Ted Striker

Back in the day I used to use my expired charts for flight simming. I stopped flying before this digital evolution started which is why I'm still comfortable flying the steam gauges and all this GNS/GTN is a new language I'm trying to learn. Ted

I've read though all your linked threads Jean. Now I understand why I feel like I've been asking questions at the CIA's headquarters! I was going to purchase all four GPSs but I think I will pass on the GNS series and just get the GTNs. The GTNs appears to be complete and relatively up to date. The GNSs would be more appropriate for my smallest GA aircraft but I also want a database that I can use with current charts and while this may be achievable it does not appear to easy or cost effective. Thanks, Ted

Jean-Luc, From your and other's posts and links it appears that the RXP GTN database is very up to date and includes the small airports I in the database that I have been inquiring about. Would you tell me what type (world wide or regional) and version(date) database the RXP GNS series comes with? The only GNS trainer I found on the Garmin website is from 2009. Thank you, Ted

Thank you for that Bert. Can you tell me which database the GNS comes up with? Ted

Frank, I assure you I am not doing this and sincerely apologize if I came across this way. I am merely trying to find out what databases these units come with and what is included. It is very confusing if your only experience is with the default GPS. I did not see on the RXP product website or the pinned forum topics any mention of what type or version of database the GNS comes with or if/how it can be upgraded. Hence all my newbie questions. The website says GNS version 3.3 but it is not clear if that is the RXP version or one of the Garmin Trainer version numbers. After rereading all the posts and links in this thread I do now know that Garmin produces both regional and world wide databases for their real world products. I now understand why they eliminated the smaller airports in the world wide database if the storage space in the GPS was limited. I did find your very thorough pinned topic on installing flight plans into the GNS and will certainly read that if I purchase one of these. Ted

Thanks for the thorough explanation Frank. This is what I was trying to figure out. If I understand you correctly I can purchase a new RXP GNS 430 and 530 and I will be able to install database 1513 and have the data for the smaller airports. I find it hard to believe that Garmin would have just removed this small airport data for real world pilots so I assume that this just applies to their trainers. Ted

I appreciate the feedback Frank but I think I am still as confused as everyone else. I've put off buying any addon Garmins due to this. My intended use is to fly small GA aircraft into small ORBX airports, hence the interest in the small airport database. According to Bert the latest GTNs do include the small airport database so that just leaves the GNSs. It sounds like you can downgrade the GNS software to an earlier version and then install the earlier small airport database into the GNS. Is this correct? I will try Bert's suggestion of downloading the GTN and GNS trainers to view the databases. Thanks, Ted

Is the older database with the shorter runways still available and if so can it be installed? Ted

I just posted in another thread not less than an hour ago that I was wondering how important the higher bandwith of the HEDT motherboards was to P3D vs. the Z370/Z390 systems. You seemed to have answered it. Not at all. Thanks for doing this test and sharing the data. I really like the jump in the minimum FPS numbers. Just to show that I really looked at the data, I believe you have a decimal off in the Avg GPU usages for the 7900X with single 2080ti at very high settings. As Ken mentioned, being that I just purchased an 8086, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the 9900k vs. your 8700K. At your leisure of course..... Thanks again, Ted

I am in the process of upgrading from a 3770k to an 8086 and looking forward to the results. Like the 3770k, which has served me well, I expect to be on the 8086 for quite a few years. Two things I could not find an answer to when deciding on new hardware was: A) What is the optimum number of cores for P3D? I have read at some point the resources required to operate the extra cores actually offsets the benefits. I have seen any data regarding how many cores this is. B) I believe HEDT products have more bandwith for data transport between CPU, RAM, and GPU. How beneficial is this to P3D vs. Z370/Z390 boards? I never could find the answers to these questions so I am proceeding with a 6 core 8086 build. If it turns I out a need more cores I can install a 9900k on my motherboard in this system in the future after the prices come down. Ted

When I went to 4k from a 1024 x 2080 monitor I lost 20% in FPS and my GPU load doubled. My specs are below and I was on a 780 GTX then. After installing my current 1080ti I have not been able to get my GPU usage over 60%. I suspect that it because it is being held back by my current CPU. The 4k is so nice I just lowered my settings a little rather than go back to the smaller lower res monitor. Ted

I had this when using MyTrafficX and also third party airports. MyTrafficX includes it own afcads for a lot of major airports so the airlines will park at the correct terminals. If you add a third party airport it adds its own afcad. I noticed this first at KLAX with FSDT and MyTrafficX. After I disabled the mytrafficX afcad for KLAX the problem of 2 overlying aircraft was solved. Ted

