Waypoint Formatting

[zachlog 18]

I want to enter the following navigation instruction to the FMC:"Proceed direct to a point 5 NM on the 131 radial of VOR SAX"I entered SAX131/5.....manual says the decimals are optional for bearing and distance but I tried other formatting combinations also. I got FMC msg "NOT IN DATABASE" for all I tried. Checked the database and SAX is there. I then entered just the waypoint's name (SAX) and the FMC found it just fine.What's the formatting secret for "Place Bearing/Distance Waypoints" ?

[Qavion 19]

As far as I know, it should work.Did you try SAX131/005? or 05?Cheers.Q> イアン

[zachlog 18]

Had tried these formats before, tried them again just in case, did not work.Any other ideas would be appreciated.Zach

[Tabs 2,790]

SAX131/5 should work, that is in fact the correct format. What airport is this at?

[zachlog 18]

>>What airport is this at?JFK/New York. SAX is a VOR northwest of the airport.

[Headley 26]

Hi,I was on ground at VHHX and for testing i entered both the VOR "SAX" and "SAX131/5", both without any problem.Are you sure you entered the fix in this format WITHOUT any spaces?When i enter the fix like this :"SAX 131/5" i get indeed the error NOT IN DATABASE.If i set the space between SAX131 / 5 then i get the error INVALID ENTRY.So make sure no spaces betwee the digits !Hope this helps...

[zachlog 18]

Even though I was sure I had input the string as "SAX131/5", I tried it again and got the same thing...NOT IN DATABASE. I then moved the aircraft (World | Go to Airport) to VHHX and tried it again..same problem.I also checked to make sure I get the same errors as you with improperly formatted entries, and here we differ too. I get NOT IN DATABASE for both "SAX 131/5" and "SAX131 / 5".I never posted this and you did not ask but this problem occurs with the PMDG 747-400X product. If you're using a different product, it could account for the differences in the results. Please let me know if you have any other ideas.Zach

[jordanal 70]

How about differences in NavData cycles? Couln't that also explain it?

[zachlog 18]

In my opinion, it's probably not a cycles issue because:1. NOT IN DATABASE does not occur when I enter just "SAX", i.e., it's in the DB2. Since my last post, I tried entering other valid VORs (e.g., BOS) and in all cases, it is able to find it in the DB when specifying just the name but get NOT IN DATABASE when specifying a VOR name WITH a radial and a distance appropriately formatted of course.This sounds more like a character string manipulation issue.

[Headley 26]

Hi,I'm using FS9 B744 & B744F.My airac cycle is 0713 from navigraph.But ... I think i found why you can't entering that format in FMC : Are you trying to enter this custom waypoint "SAX131/5" in the "ROUTE" page of the FMC?Because if yes, well that is NOT possible! I have tried and get indeed a message "NOT IN DATABASE" appears. Why? well, that waypoint does not exist in the database.You must enter this custom waypoint "SAX131/5" in the "LEGS" page of your FMC !It will then appear as "SAX01". The next manual waypoint with the VOR "SAX" will appear as "SAX02", etc ...If you look then again in the "ROUTE" page of the FMC you will see that "SAX01", "SAX02", ... will appear.So in short : building your flightplan with EXISTING waypoints in the ROUTE page, then modifying the flightplan with custom waypoints in the LEGS page!I'm sure this will help you!

[zachlog 18]

>>I'm sure this will help you!It helped me indeed, this was the problem, thanks a lot. However, I have a follow-up curiosity question if it happens that you know the answer.>>Why? well, that waypoint does not exist in the database1. Which database ?2 If the waypoint is not in the database, why is it able to find it when I specify just "SAX" ? This is the point I was having a difficult time overcoming.Thanks

[Qavion 19]

">>Why? well, that waypoint does not exist in the database1. Which database ?2 If the waypoint is not in the database, why is it able to find it when I specify just "SAX" ? This is the point I was having a difficult time overcoming."SAX is in the (supplied) database, but the pilot-created waypoints (based on SAX) are not.Pilot-created waypoints (SAXHHH/DDD) are not permanently imprinted in the memory of the FMC Nav Data Base... so you may be limited as to what you can do with them.Cheers.Q> イアン

[Headley 26]

>1. Which database ?>2 If the waypoint is not in the database, why is it able to>find it when I specify just "SAX"1. On my system you can find the "database" here :"x:Flight Simulator 9FMCWPNavdatawpNavAID.txt"It is a text-file so with notepad you can easely do a search for "SAX". You will see the waypoint SAX with its full name and geographical data. Just make sure not change anything (except you know what youre doing)!There are other "databases" for the airports, intersections and airways.2. The custom or pilot-made waypoint is calculated through the FMC based on the existing waypoint (SAX) and displayed on your Navigation Display. That is why you can't find this waypoint through the ROUTE-page (NOT IN DATABASE).If ever i make a mistake please somebody correct me;-)

[zachlog 18]

William,Thanks again.For #1...already knew about those files and had looked at them multiple times, which was part of my problem because SAX was in the database and I was getting a msg NOT IN DATABASE.For #2......>>based on the existing waypoint (SAX)By "existing", do you mean previously added to the route other than using the ROUTE page ? If this is the case, I would suggest that the NOT IN DATABASE msg be changed in a future release for this situation to something like NOT IN ROUTE or NOT ADDED TO ROUTE, or something. In my way of thinking, this is a misleading msg...assuming I am interpreting "existing" correctly.RegardsZach

[Headley 26]

>By "existing", do you mean previously added to the route other>than using the ROUTE page ? If this is the case, I would>suggest that the NOT IN DATABASE msg be changed in a future>release for this situation to something like NOT IN ROUTE or>NOT ADDED TO ROUTE, or something. In my way of thinking, this>is a misleading msg...assuming I am interpreting "existing">correctly.By existing i mean "existing"! That means the waypoint must be somewhere in the databases. But this waypoint does not has to be part of the route. So you can easely enter custom waypoints based on a waypoint NOT part of the route (even an NDB, intersection, ILS, ... is OK - for an airport or Rwy i don't know) but they must be "in the database" - thus "existing".Hope i explained me correctly.As for the message "NOT IN DATABASE" i think this is how it is in the real world so i don't think they will change it to something else.