Vox 7.4 winds calm, destination ATIS and assigned runway

[bmaik 11]

Can anybody confirm the following issues with VoxAtc 7.4:

1. I use ActiveSky2016 for weather. When approaching destination vox in version 7.4. does no longer pick up the winds at destination airport and the ATIS reports winds calm. Even tower when giving landing clearance on final still reports winds calm and approach therefore assigns the wrong runway (if winds are southernly). In version 6.52 about 100nm from destination vox used to pick up destination weather and I was assigned the correct star and runway by center and approach control. These unrealistic tail wind approaches spoil the vox experience for me and this is definitely a step in the wrong direction. Of course I can stop Vox and reload it shortly before arrival but this cannot be a serious solution for a payware program.  How can the code of the new version be worse than what was already achieved in the older versions? Quite hard for me to believe...

2. Even after using Vox for more than 10 years I have never been able to figure out according to what algorithm runways will be assigned by Vox in the case of parallel runways (what takes preference length? ILS? left over right? wind? distance to parking?) Not even the developer could answer the question how vox decides whether Left, Right (or Center) runway will be assigned. So what I usually did is that I forced a runway segregation in the afcad by simply opening the longer runway only for departures and the shorter runway only for landings if the airport didn't have any other local preferences (which I respected otherwise). After recompiling the afcad and running the indexer Vox 6.52 recognised my runway closings and together with the wind assigned runway direction (point 1 above) it was easy to predict the landing runway and thus preventing any unrealistic runway changes a few miles before landing. A nice side effect from the traffic segregation for departure and landing was that the runways never got too congested and long waiting times could be avoided even with high traffic volume (> 80%). On the contrary Version 7.4. completely ignores my runway closings in the afcad and seems to assign a runway randomly. However, I can confirm that version 7.4. does in fact read the correct afcad since I use parking codes to get parked at the gate of my choice and this piece infomation Vox must definitely have learned from the afcad. So why does it ignore my runway closings then? (I know that I can request another runway from approach, but I want approach to suggest the wind optimised runway on its own as it would in reality!)

I understand that a new version initially contains bugs but I cannot understand that what worked in an older version no longer works in a new version especially if I have to spend a considerable amount of money for it. If vox 7.4. is still considered a beta whichis not even able to reproduce the features which worked fine in older versions it's definitely too early to sell it.  Frustration is considerable and any help is appreciated.

 

Best regards

draci

 

[fltent1184 4]

For point (1), I do not see this issue. I have FSGRW & ASN and when I use them, VoxATC does use the correct runway for landing & takeoffs based on wind direction. A lot of other ATC programs rely on what runways the AI are using but as VoxATC generates its own AI, I don't think it uses that logic. I haven't however checked the destination ATIS in VoxATC (I rely on the METAR report); I will do that in my next flight to see if the winds are reported correctly. Another thing which you can try if you haven't is to force no WX updates at approach/destination airport so that winds will not change (this option should be there in AS16).

For point (2), the developer acknowledged that reading runway closures is an issue in 7.4 & he will look at fixing it. Basically VoxATC 7.4 ignores runway closures and continues to use all runways as active from the AFCAD.

[bmaik 11]

Thank you for your reply, so at least point(1) should work. Would you please report back whether you got the correct arrival ATIS, thank you.

You say that VoxATC 7.4. ignores runway closures which is a no go for me and thus I have to go back to version 6.52.  Do you know by any chance  about earlier beta versions (7.2/7.3) whether they support runway closures? For me it is annoying paying for a new product and then use the old version nevertheless. I don't want to give up using vox on a network but I want it to support all the old features. Am I asking for too much?

draci

[bmaik 11]

Sorry, there's just another thought that crossed my mind this morning: Do you think I could copy the indexer of v 6.52. to the vox 7.4 folder and let it index the scenery? would it index my afcad files including the runway closures (as it did before!) and would the version 7.4 server use them? Is there anybody knowing the vox logic better than me who can comment on this?

 

draci

 

[jaybird1nyc 24]

I  guess it's worth trying. I doubt you could mess anything up that couldn't be fixed simply by re-indexing with the 7.4 version. I'm highly sceptical that anything would be "fixed" but, hey, give it a go, see what happens.

I, also, have had issues with all of the betas and now the release version not properly processing add-on airports. My issues were primarily with VoxATC not picking up approaches that I had updated using Airport Design Editor.. You are correct that this wasn't the case with v6. The developer has acknowledged that there is indeed a problem, I have sent him many error logs, and we have been in contact regarding this issue. He seems confident that it will be fixed soon.

Oh, and regarding your weather issue, I also use AS16 and I don't have any issues  with winds being reported as calm at any destination airport I've tried (unless they actually ARE calm). I do have 'no wx updates on approach' selected.

 

Jay