Navaid & Fix databases....

[jcomm 5,882]

Is there a single product that can, at the same time, update the FMC data on the most emblematic aircraft for P3D / FSX and update the navaids database in the sim itself, as well as the MagVar tables, so that if, for instance, a rw heading (magnetic) changed and is not soincident with that in P3D / FSX, and the navaid update set's the ILS properly, then it will be correctly aligned?

 

I know Hervé Sors offers MagVar updates, and navaid updates for certain areas ( France only I believe ), but I wonder if there is a commercial product doing both ?

[Adam T Lutley 12]

The only site I know of where you can update nav waypoints, stations, routings, SIDS and STARS in your FMS database for all of your 3rd party payware aircraft is Navigraph. Worth every penny IMO. For around $6 USD you can purchase 1 nav cycle that would cover every aircraft in your sim. It won't fix inherent nav errors within FSX itself though. Regards

[jcomm 5,882]

Thx Adam! 

[n4gix 4,947]

Of course the airport, runway and navaids in the sim will show an increasing disconnect with the navigraph database... :wacko:

[jcomm 5,882]

 

 

Of course the airport, runway and navaids in the sim will show an increasing disconnect with the navigraph database...

 

Yes, that's why I asked if there was a program that, at the same time that it updates the FMC databases also updates the BGL files in the sim, of all navaids, including VOR, DME, NDB, ILS/GS, FIXs, RW headings, and of course, the MagVar BGL....

 

I never used those fancy products because I feared being faced with completely out-of-sync situations between what my FMC reads, and what the instruments sense...

 

Hervé Sors does offer all of these updates, separately, at his site, but I never tried it...

[tttocs 301]

I've used Hervé's excellent apps to update FSX (VORs, NDB's and intersections) and his mag var data as well.  Keep in mind that doing this will break the built-in flight planning program (which I don't use) and I think map view as well.  Read his documentation before proceeding.

 

These changes will not impact airport "stuff" however (with, I think, a few exceptions in Europe).  This may or may not be a huge deal for everyone, as many will be using updated airport information and/or payware airports in places where they commonly fly IAPs.

 

No matter what, some things will be out of sync if you update others (eg. install a single up-to-date payware airport), but I've had good luck balancing my mix of airports, charts and nav information.  As a consequence there's good (but not perfect) correlation to current charts.  Unfortunately, there isn't a "one stop" or foolproof approach, however.  I'm not sure how anyone would pull that off.

 

Scott

[HighTowers 1,434]

This is something that is a big unknown especially when dealing with older scenery and airports. Has that scary factor especially in CATII or III conditions, when you cant see the runway and you hope its going to line up. Its a different scenario to coming out of those conditions and do a MA because you cant see the runway only to find out doing subsequent go arounds that your not even lined up. 

Intersections dont matter because they are imaginary points in the sky. VORs and NDBs will matter as they aid in positioning and the magnetic variations by a few degrees cant make a big difference. Its too bad something cant be in tune with the regular navigraph or Aerosoft updates. 

[jcomm 5,882]

That's probably why ELITE sells their GenView Scenery area updates for so much money. They once told me they had a hard work updating the scenery databased according to the AIRAC, and making everything fully compatible, including the simulated GPS databases...

 

I believe that a program capable of dealing with all of this sources of data would certainly make many simmers happy...

[tttocs 301]

 

 

I believe that a program capable of dealing with all of this sources of data would certainly make many simmers happy...

 

Sure, but again - how would you manage this?  There are so many sources of possible change and conflicts that I can imagine any attempt at a master solution would simply create additional issues depending on add-ons and the data and configurations they use.

 

We already have a very nice solution to handle changes in most land-based navaids and intersections to match current charts (though there are minor ramifications to making changes), as well as navdata services, but airports seem like the big missing piece.  How would you deal with this? What if the current physical airport itself no longer matches (runway closed or extended for example), or the airport itself has been closed and relocated since FSX was produced (like, say, St. George Utah in the US).  What about payware airports and assumptions that would have to be made about them - do you have current O'hare runways as in Aerosoft's Cities Chicago or old O'Hare as in FSDT or default, does your add-on reposition from defaults to correct problems or even simply fit better even if not quite correct.  Or, or, or...

 

It'd be tough and any solution would likely leave some subsets of unhappy customers.

 

Having updated my mag variance and navaids and using current cycle charts, I'm actually surprised at how few glaring errors I've run into.  Especially flying WAAS approaches with the RXP Garmins, where I'd expect the real world GPS data I'm flying from might not match the FSX representations.  About the biggest obvious problem I've hit is in ground-based precision approaches that have been commissioned or drastically changed since FSX was created, and that only once or twice.  I'm sure there are way more out there waiting to bite, but at least where I fly things aren't bad.

 

Scott

[jcomm 5,882]

I am seriously considering taking the time to apply Hervé's updates, that's for sure!

[tttocs 301]

 

 

I am seriously considering taking the time to apply Hervé's updates, that's for sure!

 

Absolutely!  The navaids in particular are easily reversible, as his installer simply re-names the old .bgls and leaves them in place.  You can uninstall and the utility will put everything back in original form.  It's an amazing free service he provides!

 

Note - as mentioned I've only tried this in FSX, but his site says both FSX and P3D supported.

 

Scott