PMDG FMC route errors Help!

[teofilo 11]

Hey guys,I've been using the PMDG 737 forver now. I am used to the aircraft and everything works great, except for the FMC on some routes.I fly a lot out of Panama MPTO to many destinations. Usually I have no issues entering the airways, etc and everything fits in well. However, I've been having issues with the route to Miami. The airway starts at TBG so I enter a direct TBG on the FMC, then I want to use the UG435 airway that goes all the way up to GCM Grand Cayman VOR. For some reason the FMC sends an Invalid entry, like if the airway doesn't exist. Very strange behavior on the FMC. I always used it that way, now I had to reinstall and I am seeing these issues.Any suggestions?Thanks,Teo

[downscc 1,327]

I just checked my copy of airac 0706 and it has UG435 with the following fixes:UG435 001 KARUL 20.000000 -81.800278UG435 002 GCM 19.289394 -81.372033However, just two fixes (TBG is not on that route for whatever reason)... try DIRECT TBG DIRECT KARUL thence UG435.You can find the fixes for any route by looking inside wpNavRTE.txt file located in the FMCWP/NAVDATA folder. A search for UG435 found the above; likewise, you can search TBG and see what routes connect to it. Unless the fix is on the route in this file the FMC will not make the connection.

[Guest samrec]

I have flown that route a few times myself. I always go over Taboga's Island, but I use FSNav to create my routes and export from there to PMDG's route format. I do manual corrections to the route so they look more accurate and real every now and then specially for the approach part of it, and the FMC for me works great that way.cheers

[teofilo 11]

Hmmm.. weird..The route starts from TBG all the way up to GCM and beyond.I would add the missing waypoints to that route but I don't know if it's easy or not.Let me know if you know how to edit the route manually.Regards,Teo

[Jeff Nielsen 1,386]

Teo,If you're using outdated navdata like I am--waiting for Navigraph, this is what I do to help minimize typing time in the CDU.Let's say you have flight plan ready from whatever source you got it from.1. Go input that route into the simroutes.com 'route generator'. This will ensure that the airway segments/waypoints along the airway show up in the details section. *Side note: If you're using NATS/PACOPS from routefinder or another site, you will probably have to convert the lat/longs to the simroutes format(make sure you've printed your new simroutes 'trip ticket' for easy viewing)2. Let's say you're now entering your flight plan into the FMC and you get to an airway that has changed somehow since your last navdata cycle, or there is an error for some reason in the cycle's d-base.3. You get the error as you describe.4. Go back to the legs section of the FMC and find out where you left off at and cross ref. it with your printed out FP and manually enter the rest of the legs along that airway(s) which is giving you the error. This way, you'll technically still be on that airway even though you didn't manually enter that airway in the route 'page' of the FMC.*Side note 1: Make sure when entering the FMC flight plan you have first entered the correct starting and ending points of each airway(s) in the legs portion of the FMC.** Side note 2: Make sure that you have selected the correct (geographically) waypoint if it's a duplicate. Usually the first one is correct (or closest to your route). Sometimes you can tell by looking at the frequency of the waypoint/navaid or you may have to actually find the lat/long to make sure it's correct. 5. (optional) Now, some of you may be wondering why I'm always going back to simroutes. It's because I can then select the aircraft and download that flight plan in FS format where I can then 'import' it into Active Sky to get my detailed weather report.Be sure to leave out the SID/STAR portion in the actual FP line in simroutes before downloading the FP...that way you don't get false distances therefore getting a more accurate ETA from Active Sky.Hope this helps :-)

[downscc 1,327]

Yes you can edit the wpNavRTE.txt file with any text editor. Here is the existing (0706) text for the route:UG435 001 KARUL 20.000000 -81.800278UG435 002 GCM 19.289394 -81.372033Insert a line to change it to read:UG435 001 TBG XX.XXXXXX -XX.XXXXXXUG435 002 KARUL 20.000000 -81.800278UG435 003 GCM 19.289394 -81.372033Put the correct coordinates for x's, should be able to copy and paste these from UG434, which has an entry for TBG already.The only trick is to use spaces, not tabs, for white space and make sure the columns line up with the info above and below.The file is found in your FMCWP/NAVDATA folder.

[teofilo 11]

Then the AIRAC files are not correct for that airway. How do you calculate the numbers (Coordinates) of each fix along the way?I wish someone could fix the AIRAC files so that the airways are depicted correct specially when NAVIGRAPH is charging for the service.Teo

[Guest samrec]

Well Teofilo since I use FSNav to generate the route I do all corrections there there before exporting to PMDG file format (*.rte) making sure I stay on the right airways as I move along.FSNav does has it faults as it likes to do really short turn approaches and in some cases even on take off. So that's why I check all the waypoints along the route and trying to avoid any "FixXX" waypoint that FSNav might have inserted as this can cause problems with the FMC.I still have an error everytime I fly from PANC, something about a runway not on file, but it works out ok, I just ignore the error.cheers

[downscc 1,327]

Teo: The coordinates for TBG are one line above in the file I provided the patch for... or did you look? Second, have you specific problems with the navigraph product that you have communicated to them for resolution... or are you just in a bad mood today. Never mind... I shouldn't post this, or not.