How to change ATC frequencies within FS9 at airports where Tower and Ground seems to be identical

[ARCO 245]

The title of the topic says it all. To be specific, I have two major airports that I use frequently where this is rather annoying i.e. LSGG (Geneva) and LSZH (Zurich) with a 40% AI traffic I cannot use ATC since Ground and Tower send non stop messages to AI traffic.

 

Hence my question: Can we change those frequencies somewhere within FS9 so as to have two separate frequencies one for Ground and one for Tower as it should be? I have not seen this problem at any important airports and I have been unable to locate a file where this can be done..

 

Thank you.

[mebull 27]

 

Can we change those frequencies somewhere within FS9 so as to have two separate frequencies one for Ground and one for Tower as it should be? I have not seen this problem at any important airports and I have been unable to locate a file where this can be done..

 

Hi Jean-Claude. Yes it is possible and not that difficult. Using any airport editor such as AFCAD, ADE, AFX. You need to open the airport with one of these programs. Of course you must be familiar with the editor you choose and whether the airport you are editing is stock MS or has scenery and other data included (ADE - AFX).

Once you are prepared, make a backup, unless you are modifying the stock airport (no backup needed). Open the airport with the editor. Find the list of Comms and you can select and edit from there.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Regards,

Mel

[ARCO 245]

Thank you Mel, I have the AFCAD editor, then it should do the trick. I also have two add-ons for these airport, so  I will be cautious in what I will do, this was the missing key for me! Thank you so much for your help.

Have a great week.

[ronzie 21]

I looked at LSZH in default and an add-on and there are multiple frequencies among com classes that are shared. This may be because they include instances of light traffic when controllers cover more than one function. Take out the duplicates and you should have enough left over for unique use. I believe FS ATC grabs the first frequency in each class and that's where most of the duplication arises.

 

You can get real world charts for Euro zone member countries by getting a free registration and then logging in here:

http://ead-website.ead-it.com/publicuser/public/pu/login.jsp

 

You then Enter Applications and select PAMS Lite (IAP). Here is an example query:

 

Authority Code Switzerland (LS). Authority Type Civil. Language EN. AIP Type Charts. Part AD. Check the advancd search box. Click Search.

 

In the Pop-up enter Document Name *LSZH* and click Search.

 

This will pull all documents for LSZH. The title is in the right column but the .pdf to view/download is on the left. Get the airport diagram, a STAR, a SID, and an approach such as ILS or LOC. These will include the actual current frequencies. If you use charts for navigation get all for the procedures you will use.

 

In you use AIRAC updates for your flight planner and/or aircraft navigation they will be close to these current charts. navigraph.com and Aerosoft now have a variety of subscription option periods. For each subscription period including one time multiple formats are available included in the one fee.

[ARCO 245]

Hi Ron and thank you for your most complete explanations. I shall attend to that tomorrow morning, glad Mel and you sorted it out for me. My last departure from LSZH was a real pain!!! I am just confused as to why it has to be the main two swiss airports that have this problem! 

 

Reiterated thanks and best regards,

[ARCO 245]

Bumping this topic...

 

I did what was suggested above, erased duplicate frequencies using AFCAD editor and no more interferences between the various ATC entities, BUT I now have an awful mess with my AI traffic on the ground (conflicting taxying airplanes) each time I choose these airports, AND most importantly CTD on each flight when leaving the airport area enroute to my destination, since these are the only changes I made to these airports, I would guess that these two phenomenons may be linked to each other. Has anyone done such changes successfully without encountering negative consequences?

 

Checking the frequencies again this morning with the AFCAD tool, I noticed that under LSZH, I have 3 sceneries listed 1/ LSZH FSDT which is currently used and is in black - on which I removed the duplicate frequencies - and 2 more sceneries in light grey including the stock airport. However I have not changed the frequencies on these ones since presumably they are not used by FS9, is that a correct assumption or should I also replicate on these what I have done on the FSDT one?

 

Thank you for your feedback!

[ARCO 245]

Problem solved after changing frequencies on all three listed sceneries by my AFCAD editor and making sure they were identical. On my latest flight following strictly the same path as my previous two ending with a CTD, I went through with no problem. AI on ground is also behaving normally.

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Just a ps. to this topic for anyone who has had problems with this. You also want to make sure that each function and frequency use only the correct word for that location. For example, if your ground frequency says WELLINGTON GROUND CONTROL or something like that, it will not be recognized. You have to use the pull down tab to designate it as a ground frequency and then just put the airport name and nothing else, in this case it would be WELLINGTON. ATC will then use the phrase "Wellington Ground."

 

I have had to fix many AFCADS, some even from the top scenery developers in the business who did not follow this rule.

