Problem with altitude allocation

[Guest acarsonline]

Hi folks,I've just started using Radar Contact 4, so it's probably me missing something here...I carried out my first flight with no problems at all. Very impressed with the program.However, I'm now trying a 2nd flight and am having a problem, in that when I get clearance, I'm told "Maintain feet", with no actual altitude being given. As soon as I climb above, say 2,000 feet, I'm told off by ATC and that I should descend and maintain "feet", again with no altitude given.What am I doing wrong?My pressure it correctly set.Thanks,Mark Avey

[jd 57]

check your cruise altitude on the controllers page. what's it set for?

[Guest pellelil]

I've had this problem once and it turned out to be a faulty flight-plan (.PLN file) where my cruising altitude had been set to 0 (as JD suggests you can both check it in the Controller-page and by opening your .PLN file into NotePad and check it).http://jdtllc.com/images/rcv4bannerbeta.jpgPelle F. S. Liljendal

[Guest acarsonline]

Hi,Thanks for the quick replies - it was indeed a zero flight level in the flight plan.Did another Radar Contact 4 flight tonight. I get more impressed with it each time I use it. However, I do have a couple of issues:1) I get some very long pauses mid-sentence from ATC. For instance, I might get something like "Please contact XXX on (pause of 10 seconds or so) 111.11" or something along those lines. It can be at any part mid-sentence, i.e. half through a frequencyand2) ATC doesn't always seem to respond correctly to my altitude. For instance, I was approaching tonight and I was asked to descend to 8000 feet, which I did (Altimeter set correctly). I was told numerous times I'd "busted" my altitude, and ATC weren't very happy with me at all ( :) ), and kept telling me to maintain 8000 feet, even that's where I was! I have Max Deviation set to the default of 300 feet and I was never more than about 40 feet off.Still loving the program, though :)Cheers,Mark

[jd 57]

1) defragging your disk might help. we're working on a better way to speak in 4.012) sounds like you forgot to set the altimeter to the local pressure. where was this flight? non-usa? when you hear the co-pilot say altimeter check, you have to set the altimeter to the local pressure, usually "B" will work.jd

[JRBarrett 3,121]

>1) I get some very long pauses mid-sentence from ATC. For>instance, I might get something like "Please contact XXX on>(pause of 10 seconds or so) 111.11" or something along those>lines. It can be at any part mid-sentence, i.e. half through a>frequency>Do you by chance use Active Sky? On my system, if the controller speaks while A.S. is in the midst of performing an update of the current weather conditions, it can cause long pauses in the controller's dialog.Jim Barrett

[Guest acarsonline]

>1) defragging your disk might help. we're working on a better>way to speak in 4.01My system is defragged every day - probably overkill, but it keeps me happy :)>2) sounds like you forgot to set the altimeter to the local>pressure. where was this flight? non-usa? when you hear the>co-pilot say altimeter check, you have to set the altimeter to>the local pressure, usually "B" will work.Altimeter was set correctly, using the B key as you suggest. It was a European flight.Cheers,Mark

[Guest acarsonline]

>Do you by chance use Active Sky? On my system, if the>controller speaks while A.S. is in the midst of performing an>update of the current weather conditions, it can cause long>pauses in the controller's dialog.I do indeed use Active Sky, so I guess that's the problem for me too. Active Sky is a "must have" for me, so guess I'll have to live with it for now.Cheers,Mark

[PeteP 2]

Mark,This does still sound like an altimeter setting problem to me. Just a few more questions:1. Are you sure that your clearance was to altitude 8000ft and not FL80? Getting these two confused is a very common cause of level busts in both the real-world and RC2. What was your destination airport? Knowing this will help us establish the Transition Altitude.3. Did you change the Transition Altitude from the one in RC's database and, if so, to what?BestPete http://www.jdtllc.com/images/rcv4bannerbeta.jpg

[Guest acarsonline]

>1. Are you sure that your clearance was to altitude>8000t and not FL80? Getting these two confused is a>very common cause of level busts in both the real-world and>RCOh, is this me being silly? (Tis usually the case!) It was a clearance to FL80 - is that not the same as 8000 feet?>2. What was your destination airport? Knowing this will help>us establish the Transition Altitude.Destination was LSGG - Geneva. This clearance was for the descent into LSGG rwy 5.>3. Did you change the Transition Altitude from the one in RC's>database and, if so, to what?Haven't changed it from the default settings.Cheers,Mark

[PeteP 2]

>>It was a clearance to FL80 - is that not the same as 8000 feet?<http://www.jdtllc.com/images/rcv4bannerbeta.jpg

[ronzie 21]

Download the current weather and save it if you wish. Do not let it update on-line while flying but set it for off-line. Weather will still progress. On-line updates and downloads are global compressed data and perhaps the periodic decompression process can tax your CPU. In addition, unless doing VATSIM or other on-line ATC, you can shut down unneeded processes regarding virus checking and firewall protection if you are not connected full time to the Internet. I also shut down "application protection" since I assume after the first run when they are checked they are now trusted.

[Guest acarsonline]

Excellent :)Thanks very much for the detailed response. I'm all sorted now.The support in this forum is terrific :)Cheers,Mark

[Guest acarsonline]

>Download the current weather and save it if you wish. Do not>let it update on-line while flying but set it for off-line.>Weather will still progress. On-line updates and downloads are>global compressed data and perhaps the periodic decompression>process can tax your CPU. In addition, unless doing VATSIM or>other on-line ATC, you can shut down unneeded processes>regarding virus checking and firewall protection if you are>not connected full time to the Internet. I also shut down>"application protection" since I assume after the first run>when they are checked they are now trusted.Hi,Tried in offline mode, and I still get the pauses.I also use SmartClose to shut down all unrequired processes before starting FS.Cheers,Mark