FSRealTime and P3D v4

[Thomasso 224]

Hello,

I'm going to buy the Time Zone Fixer later today and I am wondering if it will be helpful to buy the FSRealTime as well. I've read somewhere that the UTC bug was fixed by LM in P3D v4. So it does not make sense to buy FSRealTime, correct? Just the Time Zone Fixer.

Thank you for explaining.

[netshadoe 144]

No, you do not need FSRealTime.  FSRealTime uses very outdated timezone files (that are free here in the library) that haven't been updated in over a decade. 

Time Zone Fixer is much more up to date and is still actively being updated.

 

[Thomasso 224]

8 minutes ago, netshadoe said:

No, you do not need FSRealTime.  FSRealTime uses very outdated timezone files (that are free here in the library) that haven't been updated in over a decade. 

Time Zone Fixer is much more up to date and is still actively being updated.

 

Got it, thanks!

[ltu6800 17]

Sorry, but this is absolutely wrong. TimeZoneFixer defines the zones and is updatet nearly every  week. FsRealTime uses the information of TimeZoneFixer and sets your P3d V4 to the correct local time, if you start  a flight somewhere in the world. You need both! 

[netshadoe 144]

3 minutes ago, ltu6800 said:

Sorry, but this is absolutely wrong. TimeZoneFixer defines the zones and is updatet nearly every  week. FsRealTime uses the information of TimeZoneFixer and sets your P3d V4 to the correct local time, if you start  a flight somewhere in the world. You need both! 

How so?

I've been using FS RealTime since it came out in 2002...yes, the GMT bug existed way back then.  I corresponded quite frequently with Josh Roberston in the early years as there were issues and some requests I had with early versions of FSRealTime, so I have an intimate understanding on how it works.  There is no hocus pocus with FSRealTime...it is only a time sync program, just like the one offered in FSUIPC.  The only real difference is that you can customize offsets, so it synchronizes to an offset time.  Or you can quickly set time to sunset, noon , etc.

The bgls used by microsoft Flight simulator were buggy since FS2000 and were never fixed.  There were a few issues that manifested due to those poor timezone bgls by Microsoft. 

One, is the most obvious...outside of the Continental US, the time zones were way off.

Two, is the bgl were set improperly so that when you crossed a into another timezone, UTC would advance or recede instead of local time.  UTC should never change, but MS got it wrong. 

In came Dennis Thompson who made up some bgls to correct the timezones in MSFS and along with it, the UTC bug.  You can get all these files here in the library: https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=Dennis+Thompson&CatID=root&Go=Search

What Josh Robertson did was create a time keeper program, and packaged it up with FSUIPC and Dennis Thompson's bgl files.  It made things quick, easy, and you got a pretty neat time keeper to boot.  

So, no you don't need both.

[ltu6800 17]

My "Homebase" is EDDS, which is UTC + 1. Let's say, I start a flight at LGAV with "Use system time". The flight will start with UTC + 1, but it should be UTC + 2. With both tools and only with both P3d will start  with the correct time and I don't have to worry about anything regarding local time. 

Edited February 9, 2019 by ltu6800
Additional information

[netshadoe 144]

40 minutes ago, ltu6800 said:

My "Homebase" is EDDS, which is UTC + 1. Let's say, I start a flight at LGAV with "Use system time". The flight will start with UTC + 1, but it should be UTC + 2. That's my experience. 

Well, there's something else at work.

I'm UTC+5 at my "homebase"...I started P3D and set LGAV as my airport.  I get UTC+2 with "Use System Time".  This is with Time Zone Fixer only...no FSRealTime (it's not installed).

The first is Local Time, the second is UTC.  Click to make bigger.  (EDIT: See below pictures)

 

EDIT:  If you have FSRealTIme and Time Zone Fixer both installed, be sure they aren't conflicting.  You have to turn off the Timezones scenery layer that is installed by FSRealTime in P3D/FSX if you are using both.

