TCAS and VATSIM

[Paul Deemer 13]

Doing a flight from SCEL to SCIP I just noticed the following. After an Aircraft passed 1000 feet below me going the other way I never picked him up on TCAS. I did have to reload a saved flight earlier after I froze up in the middle of the flight. What I found out was if you reload a saved flight sometimes the TCAS stops working. To get it to work again hit the TCAS Test Button. I did that after he passed me and then I finally picked him up on TCAS behind me.

[falcon999 24]

What are the NGX options you have set in the FMC for TCAS?

[HiFly 16]

I have noticed the same problem and it seems to be anoyingly inconsistent. Sometimes pressing the "test TCAS" button will bring it back but often nothing works. I have experimented with different setups in FMC (e.g., "filtered" with 2000, 4000, 6000, as well as with no filtering.) None of the settings eliminates the problem. It will sometimes display air traffic in the distance but will not display traffic in close proximity even if within 1000 ft! This could be somehow memory related since it will suddenly be non-responsive and show nothing and then awhile later during the same flight it will suddenly begin displaying correctly again. NGX is memory intensive and this may be the FSX scenery engine load-shedding when overstressed(?) Again so many of the inconsistencies we all have been experiencing with NGX could in fact be FSX-related but just never have presented themselves because other simulations are so much less memory/CPU demanding. I fly with UT2 at 100% and FSX ATC traffic avoidance alerts are a joke. I need my TCAS fully operational!

[xgunther 1]

I can confirm this.

[vololiberista 205]

You must remember that TCAS doesn't display "every" a/c within range. It is selective both in reality and in the sim. Its decisions are based on: "interesting" / "quite interesting" / "very interesting".In other words if it doesn't consider an a/c to be a potential threat you won't see it.vololiberista

[xgunther 1]

You must remember that TCAS doesn't display "every" a/c within range. It is selective both in reality and in the sim. Its decisions are based on: "interesting" / "quite interesting" / "very interesting".In other words if it doesn't consider an a/c to be a potential threat you won't see it.vololiberista

Well then apparently TCAS finds VATSIM traffic less than amusing. Har. Har.

[Alaaar 34]

Hi, NGX TCAS doesn't display any of VATSIM traffic, not on my system and not under any condition :)

[hollins.t 0]

Hi, NGX TCAS doesn't display any of VATSIM traffic, not on my system and not under any condition :)

That is weird. I flew KMCO-MKJP the other day on VATSIM and watched an American 767 pass about 7NM off my right wing 1,000 feet above me, showed on TCAS the whole time. Not sure if the program used to connect to VATSIM has any effect on it, but I use FSINN.

[Alaaar 34]

That is weird. I flew KMCO-MKJP the other day on VATSIM and watched an American 767 pass about 7NM off my right wing 1,000 feet above me, showed on TCAS the whole time. Not sure if the program used to connect to VATSIM has any effect on it, but I use FSINN.

Hi I think you are right Tory, I use SB4 and last night there was a lot of traffic around and they did not shown on my MFD, I have to use VATspy for that purpose sometimes which is ruining the realism as you know.

[Renzo 0]

That is weird. I flew KMCO-MKJP the other day on VATSIM and watched an American 767 pass about 7NM off my right wing 1,000 feet above me, showed on TCAS the whole time. Not sure if the program used to connect to VATSIM has any effect on it, but I use FSINN.

I think indeed that does the difference. SB and FSINN add aircraft differently. FSINN adds them as a real AI traffic, with contrails, lights, touchdown smokes, retracting gear/flaps et all, while SB just simply adds the aircraft for your view I think, not minding the lights, gear, flaps, contrails etc.

[BillC 135]

Not all true Renzo. It only shows some animations (not all the ones listed) IF the matched aircraft model is capable of showing them AND only if that data is transmitted by the other client. I have seen TCAS fail to pick up other traffic when using FSInn and the fix is to run the TCAS test as outlined above.

[WebMaximus 372]

Regardless what client you're using when connecting to an online network I hope PMDG will be able to track this problem down so you don't have to hesitate if your TCAS will warn you or not. It was very long since I last had any problems with the TCAS reliability in FSX before the NGX. Personally I'm doing all my flights on IVAO using IvAp and the same intermittent problems with TCAS seem to be there too...sometimes other traffic show up and sometimes not. The worst thing so far for me was when I was on final through thick clouds and all of a sudden I received a private chat message in IvAp from a pilot just in front of me asking what the f##k I was doing...I nearly caused what would have been a very embarrising midair collision because I didn't see him for all clouds before it was almost too late and the TCAS didn't say a thing nor gave me any TAs or RAs...luckily I just managed to make a steep bank to the right avoiding slamming into the a/c in front of me!

[HiFly 16]

I am finding the TCAS inconsistencies exist with AI traffic I use in UT2 WITHOUT being online. The problem may therefore be in NGX TCAS system rather than an online issue(?) As to Vololiberista's comment, the TCAS setting in the setup menu determines under what conditions the aircraft will be visible. The discrimination referred to relates to whether a threat warning or caution is issued by TCAS not whether a/c is displayed.

[Renzo 0]

Not all true Renzo. It only shows some animations (not all the ones listed) IF the matched aircraft model is capable of showing them AND only if that data is transmitted by the other client. I have seen TCAS fail to pick up other traffic when using FSInn and the fix is to run the TCAS test as outlined above.

Okay I stand corrected Bill, this was just my experience and the reason I switched to FSINN, but heck, you are everywhere! :(

[ajpongress 467]

For traffic to show up, you have to push the TFC button the EFIS panel.It's not on by default.