Please help

[DFWFlightOps 0]

I have been using Opus for 3 months now and every time I try to do a 3hr+ Flt, Opus produces incorrect SAT temps and Incorrect winds for me, as compared to PFPX Online weather, which uses grib data. I have read the manuals and the HELP files that came with the program .  Can some one give me there settings that they use?  One one flt my SAT temp was 20c deg or more off from PFPX.  I can see one to five but 20c degs thats not good. 

[Opus Software 84]

Sounds like you don't have any GRIB data, hence you DO NOT have any real world upper winds and temperatures at all.

Quite simple really but I would have preferred it if you had just asked rather than used the silly title you posted (which I have edited). Just read the documentation and especially the Recommended Practices then you will get RW upper wind and temperature targets like everyone else.

Please read the Recommended Practices using the Question Mark button or read our SimForums. Or perhaps you think many many thousands of others are all flying without real world weather ?

Stephen

Once you have figured out how to download and get GRIB data you should use the Opus weather reports and text reports to check your expected upper wind and temperatures.

You can easily check that you have downloaded the weather correctly by checking the Local, Lower, Upper, and Destination weather reports.

OpusFSX uses the NOAA GRIB data for all its forecasts ... That means it is using the worlds standard source for all its upper forecast data.

Make sure you specify your Destination AND Max Cruise Altitude. Then open the spy, update the weather and check that you are getting GRIB data download.

Most likely, going by the silly title, you haven't set up your system al all. So you are not getting any GRIB data either downloaded or decoded.

So you haven't been using ANY upper wind or temperature data and have been flying around with only half of the weather data downloaded.

All you have to do on this forum is ask for assistance so please no more silly comments or titles, they will only be deleted. You should know that there must be something wrong with your set up, after all there are thousands of users flying with RW weather every day using OpusFSX.

Stephen


Recommended Settings and Practice ...

Upgrade to the latest Release or Beta Version.
Set all Defaults in all weather dialogs. *
Specify your Destination.
Specify your Max Cruise Altitude. **
Update the Weather. ***
Check the Weather ****

* This should enable the Adjust Options Automatically and the Adjust Sim Friendly options in the Weather dialog.

** If you specify a Cruise Altitude of 6000 feet or more the LWE will download and process the GRIB forecast data from NOAA.

*** If GRIB data is downloaded then the Opus Upper Atmosphere Report will be automatically displayed showing the progress of your GRIB data download and processing. If you have specified Background GRIB Processing in the Downloads dialog then the GRIB data extraction and lengthy decoding will proceed at a slower pace and can take several minutes. Otherwise the processing will be done as fast as possible at the expense of FSX performance or frame rates. The GRIB data is only downloaded once before flight and the decoded data will be valid all day or at least for nine hours so this is normally not a concern or problem. However, most user need GRIB data for flight planning and preparation.

**** Before flight you should get into the habit of checking the weather. At the very least display and check the Opus Local, Lower, Upper, and Destination Weather reports. You may also like to examine the various Opus text reports accessed via the FSX Addon menu. There are separate reports showing the downloaded METARs, all the GRIB wind and temperature targets from 4000 feet up to FL540, all the en route weather for any specified flight plan including TAFs if you have enabled them, and finally an easy reference to all relevant SIDs and STARs. This report gives a handy direction and bearing for each listed SID and STAR.

The Opus weather reports (e.g. The Destination Weather) should be checked during climb and descent to monitor all wind and temperature targets, compared with the actual FSX ambient conditions. This way you will know that your sim is operating as expected.

Never disable weather updates, FSX will NOT cope on its own it simply cannot contain all the necessary data.

Test Weather Reports, located in the OpusFSX\Themes folder and accessed via the FSX Addon menu ...

OpusWeather.txt ... The downloaded METARs
OpusWeatherReport.txt ... The GRIB data report
OpusFlightReport.txt ... The flight plan en route weather report
OpusSIDSTARReport.txt ... The relevant SIDs and STARs

Live Weather Assistant (LWA) and Weather Map data ...

