Either I am going crazy, my FS program is haunted, or I simply need information. I will assume that it's the latter.I use the e-dimenion AudioFX Force Feedback Headset (it's very nice, by the way)and while "fun" flying I am aware of faint voices in the background.Am I picking up a local AM or FM frequency or is there something I need to be hearing? If the last one, how do I increase the volume level? What leads me to believe it's not a radio broadcast is that while it is faint the words, intonation, delivery and overall speech pattern sounds repetitious.Thanks.Louis

You're talking to yourself again, Louis. ;-)

BillI talk to myself all the time but I have a dog and people just assume I'm talking to her, so it's okay.LouisCan you make out any words and if not are you certain the sounds are voices?David

While I do enjoy my own company and the scintillating conversations "we" have these are definitely voices way in the background.Although what I do hear is very, very faint it almost sounds like it could be looped with the same thing being said over and over.Could it be ATC? If so, how do I bring up the volume, or how do I access to hear ATC and converse with them?Louis(I don't have a dog but I do talk to my cats a lot.)

Sounds Like you're picking up a harmonic from a station probably fairly close to you.Looped transmissions -could be an ATIS at nearby airport or even VolMet station - or anything else that broadcasts continuous info( Such as what - I don't know).If you have a scanner try scanning the local VHF/AM freqs( not just Airband - try -if you are able - from about 70Mhz up to 170Mhz + the Mil freqs 200-350MHZ) see if you can find any continuous broadcast that fits to the sound pattern you're hearing. When I lived close by a local field here I used to sometimes hear ATIS on my old reel to reel tape.Dave

I think this may actually be part of the ATC system. When I'm listening to the ATC stream, it sounds like there are other voices on the channel. I've always assumed it was done intentionally, like using low-grade microphones and adding some hiss to make the studio-recorded voices sound more like they would in a real environment. Try listening to one of those little classical music stations on AM radio in your car - when you get to a quiet passage you will occasionally hear outburts of sports-talk or whatever from a more distant station. A real radio in an airplane has a direct line-of-sight to a lot of radio sources - no trees or buildings in the way. My guess is, they put this in deliberately to make the ATC voices more realistic.

That makes sense but how do I DELIBERATELY have communincation with ATC??Louis

D'you mean try to engage them in conversation when ther e is no real need, or option available to contact them? Usually you have the option to request different altitudes, but that's about all.As for the faint voices, I too believe that they are deliberatly there on the ATC voice recordings as a sort of 'background babble' that may be heard; other controlers in a large center all chatting away to other aircraft....and of course there's NO way to talk with them!! I feel that it makes it sound more realistic to hear a busy environment rather than just a solitary voice.

I thought there was interaction between pilots and ATC including but not limited to altitude changes. And isn't that part of the FS 2004 program?It,I suppose, adds to the realism plus I get lonely and need someone to speak with.LouisCats in their own way are GODS and GODESSES. So full of wisdom and insight and superior to us mere humans and we have so much to learn from them.

Got to say I don't agree with the concept of "background babble" either from other stations on the channel or other people in the control center. .. These are VHF/AM frequencies that we are emulating - and tho there are many stations on any one frequency(on a world wide basis)- VHF is essentially line- of -sight communications. IE: it goes in a straight line - no reflection to carry the signal below the radio horizon ( At least not in normal propogation conditions.There are occasions when VHF reception may be possible over several hundreds of miles but these times are "abnormal" )Likewise the concept that when the freq is quiet you can hear the voices of other controllers in the Control Center chatting away to other aircraft doesn't work - Most ATC positions use either PTT mikes (Push to Talk) or nowadays some use VOX operated mikes - the mike is only live if the user either pushes the PTT switch or ,in the case of VOX - if he starts talking.So when your controller isn't talking there will be no transmission on his frequency.The real world frequency allocations - on a station by station basis - are worked out so that in normal conditions any station - and those working that station , will be outside the reception range of other stations on that same frequency.On HF channels - yes it is possible to hear others on the same freq - maybe thousands of miles away EG: given the right conditions You may hear an aircraft working Shanwick on 5624Khz and be able to hear in the background another ground station thousands of miles away on the same frequency.Dave

LouisYou could try going to ALTOptionsSettingsSound and moving the various sliders; there is one specifically for ATC. Also, pressing q will disable all sounds that belong in the sim. If the mystery sound is still there then it doesn't belong there.David

Dave, the 'other' voices ARE only present when an ATC controller is talking to you. You can hear the background babble quite clearly as your controller relays his/her message. When they stop, then so too does the babble. I have never heard any other voices in quiet 'downtimes' with ATC. It just sounds as though your controller is talking in a busy environment whilst their mic is open!

A few years ago I used to pick up a Taxi firm (as soon as I joined te web). My daughter sometimes gets the police on her PC (since she joined the weeb)Welcome to the club.One question though, why can't we pick up ATC now that would be cool!Andrew

Yarvelling - not disagreeing about background sounds heards thru an open mike while the controller is talking to you - but the way I read the Eagle W's post is that he's hearing this all the time - he's says it sounds like repeated/looped transmissions.Perhaps EW could clarify this pointStill think it's a harmonic reception of a RW station close by.Dave

I can't clarify any further. The voice is very faint but from what I can pick up, rather than a steady stream of talk the inflections, patterns and overall sound scheme comes across as repetitious. I don't know how to work with ATC through FS (although David metnioned something in the options menu I need to try, but it could be a controller repeating a demand, a question or trying to make contact, etc. Keep in mind though that I'm just speculating.Louis