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ATIS source and SID/STAR questions

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Guest crash_geh

RC is one fine product. (Obligatory blatant attempt to curry favor from the developer :( ).Please answer a couple questions if you will. Where in heavens name does RC get the ATIS information? Today RC ATIS said it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood when Active Sky v6.5 said it was like 500ft overcast with light rain and fog. We're not in the same city, country? Memory thinks it has always been that way, but taking no bets, perhaps I've missed an installation parameter. Now I know that you are SOL when it comes to runway assignment as FS uses some tea leaves to decide which runway the AI aircraft are going to use. Pick another runway and you may get the go ahead (if the runway is at right angles for example, but be prepared to wait up to 45 minutes. Yes I've done it. I fly nothing but heavies by the book (don't know who's book). Use RC v4.2.3831, FSBuild 2.3 v2.3.7.2 build 224, FSUIPC 3.8.5.0, Active Sky 6.5 build 552 and Track IR v4.1 build 36. Use real time updates in Active Sky such that FSBuild has winds aloft data and my trip approximates the real time weather which it does beautifully. I also check the METARs provided by our NWS. BTW, ALL software is at the absolute latest releases. Also use Navigraph to keep the FMC data current as well as FSBuild current. Send flight data to FS2004/GPS (.pln) from FSBuild as well as the rest of my add-on aircraft. Haven't seen any choice specifically for RC, so wondering if it picks up new SID/STAR information from somewhere? Care to comment? If you've answered this before...well I'm an old man (more true every day) and try as I might haven't seen the answer. Or is the answer, don't ask for ATIS. That brings to mind another question. Why can't I leave the ATIS voice going at 122.0? It doesn't say anything unless I specifically tune the frequency and it gives me fairly accurate weather. Then wouldn't have to leave the frequency for 4 minutes to get weather. Wish list or am I doing/missing something or both?Same goes for SIDs and STARs. Out here in the boondocks (Arizona) and Hawaii (fly for Hawaiian Virtual) true especially the SIDs, the first waypoint is sometimes WAY beyond the 30 mile limit for the first WP not to mention there are altitude restrictions for most of this SID- the gall of them. I can bust ATC, but RC calls in the feds at critique time and I look for bail money not to mention doing pennance if I'm listening to the southern lady controller busting my chops while following the SID to a 'T'. Any way to just ignore (via a flag or option) that your SID/STAR may not fit neatly into what the brilliant developer had in mind?Thanks for any help/enlightenment!!! (Not currying favor here...I love the product and appreciate the time that has gone into it.)crash_geh :(

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RC is one fine product. (Obligatory blatant attempt to curry favor from the developer :( ).Please answer a couple questions if you will. Where in heavens name does RC get the ATIS information? Today RC ATIS said it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood when Active Sky v6.5 said it was like 500ft overcast with light rain and fog. We're not in the same city, country? Memory thinks it has always been that way, but taking no bets, perhaps I've missed an installation parameter. Now I know that you are SOL when it comes to runway assignment as FS uses some tea leaves to decide which runway the AI aircraft are going to use. Pick another runway and you may get the go ahead (if the runway is at right angles for example, but be prepared to wait up to 45 minutes. Yes I've done it. I fly nothing but heavies by the book (don't know who's book). Use RC v4.2.3831, FSBuild 2.3 v2.3.7.2 build 224, FSUIPC 3.8.5.0, Active Sky 6.5 build 552 and Track IR v4.1 build 36. Use real time updates in Active Sky such that FSBuild has winds aloft data and my trip approximates the real time weather which it does beautifully. I also check the METARs provided by our NWS. BTW, ALL software is at the absolute latest releases. Also use Navigraph to keep the FMC data current as well as FSBuild current. Send flight data to FS2004/GPS (.pln) from FSBuild as well as the rest of my add-on aircraft. Haven't seen any choice specifically for RC, so wondering if it picks up new SID/STAR information from somewhere? Care to comment? If you've answered this before...well I'm an old man (more true every day) and try as I might haven't seen the answer. Or is the answer, don't ask for ATIS. That brings to mind another question. Why can't I leave the ATIS voice going at 122.0? It doesn't say anything unless I specifically tune the frequency and it gives me fairly accurate weather. Then wouldn't have to leave the frequency for 4 minutes to get weather. Wish list or am I doing/missing something or both?Same goes for SIDs and STARs. Out here in the boondocks (Arizona) and Hawaii (fly for Hawaiian Virtual) true especially the SIDs, the first waypoint is sometimes WAY beyond the 30 mile limit for the first WP not to mention there are altitude restrictions for most of this SID- the gall of them. I can bust ATC, but RC calls in the feds at critique time and I look for bail money not to mention doing pennance if I'm listening to the southern lady controller busting my chops while following the SID to a 'T'. Any way to just ignore (via a flag or option) that your SID/STAR may not fit neatly into what the brilliant developer had in mind?Thanks for any help/enlightenment!!! (Not currying favor here...I love the product and appreciate the time that has gone into it.)crash_geh :(
atis comes from fs. maybe fs hasn't caught up to active sky. maybe there is something in active sky to make the weather snap to the current weather. not sure. but you aren't absolutely on the latest release of rc. that is 4.3 send me an email, i'll send you a linkif a planner has a specifc radar contact save option, don't use it. all i needs is a plain vanilla, .pln file fs9 or fsx format. 4.3 can read both. i don't use sids, star databases. whatever is in the .pln, is what i expect you to fly. if the first checkpoint is inside 30 miles, you're telling me you are going to fly the dp in the .plnsorry about your boondock dp's. i'm trying to do the best for the most. there are always going to be some that fall out. v5 will handle it better.if you still can't get your weather right, make a .log, details pinned at the top of the forumjd