Surface QNH
Surface Winds
Surface Temperatures
Surface Visibility
Cruise Level Winds
Cruise Level Temperatures
Precipitation
Lower Level Cloud Cover
Met Station Cover

The LWA and up to six weather maps can be displayed on the server or a networked client.

Remember ...

You should obviously use all the various Opus weather reports and text report files to check your weather before and during flight. Especially BEFORE you fly.

At the very least examine the Opus on-screen weather reports.

You should at the very least, BEFORE flight ...

1. Check the Local weather report and confirm the weather has been injected OK.
2. Check the Lower Atmospheric weather report to confirm you have GRIB data downloaded and decoded. It will also show you what winds and temps to expect as the LWE takes you up to FL200 and the GRIB forecasted winds and temps.
3. Check the Upper Atmospheric weather report, again to confirm the GRIB data is downloaded and in use. This will also confirm the expected upper winds and temperatures.
4. Check your Destination weather report, if not within the current weather map then check the Destination report in the En Route weather reports. Then you will be warned of any adverse weather at your Destination.
5. If you have processed a flight plan then check the OpusFlightReport.txt file. You can access this via the Addon menu or directly, you will find it in your OpusFSX\Themes folder. The file content is self explanatory.

You should have been aware of ALL the above points before using the LWE. In which case there would have been NO confusion with the upper winds and temps.

All the Opus data is derived from the world wide NOAA source. This is the ONLY weather source that matters to you as its the source that is being used to generate the weather !

I hope things are now clear.

Stephen

[Opus Software 84]

One final comment, something you should also be aware of, both the Lower and Upper Atmospheric reports, and the OpusWeatherReport.txt (GRIB Data) report file, contain details of the actual downloaded GRIB data cycle.

 

In addition, each weather report contains the METAR day and time code.

 

You should never be needing to question the validity of the forecasted data, that is if you have been using any forecasted data at all. All the information is there available for you to examine, as you should, before every flight.

 

The GRIB Data text report shows you ALL the forecasted and Opus 'Sim Friendly' adjusted upper wind and temperature target data from FL040 upwards. All data from FL200 and above being derived directly from the actual forecasted GRIB data.

 

Its all there for you to examine and by fully aware of the expected upper winds and temperatures.

 

The latest release, or better still the beta version posted today, even includes an option for Dynamic Wind Control, which on the vast majority of all systems, controls the upper wind speed and direction keeping it with one or two knots or degrees of the expected target.

 

Stephen

 

Over the past few days we have conducted about 20 test flights at various locations in Europe and the USA and NEVER had the upper winds deviating more than 2 degrees and 2 knots from the targets values. Irrespective of whether we have been using raw GRIB data or Sim Friendly adjustments and at flight levels from FL300 to FL380.

 

Details of the current Beta posting can be found on our SimForums. You will find this a very friendly place full of very helpful simmers.

 

Stephen :-)

[Opus Software 84]

 

Just in case ...

 

Do you by any chance have the Stabilised GRIB Data option enabled ?

 

It should normally be disabled !

 

If you have it enabled then your GRIB data is completely STATIC and hence will only be true at your point of departure.

 

Stephen

[DFWFlightOps 0]

Thank you I am finally starting to understand the program.  On the Max Altitude, do I put the Initial altitude i will be cruising at or the Highest altitude i will step to in my flt? Yes my stabilized grib data is off. 

[Opus Software 84]

Put the altitude you are going to spend the most time cruising at. If you set the Adjust Sim Friendly option (Recommended to minimise weather updates amongst other things) then the software will ensure the raw GRIB forecasted data is adjusted (sim friendly adjusted) about this reference altitude. Of course the GRIB forecast is only adjusted when needed at each 500 foot level. You can see the results of this in the OpusWeatherReport.txt file and the Upper Atmosphere Report. With the new 3.41 release, the vast majority of people, can now safely use Non Sim Friendly GRIB Data but at the expense of more frequent weather updates as you climb and descend. The choice is yours but the GRIB text report file will show you the actual GRIB forecast data for you to examine, including all raw (unaltered) GRIB forecast data.

 

One helpful hint ...

 

If the upper winds, above FL200, all veer upwards above your lowest stepped altitude then they will not be adjusted by the Sim Friendly option. This option allows veering wind directions and increasing wind strengths and only adjusts those that are backing (rotating anti clockwise as you climb) upwards.

