Impressions and findings after a flight with RCv4

[sotiris 1]

Trying to find my way with this - new to me - program, I made a 40 min flight and here are my own first findings :1. RC does not use the Center frequency I entered in Controller options only. It handed my flight over the FS9 built-in ATC frequency and two other non really existing (random) frequencies. Using irrelevant sector frequencies and changing 4 times for a 40 min flight in a small country is not acceptable in my opinion.2. We all know that the airline industry is continuously changing ( some airlines get out of business and many of them start up ). This results to an increasing number of new callsigns which need frequent update, if someone wants to have a really updated FS ATC. So, I tried to correct some Alpha, Bravo, etc. callsigns within c4.csv (with the correct format) with no success. As soon as a user cannot correct or create callsigns, becomes inconvenient to beg for callsign updates every now and then. I am wondering why c4.csv can't be updated through EditVoicePack. It 'd solve the problem for good. The same for airport names (agents). If not, I have to set from the beginning the whole AI & ATC of FS9, if I finally decide to use RC from now on. To keep my FS updated, I have created more than 200 callsigns & airport agent names the last 6 years. Even FS ATC uses the real airport names and ICAO four-letter codes.3. Something else that sounds strange are the way ATC voices speak sounding like synthesized voices.4. I tried to update v4.0.3675, but instead that button redirected me to rcv4.log (debug). I don't know whether that's the way an update is obtained.5. RC reads frequencies in 5 digits instead of 6 now in real world.6. During approach my flight was cleared to a countercircular FL. It can happen in the real world, but it can't when no other traffic is in the vicinity.7. Is there any way to hear the European aviation jargon instead of the American ?8. Since I have the FSUIPC display on FS screen(the one with red letters)for ATC communication, do I need ADVDISP ? BTW, if I close FSUIPC display hitting "x", how can I restore it ?9. Another thing I noticed was that even though I selected the GATE numbers of both the DEP and ARR airports, RC thought I was in another and directed to another upon arrival. The bad thing was that the GATE I was directed to was occupied.The good thing I noticed was that RC corrects some points of FS ATC behaviour, that's why I want to keep it, provided that I 'll find solutions to the above remarks.Thanks for your time,Sotiris.

[jd 57]

Trying to find my way with this - new to me - program, I made a 40 min flight and here are my own first findings :1. RC does not use the Center frequency I entered in Controller options only. It handed my flight over the FS9 built-in ATC frequency and two other non really existing (random) frequencies. Using irrelevant sector frequencies and changing 4 times for a 40 min flight in a small country is not acceptable in my opinion.2. We all know that the airline industry is continuously changing ( some airlines get out of business and many of them start up ). This results to an increasing number of new callsigns which need frequent update, if someone wants to have a really updated FS ATC. So, I tried to correct some Alpha, Bravo, etc. callsigns within c4.csv (with the correct format) with no success. As soon as a user cannot correct or create callsigns, becomes inconvenient to beg for callsign updates every now and then. I am wondering why c4.csv can't be updated through EditVoicePack. It 'd solve the problem for good. The same for airport names (agents). If not, I have to set from the beginning the whole AI & ATC of FS9, if I finally decide to use RC from now on. To keep my FS updated, I have created more than 200 callsigns & airport agent names the last 6 years. Even FS ATC uses the real airport names and ICAO four-letter codes.3. Something else that sounds strange are the way ATC voices speak sounding like synthesized voices.4. I tried to update v4.0.3675, but instead that button redirected me to rcv4.log (debug). I don't know whether that's the way an update is obtained.5. RC reads frequencies in 5 digits instead of 6 now in real world.6. During approach my flight was cleared to a countercircular FL. It can happen in the real world, but it can't when no other traffic is in the vicinity.7. Is there any way to hear the European aviation jargon instead of the American ?8. Since I have the FSUIPC display on FS screen(the one with red letters)for ATC communication, do I need ADVDISP ? BTW, if I close FSUIPC display hitting "x", how can I restore it ?9. Another thing I noticed was that even though I selected the GATE numbers of both the DEP and ARR airports, RC thought I was in another and directed to another upon arrival. The bad thing was that the GATE I was directed to was occupied.The good thing I noticed was that RC corrects some points of FS ATC behaviour, that's why I want to keep it, provided that I 'll find solutions to the above remarks.Thanks for your time,Sotiris.

