Hi,

I'm a long-time user of PF3 but a very recent user of MCE. I'm having some difficulty getting my CP to request Push and Start. Is this function supported by MCE? If so, what do I need to say? I cant find anything specific in the numerous MCE documents. Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Bill

1 hour ago, A320Flyer said:

Hi,

I'm a long-time user of PF3 but a very recent user of MCE. I'm having some difficulty getting my CP to request Push and Start. Is this function supported by MCE? If so, what do I need to say? I cant find anything specific in the numerous MCE documents. Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Bill

First, welcome aboard Bill

I will check whether the command you mentioned is implemented and get back to you tomorrow. Meanwhile, I suggest you read this MCE + PF3 related thread.

 

I noticed on first run of mce, that it changed some parameters in Pf3 (vcp voice mode to 0 and pilot voice to none). It also added a ptt hotkey as CapsLock. I have saved these settings as a Pf3 profile for use with mce. 
 

I have assigned my mce ptt key to a button on my joystick. Do I need to somehow assign this same button (via fsuipc) to CapsLock? What is the purpose of CapsLock key? 
 

Do we have an up-to-date quick start guide or faqs for mce/pf3 integration. The one supplied with the mce installation is way out of date. 
 

At the start of a flight, my FO does contact Delivery when instructed, but he never reads back. Consequently, he then doesn’t set the transponder code and Delivery does not then confirm the qnh. The result is I’m stuck at this point. 
 

 

 

47 minutes ago, A320Flyer said:

I noticed on first run of mce, that it changed some parameters in Pf3 (vcp voice mode to 0 and pilot voice to none). It also added a ptt hotkey as CapsLock. I have saved these settings as a Pf3 profile for use with mce. 
 

I have assigned my mce ptt key to a button on my joystick. Do I need to somehow assign this same button (via fsuipc) to CapsLock? What is the purpose of CapsLock key? 
 

Do we have an up-to-date quick start guide or faqs for mce/pf3 integration. The one supplied with the mce installation is way out of date. 
 

At the start of a flight, my FO does contact Delivery when instructed, but he never reads back. Consequently, he then doesn’t set the transponder code and Delivery does not then confirm the qnh. The result is I’m stuck at this point. 
 

 

 

I'm not aware of the CapsLock. MCE only sets the FO mode in "pf3.ini".

As you'll find in the thread I referred to above, the main thing is to open "PF3-MCE.ini" file found in PF3 installation folder and set "Active=1".

After that, PF3 will outpot "Clearance.log" to \PF3\Logs\ folder.

The FO will then read instructions from that file.

Any instruction that starts with your actual call-sign will be analyzed and acted on (provided FO has the COMMS), any other will be considered aimed at other traffic.

Do not use the option in PF3 that adds a prefix to call-sign as the FO needs to see the exact one he expects.

Although rare, some cal-signs may confuse him. Which one are you using?

Edit: To make sure MCE has switched to PF3 mode, go to ATC tab in UI, click the '+' arrow at the bottom of the panel as many times as required till you get to PFE/PF3 ATC, then click Activate button and restart MCE. After that you'll definitely be on PF3 and not Native ATC.

 

 

Edited July 16, 20241 yr by FS++

I'm not aware of the CapsLock. MCE only sets the FO mode in "pf3.ini".

OK  I’ll delete that  

As you'll find in the thread I referred to above, the main thing is to open "PF3-MCE.ini" file found in PF3 installation folder and set "Active=1".

Already done.

After that, PF3 will outpot "Clearance.log" to \PF3\Logs\ folder.

The FO will then read instructions from that file.

Any instruction that starts with your actual call-sign will be analyzed and acted on (provided FO has the COMMS), any other will be considered aimed at other traffic.

I start by giving Comms to FO. I then “Request IFR Clearance”. He contacts Delivery and gets clearance. It’s at this point that he doesn’t read back.

Do not use the option in PF3 that adds a prefix to call-sign as the FO needs to see the exact one he expects.

I’ll check that.

Although rare, some cal-signs may confuse him. Which one are you using?

Edit: To make sure MCE has switched to PF3 mode, go to ATC tab in UI, click the '+' arrow at the bottom of the panel as many times as required till you get to PFE/PF3 ATC, then click Activate button and restart MCE. After that you'll definitely be on PF3 and notNative ATC.

