Here's my latest video channel review of a recently released flight sim product you might have missed. It's nice and inexpensive and goes a long way toward solving a common problem with FMC arrival planning. This review also features some fun stuff too, so I hope you like it and it cheers you up a bit if you're stuck at home in the present crisis:

 

2 hours ago, Chock said:

Here's my latest video channel review of a recently released flight sim product you might have missed. It's nice and inexpensive and goes a long way toward solving a common problem with FMC arrival planning. This review also features some fun stuff too, so I hope you like it and it cheers you up a bit if you're stuck at home in the present crisis:

 

 I apologise for a little off topic but I thought I recognised your username,  Are you the same Chock that used to frequent AFUK forums?

Lord, have mercy.....

Yes mum!

Legend

Thanks for this! 

2 hours ago, Mack84 said:

Are you the same Chock that used to frequent AFUK forums?

Yup.

I was umming and aghing about buying this until I watched your cool vid!

I hope you're on commission. Only slightly annoying thing is that you will

sometimes have to listen to nine other airports before you get the one you

are interested in, but can't have your cake and eat it I suppose.

Thanks for the great video - made me laugh.

I presume that's because the announcement has the airports arranged in alphabetical order, and I'm assuming that there is no option to alter that - real world or sim.

After all you're just tuning a receiver and have no say on how the incoming message is constructed, plus the originator has no idea which airport you in particular wish to fly into.

1 hour ago, HighBypass said:

I presume that's because the announcement has the airports arranged in alphabetical order, and I'm assuming that there is no option to alter that - real world or sim.

After all you're just tuning a receiver and have no say on how the incoming message is constructed, plus the originator has no idea which airport you in particular wish to fly into.

Yes, that's right. As I said, just one minor downside to an otherwise very useful service. 😊

If you would like to hear an example of the real thing, go to:

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/m.html
 

This is a broadband HF “web SDR” (Software Defined Radio) hosted at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Set the receive frequency to 5505, and change the mode (to the right of the frequency) from “AM” to “USB”, to listen to Shannon VOLMET. It broadcasts 24/7, and is normally received well at this particular web SDR. 

 

Edited March 29, 20206 yr by JRBarrett

46 minutes ago, JRBarrett said:

If you would like to hear an example of the real thing, go to:

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/m.html
 

This is a broadband HF “web SDR” (Software Defined Radio) hosted at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Set the receive frequency to 5505, and change the mode (to the right of the frequency) from “AM” to “USB”, to listen to Shannon VOLMET. It broadcasts 24/7, and is normally received well at this particular web SDR. 

 

Thanks, that's a handy website. Took me a while to figure out I could type in the

frequency rather than using the tuning buttons that were taking forever. Sounds

much the same as the Real Volmet program which is good.

41 minutes ago, caveney747 said:

Thanks, that's a handy website. Took me a while to figure out I could type in the

frequency rather than using the tuning buttons that were taking forever. Sounds

much the same as the Real Volmet program which is good.

I believe the frequency by default will be set to 14579.80 kilohertz when initially logging in to the site. It’s only necessary to click on the yellow frequency window, which will clear, then type in 5505 and press enter. The mode setting (AM, USB, LSB etc) is a drop-down menu. All HF aeronautical transmissions use USB (upper side band).

When it is night time (at the U Twente SDR location), it is also often possible to hear Gander VOLMET on 6604 kHz, which gives current weather and terminal forecasts for North American airports. The Shannon reports are primarily for European airports.

The HF bands used to be extremely busy with airline flights on North Atlantic tracks giving voice position reports to either Shannon or Gander, but since the widespread adoption of CPDLC text position reporting via satellite link, there is much less voice traffic on HF these days. VOLMET though, will probably continue for quite some time.

Edited March 29, 20206 yr by JRBarrett