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nralbers

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Posts posted by nralbers


  1. You mean the COLOCATED fixes that wouldn't load? I had a good friend of mine who's also handy with navigation calculations whip up a program to convert them to LATLON fixes. And I was working from a file that was made for the old FS9 737 NG that already contained all the custom fixes in the approach procedures. That file has been available from VATSIM NZ for a while now. Most of what i've done is track down which bits were causing the file to fail in the NGX and figure out workarounds for them.


  2. Hi Cristi, thx for the reply. Will conduct some more searches here in the forum and see what I find. PS: Would of been advantageous to do it straight from the CDU/FMC?! Rgds, XCL
    I wish that was possible, it would save a lot of headaches... It's pretty much straight text editing into the file. I have a few tips for you that i've found out the hard way:1. filename is [airport ICAO code].txt in the PDMG\SIDSTAR folder2. Look at the existing files for the block formats, there are blocks for Fixes, Runways, SID's, STAR's, Approaches and Gates.3. Any runway entries have to match the entries in the runways file in the PDMG\Navdata folder (wptnavapt.txt)4. To test: Open CDU, on RTE page add departure or arrival to the airport you're adding/modifying. Go to DEP/ARR page. If it shows pages 1 of 0, you've made a syntax error somewhere. Fix the error, set the departure or arrival to another (working) airport, then back to the one you're testing. Go back to the DEP/ARR page. Does it work? Great! if not, rinse, lather and repeat.5. Start small, and add/test entries one by one.

  3. I have an updated version of the old FS9 SIDSTAR for NZQN that i've been debugging. The RNAV approaches and SID's now show up on the DEP/ARR pages of the CDU, but I haven't had time to properly flight test them. Anybody who's interested in alpha testing them drop me a note and I'll mail the file. I'm still working on the VOR approaches, other than the LARC/RARC transistions which as mentioned above don't work yet (I've removed them) something else in the format is still causing the CDU to blank when I try to load. Any notes on what the proper syntax of the SIDSTAR file currently is would be appreciated. Some stuff I can work out by looking at other files, but not everything.


  4. Quick Update: I'm now testing what seems to be a working version of the RNAV approaches and SID's. I still have to troubleshoot the VOR approaches, even without the ARC transitions they are still causing the FMC to fail when showing the APP page. If I can figure out what the problem is, I'll see if I can simulate the ARC transitions with fixed waypoints on the DME ARC. Anybody who wants to help me troubleshoot the RNAV approaches by flying them drop me a note and I'll mail the file.


  5. I'm working on trying to convert an existing SIDSTAR file for NZQN for the fs9 737NG, but there are issues. It looks like some of the commands are either not supported (yet) or that the syntax has changed. The creator of the current file doesn't have the NGX, so I'm hoping for his permission to update and fix his file to get things working. The problem with the approaches is that they use a number of custom waypoints that don't exist in the navdata cycles used, and that a few of the commands are not (yet) supported, for example ARC turns on a waypoint. Another post on this forum has a reply that seems to indicate that these are forthcoming in a future service pack. just search on NZQN and you should find that post as well. I'll try to keep this issue updated on this forum. Niels Albers


  6. Question, Does anyone have any documentation of what the allowed formats /syntax is of the SIDSTAR files? I'm working on converting an old NG SIDSTAR file for fs9 so I can do RNAV approaches into NZQN. Through trial and error i've found that the DEP/ARR pages wil only show any data if the following points hold:1. The runways in the runway block have to match the designations in the scenery definition2. The old file included COLOCATED FIXes. Including one wil also blank the ARR page for NZQN. I don't know if this is because this sort of fix isn't supported or if the syntax has changed in the new version.3. Another post in this forum reports that LARC/RARC entries are currently not supported but due in a servicepack. Thanks, Niels Albers


  7. Here's my 2 cents...I do a lot of flights with Jets, and find Radar Contact 4 to be indispensable.Pro's:- Realistic handling of ATC procedures, including regional variations, differing Transition Altitudes in different countries.- Vectors to final will set you up for an ILS intercept WITHOUT sending you halfway across the country...- The option to fly a SID (Standard Instrument Departure), with or without ATC dictating the intermediate altitudes.- Has options to deal with deviations for turbulence or weather.- I've never had any performance problems or perceptible frame rate hit.- Support online is EXCELLENT. The RC folks on the avsim forum are almost unfailingly patient with the questions/problem reports people post there. Even when the questions have been done to death in the past...- It's a really really good program for IFR ATC!Con's:- If you want to follow a STAR, you have to build it into you initial flight plan. This can be tricky if your STAR is coupled to a specific runway and you use dynamic weather... OTOH you can fly a Full plate approach (IAP approach) at your own discretion once you are handed over to approach at 50 nm from the airport, which means you can pretty much do as you please...- You have to be careful about talking to ATC as you pass waypoints of your flightplan. RC4 will sometimes fail to notice that you've crossed a waypoint and send you back... This can be worked around by asking for Direct to the next waypoint, but it can be irritating...- No VFR ATC.- It will only keep AI traffic out of your way when you're on tower frequency. The rest of the time you'll have to watch for traffic yourself. There are utilities out there that can help with this (AI Smooth for example)Not so much a con as a fact:- It has a moderately steep learning curve. Do fly the tutorial flights and do read the manual, and do search the avsim forum before thinking your procedural problem is a bug...- Just like real ATC, it will ask you to decend or ascend when it suits ATC, not when your fancy FMC (Flight management computer) says you should. This might cause you to rethink your flight strategies :(Summary:I consider Radar Contact to be a must have program. If you're more into GA VFR flight, you might disagree. And the few relatively minor problems in no way drag down a really excellent product. Radar Contact 5 is already on my wish list, even though it's not on the market yet (and JD, if you read this, please stick to your release practices and only put it on sale when it's done! I'm convinced that's one of the reasons RC4 is such a great product!)