Already done.

Bill

Although rare, some cal-signs may confuse him. Which one are you using?
 

Speedbird 353

1 hour ago, A320Flyer said:

Although rare, some cal-signs may confuse him. Which one are you using?
 

Speedbird 353

Should be OK with this one. MCE will identify it as an airliner with flight number 353.

Go to MCE ATC tab and check the callsign matches. Should display "Speedbird three five three" which is how you're expected to speak it, even though "speedbird three fifty three" or "speedbird thirty five three" will also be accepted.

MCE will dynamically update the speech grammar so that your call-sign is easily picked up by speech engine. Since all ATC messages revolve around call-sign, this is crucial. And it doesn't make sense to list 1000 airline names in grammar hoping speech engine will pick-up the correct one.

In your case FO will only react to messages that start with "Speedbird 353" or "roger Speedbird 353" in Clearance.log

Edited July 16, 20241 yr by FS++

OK, I'll try and better explain what is happening to me:

 

I start MSFS, choose PDMG373 at Stand 8 EGNM. I start PF3 with my normal PF3 profile for the PDMG737.

I load the FP, EGNM-EGPF.

I start MCE.

A MCE notification pops up saying: "To prevent other traffic interfering with your transmission. MCE has enabled the <Mute PF3> option. The CapsLock key has been assigned. Please restart PF3".

I restart PF3.

I load the same FP, EGNM-EGPF.

I power up the AC and tell my CP he has the radios. He acknowledges.

I ask him to "Request our IFR clearance". He acknowledges and proceeds to contact Delivery.

Delivery provides our clearance but my CP does not acknowledge or read back the clearance.

I checked that the Clearance.log is being generated. It is, so MCE and PF3 seem to be communicating ok and the Clearance.log is being generated. The log says:

"Speedbird 353 cleared to EGPF   November Echo Lima Sierra Alpha 3 Whiskey departure climb to flight level 100  squawk 4345"

 

Now, I try PF3 as standalone, with Pilot's voice set to British Pilot 9 and CP Mode 2 ( CP handles frequency changes and coms).

I load the same FP, EGNM-EGPF.

Using VoiceAttack, I ask him to "Request our IFR clearance". He acknowledges and proceeds to contact Delivery.

Delivery provides our clearance, my CP reads back the clearance. Delivery confirms read back is correct, provides QNH and says to contact Tower. The Clearance.log is generated and says:

"Speedbird 353 cleared to EGPF   November Echo Lima Sierra Alpha 3 Whiskey departure maintain flight level 110  squawk 6217  
Speedbird 353 readback correct. QNH 1010 Tower on 120.3 for push and start "

 

To me, it looks as if MCE is getting stuck after the initial clearance is given. Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Bill

4 hours ago, A320Flyer said:

OK, I'll try and better explain what is happening to me:

 

I start MSFS, choose PDMG373 at Stand 8 EGNM. I start PF3 with my normal PF3 profile for the PDMG737.

I load the FP, EGNM-EGPF.

I start MCE.

A MCE notification pops up saying: "To prevent other traffic interfering with your transmission. MCE has enabled the <Mute PF3> option. The CapsLock key has been assigned. Please restart PF3".

I restart PF3.

I load the same FP, EGNM-EGPF.

I power up the AC and tell my CP he has the radios. He acknowledges.

I ask him to "Request our IFR clearance". He acknowledges and proceeds to contact Delivery.

Delivery provides our clearance but my CP does not acknowledge or read back the clearance.

I checked that the Clearance.log is being generated. It is, so MCE and PF3 seem to be communicating ok and the Clearance.log is being generated. The log says:

"Speedbird 353 cleared to EGPF   November Echo Lima Sierra Alpha 3 Whiskey departure climb to flight level 100  squawk 4345"

 

Now, I try PF3 as standalone, with Pilot's voice set to British Pilot 9 and CP Mode 2 ( CP handles frequency changes and coms).

I load the same FP, EGNM-EGPF.

Using VoiceAttack, I ask him to "Request our IFR clearance". He acknowledges and proceeds to contact Delivery.

