Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
737guy1

Weather at arrival airport updated late

Recommended Posts

Hi Kevin

 

We cannot prevent FSX redrawing clouds on a weather update. See if the forthcoming weather smoothing helps (we are still beta testing).

 

If you don't like updates then for now get into the habit of manually disabling weather updates (via the addon menu or shortcut controls) and re-enabling them when you want. You can also disable updates on approach, it's best to disable Adjust Options Automatically since they override manual settings.

 

We would usually recommend specifying your destination since if you don't the METAR for your destination may not be correct i.e. it may be older than it should be, but it depends if that bothers you, the choice is yours.

 

If you set the Live Weather Update Distance greater than 192km the LWE will inject the full size 992km x 992km (535nm x 535nm, or 616 x 616 statute miles) region into the simulator, centered on your aircraft. If you fly beyond this region then the weather would not be accurate so you can time your manual updates accordingly.

 

If you want accurate winds at your cruise altitude then you must specify your cruise altitude, but again the choice is yours, you could just update at the start of your flight then disable further updates until required or you pass the boundary of the weather region.

 

Regards

Cheryl

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Cheryl...That was more or less the answer I was expecting. I've kind of mentioned this a couple different times in this forum. :) I'm hoping the weather smoothing options help too.

 

With the latest addition of key assignments or 'hotkeys', would it be possible to add a key shortcut to enable/disable updates then so we don't have to open the menu and do that?


Regards,

 

Kevin LaMal

"Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings" - Shapiro2024

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Should be no problem. See how the cloud smoothing beta dev cycle pans out first, that or the currently considered 'Use Global Weather Above' option will most likely prevent those changes. But if you want accurate weather at your destination it will have to eventually change.

 

Stephen

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

But if you want accurate weather at your destination it will have to eventually change.

 

That's the key statement for me...I totally appreciate the want by some or most for exactly accurate METAR upon arrival, even at the expense of "cloud popping". But, for me, I'd rather have a 45 minute old METAR at my destination but have a smooth approach within the final 100nm to my destination.

 

To elaborate on what I mean by "smooth approach" a little more...I'd like the destination METAR to be set for a final time about 100nm out and then just know that when I get to the airport, it's going to be what it should be as reported in the METAR from the time 100nm ago. Also, to have ATC(Radar Contact in my case) know of this destination weather so when it gives approach clearances/runways, it's giving correct ones and AI is using the same correct approaches/runways. From what I can tell, this would be accomplished then if I just disable weather updates at 100nm from my destination, right?

 

As always, thanks again for the quick responses and listening to maybe slightly different ideas on how someone would like things to work. Excellent support!!! Thank you!!


Regards,

 

Kevin LaMal

"Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings" - Shapiro2024

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You seem to be assuming FSX is capable of storing detailed weather accurately at virtually any distance, irrespective of how limited the memory it can access, or that it even smooths out and morphs METAR weather even 80 miles away. With our method of injection it will be fairly accurate but FSX has many limitations.

 

Stephen

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You seem to be assuming FSX is capable of storing detailed weather accurately at virtually any distance, irrespective of how limited the memory it can access, or that it even smooths out and morphs METAR weather even 80 miles away. With our method of injection it will be fairly accurate but FSX has many limitations.

 

True. Sorry, I sometimes forget what we're dealing with here when it comes to FS itself. So, what would happen then if I did one final update 100nm out and did not update again after that? What would the weather be at destination? What would it be like the remaining 100nm - cloud popping/shifting? Does Opus still "update" as you fly along your route and descend through various altitudes? Does forced recovery and the like still happen if updates are disabled? What would Radar Contact know about when it issues its approach clearance(around 40nm +/- out).

 

Sorry again if these have all been answered before. I am pretty confident I know the answer for some but some are based on previous versions of Opus too and just wonder if that understanding needs to change.

 

Thanks for taking the time again.


Regards,

 

Kevin LaMal

"Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings" - Shapiro2024

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If you perform an update at 100nm out then disable updates the current METAR would be loaded for your destination and no further updates would take place, not even the forced recovery if it hadn't already occured. No idea what Radar Contact would do, you will have to try it.

 

Regards

Cheryl

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I kind of run into this issue from time to time. Love Opus BTW!!!

 

Question to those in the know. I fly short haul commuter flights. CYYC to CYEG and back. Kelowna to Vancouver. and so on and so on.

 

Typical distance based on flightplans pulled from flightaware are 100 to 150 miles and typically 12000 to 18000 feet. I generally fly the JS41 from PMDG in place of a good Beach 1900 or Dash8 and I also fly the B200.

 

Is there an optimum setting for these flights to prevent the "late ATIS". I mean the ATIS and METAR match once I am getting close to intercepting the localizer where I am say... about 10 miles out. What I like to do is call up ATIS about 40 miles out so I can choose an arrival based on an expected RW but this is challenging.

 

I am putting in the destination airport and cruise altitude. Besides that, is there something I am missing?

 

Charles.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Charles

 

If you want to use automatic settings then use the destination weather report (which can be accessed from the shortcut controls) as your long distance ATIS to plan your approach. The LWE will sort everything out for you when you are within 30 miles (i.e. radio contact distance) of your destination. Using any other form of long range ATIS is not guaranteed since it does not take account of how FSX stores weather internally. The destination report can be relied upon for accuracy.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

fantastic!

 

Will you eventually put the Max cruise altitude and destination ICAO option into the "ingame" menu? So that we dont have to bother with the background app GUI?

 

Thanks!

 

Charles.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That's a good idea which we will investigate, although FSX can get easily upset when you access the ingame menu which is why we introduced the shortcut controls. We will find out how easy/reliable it is to bring up a text input dialog from the ingame menu.

 

Regards

Cheryl

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Tom Allensworth,
    Founder of AVSIM Online


  • Flight Simulation's Premier Resource!

    AVSIM is a free service to the flight simulation community. AVSIM is staffed completely by volunteers and all funds donated to AVSIM go directly back to supporting the community. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. Thank you for your support!

    Click here for more information and to see all donations year to date.
×
×
  • Create New...