I think you hit the nail on the head there Vic. Every developer has a different system that they are intimately familiar with and to them it is easy and straight forward. For the average avsim member that has products from 10 or 20 developers it is mind numbing to try and remember how each one works. It generally takes me a whole evening to uninstall and reinstall a product because first I need to scan my computer for any documents that might have instructions on the correct way to do it. Then I need to go to the developers website and scour it and the forums for any further instructions. Before I RTFM, I need to Find the FM as each developer has it in a different location. I really miss the old days of just popping in the DVD and following the instructions. Why can't the developers put all the instructions needed in their installers and uninstallers? And while I am on my whining rant, it would be nice if the reasons for doing things when you have options like de-activating, where also included with the instructions. Back on topic, I haven't had any major problems with the Flight1 installers but there are certainly much easier and intuitive ones used by other developers. Heck, sometimes I wish we still had the option for complete manual installs as then I would know what is being added to my computer and where. I know it is more cumbersome, but I believe it forced people to understand how the sim worked by manually installing addons..but now I'm really digressing.... Ted

Thanks for taking the time to post the great summary of your build and P3D performance experience Larry. My current system is very similar to your old one. When you described the P3D performance on your new system I thought, "oh oh, this is not good, this is what I get on my current system." Well that was until I saw your settings which are mostly maxed out. My settings are mostly medium to low. I know your have a lot to test and adjust right now but I would appreciate it if when you have the time you would let us know how much you need to relax your settings to eliminate the stutters and get smooth flight. Thanks again, Ted

I have had emails go unanswered also. If you are in the US, I have had better success calling them and got good support that way. I would rather talk to someone anyway. Their phone number is listed on the top left corner of their home page. How many internet companies do that anymore! Ted

Ray, I have UTL after many years with MT6. I never had any problem with MT6 but just wanted to try something new. As others have said, UTL has much nicer aircraft, both detail and resolution. Another thing I like about UTL is that the aircraft seem to takeoff and land more realistically whereas the MT6 aircraft seemed to slam onto the runway like a carrier landing. The FPS seems a little better with UTL. The advantage of MT6 is that it included a lot of modified afcads for airports that I assume were responsible for the airlines parking at the correct spots at the airports. UTL does not have these so at default airports the aircraft are not parked where you would expect them but instead are parked randomly around the airports. If you have an addon airport with correct gate assignments this may not happen. I still need to check that. I'm like you though in that I just wanted to install and fly. There are a lot of things I would like to see improved but overall I like it a little better than MT6. If you want anything better you just need to invest a lot of time manually installing each airline and I don't have that time. Ted

That's what I figured. Thanks for the clarification Martin. Ted

Are you saying bare contact or another paste instead of liquid metal? Ted

I have never been successful streaming the Q400 videos. I got buffering interruptions, reduced resolution, and poor sound quality. I finally downloaded one part and it was fine so I downloaded the entire course and watched it that way. Ted

You're welcome. I just noticed that you fly out of Palomar Airport. I got my private pilot's license from there in 1984. It was a fun causal little airport back then. The FBO was in an old wood sided building and the airport hamburger restaurant was above it. Looks like it has been torn down and replaced by a Jet Center. Lots of good memories from there....like sneaking back home on marginal VFR acceptance from the tower because the marine layer had moved in when I should have diverted. It paid to get to know the tower staff and buy them coffee at the upstairs restaurant. Ted

fat fingered this one...................

As is being discussed in this thread, it is not just your resolution that matters but also your screen size. The larger your PPI the better your image will look and the less AA you should need. The PPI is the pixels per inch on your screen and is obtained by dividing the horizontal or vertical resolution by the corresponding screen dimension. My first monitor was a 19" 4:3 aspect ratio Dell with a resolution of 1280 x 1024 and screen dimensions of 15" wide and 12" tall. My horizontal PPI was 1280/15=85 and vertical was 1024/12=85 also. I wanted a wider horizontal field of view so I got 2 more of the same Dell monitors which gave me a horizontal resolution of 3 x 1280 =3840 and 45" of horizontal screen area. My horizontal PPI remained the same. As 4k TV prices came down I replaced my triple monitor setup on a 55" UHD Sony 900E TV with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. The screen dimensions are 47" x 27" As you can see the horizontal field of view was about the same as my triple monitor setup but my vertical field of view doubled enabling me to see out the windscreen and also the entire panel without having to scroll up and down. The PPI of my Sony is 3840/47=81.7 horizontally and 2160/27=80. My PPI actually reduced a little with the 4k TV. If I had gotten a 49 inch TV instead, the PPI would have increased and the image would have been a little sharper. I chose the 55" TV because this TV will be going into my living room and I will probably be getting a smaller 4k 42" LG monitor for my sim. I use the same AA settings with my Sony TV as I did with my old Dell monitors, 8x msss with 16x anio and the jaggies look about the same on both, slight but very tolerable. I expect the image on a smaller 4K monitor will have smaller jaggies. I am planning on taking some 4k screenshots from my sim, putting them on a flash drive, and then going to Best Buy to view them on different size monitors for comparison. I hope this clarifies things for you and others, Ted

If you live close to a Microcenter that is my first choice providing they carry the components you want. They will match any internet price, you can return items easily if you need to, and many of the sales staff are computer enthusiasts and fairly knowledgeable. Ted

And to round out what Ryan recommended you need to get Big Bear Lake airport also. Fun to dive from Big Bear into Palm Springs in the Lear 25 and control your speed without spoilers. Ted

Has your wife told you what you are getting her for Christmas yet? Ted