  8. Actually, disregard question A, as I have figured it out myself. Replace question A with the following question.I noticed some autoland parameters in the manual. Is there a way to perform autoland in this thing? If so, how?
    Just performed an autoland myself. Procedure is easy:1. Select landing runway on DEP/ARR page on the CDU.2. Vector yourself/have ATC vector you onto an intercept heading for the ILS equipped runway. Make sure you are at the correct height GS intercept! (I use Radar Contact for ATC, in a vectors approach it does all these things for you...)3. Don't forget the before land checklist! Brakes to autobrake 1,2,3 or MAX, etc...4. Switch EFIS to APP page on ND (navigation display). (not necessary, but displays everything you need to see).5. When close to localiser intercept, hit APP button on MCP.6. manage speed, flaps & gear7. When autopilot shows LOC on PFD, activate all autopilot CMD buttons on MCP.8. LAND 1 or 2 should show on PFD. If so, sit back and watch the show!9. When on the ground, disconnect autopilot so the plane doesn't veer off the runway as it follows the ILS signal...As to your other question... This plane only models the General Electric motors, so changing the display would be silly, not to mention a pain when you have to look up the engine type for fuel planning purposes!

  9. 1) Can't change the EICAS display to pounds2) Can't change the ZFW despite the statement on p. 208 and umm, adjusting the XML.3) MAX ALTNNNN still appears on the FMC message area randomly.4) No virtual cabin
    For people only now reading this:I've run into bugs 2 & 3, and have found the following:Bug 2 sorted itself out after uninstalling and the reinstalling the base package + service pack 3.With SP3 bug 3 does not appear to be a bug, it shows up when the initial cruise altitude is not equal to the optimum altitude (which can be found on VNAV page 2 of the CDU.I still get Insufficient fuel messages after perf init, but these disappear after displaying the PROG page and verifying that there is fuel remaining at the destination.When starting from Cold & Dark, I do find the following annoyances:A) Unable to set initial altitude & heading on MCP in Before start checklist: This can only be done after start.:( Unable to change set speed on MCP to V2 or V2+10. Fix: After start, select SPD mode on MCP and then change. This "unsticks" the speed bug.C) If the IRS align timer gets to 0 before POS INIT is performed, the timer will roll over to a silly number after POS INIT. Fix: perform POS INIT immediatly after setting the IRS units to NAV.For the rest, I've been doing some long haul flights (Amsterdam - Singapore) and when flying with an FSBuild generated route I've had no real problems. When flying in VNAV of FLCH mode the plane does have trouble reaching optimum cruise altitude, but that can easily be fixed by selecting VSPD mode for the last 1000 ft or so up to altitude. All in all, despite all the reported problems, this is a VERY nice piece of freeware... I've flown worse payware aircraft than this! Just be sure to install SP3 ONLY on top of a clean installation, and if you run into problems with the checklists, try the problem step after start, that almost always clears up the problem.

  10. Are you flying the default FS EHAM scenery? That would explain your inability to select a real-world runway. Default EHAM is missing the polderbaan (36L/18R) and the headings are shifted as well (so you have 19L 19R, 01L 01R instead of 18L, 18C 18R, 36l, 36C, 36R). Find a decent AFCAD file for schiphol and after installing do an update scenery from within Radar Contact. I'm using a freeware AFCAD from ProjectX which can be found in the avsim library. This should also fix some of the more annoying problems with AI aircraft arrivals/departures, and being assigned to take off from 36R (which is only reachable after taxing via schiphol oost!) .


  11. I must agree with the first poster about the limits on the search engine, even if I do not agree with how he voiced his complaint.I have an interest in DC-3 aircraft, and as the forum search engine stands it is not possible to frame a query which will get me the information I'm looking for. Even a search on 'DC-3' will fail because the hyphen character is not valid. Given the large number of aircraft names and type descriptions which use a limited number of characters, this is a very serious limitation. Is there any chance this limitation will be dealt with in a possible future update of the forum software?


  12. I'm not running a 64 bit vista, but with a little investigation in the registry I found the problem. comdlg32.ocx was registered in HKEY_CURRENT_USER, not in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. This is why rc4 would start as a normal user (but didn't work properly because it lacked administrator privileges). Running regsvr32 again as administrator didn't work because it didn't clean up the bad registry entry in HKCU. The fix is as follows:1. Open a command prompt normally.2. in C:WindowsSystem32 run regsvr32 -u comdlg32.ocx (removes the bad registry entry)3. Open a command prompt with administrator privileges (by right clicking the shorcut and chosing run as administrator.4. in C:windowsSystem32 run regsvr32 comdlg32.ocx.Start rc4 as administrator.Bingo, it works


  13. Hello,I'm having a problem starting Radar Contact on Vista. When I run without administrator privileges, the program gives error 75 on updating the scenery DB. When I run with administrator privileges, I immediatly get a messagebox with title "Radar Contact" and the error message "Component 'comdlg32.ocx' or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid". I have tried reregistering comdlg32.ocx using the procedure in the FAQ using a command prompt with admin privileges, but this still happens.Please help!Niels Albers

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