Edited February 9, 2019 by netshadoe

[iFlySimX 748]

So do you need Time Zone Fixer? I feel like the sun sets is not accurate to the time it actually sets. Would this help? I'm using P3D V4.4.

 

[qqwertz 772]

As stated above, FSRealtime only provides outdated time zones. If you only care about the time zones, you don't need it. However, FSRealtime also provides you with a program that keeps your simulator synched to real time. That is useful because the time in P3D tends to float a little. On a transatlantic flight, P3D Zulu time might be the same as real time, but after 7 hours it may be off by two minutes or so. You can also add an offset in FSRealtime if you want to fly at a different time, but keep the time difference accurate.

It really depends on your purpose whether you need it or not. I personally use it only rarely, mostly during larger Vatsim events when I want to be in sync with the controllers. For time zones, TimeZoneFixer is much better.

Peter

 

[ltu6800 17]

Hi, netshadoe, 

I would like to return to our discussion, which I really appreciate, because we both are enthusiasts in flight simming. In this moment the time at EDDS is 11:31 (UTC+1). The local time in Athens is 12:31. When I start a flight from EDDS, it will start at 11:31, using system time, which is correct. Now I want to start from LGAV, the local time there is 12:31. I switch to that Airport (and see the correct value of UTX + 2), but the flight there starts also at 11:31, which is 1 hour behind the actual local time, if I use system time. The only way to avoid this seems to use FS Real Time. Or did I miss something? Looking forward to hear from you. 

Kurt

[srcooke 52]

12 hours ago, qqwertzde said:

However, FSRealtime also provides you with a program that keeps your simulator synched to real time.

Totally agree Peter and I use both.

[netshadoe 144]

4 hours ago, ltu6800 said:

Hi, netshadoe, 

I would like to return to our discussion, which I really appreciate, because we both are enthusiasts in flight simming. In this moment the time at EDDS is 11:31 (UTC+1). The local time in Athens is 12:31. When I start a flight from EDDS, it will start at 11:31, using system time, which is correct. Now I want to start from LGAV, the local time there is 12:31. I switch to that Airport (and see the correct value of UTX + 2), but the flight there starts also at 11:31, which is 1 hour behind the actual local time, if I use system time. The only way to avoid this seems to use FS Real Time. Or did I miss something? Looking forward to hear from you. 

Kurt

Hey Kurt,

I think all us FlightSimmers are OCD in our own way!! lol!!  🙂

I think I see what you mean, but it's not a time zone problem, nor is it solved by FSRealTime (though it's a great tool to set it correct quickly).  Bear with me...  🙂

It's the way P3D handles system time.  If you notice, it doesn't matter what airport you choose, when you set "use system time", P3D sets the "Local Time" of that airport to your system's local time.  So, weather you pick EDDS, LGAV, CYOW, KLAX, KJFK, YSSY...and press "Use Local Time" at 11am, P3D sets that's airport's local time to match yours (11am) at THAT airport regardless of the UTC time.

Now, for P3D to do what you want (and I agree with you completely) is when you press "Use System Time", it should set the UTC time of P3D instead...that way if you choose EDDS, and UTC is 11:00, you should see 12:00 LCL.  If you choose LGAV, UTC should stay the same and Local time should be 13:00.  But P3D doesn't do that.  You have to set UTC time manually to achieve what you want in P3D.

There is a setting in P3D.cfg called "RestoreTimeOnMove".  If you set this to 0, it will preserve UTC when you select a new airport...BUT...only after you've loaded into the sim.  For example, you choose EDDS, and load it up.  Then go to the menu and switch to LGAV, you'll notice that the UTC time is preserved and the Local time moved correctly.

So, in a nutshell, the problem is with P3D and the way it handles system time.  I my opinion (and I think you'll agree), system time should be set off UTC and not your computer's local time...but that is up to LM to fix.

FSRealTime doesn't fix the problem...it just gives you a tool to quickly "Set Time to Now" which resets the UTC time in P3D.

 

[ltu6800 17]

So we have to set local time individually, it' s a real pity. Anyway, thank you for our discussion about this problem.

Kurt