[ronzie 21]

Jean-Claude:

 

There are multiple types of files that might show up on an AFCAD search: The first is stock scenery at the bottom. Then come the add-ons. Some times an overlay to get around FS9 limits is used. If you open this and you can't see much it is an overlay with additional properties and like an afcad file which shows runways, etc., is OK. If you have two non-stock files both showing runways, taxiways, etc., then they could be in conflict. In the case of multiple afcad add-on listings open each one and click File, then Properties. Note the file path for each one. If they point to the same add-on scenery folder that is correct. If they point to different folders that is probably not correct.

 

Some traffic apps add afcad files to increase or identify parking spots. If you then install a scenery add-on then you might have a conflict. Keep the one*(s) with the scenery add-on path and then find the one installed with the traffic app and change the extension from .bgl to .bgh to disable it.

 

Another issue is that some afd type files even though prefixed with AF2_ may contain additional scenery elements being designed in an editor other than AFCAD. AFCAD will open these but strip out extra elements or corrupt the file upon saving. Learn to use the freeware ade9x editor "Airport Design Editor" to make changes. Here is the home site that links to the software and tutorials:

 

http://www.airportdesigneditor.co.uk

 

For your purposes it functions very similar to AFCAD. Just click file/open airport direct from .bgl and navigate to the file to change. When your changes have been made save first the airport as a project file with Save As. This allows you to make further edits by opening the project file which has more code internal to ADE. Run the fault finder. A caution will compile but a warning will not. When all is OK save the airport again and then File/Compile to create the .afd type .bgl.

 

If you do a list/frequencies you'll get a popup table with a row for each frequency. you can then insert, delete rows or edit the row data, save you changes, and then save your project and if OK compile it for use. Move the new file to your scenery folder for the add-on and change the original one's extension from .bgl to .bgh. It is really almost as fast as AFCAD.

 

[N60JBravo 27]

 

If they point to different folders that is probably not correct.

Not even close to being true.

 

Many airport edits include an elevation adjustment "stub" afcads that will be placed in ...\Scenery\World\scenery, far from the addon scenery folder.

 

I have also seen "afcads" for taxi signs placed in that location.

 

Properly coded, multiple afcads are not a problem and their priority in the Scenery Library will dictate which gets used.

 

When the OP states that they changed the frequencies in the default file I have to wonder how they did that.

 

The correct procedure would generate another "afcad" .bgl file.

 

If so, where did it get placed?

 

If you changed the default AP9nnnn0.bgl and saved using that filename to the default location, then you have deleted any other airports that are in that file and, depending on the file, that could be dozens of airports.

 

regards,

Joe

[ronzie 21]

 

Problem solved after changing frequencies on all three listed sceneries by my AFCAD editor and making sure they were identical. On my latest flight following strictly the same path as my previous two ending with a CTD, I went through with no problem. AI on ground is also behaving normally.

 

AFCAD creates a copy of a stock file and the OP probably means that.

 

As far as multiple afcads not being OK I stated "probably" and a common example of where it should not occur. Besides the folder statement I made I also said to examine each layer and if full runways and taxiways are shown those were the multiple types that could conflict.

 

I consider a taxi sign only afd bgl as an overlay. That's why I stated to examine the afcad for content.

 

Another rare problem is if in multiple afcads the airport reference coordinates change then you have a possible FS crash scenario.

 

fs9.0 had a condition when the same frequency was sequenced a certain way in a flight FS would crash. It is said 9.1 fixed that. Therefore the OP editing frequencies might have fixed that specific flight situation.

[ARCO 245]

Thanks to all for your precious and helpful feedback, I keep learning and God knows one needs to learn with FS when starting to touch items you never messed with before... with unpredictable consequences!

 

So far so good, the changes I made are solving my initial problem which started that thread i.e. my inability to communicate with ATC at LSZH and LSGG where the same frequencies were being used by Tower and Ground owing to the fact that in real life during off peak periods one frequency is in use (118.10 in Zurich and 121.675 in Geneva including Clearance delivery!!!), but in FS whether in peak or lean periods the same frequencies would still be used by the two entities and then after receiving your clearance you can forget about reading it back (I am using MCE but even with button press this was a challenge!) since there was a constant flow of instructions to flights on the ground including clearance at LSGG, on take off and approach...

 

So after checking the RW frequencies on the site indicated by Ron above, I had to cheat and changed the Ground frequencies to different ones so as to eliminate the frequency "cluttering" effect. As for the AI, it is now back to normal. I have done only one flight after those latest changes and all went well, whereas my previous three flights ended with CTD when leaving the area.

 

Again thanks to all for your contributions.