Folks,I dont fly on-line, so I need to purchase either Fsnav or Fsbuild to make my PMDG flying compatible with MSFS ATC, plus help me plan out my flights.This topic may have been discussed before but I've been unable to locate previous threads on this. So my question is, which of these is packages is better? Both from ease of use, features and ease of installation?Appreciate your comments. Does PMDG recommend any particular package?Regards,-Pranav

>Folks,>>I dont fly on-line, so I need to purchase either Fsnav or>Fsbuild to make my PMDG flying compatible with MSFS ATC, plus>help me plan out my flights.>>This topic may have been discussed before but I've been unable>to locate previous threads on this. So my question is, which>of these is packages is better? Both from ease of use,>features and ease of installation?>>Appreciate your comments. Does PMDG recommend any particular>package?>>Regards,>>-PranavI use FSNav after trying FS Build first. I feel that FS Nav has many more features than FS build. The part I like the most about FS NAV is the map view. While you are flying , you can hit the F9 key and immediately a map pops up showing your plane, your route, airports, runways, ILS, VOR, NDB Beacons in your vicinity, as well as the frequencies. You always know exactly where you are and really don't have to invest any money in charts anymore. The flight plans export to both FS for ATC use and to PMDG for installing in the FMC. You can try a demo version but only the pay version allows the exportation of flight plans to PMDG. http://www.fsnavigator.com/

Pranav, with all due respect but do try and search again. This question has been asked many times, especially in the MSFS forum.To not leavy you hanging too much:Which is better? Both are, depends entirely what you want. FSBuild is better for pure serious flightplanning, while FSNav with its moving map is something I use every time I fly.Ease of use? Well, I

Hi Pranav,Both programs are easy to use and install. What you are asking is kind of a tough question to answer because they are both excellent programs and both have there purpose to help you out.If I were you I would purchase FSNavigator first.I would then purchase FSBuild.I recommend having both eventually as you can afford it. To say one is better than the other would be unfair. It all comes down to one thing, how serious of a flightsimmer you want to be. I am using both programs and love both.Hope this helpsVincentCYQR

I use FSBUILD but found Ernie of little or no help when I had a HD crash and lost everything as a result.I sent him my receipt email and he still insisted that I deal with Simmarket which would mean paying another 4 euros for a product which I already own.Just though I should let you know who you would be dealing with. I know little of FSNAV so cannot comment.John http://homepage.eircom.net/~eamonnmca/images/logo_ba.JPGwww.bavirtual.co.uk Senior Captain Simflight.com Staff Reviewer

John, for those of us that have been lucky to attend the AVSIM Conferences we have got to know Ernie personaly. I have sat down with him and gone over numerous "advanced" functions that are build into the program and I still amazed and things I can add to my flight plan. Having said that let me add that Ernie is a hard working and dedicated guy. If you go to his forum he almost always gets back to folks within a day, so I would try that.FSBuild is a very powerful and excellent flight planning tool. It has excellent functions for advanced planning tools like reaitime NAT tracks. I have used FSNav in years past, but find that FSBuild's advaced functions meet my navigatio requirments the best.Bob JohnsonDenver

Bob,I'm not trying to make it sound like Ernie doesnt work hard on FSBUILD, I'm actually very happy with it. Having said that, his attitude towards me and my problem was POOR. I have the emails if anyone wishes to see some proof. I will obviously not post them here as it would be tasteless to do so.FSBUILD is a cracking program, use it for every flight. But be warned-Do not expect help from the developer should you lose your installation file.John http://homepage.eircom.net/~eamonnmca/images/logo_ba.JPGwww.bavirtual.co.uk Senior Captain Simflight.com Staff Reviewer

As I've said in previous threads, FSBuild and FSNav, in my opinion, complement each other nicely. I have both and use both. FSBuild is great for flight planning. Sometimes it will give you a flight plan that isn't what you want. No problem. Just use FSNav to figure out your airways, etc and type it in text in FSBuild and FSBuild will build it for you. I should note that you can also do this in FSBuild, but because the map function isn't easy to use, its much faster to use FSNav.Again, I should also note that you can also do this in FSNav, but with FSNav you have to add each and every waypoint individually which, although its quite easy to do, takes a lot of time. Much faster to type the text version in FSBuild then export to FSNav.For the simmer who isn't hell bent on realism and just want to have a bit of fun with a freeware aircraft, FSNav acts as an FMS that does most of the things that a regular FMC will do. It has SIDS and STARS, flies the aircraft, flies holds, even does altitude and speed restrictions during descent. Plus it auto tunes radio frequencies, and a whole lot more.I use it during my PMDG flights as a moving map to give myself vectors similar to those on the passur airport monitors. This is basically a substitute for a realistic ATC controller.An example: http://www4.passur.com/jfk.htmlSo if you can afford it, get both. If you can only get one at a time, then, if you're one of those realism nuts (like me) get FSBuild first, then FSNav.By the way, FSBuild has a freeware version that you can use to evaluate it.Also, you can download FSNav and install it and use the full version for 20 starts which is alot. After that, the program will ask to be registered.So try them both before you buy.

From: EISN_CONTROL (John)>>I'm not trying to make it sound like Ernie doesnt work hard on>FSBUILD, I'm actually very happy with it. Having said that,>his attitude towards me and my problem was POOR. I have the>emails if anyone wishes to see some proof. I will obviously>not post them here as it would be tasteless to do so.>John,You can post the emails here if you like, you have my permission.Providing you post the full, complete and 'un-edited' versions of our email exchange.Regards.Ernie.

Ernie,Would posting the emails on a public forum result in anything positive coming out of this thread?John http://homepage.eircom.net/~eamonnmca/images/logo_ba.JPGwww.bavirtual.co.uk Senior Captain Simflight.com Staff Reviewer

>>Would posting the emails on a public forum result in anything>positive coming out of this thread?I really don't know.You offered to show it as proof privately , but apparently felt constrained to use it publicly . I merely released you from that public contstraint.Regards.Ernie.

With all due respect to Ernie AND John, please don't post it. And please end this.My personal dealing with BOTH of you guys have been positive, I'd like to keep it that way.Thanks guys!

How do you get FSNAV into the PMDG FMC ? I used the exporter and I can find the flight plan on the nav data page put I cant input it into the active flight of the FMC. What am I doing wrong ?

Pranav,after the few posts above, hmmmmm ... I use both FSBUILD and FSNav ... and would recommend both very highly ... I see them as two different tools ... FSBUILD is a superior flight planner .. very thorough ... you have to read the doc ... but it really is powerful and flexable and exports to every plane and device I know of ... even the venerable ACS-GPS which I use with the RFP-747-200 and Stellan's awesome DC-9. FSNav I believe is indispensible as a moving map ... and I use it on all flights ... even slow plodding GA trips ... it has all the info you want at your fingertips ... need a VOR freq? need some approach data? need to see where you are? ... FSNav is simply great ... and it runs as a module so you can be looking and still flying ... as a flight planner it its also very capable if you like planning with a map ... click to add a waypoint ... very slick ... can't speak of it's FMS, since I don't use that feature to fly the plane.All in all, both products are a VERY VERY WISE INVESTMENT ... really.

I have both FsBuid and FSNav.Both are great.When I purchased FsBuild my ser# would not work. I tried it 50 different ways to the middle. Is that an O or a 0.In any event I contacted Ernie and asked him to email the darn thing to me. He did so, promptly!I copied and pasted to a Notepad file. I then pasted it to the install and presto, worked like a charm.Perhaps it was the wrong font???, dont know for the life of me.I burned it to it's own CD.Ernie got back to me right away.Hats off to Ernie!!!