I set up a flight plan that ends at a VOR that is the IAF for a runway but of course the runway has not been assigned as I am at the departure airport. Everything is great and I fly along interacting with ATC and when I get to the last waypoint prior to the VOR mentioned, I get clearance to ILS runway xx. I have to go to my CDU and select that ILS from the Dep/Apr key and when I do (and the hit EXEC) the approach lights up on the expanded map mode showing the "route" in the magenta color.I then click APP on the MCP and the CDU flashes Invalid Nav and the APP light will not light. I notice my radio stack has the incorrect frequency for the ILS in the NAV1 box. I cannot change the frequency on the radio stack. My cursor changes to the hand with the +/- signs but I cannot change the frequency in the standby radio nor can I switch to the frequency currently in the standby box. It just ignores my mouse wheel movements.I have selected Tune on Contact in RC and that works fine. What am I missing? Why can I not change the frequency manually and why did RC not select it for me?I turned off the AP and landed manually and then when I taxiied in and shut everything down, I could then change the frequencies after I got my report from RC and it ended.I am flying the PMDG 737-700 NG under FS9.Being a real pilot of a Bonanza F33A with an IFR rating I must say this is a great add-on and I am really enjoying using it. I have only about 4 flights under my belt with it and this is the first one where selecting the approach didn't work out.Thanks.John

If you have tune on contact or autotune selected that only applies to comm1 radio. RC does not turn VOR/ILS/NDB nav facilities.The pilot tunes the nav frequencies. The only PMDG that tunes the ILS that I am aware of is the 747. I have the 737NG 6/7 and 8/9 series.The RC copilot may not tune comms or operate the PMDG aircraft correctly since they use a non-standard FS interface.To tune the navs on the PMDG if you are getting the hand with the +/1 surrounding the tuning knob try a left click to change in the indicated direction. The area around the standby frequency (right) tuning knob is divided by a quadrant. Upper left is + whole frequency, lower left is - whole frequency, upper right is + decimal frequency, and lower right is - decimal frequency. The mouse wheel should also work in those positions.In a full version of FSUIPC there is an option on the general page to fix control acceleration. I'm not sure about the limited version if you are using RC to register it.You also need to make sure in Windows that you have your mouse wheel set to a scrolling mode in your mouse driver. Also make sure your nav panel/main panel is active, not the RC FSUIPC window.RC does not use the mouse wheel.

If you have tune on contact or autotune selected that only applies to comm1 radio. RC does not turn VOR/ILS/NDB nav facilities.The pilot tunes the nav frequencies. The only PMDG that tunes the ILS that I am aware of is the 747. I have the 737NG 6/7 and 8/9 series.The RC copilot may not tune comms or operate the PMDG aircraft correctly since they use a non-standard FS interface.To tune the navs on the PMDG if you are getting the hand with the +/1 surrounding the tuning knob try a left click to change in the indicated direction. The area around the standby frequency (right) tuning knob is divided by a quadrant. Upper left is + whole frequency, lower left is - whole frequency, upper right is + decimal frequency, and lower right is - decimal frequency. The mouse wheel should also work in those positions.In a full version of FSUIPC there is an option on the general page to fix control acceleration. I'm not sure about the limited version if you are using RC to register it.You also need to make sure in Windows that you have your mouse wheel set to a scrolling mode in your mouse driver. Also make sure your nav panel/main panel is active, not the RC FSUIPC window.RC does not use the mouse wheel.

I start FS9 and I can click and change all radios. I start RC and select a flight plan (I have not yet Clicked Start RC). I return to FS9 and I cannot click and tune then radios. I reset the flight and then I can click and tune the radios. Strange but it works.John

A workaround then for whatever reason would be to start RC first and load your plan. Start FS loading your flight and any weather program getting your weather set up and written to FS. From full screen FS alt-tab to RC and press the start button. RC will minimize and FS will be active or alt-tab back to FS. Does that help?

I start FS9 and I can click and change all radios. I start RC and select a flight plan (I have not yet Clicked Start RC). I return to FS9 and I cannot click and tune then radios. I reset the flight and then I can click and tune the radios. Strange but it works.John

A workaround then for whatever reason would be to start RC first and load your plan. Start FS loading your flight and any weather program getting your weather set up and written to FS. From full screen FS alt-tab to RC and press the start button. RC will minimize and FS will be active or alt-tab back to FS. Does that help?

