I tried out the new SP2 in a Norway tour. Cruise altitudes <11000 ft, Standard Mode used.

 

Overall SP2 scored high:

OC work much better (I would say 100%), winds and visibilities are true.

Somehow cloud popping was much better also, but I am not sure if this was due to short legs, or a SP2 improvement.

 

Issues:

OAT is questionnable; I have seen 0celsius at 8000ft, while ground was M01-M04. Not sure, but seems that up to these altitudes OAT (and probably pressure) stays at around ground levels and not dropping.

The only major failure I saw was at ENAT where I could see the runway from 17DME, while the METAR was as below:

ENAT 141550Z 16009KT 2200 -SN V010 m044/M06 Q0996 RMK WIND 700FT 17017KT RMK SUPPRESSED

On approach, I had SCT-BRK. Snowfall and winds as reported. Visibility conditions matched METAR only after touchdown. Don't know if ASE was tricked by the fact that clouds were not included in the METAR.

 

PS1: I have lost thunderstorm sounds (this is the case even before SP2). All other sounds (incl. preciptation) are ok. Can anyone provide a tip please, on what to look for?

PS2: ASE is a great product that only got better with SP2. All the years of development are visible in the final product. It is great that it comes with integrated graphics with all the "Wx influenced" functionality that is included. It is also great that it provides all the tuning options that it does; there are a lot of other addons for less important functions than the weather that have far more complex tuning/setup requirements and nobody is complaining. I think most of the ASE customer base really like the offered package and firmly believe that is on the right track. I have the feeling that a lot of recent "customer complaints" push ASE to a "simplified" future version, which definitely is not the way to go. Of course there are problems in ASE, but they are only secondary to the overall result, and in fact there is a continuous effort behind the product for improvement. This thread here http://forum.avsim.net/topic/389786-getting-the-best-weather-depiction-for-your-type-of-flying was long due (despite the detailed manual) so we all understand the limitations and what to expect (it would not be a bad idea if ASE people elaborate further on this post, so we all get more "literate" on FSX weather intricacies).

You should try out DWC mode. Its pretty much on the money for me. BTW where were you flying in Norway today? You must have been right on or behind the pressure ridge. It was 11C in Stockholm today. Still holding at 10 actually right now.

I think that Standard is one of the recommended modes for low (IFR or VFR) flights. Anyhow I like the variety it gives.

I was over Bodo-Evenes-Andoya-Bardufoss-Tromso-Sorkjosen-Alta. I have 3-4 to go more up north and will end up at Kirkenes.

I am following more or less the airports enhanced at "Airports of Norway" (http://www.flightsim...norge/1296.html, http://www.flightsim...earchid=2575004), plus 3-4 really interesting approaches not included (yet) in the package. I started from Oslo and heading up north, small legs 60-160nm.

BTW, this a great freeware project covering a lot of challenging airports (in quite a challenging weather). What is also great about this package is that it is focused in correct "technical" design (runways, navaids, PAPI's), combined with a great local mesh. In total, gives the avid simmer a fantastic playground, in a country that, in total, most probably is the best flying experience in Europe, shoulder to shoulder with VFR Switzerland. Norway has the additional attraction that most challenges can be tackled in IFR (for those who prefer this).

 

PS: for those interested in Norway, besides the known commercial sources, there is THE official freeware source for maps and airport data (https://www.ippc.no/...rent/index.html).

About the temp thing... Shouldn't the temperatures at TOC and TOD be something like -12 instead of the ones shown?

@Abax2000, it's possible there was an inversion going on at the time. I'm sort of going on the wind direction which would indicate the cold front hadn't yet come through, and often ahead of it is a warmer air mass that will have a bit of an inversion to it. That's a guess on my part, but an educated one.

 

On the Norway scenery, Andrew Thomsen and company have done a spectacular job of the Norwegian Airports and terrain as you noted. He is one of the "really good guys" in this sim world as his work is first class all the way, and it's all freeware. On top of that, he's a really nice guy :smile:. Like you, I highly recommend his scenery.

Your cruise altitude is only 5000 ft. Very unlikely the temp will drop 10 C in 5000 ft. unless you get caught with the front coming thru and with variable winds at 2 or 3 knots your still on the east side of the ridge.