1) you'll have to send me a log so i can verify your statement. keep in mind, you would be switched between stratums, as well as being switched between lateral boundaries. the frequencies that are used, are actually from the real world frequencies, at the time the frequency database was created. maybe you can provide more information about your flight, which frequencies were bogus, and whether you were climbing or descending. if you were climbing or descending, maybe you can elaborate on the flight levels you were passing at the time of the handoffs2) if you can tell us what callsigns were missing, we can tell you how to find what's missing, or add the missing ones to our already long list of new callsigns to record.3) i can assure you, and everyone that recorded the controllers and pilots, none of them are synthesized.4) i'm not sure how you could still have version 4.0, when version 4.3 has been the only version available for download for years. could you explain? if you send me an email, i'll be happy to supply the download link for 4.3. if you are running 4.0 - that would explain the issues you mention above, and below. many callsigns were added. the voices were greatly improved. it's a little strange to be new to radar contact 4.0 when it's not been available for years, and your observations here, are based on a way out of date version.5) please explain. if you can give me a reference that you refer to about how frequencies are read. considering the real world controllers and pilots on the beta team, and their pickiness about things like how numbers are grouped, i would shocked that this slipped past their vigilant ears.6) please tell me more. i bing'ed countercircular flight levels and only came up with references to parking decks. what is a countercircular flight level?7) could you elaborate, the proper european phraseology is used in non-USA countries. again this was something that the real world controllers and pilots were very vocal about during development. please give me an example of jargon that was not correct for where you were flying.8) i believe version 4.0 used advdisplay - i honestly can't remember it was so long ago. it was really determined by what version of fsuipc you are using. when fsuipc rev-ed to the version that it performed the display function of advdisplay.dll, advdisplay.dll was no longer needed. but the version 4.3 installed doesn't even install advdisplay.dll, again something that would be an issue if you were at the current version9) unfortunatly, at the time of release of 4.3 - i was not able to determine the available gates, or whether they were occupied or not. that's been addressed in future versions of radar contact.i was curious about your situation, and looked up your contact information.you purchase version 4 on 12/10/2005, requested a key on 12/18/2005more than 5 years later, you're making your first flight? i see where you requested the link to 4.3, i hope you uninstall 4.0, install 4.3. please update fsuipc and makerwys.exe (links provided in pinned topics above). make sure you click the "rebuild rc scenery database" button before loading your first flight plan. then try your flight again.and considering the number of issues/concerns, make sure you generate a log for analysis. please provide the log with your comments. instructions on how to make a log are also pinned to the top of the forum. pay particular note to the steps involving clicking debug BEFORE loading the .pln - that gives me important information about your flight plan in the debug log.while you are waiting for the download to finish, it might prove useful to download the current manual, and give it a thorough reading. it contains important information, and explains many of the things you mentioned here. www.jdtllc.com/v4/rcv43.pdflooking forward to hearing from you soon!jd

[sotiris 1]

1. The requested frequency of Athens Center in that sector was 125.200. Soon after that, I was instructed to switch to 124.475, which is the only frequency (!) assigned by Microsoft to the whole Athens and Makedonia FIR, while at least 8 are active during winter and more than 12 in summer. After that, during cruise, it gave me two other frequencies that were never used by Athens Control, that's 131.450 and 130.200. (I listen to airband frequencies since 1986).2. OK, that's why I addressed to you, to find out how. In that version Aegean Airlines, TUIfly and another one I can't recall were noted during that short flight. But, this is not the case (to bother the developers every now and then about new callsigns-this should be a user edit work).3. No, I didn't imply they were synthesized, but the way the controllers talk is a bit unusual. The phrase is heard divided in tiny intervals and doesn't flow normally as if we hear a robot. 4. Yes, I bought it, installed it and after one flight I noticed some things I did not agree with and I abandoned it. This time though, I was looking for a way to edit sectors and some approach frequencies and remembered that RC would do that, even for a few minutes. As I have already told you, MSFS has assigned only one frequency for all Athens & Makedonia FIR. And as far as I know there is no such interface to edit sector frequencies permanently. Plus of course, to explore more other benefits that RC would have.Another reason to abandon RC at the time, was the lack of some callsigns. It is still for me a dreadfull thought to setup once more that multitude of callsigns that exist since that time. See, with EditVoicePack it's a piece of cake to create a new callsign or airport agent name. BTW, I saw in v5 blog an Airline namely Aegean Airlines of Turkey (!) No Turkish airline has that name, and Aegean Aviation is no more existing with this name - it's Aegean Airlines (Greece). I know it very well for I work for that airline in its Technical Dept.5. Yes, I will explain. Since the introduction of new way of frequency allocation (known as 8.33 MHz, all controllers I hear read all six digits to avoid confusion. They only omit the last two digits when not necessary, i.e. instead of 125.500 they read 125.5.6. Countercircular means "non standard" FL. That's while heading east to assign FL360.7. An example was something I heard in my flight : during a sector handover the pilot replied to Center "we 'll give them a call".8. OK about this, I saw it did nothing and I disabled ADVDISP too.9. What you said was self explained, thanks.But as you say, all those items I noticed have no meaning until checking the newer version.Finally, I will check v4.3 and following your instructions, I 'll check and let you know. In any way, during that flight did not do anything wrong,on pilot's part, that would result to notice any of the above. On the contrary, checked "flight critique" in the end of flight and I was given "congratulations". Thanks for your time,Sotiris.

