Hi,First of all, I am no computer wizzard. I only experiment a lot. As usual the normal disclaimer: I'm NOT responsible for anything thathappens to your PC for doing any of this. You do it under your ownresponsibility.OK, that out of the way, all I have done is to modify a *.bat file (batch file) that was sent to me by one of the other persons that was working with JD about the slow voices problem with Radar Contact 3. I am keeping his name anonymous out of respect for his privacy. JD asked me to make this post to offer as much help as possible as quickly as possible. Better computer smart people than myself should tell/teach you how to make a batchfile. Perhaps one of you guys can make a post here to help us all. I don't think it's hard at all. Once I got one, it was easy to modify. I made a batchfile for RC3 and another one for FS2002. Now, I have Radar Contact starting in "Realtime" priority and FS2002 starting in "Low" priority. Radar Contact "screams" and FS2002 doesn't have a performance hit at all. My FPS are 30's to 40's. Before, Radar Contact just wasn't useable at all because the voices were so slow and disjointed. Radar Contact hardly uses any system resources at all. You can select the priority for these two programs in Windows XP, which is what I have, by hitting control/alt/delete and selecting the "processes" tab at the top and then right clicking on the program that is running and scrolling to priority and there you will see a menu selection going from "low" to "realtime". Pick what you want and press on. Try it if you are having problems and you will see what I mean about improved performance. By making a batchfile for each program you eliminate the need to bring up Task Manager everytime and resetting you preferences which is a pain.You can also accomplish the same results by putting in a new string into your Icon shortcut but I did not have any success with this method because I didn't know exactly what I was doing or couldn't get the string language correct. I told you I was no computer wizzard!Once I got the two batchfiles made, I made a shortcut to them on the desktop. You can put the batchfiles anywhere you want. I stuck them in the root folders of their respective programs just to keep track of them. Clicking on the shortcuts now brings my Radar Contact up in the priority of "Realtime" and FS2002 in "low". Both programs run just great and that's using a satellite internet hookup along with Active Sky.System:P4 2.2 gig1 gig PC800 RAM80 gig 7200 RPM driveWindows XP Professional4 Monitors (a 21" and three 17")1 Visiontek Geforce 4 Ti 46003 Radeon Cheapie Video Cards for other monitorsNvidia 4109 video driver (drivers made no difference)Complete GoFlight radio stack system (8 USB Hookups)Direct PC satellite internet hookupDirectX 8.2 (DirectX versions made no difference also)Creative Soundblaster Audigy5.121.253 Soundblaster Driver (Driver versions made no difference)Lots of addons or no addons don't seem to make any difference either and I have tried both going back to a fresh reinstall of both RC3 and FS2002. Was a great way to clean out my gauges file!!!I sincerely hope this is of some help. Hopefully we'll get some more words on how to create batchfiles.Radar Contact is an outstanding program.Good luck,Bob, Rogers, Arkansas

OK. Using the Task Manager works for me too. I hope we can get more details on the batch file thing or some other solution so that I don't have to use the Task Manager every time I start RC. Wow, it is sure nice to have a solution.

Thanks for the batch files. They work great and make Radar Contact work great!http://members.telocity.com/~geof43/Geofdog2.gif

Just got this e-mail and I have copied it here for you. You can do this in a couple of minutes. Bob,Just do a copy/paste of the contents of the batch file into a message on theforum. Tell the reader he can copy/paste it into notepad. Then make changesto path statements so it fits his system. Then save it as RC.bat or whateverhe wants.____________________________________________Rick ThompsonCustomer SupportJDTLLCHere are the contents of the Radar Contact 3 batchfile I use:echo offclscd C:Program Filesrcv30start /REALTIME rcv3.exeHere are the contents of the FS2002 batchfile I use:echo offclscd C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFS2002start /LOW fs2002.exeSounds pretty easy doesn't it? Well, it really is. Heck, I did it!Bob, Rogers, Arkansas

Here is Bob's bat files:All you need to do is copy/paste the contents into a notepad document.echo offclscd C:Program Filesrcv30start /REALTIME rcv3.exeThe four lines above are called radarcontactv3.bat. You can name it anything you like just make sure it has a bat file extension. What it does is change directory to your RCv3 directory then start RCv3.Please note if you have Rcv3 on another drive or directory you will have to edit the path c:program filesrcv30 to match you setup.This is bat file 2echo offclscd C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFS2002start /LOW fs2002.exeThis one is called FS2002.bat. Again you can name it to anything you like just as long as the extension is named bat. What this one does is change directory to your FS2002 directory and start FS2002.Please note if you have FS2002 in another directory other than c:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFS2002 edit the path to match your setup.That about does it.

Gee Bob,You beat me by a couple of minutes!!! Oh well, back to order and key processing.