@Abax2000, it's possible there was an inversion going on at the time.

Are inversions simulated? Didn't know that (I would be surprised). Glad to find another Norway and Andrew fan!

 

Your cruise altitude is only 5000 ft. Very unlikely the temp will drop 10 C in 5000 ft. unless you get caught with the front coming thru and with variable winds at 2 or 3 knots your still on the east side of the ridge.

If inversion are not simulated, then calculating with standard lapse rate would turn a drop of at least 8.5C. That would mean -10C at 5000ft. Except if I have the math wrong.

 

 

BTW, could somebody advise on this?

 

PS1: I have lost thunderstorm sounds (this is the case even before SP2). All other sounds (incl. preciptation) are ok. Can anyone provide a tip please, on what to look for?

Also just to avoid confusion - ASE is a different product that AS2012 - in your OP you are talking about ASE but in later posts you show screen caps from AS2012.

 

Were you meaning AS2012 all the time?

 

Thanx,

 

Vic

My wrong. It is AS2012.

 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Just to clarify and confirm, the standard lapse rate is approximately 2 degrees Celcius per 1000ft of altitude so 10 degrees drop in 5000ft is about right on. Inversions are of course simulated in AS2012 as we are using actual aloft data and depict aloft data pretty accurately especially in DWC mode.

 

However, the temperature shown for TOC/TOD is mirroring the setting for surface information for departure/destination/alternate. Unchecking that will show the correct aloft information for TOC/TOD. I know this is not quite intuitive, and we are working on improving that.

Just to clarify and confirm, the standard lapse rate is approximately 2 degrees Celcius per 1000ft of altitude so 10 degrees drop in 5000ft is about right on. Inversions are of course simulated in AS2012 as we are using actual aloft data and depict aloft data pretty accurately especially in DWC mode.

Good to have these confirmed straight by the horse's mouth.

As a side note on this: WInds aloft in Standard mode "look" usually ok, meaning that you get what is shown in AS2012 list. Nevertheless, there is a warning that winds aloft data in this mode can be inaccurate. Does this mean that the list can have some inaccuracies in the first place (but the depiction is real to the list)?

 

 

However, the temperature shown for TOC/TOD is mirroring the setting for surface information for departure/destination/alternate. Unchecking that will show the correct aloft information for TOC/TOD. I know this is not quite intuitive, and we are working on improving that.

Thanks for this info: sanity check ok :rolleyes:

I would still need some help on the following.

It is not SP2 related (not even AS related I suppose) but cannot get around it.

So if anyone has something to chip in please do.

 

PS1: I have lost thunderstorm sounds (this is the case even before SP2). All other sounds (incl. preciptation) are ok. Can anyone provide a tip please, on what to look for?

I would still need some help on the following.

It is not SP2 related (not even AS related I suppose) but cannot get around it.

So if anyone has something to chip in please do.

 

Not at my flight system so I am guessing here but check in your FSX sound folder for something like thunder.wav and see if you can play it manually. It's possible some add on changed/removed it.

 

Vic

Good to have these confirmed straight by the horse's mouth.

As a side note on this: WInds aloft in Standard mode "look" usually ok, meaning that you get what is shown in AS2012 list. Nevertheless, there is a warning that winds aloft data in this mode can be inaccurate. Does this mean that the list can have some inaccuracies in the first place (but the depiction is real to the list)?

 

Standard Mode and Smooth Cloud Transitions mode are subject to improper depiction by FSX due to internal FSX interpolation issues. The data will be fine, its the depiction that can result in wind shifts and improper wind directions. This affects aloft winds only.

Not at my flight system so I am guessing here but check in your FSX sound folder for something like thunder.wav and see if you can play it manually. It's possible some add on changed/removed it.

Vic

 

The files are in place and they can be played. Level and everything also seem normal when played this way.

i played around with the settings of the audio driver (onboard Realtek), and using "Loudness Equalisation" (augments only subtle sounds) the thunders are juuuuust hearing (with slider full and others at 40%). Which was not the case. Something/somehow has changed the balance of the sounds in FS. Any idea how this can be tuned besides the sliders?