I have been flying sims for years so I was eagerly looking forward to Radar Contact and how it would "improve" my FS9 flying with regards to ATC. Instead of improvement, I find that it seems to be a step backwards on many issues. 1. ATC sounds in ATIS sound Robotic. It also seemed that that weather in ATIS was not in Sync with Active Sky and FS9 ATIS. 2. I also found out that I can't turn on Progressive taxi to find the proper runway in a large airport. It also appears that Radar Contact has no idea of where my aircraft is on the Airport proper, so any directions from ATC would probably not work, either. 3. It also seems that Radar Contact has no idea where my Ultimate Traffic AI traffic is. I hit an incorrect key today and it was giving me takeoff clearance on a PMDG 737, "from the Ramp." At this point, I decided that going any further with this program was probably going to be a waste of time due to all the negative points already noted, and I hadn't even left the ground. I am going to uninstall this program and chalk the $44 up to experience.

>I have been flying sims for years so I was eagerly looking>forward to Radar Contact and how it would "improve" my FS9>flying with regards to ATC. Instead of improvement, I find>that it seems to be a step backwards on many issues. >>1. ATC sounds in ATIS sound Robotic. It also seemed that that>weather in ATIS was not in Sync with Active Sky and FS9 ATIS.>>2. I also found out that I can't turn on Progressive taxi to>find the proper runway in a large airport. It also appears>that Radar Contact has no idea of where my aircraft is on the>Airport proper, so any directions from ATC would probably not>work, either. >3. It also seems that Radar Contact has no idea where my>Ultimate Traffic AI traffic is. I hit an incorrect key today >and it was giving me takeoff clearance on a PMDG 737, "from>the Ramp." >>At this point, I decided that going any further with this>program was probably going to be a waste of time due to all>the negative points already noted, and I hadn't even left the>ground. >>I am going to uninstall this program and chalk the $44 up to>experience. Well, I have been flying real airplanes for more than 30 years, and simming for more than 10, and I think your rather precursory analysis of the capabilities of Radar Contact is superficial and shallow.Apparently you haven't enough real world experience to have heard a robotic ATIS, ASOS, or HIWAS report. I find RC realistic enough in comparison.Wow, no progressive taxi or magic painted line on the ground. Guess that means you might need to find an airport diagram and figure out where you are and where you're going like real-world pilots do. Progressive taxi instructions are for the lazy and the lost...asking for them is not the mark of a good pilot.Awareness of AI is something I understand the RC team have been working hard for version 4.0. I fly a wide variety of instrument profiles in a wide variety of different aircraft simulations...RC is the only game in town when you need to automate a really broad spectrum of ATC capabilites including full IAPs to radar vectors. I could start to list things RC will do that the default ATC won't but there isn't space nor time.But...to each his own. Uninstall if you desire. I just think that you're missing out on many of the great capabilities in RC3. Of course if private pilot level VFR work is your focus, maybe you can't see any of those advanced instrument capabilities. I'd suggest it's worth your time for a more in-depth look.RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC

send me an email, and we'll refund your moneybut to be fair, atis is a robotic sounding broadcastinstructions on how to do progressive taxi's is in one of the apendices in the manualand it is clearly documented in a number of places, don't call tower until you are ready for take off, at the hold short line. if you hit the button that says you are holding short ready for takeoff at the ramp, what am i to do?but by all means, email me, and let me refund your [email protected]

All I can say is, it made a lousy first impression on me, too, but I gave it a fair chance and it really grew on me after a few more flights.Mark Kuebeler

One point at a time:It takes a number of minutes after a refresh from AS2004.5 for FS9 ATIS, which supplies RC, to sync up.FS9 AI starts its take off pattern (and landing pattern) before AS2004.5 affects the environment.You are requesting take-off clearance at the wrong time at the wrong place as JD stated.In the air, RC does correctly spot AI in the air giving you traffic advisories. It also spots AI on the runways. The next version will offer some control of AI. Make sure the latest build of FSUIPC and RC is being used, and that AI Interaction is checked in the options panel. AI recognition requires these free updates.I used to pilot advanced SE aircraft real world and I find it quite satisfactory.You should also note that the RC staff includes real-world ATC folks and pilots, and if you search this forum they are sticklers for real world ops as far as they can get out of FS.

>send me an email, and we'll refund your money>>but to be fair, >>atis is a robotic sounding broadcast>>instructions on how to do progressive taxi's is in one of the>apendices in the manual>>and it is clearly documented in a number of places, don't call>tower until you are ready for take off, at the hold short>line. if you hit the button that says you are holding short>ready for takeoff at the ramp, what am i to do?>>but by all means, email me, and let me refund your money.>>[email protected] am going to give this program another try before I give up on it. I was unable to find any information anywhere in the owners manual on Progressive taxi, but I am going to look again this evening.The reason that I hit the wrong key when at the gate getting ready for pushback, was because I was prgramming the FMC on my PMDG 737. I fly nothing but IFR using the PMDG 737. When I tried to program the PMDG 737 FMC in the normal fashion using the keyboard numbers, RC thought I was giving "it" a RC command and cleared me for takeoff. I quickly realized that once RC starts, the keyboard is not able to connect with the FMC anymore and I have to use the actual keypad on the FMC, to program it. What surprised me about the "takeoff clearance", however , was that this would not be possible using the FS9 ATC, because that ATC would "see" that you were not at the runway threshold.

Bob,Look in the section "Using FS2002 ATC and Radar Contact Together" beginning on page 107 of the Radar Contact manual.

There can be conflicts when using RC and programming the MDU/FMC, or GDC or whatever other program that works with FS. What you should do is set the RC keys to something different. You can do so from the "Customize RC Keys" on the options panel. I use Ctrl-Shift-x, where x is the normal key (1, 2, 3, etc.), so I don't interfere with anything else. But it's easy to change all the key assignments.

Thanks everyone , for all your help. I will work with it!!

Bob,A few of us on the Beta team use the PMDG. Some like you, use nothing else. We have completed hundreds of flights with RC3 (& now RC4) and they compliment each other perfectly.Stick with it! :)

Dean,Good to see you're still at it... Will try to email.Mike MacKuen