I have a question concerning the Wx-10A. How can I enable it to show some returns?

 

I've set up a major thunderstorm via the FSX dialogue (no weather addon running) and I could see the rain and lightning around me. But the display never gave me more than those four scanning dots.

 

 

The switch has a 'TEST' setting, but I can't reach it (the switch stops at 'FWD') to check the system. I've also tried my weather addons and caught some TS, but still only the four scanning dots while I could see the lightning and rain around me.

 

Is this happening just here (no indication and 'blocked' test setting) or can one of you confirm the issues? :Worried:

I've found out that the actual rw unit has a TST and CLR button. So that switch stopping at FWD is correct, I just can't reach the test feature. Well, not much of a problem. My main concern is the lack of indications.

 

The WX-10A is actually a fake lightning detector. If turned "on" and it's raining, you'll see a bunch of random dots on the screen that only indicate that it's raining... the four sequential dots around the middle simply indicate that the unit is on and actively scanning.

I get the four dots, but nothing more.

 

Here's the manual for the rw unit. Pretty interesting. 3M WX-10A Stormscope Stormscope http://www.stormscop...er_s_manual.pdf

Here's the manual for the rw unit. Pretty interesting.

 

The real world unit is a remarkably good "poor man's" wx radar, and was pretty revolutionary for GA in its time. The part of the world I've been flying in has been so dry this summer (and I've had enough problems with REXE :-< ) that I haven't had an opportunity to test it yet. I'll have to play with this soon.

 

Scott

Let me know how it works for you, Scott. The FSX preset for the bad weather may do.

 

The real world unit is a remarkably good "poor man's" wx radar, and was pretty revolutionary for GA in its time.

I can imagine some pilots being proud and casually mentioning that they are flying planes with a 'weather radar'. ^_^ I mean, that's what I do now. B)

Anyone?

 

Just looking for a confirmation of the issue or perhaps a screenshot that it's actually working in the sim. Come on, one of you surely uses that nice gauge. :P

Just looking for a confirmation of the issue or perhaps a screenshot that it's actually working in the sim. Come on, one of you surely uses that nice gauge.

 

Sorry, I hadn't had a chance to look at mine and as previously mentioned, with the drought and all, almost everyplace I've been flying is dry. So... some tests.

 

First, I looked for some real-world storms in REXE, and plunked myself down in the middle of one at CYBW - Calgary Springbank. Sure enough, as soon as wx loaded I was in the middle of rain and a nice lightning show. Turned on the Stormscope and got: the 4 moving dots but nothing else.

 

Being suspicious (and because I've had enough trouble with REXE lately that I'm about to throw it against a wall - another story for another place) I backed out of FSX and noted that REXE's display didn't actually show storms where I was sitting, even though the loaded METAR was correct and I was getting plenty of sturm und drang injected into FSX.

 

So, I stopped REXE, reloaded FSX and set its wx to Major Thunderstorm, loaded up and: dots all over the place, though the 4 test dots continued to do their thing as well. It appears you do have to have the range switch set to at least the first clickspot from the far left, and range doesn't really do anything after that.

 

I'd call these results puzzling and inconsistent, but at this point I expect the problems I saw had to do with REXE and not the gauge.

 

I'd also admit that my expectations for this thing aren't high, but I do enjoy having it in the panel and getting it to display a few dots around storms is at least a bit of extra immersion. I figured that, at most, it would be a nice little bit of eye-candy, and that seems to be what it is so far on my system.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Scott

Thanks, Scott. This helps a lot. I will test again, but since you wrote that there are more than those four scanning dots, I expect the problem to reside at my end.

 

Spot on on the extra eye candy. I like those WR or scope screens working, not staying black all the time. And that's the small addition of immersion I appreciate on the Baron, among other things of course. Thanks again.

Working! I've jumped into FSX with setting up the weather in the free flight screen and received the dots.

 

But this tip of yours is vital.

It appears you do have to have the range switch set to at least the first clickspot from the far left, and range doesn't really do anything after that.

As one can see in the rw manual, the rw unit has a button for CLR, while our gauge interprets the leftmost switch setting (on the range) as 'clear all the time'. Thanks for pointing that out, Scott.

 

I'm sure it helps some folks wondering on how to receive weather returns.

 

 

On another occasion, I've reverted the current 'major thunderstorm' setting back to 'clear skies' and, with some delay, the weather returns got back to normal (just the scanning dots visible). Works!

 

Good point on REX-E and things. Perhaps the custom ways of the addon weather engines disturb the ways of the gauge to interpret the severe weather.

 

Now back to enjoying this plane.