Newbie questions

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Hi all

I am using xplane and the Zibo mod.

I have spent 8 of the 10 day trial tinkering with pilot2atc.

I have it networked to the flight sim PC on a laptop that is a few years old and struggles to run pilot2atc. It takes 4 minutes to even load...

Before buying the program and possibly a new laptop/desktop I am hoping someone can tell me exactly how the auto pilot interacts with xplane.

I used pilot2atc to set up a flight from EGCC to EGGW.

Validated it. Filed it. Exported it to xplane and then used it from the FMC as a Co route.

Is the pilot2atc autopilot supposed to replace the xplane autopilot?

Or is it supposed to work together with the xplane autopilot?

Should I be using the xplane FMC or not?

I have watched the 3 and a half hour youtube video but still need some clarification please.

regards

Trevor

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 864]

The P2A autopilot works in concert with most aircraft autopilots.  You must load the flight plan into the aircraft system, after exporting from P2A, and then you can control the autopilot function from either the cockpit or the P2A autopilot window. 

In some aircraft, custom mods prevent the P2A autopilot from performing well, but again, most work well with it.  It works fine with the Zibo 737.

Also, in some cases, an aircraft without a visible autopilot but with a GPS unit, can be controlled from the P2A autopilot.  

Dave

 

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Many thanks for the reply Dave.

So I was doing it correctly then.

 

Is there a recommended PC specification so pilot2atc runs smoothly?

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 864]

The main resource used by P2A is Memory, so 16GB is the minimum if you're running on the same machine as the SIM.  However, if the SIM and other programs are using all the CPU,  that could affect P2A performance also.

In general, if you have a PC that easily handles the SIM, and you have 16+ GB of RAM, you should be OK.  If the PC struggles with the SIM, then adding P2A will not work out well.

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Hi

The sim is on its own PC, pilot2atc is on a laptop, you have confirmed what the issue is and I will look for a suitable PC with plenty of RAM.

 

Could you just confirm whether the planes FMC has priority over the pilot2atc autopilot if there are any discrepancies with entered altitudes and speeds for legs. I had a situation earlier where P2ATC keep telling to change heights to 6000 and 10,000 constantly over and over. It seems odd that the FMC is not exactly the same as the P2ATC exported flight.

Or is it just not that simple?

 

I noticed earlier that I could not alter the P2ATC autopilot speed and the plane kept overriding it to match what the current airspeed was.

Also should P2ATC control the planes autopilot lights and switches if I turn something on or off within P2ATC's autopilot?

 

I appreciate your time helping me out. Just want to be sure before purchase that this is the best move, especially as another PC will be required.

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 864]

I don't really understand your description of the altitude discrepancy situation, so I can't comment on that.

Pilot2ATC listens to the SIM for changes.  If you change something in the cockpit, it should change in P2A, unless the aircraft has a "custom" implementation or does not change the values in FSUIPC/XPUIPC.  In that case, all bets are off.

If you change something in P2A, it tries to make that change in the aircraft.  Assuming no custom implementations, then the aircraft should reflect that change.

No magic involved.

If you can't alter the autopilot airspeed in P2A, likely the aircraft is not allowing the change.  In that case, alter it in the cockpit and P2A should reflect it.  However, there are many things that can cause the SIM to stop communicating/responding and at that point, a PC reboot usually fixes it.

Dave

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Hi

I meant that the atitudes set next to each way point in P2ATC do not match those that are shown for the same way points in the FMC, despite the fact that the P2ATC flight plan was exported and loaded in to the FMC.

I just don't understand how the waypoint altitudes do not match exactly.

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 864]

Ah, OK.

The "target altitudes" in the far right column of P2A are just estimates for planning purposes.  The ones in the FMC are also estimates, calculated by the FMC using their own algorithm, so if they matched exactly, it would be amazing.

Hope that helps.

Dave

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Ah, I see now. OK.

I got my hands on a newer laptop with 12Gig RAM

Certainly loads much quicker but doesn't work yet.

After a normal install I get the following on screen as P2ATC starts up.

Any idea what to do?

 

Oh, i can't upload an image.

The message says that the database couldn't be initialised.

Image is on my forum on the link below.

https://www.t-m-f.uk/showthread.php?29996-Pilot2ATC-Image-for-Dave&p=181642#post181642

 

 

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 864]

That's a Microsoft SQL Database error.

Have a look at this thread for solutions:

Dave

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Thanks, problem solved when the database was deleted, created and started.

 

Then got another error saying the correct speech pack wasn't available.

Sorted that out eventually.

Then found the PTT network app is a bit flaky when it worked perfectly on the older laptop.

Looking at that now, so nearly there.

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Finally got the PTT network files sorted by running both files as an administrator.

 

Could someone give me the codes of two airports that definitely work correctly as a route for me to try out please.

My Luton to Manchester one keeps saying contact ground and then contact the tower when I am asking for taxi clearance and I keep going backwards and forwards between the two and never get clearance off of either.

Much better and usable on 12Gig RAM.

[TrevorMatthews 0]

Thanks for the assistance.

I have just purchased a registration key.