FSX-SE Active Sky alternatives

[softreset 33]

I've been using Active Sky Next for a little over a year and absolutely love the program. Twice in the last 5 weeks though when launching the program I've been told that I've exceeded my active registrations and to open a support ticket with their support team. The first happened about a month ago and again just now. The HiFi team was pretty prompt with unlocking/resetting my license but they were unable to effectively communicate why the problem just suddenly started happening via the trouble ticket. My forum post on their support site went unanswered.

I'm looking for alternatives (can be freeware or payware) to Active Sky as I have significant loss of confidence in the product right now. I acknowledge anti-piracy protections are important but acceptable use from a licensed user is being caught up in their systems and as a result I'd like to explore taking my business elsewhere.

I'm running Windows 10, FSX:SE.

Anyone have some good recommendations that is not Active Sky Next 16?

[airernie 263]

FS Global Real Weather is a good option.  I own both and use FSGRW with FSX-SE and AS16 with FSX.

I owned FSGRW first, but ASN impressed the heck out of me, so I picked up a copy of it..

Ernie

[Beardyman 604]

Wait for REX, maybe one day finally their weather engine will be out...

[airernie 263]

4 hours ago, Beardyman said:

Wait for REX, maybe one day finally their weather engine will be out...

Yep, about the same time as Aerosoft's CRJ and QualityWing's 787.  :

Ernie 

[softreset 33]

8 hours ago, airernie said:

FS Global Real Weather is a good option.  I own both and use FSGRW with FSX-SE and AS16 with FSX.

I owned FSGRW first, but ASN impressed the heck out of me, so I picked up a copy of it..

Ernie

Thanks, I'll check it out.

The ASN support team was pretty quick with the unlock, even though it was the weekend so that's all good.

[vortex681 806]

14 hours ago, airernie said:

FS Global Real Weather is a good option.  I own both and use FSGRW with FSX-SE and AS16 with FSX.

I owned FSGRW first, but ASN impressed the heck out of me, so I picked up a copy of it..

Ernie

I used FSGRW before getting ASN. It worked but didn't seem to give the weather detail that ASN gives. However,the biggest problem I found was that FSX froze for a few seconds whenever FSGRW updated. After a few freezes on short finals, I gave up on it.

ASN has worked flawlessly for me. I tried AS16 but, whilst it was good, didn't seem enough of an improvement over ASN to justify the extra expense. As I may consider P3D in the future, the fact that, unlike ASN, you had to buy separate licenses for FSX and P3D also put me off.

[Tom Wright 438]

I would never fly in FSX without ASN. For me it was a game changer. The only weather engine I know of that gives you a true to life overcast condition. I'd used REX before that - the textures are incredible but the weather engine is not a patch on ASN. REX textures combined with ASN weather generation is the best combination IMO.

[Chock 17,769]

17 minutes ago, Tom Wright said:

REX textures combined with ASN weather generation is the best combination IMO.

Yup, that's what i use too.

[vadriver 247]

On ‎26‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 6:01 AM, softreset said:

 My forum post on their support site went unanswered.

which forum .... post a link & one might be able to follow up & help (given you had 12 months of "love" !!

what's that saying ... something to do with babies & water.

if alan recommends asn, why should I recommend as16 ..

[Rocky_53 1,566]

I have just moved across to P3D, along with ASN, but I too am looking at an alternative. I LOOVE, ASN, but for some reason that still needs resolving, any amount of heavy cloud and the performance goes through the floor. This is still after the latest 'fix.' I'm not talking about a few frames here, I'm talking from 30fps down to anything between 9-15 with stutters! 

[Bjoern 1,153]

FSXWX is all I need.

http://www.plane-pics.de/fsxwx/home.htm

[FreeBird(Josh) 314]

1 hour ago, Rockliffe said:

I have just moved across to P3D, along with ASN, but I too am looking at an alternative. I LOOVE, ASN, but for some reason that still needs resolving, any amount of heavy cloud and the performance goes through the floor. This is still after the latest 'fix.' I'm not talking about a few frames here, I'm talking from 30fps down to anything between 9-15 with stutters! 

I have experienced the opposite. The killer is SGSS in NVI. I moved to 4k and ditched NVI and only use in game AA settings and performance has been great. SGSS 4 or 8 x with heavy clouds will bring the best machine down.

[softreset 33]

6 hours ago, vadriver said:

which forum .... post a link & one might be able to follow up & help (given you had 12 months of "love" !!

what's that saying ... something to do with babies & water.

if alan recommends asn, why should I recommend as16 ..

https://hifisimtech.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?7-Technical-Support

[softreset 33]

8 hours ago, Tom Wright said:

I would never fly in FSX without ASN. For me it was a game changer. The only weather engine I know of that gives you a true to life overcast condition. I'd used REX before that - the textures are incredible but the weather engine is not a patch on ASN. REX textures combined with ASN weather generation is the best combination IMO.

I agree. I'm extremely happy with ASN and REX textures. In the year+ of my enjoyment of FSX:SE it stands as best the value and combo. My recent frustrations are the issues of DRM protection locking me out of a product that was legitimately purchased.

[softreset 33]

38 minutes ago, Bjoern said:

FSXWX is all I need.

http://www.plane-pics.de/fsxwx/home.htm

Thanks, never heard of it before now but looks great. I'll check it out!