. And let’s face it, voice communication is oodles more realistic when trying to emulate the back and forth talking between pilots and ATC. Once again, SB3 is there, with simplicity at it’s finest. In order for voice communication to take place, you must tune into an available ATC frequency that is voice-capable (ie – must be using a voice-server). How does one determine if it is? At the bottom-right of the SB3 main window, there will status message indicating whether or not it is (‘text-only’, or ‘voice+text’). If available and in range (no talking to a facility far and away on the other side of the world), you just have to pull the mic close to your lips (you do have one, don’t you?), hold down the assigned key, and blab away. Release it to listen and, congratulations, you doing things just like the real boys and girls in the real-flying world do. As with texting, the user has the option to either broadcast in the open for everyone on the frequency to hear, or on a discrete, more private one (technically still the same frequency, but no one else is privy to the transmission), also known as private voice. Unlike private chat, at least one user must provide a voice server for all to connect to; the rest of the party simply joins up. Double check the assigned transmit key in the options menu; it has to be completely different from the one you are using for normal voice communications. In either case, the clarity of voice transmission does vary on SB3, although I doubt this has much to do with the program itself. SB3 does provide a mic calibration protocol upon the program’s initial use (accessable at any time afterwards via the option menu), and it’s pretty foolproof. Instead, I came to believe that the inconsistancies tend to fall to the ‘other’ factor. The differing mic/speaker configurations being employed by simmers are about as varied as the differing voice servers out there on the network. Same can be said about mic usage technique, too. So when I took those into account, it wasn’t entirely surprising how wide the spectrum was in terms of quality. But I’ll add this; when I listened in on ATC controllers (the people most likely to have a set standard on equipment and use of the same), their voices tended to come in crystal clear, five by. Finally, The Other Stuff. As previously noted, SB3 employs it own AI aircraft. Composed of a library of two individual sets; one from the previous rendition of SB, and the other developed by a company dubbed ‘VIP’. It provides a massive database of planes that can be matched to each user on the network. I’ve seen everything from the Concorde all the way down to Cessnas, and every major carrier’s livery that easily comes to mind. To give you an example of how extensive this combined library truly is, a generic plane with a red ‘?’ mark is supposed to be used as a stand-in should the library not contain a reliable match… and I have yet to see that ‘?’ mark. An added bonus – it’s expandable should you not find that favorite aircraft or scheme you want to use and have a skin to add. As for the quality of these AI planes, they are exactly what you’d expect of a visual model intended to save on PC performance; not spectacular, but overall pretty decent. Depending on the accuracy of input the user chose during the connection process, a current livery (if available) will be displayed for all behold; otherwise, a generic VIP exterior skin will be displayed. The most important thing is that they do a great job populating the world without tearing into the FPS (using the default SB3 settings for their display), and did show up on the variety of readily available TCAS systems that I used (PMDG, Reality XP, Eaglesoft, and PSS versions tested).
The other item is weather, which the servers that SB3 use provides during the session. Current weather is constantly updated as the user’s aircraft moves along, acquired from the closest reporting station. Unfortunately, this default weather engine isn’t exactly perfect. It’s somewhat lacking in some visual details (in one memorable thunderstorm flight, I never saw precipitation, nor lightning for that matter), it does not interpolate in the absence of a reporting station, nor smoothes out weather as one transitions from one reporting zone to another, all once again in the name of saving the FPS performance. The good news is that it’s possible to turn off its engine through the OPTIONS menu if you prefer to use an alternate weather generating program.
Performance • - Baseline Tests Parameters: resolution – 1280X1024x32 locked @ 30.0, detail – MAX, autogen – OFF, weather - Detailed Not surprisingly, running SB3 does have an impact on the frame rates (when has running an MP session not hit a little harder?). How severe this hit comes depends on the number of users on the server, whether voice is being used (and how heavy that voice traffic is), configuration for the AI traffic, and what 3rd party applications are being employed. To give you an idea of how hard things come in SB3, I flew four different planes while using the utility under the conditions listed above. As people are constantly coming and going, it was nearly impossible to conduct the entire test under an equal load. However, I tried to obtain numbers based off a heavily trafficked area, including a 3rd party airport scenery (but no other add-ons), at a given time of day. The last column reflects values while enroute and well away from the airports. All figures were obtained when using the 2D panel view.
Stability-wise, I can’t confirm whether or not SB3 lives up to it’s claim of being an improvement over previous releases (I never tried them), but I was impressed by how little any serious problems popped up. In the 50 hours of testing, the only constant flaw I found was a tendency for the sim to momentarily freeze for a second or two, after which things went back to normal. The frequency of these freezes seemed to rise linearly with traffic congestion - the more crowded the skies, the more the pauses – but in my last session flying in from Norcal to Socal with a lot of chatter going on, I had perhaps three or four pauses in an hour. In talking with numerous pilots and controllers out there, there was a general belief (mine included) that such issues tend to be more of a bogged-down server than an internal problem with SB3. Other than that, I recall two incidents of voice communication issues that required a reconnection on the part of the affected party to correct (on both occasions the controller), and then there was one time when I was bumped off the network entirely. Not perfect, but really good considering the length of the testing period. Again, there was no solid evidence that this was a problem with SB3 itself. In terms of compatibility with other software, the only issue I ever found was the Transponder not responding to clicks when I wanted to go from Standby to Active mode. This was because the chosen aircraft’s own transponder overrode the command; if I was to change modes, I had to do it on that plane’s communication panel. Other than that, there was nothing to note. Summing It Up When it comes to SB3, the question, “Should I get it?” doesn’t really apply. After all, its usage is required if you want to get on the VATSIM network, and as it’s the preferred utility for that organization. If you intend to operate in the virtual controlled world, you’re going to have to use SB3 or a similar product. Nice that it’s free, huh? Now was it pleasant to use? You bet. I found this software to be everything that the website promised. Considering what VATSIM needs in order to do what it does, SB3 is about as user-friendly as it gets. Whatever shortcomings there are, there were good reasons for them, and work-arounds exist if you really need to have things just right. Besides its good performance, SB3 is intuitive yet it's simple operation kept the learning curve low while providing minimal headaches during the actual flying. After all,
who needs a headache when they’re flying? |
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