Roger that!Sure do want to thank you guys for all the terrific support!Bob, Rogers, Arkansas

Still waiting for my copy of RC3, but just on the subject of Slow voices does this problem show up with Win. 98 or is it more prevalent with XP.If it also shows up with Win.98 Tks. for the info on the batch files.Kenny G.

Yes, I'm waiting to get mine too and would like to know if this problem exists in WinMe.Thanks, Adam

Kenny,One gentleman in the group I was working with about the slow voices problem was using Windows 98 Second Edition. Bob, Rogers, Arkansas

WOW!Thanks for putting up the *.bat file solution. I just got RC3 today and noticed it was a bit slow on the voice. But now they work great! Outstanding job guys!MaulWho Wants To Fly The Big Jets In & Out Of Chicago O'Hare...I DO! :-wave

Hi,As a non computer boffin could someone explain in lay terms what, setting the prority of FS2002 as LOW (via the batch files or directly in Task Manager), actually means and the implications.Many thanksEric Pennington

question removed

Hi,OK, as I explained above, I'm no expert. This is just my understanding of what goes on. Task Manager decides what programs that are running on your system are going to be given what priority for using your CPU (processor) resources. When you bring Task Manager up by pressing control/alt/delete you will see something like thirty or so programs all running at the same time. Those programs may be doing something or not depending upon what state of use they are in. If you are running FS2002 at a fairly intense level chances are you will see it utilizing 100% or close to it. At the same time, you will see Radar Contact only occasionally using a couple of percent. Since I an additional monitor (4 total!) I was able to slide Task Manager off to one of the other monitors and let both programs run together to watch what was happening. Interesting stuff I had no clue about before. From what I can tell, most programs are given the "normal" setting by Task Manager or maybe it is written into the program itself, which is probably the case. FS2002 and Radar Contact 3 both have the "normal" setting assigned to them. This would all be fine if it weren't for FS2002 utilizing 100% of your processor resources almost all the time. Radar Contact uses very very few resources, but it must wait for FS2002 to have a momentary little "blip" for it to come in and do it's thing, i.e. play a wave file that it has been waiting to play. By setting Radar Contact to "above normal", "high", or "realtime", you are in effect telling Task Manager to look at Radar Contact's needs to perform at a higher level than FS2002. Exactly which settings are best for the two programs I don't know, and I highly doubt that anyone does know, but if you are having problems with the two programs working correctly together, and let's face it, they MUST work together or there is no need of them running together, it would then be best to consider reassigning their priorities. I sort of like to experiment with the extremes to get the maximum bang for the buck possible, so I selected "Realtime" for Radar Contact and "Low" for FS2002 so in my mind's thinking Radar Contact would say it's wave files at the fastest or most correct speed possible to make it sound the most fluid. That is pretty much the case for me. I have some doubts that any program of this sort could be made to sound 100% like a human voice controller or pilot given the state of the current technology. Just a guess. Radar Contact does an exceptionally fine job IMHO of giving us all the best of both worlds of good control coupled with good speech and it also gives us unparalled ability to have options while you are flying. Since it is not an adventure you are now free to do many other things, bring on different programs, jump into different planes etc etc while on the fly. Exceptional. We just need to "artificially" give it it's chance to jump in on top of FS2002 while FS2002 is gobbling up every resource in sight. I don't see the least bit of harm to anyone's machine with any of this and I don't see FS2002 running worse at all but your mileage may certainly vary as they say. You can always go back to the "normal" setting for either program at any time by just modifying the batch file to suit your needs. I still maintain Icons on my desktop for FS2002 to start up in "normal" if I am not going to be using Radar Contact. For any serious IFR flying, I will be using Radar Contact. I have been nosing around in the WindowsXP stuff on Microsoft and ran across one of their issues with processors running at 100%. There is some sort of processor throttle feature that is not running quite correctly within Windows software that is an issue for a fix with an upcoming Service Pack. I have to wonder if this throttle feature were incorporated to prevent FS2002 from running your processor so wide open if that, in itself, would fix the FS2002 and Radar Contact mutual resources useage problem we are seeing with some systems. Mine, most certainly, included. A bigger concern that I have now, after reading the Microsoft issue, was a statement about burning up processors by running them at 100% and if I am at risk of doing so. It was late last night when I came across this and I have not been able to find it within the bowels of Microsoft resources on the net which are extensive to say the least. Perhaps better computer minds than myself can shed additional light. Well, after that ramble, hope I helped you some.Take care,Bob, Rogers, Arkansas

Hi Bob,I cannot thank you enough for that explanation, it certainly has shed a lot of light on that topic for me.As you have commented one could try different settings and see which one suited your particular system, in the meantime I now understand a lot more than I did before-- thanks to your valuable assistance.Once again,Many ThanksEric Pennington