Delivery provides our clearance, my CP reads back the clearance. Delivery confirms read back is correct, provides QNH and says to contact Tower. The Clearance.log is generated and says:

"Speedbird 353 cleared to EGPF   November Echo Lima Sierra Alpha 3 Whiskey departure maintain flight level 110  squawk 6217  
Speedbird 353 readback correct. QNH 1010 Tower on 120.3 for push and start "

 

To me, it looks as if MCE is getting stuck after the initial clearance is given. Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Bill

I guess won't be able to reply until I perform a check in the next few days.

Meanwhile, if you have setup things in FSUIPC that cause joystick button to emulate key combinations, check none is interfering with the PF3 hotkeys.

The hotkeys can only work if the flight sim has the focus at the time they are sent, therefore when testing, you might have another app holding the focus.

Skip the clearance request for now and see if the other requests and acknowledgments go through.

Be aware, there is a tool called "Voxkey" which ships with all MCE products. It works like VoiceAttack.

Windows Start->Multi Crew Experience->Voxkey

The main diference, it's just an editor. You could transfer some of your usual VoiceAttack commands, except those related to cockpit work and close the tool. For MSFS you need to open the "FS2020.vkp" profile.

When done adding custom commands, close it

Next time MCE runs it will look up the profile and make those custom commands available for speech reco in addition to the tens of thousands of built-in commands, without the need to run a second instance of the speech engine via another app.

Built-in commands always take precedence over custom ones.

And to answer your earlier questions, you could use all of these commands to ask him to request start and push (without pressing PTT)

request start and push

request push and start

request engine start and pushback

request engine startup and pushback

request engine start and push

request startup and pushback

request startup and push

request pushback and start

request push and start

.... many other speech variations

20 minutes ago, FS++ said:

Meanwhile, if you have setup things in FSUIPC that cause joystick button to emulate key combinations, check none is interfering with the PF3 hotkeys.

I'm pretty sure there are no conflicts. I have used PF3 regularly with my current setup with no issues. That's what I was trying to demonstrate in my last post. MSFS+PF3+VA all works seamlessly. MSFS+PF3+MCE not so well.

 

Skip the clearance request for now and see if the other requests and acknowledgments go through.

I've managed to get past this on a couple of occasions by using the PF3 key responses and the remainder of the flight goes ok.

 

And to answer your earlier questions, you could use all of these commands to ask him to request start and push (without pressing PTT)

As above, once I get past the sticking point, all seems ok. Its just the initial IFR clearance that seems to be an issue. 

 

Thanks for looking into this.

Bill

 

Hi, I can try to reproduce this, but it will be a few days. So, BAW 353, stand 8, EGNM-EGPF, any old flight plan with NELSA 3W departure (NELSA3W in PF3)? I don't have the PMDG, so I guess I'll use the Asobo Airbus.

It doesn’t seem to matter what FP I use, I get the same issue. This is my latest FP with same result:

EGNM/14 N0387F240 POL2X POL N601 RIBEL DCT NISKA DCT ASLIB DCT ENIPI DCT ODIGI DCT VAPPI DCT LANAK DCT EGPF/23

The issue is that CP contacts Delivery and requests clearance, the first part of the clearance is issued. Sometimes CP reads that back ok but then there is no second part (ie the squawk code and handoff to Tower). At other times, the second part of the clearance is given but CP does not acknowledge. 
 

Thanks for getting involved in this. 
 

Bill

25 minutes ago, A320Flyer said:

It doesn’t seem to matter what FP I use, I get the same issue. This is my latest FP with same result:

EGNM/14 N0387F240 POL2X POL N601 RIBEL DCT NISKA DCT ASLIB DCT ENIPI DCT ODIGI DCT VAPPI DCT LANAK DCT EGPF/23

 the first part of the clearance is issued. Sometimes CP reads that back ok but then there is no second part (ie the squawk code and handoff to Tower). At other times, the second part of the clearance is given but CP does not acknowledge. 
 

Thanks for getting involved in this. 
 

Bill

There is a clue there. Can you please send the clearance log to [email protected]

On very long clearances, PF3 may split the caption into 2 parts (FSUPC text limit being 128 chars) and although it is taken into account by MCE, you never know when something unexpected is there in the text.

Issue is definitely related to that.

 

 

Logs sent

Sorry, can't help at the moment. PF3 is refusing to connect to MSFS. Something about taxi data. I've rebuilt the database a number of times, but the error message stays. Have to look into that.