 

You can compare the adjusted and raw GRIB in both the text report file and in the Upper weather report.

 

The actual GRIB data cycle is also identified. There is 360 hours (15 days) of global forecast data in each cycle. The cycles are never posted on time as that identifies the time of the forecast cycle and not the time of release. Cycles can in fact be posted anything up to 9 hours after the cycle time.

 

Stephen

[DFWFlightOps 0]

so on 3.41 if im on a flt from KDFW to RKSI and do 3-4 2000ft step climbs I can force an update after my step climb to get current winds at that alt? as long as Non Sim Friendly GRIB Data is on?

[Opus Software 84]

You do not need to force any weather update, the LWE will update automatically to keep all the wind and temp targets appropriate to the current altitude zone. Best to leave the LWE to monitor and adjust (you will need FSUIPC4 installed for this) the winds dynamically.

 

So no need to manually update and as mentioned above use the various on screen reports and the shift-Z info bar to monitor your ambient conditions (wind) and check against the targeted wind in the report for that altitude.

 

Of course I have assumed you have checked the winds, weather and expected target winds and temps before takeoff using the Opus reports. Opus is your LWE so check against the Opus data. But leave the LWE to update and refresh the weather when it sees fit.

 

Stephen

 

P.S.

 

After uninstalling and installing the new release make sure you check your Configure and all Weather dialogs. Please set all defaults in all Weather dialogs before proceeding with inputting and processing your flight plan, specifying your Destination and Max Cruise Altitude, updating the weather, checking the weather (make sure the surface wind matches the Opus target) and GRIB data, then flying.

[Opus Software 84]

 

Start off using all Recommended Settings including the Adjust Sim Friendly option. Get used to monitoring the targets against the current ambient wind. I usually position the weather report window immediately below the shift-Z info line. I monitor the Lower report during the climb below FL200 then switch to the Upper report as I continue to climb up to my cruise altitude. Then I usually monitor the Destination weather report.

 

Never use accelerated time during the climb or descent, give your sim and the Opus DWC the best possible chance to maintain its targets. In the cruise if you must use accelerated time only use x2, x4 with supervision. Not all aircraft sims are designed to work in accelerated time.

 

The above weather checking and target monitoring will confirm that your sim is performing as expected. The DWC on the vast majority of systems will hold the winds within 2 degrees and 2 knots of the desired target values. Remember DWC does require FSUIPC4.

 

Stephen

[DFWFlightOps 0]

Ok right now I am flying from dfw to nrt and my latest wind check is this

 

PFPX flight plan with online weather at wypt YQL = 306/050

 

actual winds at waypoint from opus 342/134

 

now I read that pfpx and opus get there wind data from the same source, so how could there be such a big difference.  Opus is running correctly and LWE is checked along with grib forcast data and  sim friendly wind targets.  The weather reports are matching the flight just not the pfpx Flt plan. 

[Opus Software 84]

Please read the above, ALL the Opus weather information including the GRIB cycle time is available there for you to check. Please just confirm that your ambient wind matches the Opus target and all is well. I am not concerned what PFPX is saying as that is outside of the Opus program and I do not know how they are extracting or decoding the data.

 

But all the Opus GRIB data is available for you to see and confirm your sim is abiding by the target values.

 

You should also be using the OpusFlightReport.txt file for your flight plan weather, as this DOES provide the actual weather you are going to encounter.

 

ALL your monitoring and in flight or en route weather should be checked with Opus and NOT PFPX.

 

Sorry but you should really take this to the PFPX forum.

 

Stephen :smile:

Anyway, you should never expect the winds and weather to be exactly as predicted by flight planners, it would hardly ever happen in real life.

 

Did you specify your Max Cruise Altitude and check all the reports I mentioned above, including monitoring your winds during the flight using the Opus targets displayed in the weather reports. If so you should be in NO doubt that your sim and the Opus LWE are performing as expected.

 

I wouldn't lose any sleep over your planner giving slightly wrong winds though. In the RW you would have to monitor the situation and adapt to the differences and weather changes.

 

Stephen