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Guest crash_geh
atis comes from fs. maybe fs hasn't caught up to active sky. maybe there is something in active sky to make the weather snap to the current weather. not sure. but you aren't absolutely on the latest release of rc. that is 4.3 send me an email, i'll send you a linkif a planner has a specifc radar contact save option, don't use it. all i needs is a plain vanilla, .pln file fs9 or fsx format. 4.3 can read both. i don't use sids, star databases. whatever is in the .pln, is what i expect you to fly. if the first checkpoint is inside 30 miles, you're telling me you are going to fly the dp in the .plnsorry about your boondock dp's. i'm trying to do the best for the most. there are always going to be some that fall out. v5 will handle it better.if you still can't get your weather right, make a .log, details pinned at the top of the forumjd

Thanks for the lightning response...the download is going as we speak. My bad on not having latest RC. Assumed that 4.3 was only for FSX. And I thought I was up to date. As to the ATIS. I found a switch in the options of Active Sky that can convert anything it receives to FS2004 .pln We'll see if that does anything. For the record I start up all the software at least 20 minutes before I fly. Depending on the aircraft, it can take an hour from sitting down to takeoff. FSBuild doesn't have anything special for RC. I have FSBuild create flight plans in native FS2004 (.pln) in addition to the specialized plans for the addon aircraft I use.I will continue to beg, grovel, bribe (no not on my retirement), even plead to extend the miles for SIDs/STARs. I realize you code for the masses just consider me a little mass or &@($*, your call. That would complete my enjoyment. I use Flightaware website to get the real flight plans and have a collection of all SIDs are STARs from the AirNav website. Being a professional computer geek for 30 yrs, I love the process for flight as much as the flight itself. Oh yeah, is there any reason not to leave the weather available on 122.0 from Active Sky? Your doc says turn it off. Is that really an issue? I've left it on and have seen no ill effect. When I want wx I tune to it.Neglected to mention that I'm running on Win XP Pro SP3 with all the patches as of today. Way too much money invested in FS2004 and Vista is a nice alpha release (maybe beta with the SP) of an operating system...spoiled by all those years on IBM mainframes with real operating systems. Linux is the closest in PC world but no FS...bummer.Again, may thanks jd :(

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Re: Weather1. I recommend you do not use the FS9 plan convert option in AS. It puts a duplicate field at the beginning of waypoint lines in your FS9 plan when you load it into the AS rout input dialog.2. Make sure your option to refresh AI is turned on in AS when it completes weather writes. Without it you'll see the weather change outside the cockpit but AI and ATIS will not catch up with it until much later. Although I have it set I alway click the Refresh AI tab on the AS main page after weather writes are complete before I set up the FMC so it reads the environment correctly. This also forces ATIS to refresh swiftly and has the advantage of getting rid of the mad departure and arrival bunching of taxiing AI and in the take-off queue. This is due to an FS feature that when a flight is loaded or created every scheduled AI within a certain delayed time window strives to catch up to the current time.

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Guest crash_geh
Re: Weather1. I recommend you do not use the FS9 plan convert option in AS. It puts a duplicate field at the beginning of waypoint lines in your FS9 plan when you load it into the AS rout input dialog.2. Make sure your option to refresh AI is turned on in AS when it completes weather writes. Without it you'll see the weather change outside the cockpit but AI and ATIS will not catch up with it until much later. Although I have it set I alway click the Refresh AI tab on the AS main page after weather writes are complete before I set up the FMC so it reads the environment correctly. This also forces ATIS to refresh swiftly and has the advantage of getting rid of the mad departure and arrival bunching of taxiing AI and in the take-off queue. This is due to an FS feature that when a flight is loaded or created every scheduled AI within a certain delayed time window strives to catch up to the current time.
Thanks Ron for the response. I have turned off the convert .pln feature in AS. I've always had the refresh AI turned on. I've done some other things that cause a refresh, like entering a new route. AS goes out and you pick your flight plan (.pln) and it gets to work to give you a wonderful weather briefing of your path. But will use your method as well and see what happens. I read or hallucinated that FS9.1 was supposed to address the AI bunching problem. Hallucinating? I've usually used a program from Traffic2005, AISmooth11 and that SEEMS to keep things in order, to the degreee FS allows. Now nothing helps much early morning at ORD when the world stacks up to leave Chicago (why would they do that? I know, one week at CBOE in the dead of winter was enough for me.) If a plane sits too long in front of you, your wish for it to disappear is granted and you move up. Not exactly real world, but practical. BTW, I use UT instead of Traffic 2005 as I like to get clearance when my ghost gets clearance (we're obviously flying the same flight and it's departure time hasn't changed for some time). That is not a problem, just an amusement. One question has not been answered. Can I still use the AS feature of tuning to 122.0 to get weather? Or does that hose things up?For anyone considering upgrading. The upgrade was essentially a new install. Use MS to remove the old release and install the new release from the .zip file that jd provides. The rest follows exactly the original install with all the instructions you followed the first time around.One more point. You guys are the best at customer support. I was in computer support for 15 years and to talk to a staff that knows their stuff is a gift that keeps on giving. :( Cheers,crash_gehPS. Oh, please jd, make the zone. for at least the SID, 100 miles...I'd prefer 300, but always willing to compromise. An example is the Molokai Four departure from Honolulu (MKK4.CLUTS) for example. The first WP is on the middle of Molokai, approx 50 miles out, at, don't quote me, 5000ft. I've busted every rule already. I know I'm a pain and feel free to ignore my request....oh, you have...I'll live, but doesn't hurt to ask. :(