Yes, I did get it to work by "sequencing" the start order of the programs which is no big deal. I know this will sound totally crazy, but on final I was told to contact tower and I did. Tower came back and gave me a winds reading (very normal), and then when the option for 7 to acknowledge appeared and I pushed 7, the overhead panel of the PMDG 737NG disappeared. I pushed P to pause and nothing happened. I then realized that Shift + 7 is the sequence to display the overhead panel. I pushed just the Shift key and then tried 7 and the acknowledgment worked fine and then so did P to pause. I am using the PMDG 737NG with Ground Environment Pro, Ultimate Traffic, Ultimate Terrain, and RC4. No issues on the flight except for that. I actually don't mind tuning the frequencies manually as that is how we have to do it in the real thing.Any ideas? I will do another short flight and turn on the debug to create a log file.John

The default PMDG key mappings are not the best. I have a few of their mapping set to the letters of the panel call-up icons. You get to them by opening the 737NG, accesing the FS menu, then click on PMDG and you'll get the dropdown leading to keyboard mapping. Clear-out what you don't need. My RC menus are numbers 0 through 9 plus the = sign for repeat. None of these are combination.I also clear out what I don't want in FS.The idea is to avoid conflicts among all of the add-ons.I'm in XP SP2. If you are in Vista I wonder if security issues are involved. I am not having any problem with the RC tune on contact option.Finally, be sure you disable the 737NG keyboard capture if you use it for FMC setup as that will prevent RC menu items from receiving your keystrokes due to conflicts.

Yes, I did get it to work by "sequencing" the start order of the programs which is no big deal. I know this will sound totally crazy, but on final I was told to contact tower and I did. Tower came back and gave me a winds reading (very normal), and then when the option for 7 to acknowledge appeared and I pushed 7, the overhead panel of the PMDG 737NG disappeared. I pushed P to pause and nothing happened. I then realized that Shift + 7 is the sequence to display the overhead panel. I pushed just the Shift key and then tried 7 and the acknowledgment worked fine and then so did P to pause. I am using the PMDG 737NG with Ground Environment Pro, Ultimate Traffic, Ultimate Terrain, and RC4. No issues on the flight except for that. I actually don't mind tuning the frequencies manually as that is how we have to do it in the real thing.Any ideas? I will do another short flight and turn on the debug to create a log file.John

The default PMDG key mappings are not the best. I have a few of their mapping set to the letters of the panel call-up icons. You get to them by opening the 737NG, accesing the FS menu, then click on PMDG and you'll get the dropdown leading to keyboard mapping. Clear-out what you don't need. My RC menus are numbers 0 through 9 plus the = sign for repeat. None of these are combination.I also clear out what I don't want in FS.The idea is to avoid conflicts among all of the add-ons.I'm in XP SP2. If you are in Vista I wonder if security issues are involved. I am not having any problem with the RC tune on contact option.Finally, be sure you disable the 737NG keyboard capture if you use it for FMC setup as that will prevent RC menu items from receiving your keystrokes due to conflicts.

I am XP Pro SP3.I will clear out the key maps for both the PMDG and generic FS as with the yoke and mouse I only need a couple. I remember seeing that you cannot use third-party WX software. Can you use the dynamic weather updated every 15 minutes from within FS9?Please help me understand when you say "disable the 737NG keyboard capture"? I don't understand. I do everything with the mouse for the CDU setup to the FMC.Thanks.John

I use Active Sky 6.5 with FS9. RC gets its weather from FS via FSUIPC. I have used freeware weather prpgrams in the past. I always download the current weather or an archive prior to the flight, make sure the weather writes to FS are complete, and then refresh AI so they follow the current weather and this also forces ATIS to immediately update. You can use FS9 weather if you wish. If you get a weather add-on most state to turn FS dynamic weather off since the add-on may take care of that.On the 373 and maybe 747 PMDG FMCs if you click the right hand area indicated by the FMC handle next to the FMC keypad, you toggle on or off the ability to use your PC keyboard to enter data into the FMC just as if you mouse clicked it in. When enabled this takes priority on PC keyboard capture to prevent conflict and would prevent RC and other programs from recognizing the keyboard commands. I just thought I'd drop this info in just in case.

I am XP Pro SP3.I will clear out the key maps for both the PMDG and generic FS as with the yoke and mouse I only need a couple. I remember seeing that you cannot use third-party WX software. Can you use the dynamic weather updated every 15 minutes from within FS9?Please help me understand when you say "disable the 737NG keyboard capture"? I don't understand. I do everything with the mouse for the CDU setup to the FMC.Thanks.John

I use Active Sky 6.5 with FS9. RC gets its weather from FS via FSUIPC. I have used freeware weather prpgrams in the past. I always download the current weather or an archive prior to the flight, make sure the weather writes to FS are complete, and then refresh AI so they follow the current weather and this also forces ATIS to immediately update. You can use FS9 weather if you wish. If you get a weather add-on most state to turn FS dynamic weather off since the add-on may take care of that.On the 373 and maybe 747 PMDG FMCs if you click the right hand area indicated by the FMC handle next to the FMC keypad, you toggle on or off the ability to use your PC keyboard to enter data into the FMC just as if you mouse clicked it in. When enabled this takes priority on PC keyboard capture to prevent conflict and would prevent RC and other programs from recognizing the keyboard commands. I just thought I'd drop this info in just in case.

Thanks, I'll check the CDU thing out. I sent you a zip of my last log of the flight crash.john

Thanks, I'll check the CDU thing out. I sent you a zip of my last log of the flight crash.john

OK, I did not have the keyboard enabled to enter on the CDU.John