[ronzie 21]

By the way we have a Greek airline pilot on the beta team.See my comments below:

1. The requested frequency of Athens Center in that sector was 125.200. Soon after that, I was instructed to switch to 124.475, which is the only frequency (!) assigned by Microsoft to the whole Athens and Makedonia FIR, while at least 8 are active during winter and more than 12 in summer. After that, during cruise, it gave me two other frequencies that were never used by Athens Control, that's 131.450 and 130.200. (I listen to airband frequencies since 1986).[RG] RC uses its own fixed internal frequency table for communications. The frequencies were determined from various sources. Not sticky between RC sesions are any changes you make in the controller tab for airport and local control comm frequencies. Enroute strata frequencies are not easily edited. FIR areas were broken down into those mapped at the time by area and altitude strata. In the next version of RC local control comm frequencies will be extracted from scenery afd type files.2. OK, that's why I addressed to you, to find out how. In that version Aegean Airlines, TUIfly and another one I can't recall were noted during that short flight. But, this is not the case (to bother the developers every now and then about new callsigns-this should be a user edit work).[RG] There is another recent thread here that describes the procedure and problems in adding additional callsigns with non-voice synthesis. http://forum.avsim.net/topic/336889-bringing-rc4-into-the-new-millenium/3. No, I didn't imply they were synthesized, but the way the controllers talk is a bit unusual. The phrase is heard divided in tiny intervals and doesn't flow normally as if we hear a robot.[RG] If you have your voice sliders on the voices tabs all the way to the left, you are not using an onboard sound system but a separate card, and your system is not overloaded, the catenated buffered audio phrases should not have disturbing pauses between each phrase.4. Yes, I bought it, installed it and after one flight I noticed some things I did not agree with and I abandoned it. This time though, I was looking for a way to edit sectors and some approach frequencies and remembered that RC would do that, even for a few minutes. As I have already told you, MSFS has assigned only one frequency for all Athens & Makedonia FIR. And as far as I know there is no such interface to edit sector frequencies permanently. Plus of course, to explore more other benefits that RC would have.Another reason to abandon RC at the time, was the lack of some callsigns. It is still for me a dreadfull thought to setup once more that multitude of callsigns that exist since that time. See, with EditVoicePack it's a piece of cake to create a new callsign or airport agent name. BTW, I saw in v5 blog an Airline namely Aegean Airlines of Turkey (!) No Turkish airline has that name, and Aegean Aviation is no more existing with this name - it's Aegean Airlines (Greece). I know it very well for I work for that airline in its Technical Dept.[RG] Aegean Airways may have been requested for historical purposes before its merger with Cronus. Also I assume the merger with Olympic and a pending change of the Olympic name and call sign did not go through. In the current airline database I have for rc5 beta it is still Agean Aviation SA of greece. The .wav file pronouncing AEGEAN, the call sign, exists as does the reference to the ICAO airline code AEE. Only the title used exclusively in the airline drop down is incorrect.5. Yes, I will explain. Since the introduction of new way of frequency allocation (known as 8.33 MHz, all controllers I hear read all six digits to avoid confusion. They only omit the last two digits when not necessary, i.e. instead of 125.500 they read 125.5.6. Countercircular means "non standard" FL. That's while heading east to assign FL360.[RG] Is that an ICAO term?7. An example was something I heard in my flight : during a sector handover the pilot replied to Center "we 'll give them a call".[RG] That's gone but the real world ATC and pilot members of the beta group did ask for some looseness to vary communications phraseology. 8. OK about this, I saw it did nothing and I disabled ADVDISP too.9. What you said was self explained, thanks.But as you say, all those items I noticed have no meaning until checking the newer version.[RG] User input is always welcome especially before feature freeze and release.Finally, I will check v4.3 and following your instructions, I 'll check and let you know. In any way, during that flight did not do anything wrong,on pilot's part, that would result to notice any of the above. On the contrary, checked "flight critique" in the end of flight and I was given "congratulations". Thanks for your time,Sotiris.