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Using 122.0 occasionally does present a conflict I am told. The AS Flightwatch just delivers the current weather around your aircraft from the reporting station you are crossing. You can try tuning your COM2 to that but only allow it on your COM2 speaker leaving COM 1 on ATC.I use UT2007 now and it has presented me with good passenger traffic. I turned off FedEx, UPS, and DLH-Airborne before compiling it and used separately downloaded from AVSIM and flightsim.com cargo AI packages for those since UT (at least in before this version) did not have much in the way of cargo schedules. Remember FS9 can support multiple trafficxxx.bgl files.AI Smooth 1.1 was I believe was delivered with Traffic 2005. You can get the updated freeware 1.12 here:http://www.sg-flightware.de/compiled about 10-26-2006.As I stated, the auto-weather refresh in AS6.5 did not seem to work as fast as the manual one I applied later. It still takes a minute for ATIS to refresh.

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Guest crash_geh
Using 122.0 occasionally does present a conflict I am told. The AS Flightwatch just delivers the current weather around your aircraft from the reporting station you are crossing. You can try tuning your COM2 to that but only allow it on your COM2 speaker leaving COM 1 on ATC.I use UT2007 now and it has presented me with good passenger traffic. I turned off FedEx, UPS, and DLH-Airborne before compiling it and used separately downloaded from AVSIM and flightsim.com cargo AI packages for those since UT (at least in before this version) did not have much in the way of cargo schedules. Remember FS9 can support multiple trafficxxx.bgl files.AI Smooth 1.1 was I believe was delivered with Traffic 2005. You can get the updated freeware 1.12 here:http://www.sg-flightware.de/compiled about 10-26-2006.As I stated, the auto-weather refresh in AS6.5 did not seem to work as fast as the manual one I applied later. It still takes a minute for ATIS to refresh.
Thanks Ron for the info. I downloaded AISmooth this morning...it's 3:20am...who can sleep when you can fly?It is now at ver 1.20Nix on the 122.0. You're right no loss as it is always local weather, though that comes in handy sometimes. One thing I liked about Flight Keeper, the ability to call up that kind of info easily. Will look into the cargo planes...my understanding is that DHL is pulling out of US? Still keep rest of business I suspect. Understand on the multiple traffic files. On a side note this has been a bad year for airlines...like 20+ out of business...Hooters for one...must have got A&P mixed up with T&A?? but my favorite, which I've flown many times in real life is Aloha. Damn go! airlines drove them under. And their parent is based here in Phoenix. Payback is not pleasant...they are in a nice lawsuit last I heard from Aloha. And remember they were the airline of Hawaii 5-0 . They had an old 737 in the paint scheme in vogue during the shooting of 5-0 when I was at PHNL last...what a hoot!Again, thanks for the great info!

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Guest crash_geh
Using 122.0 occasionally does present a conflict I am told. The AS Flightwatch just delivers the current weather around your aircraft from the reporting station you are crossing. You can try tuning your COM2 to that but only allow it on your COM2 speaker leaving COM 1 on ATC.I use UT2007 now and it has presented me with good passenger traffic. I turned off FedEx, UPS, and DLH-Airborne before compiling it and used separately downloaded from AVSIM and flightsim.com cargo AI packages for those since UT (at least in before this version) did not have much in the way of cargo schedules. Remember FS9 can support multiple trafficxxx.bgl files.AI Smooth 1.1 was I believe was delivered with Traffic 2005. You can get the updated freeware 1.12 here:http://www.sg-flightware.de/compiled about 10-26-2006.As I stated, the auto-weather refresh in AS6.5 did not seem to work as fast as the manual one I applied later. It still takes a minute for ATIS to refresh.
One last quick thing. Flying into KLAS this evening and was assaulted by a tight formation of 6 NW MD-80s, guess the AISmooth is worth it.

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That tight formation might have been AI Smooth held aircraft.

One last quick thing. Flying into KLAS this evening and was assaulted by a tight formation of 6 NW MD-80s, guess the AISmooth is worth it.

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