Ideal setup and suggestions for best add-ons for FS9 (FS2004)
Newsy
good immersion using FS9. The main criteria is that it must be
available now (no FSX related suggestions please). Is 1 GB ram and
256 MB video memory enough? Utlimate Terrain? The MegaScenery
Series? In your opinion, which add on is the best in class? I'd like
to hear from others please. What is working for you? What will it
take to make it 'as real as it gets' using FS9? The total budget for
flight sim add-ons is about $200. Thanks.
Beech45Whiskey
> s 1 GB ram and
> 256 MB video memory enough? Utlimate Terrain? The MegaScenery
> Series? In your opinion, which add on is the best in class? I'd like
> to hear from others please. What is working for you? What will it
> take to make it 'as real as it gets' using FS9? The total budget for
> flight sim add-ons is about $200. Thanks.
Over what country do you typically fly? If the US, UT/USA and Canada,
combined with FSGenesis terrain mesh (www.fsgenesis.net) and FSGenesis
Landclass will vastly improve the look of the topography.
For downloaded realtime weather, along with many miscellaneous fixes to MS
weather, I recommend ActiveSky v6.5: (http://sales.hifisim.com/ASv6/)
--
Peter
troppo1
Tuned up by Michael at FS-GS..www.fs-gs.com..
Then:
Ulimate Terrain, USA Canada Alaska and Europe.
FSGenesis mesh
Active Sky version 6.
Ground Enviroment Pro
Flight Enviroment
Ulimate Traffic
Flight1 Carendo and Dreamfleet planes..
Cant go wrong if you have the money..
_________________________________________________________
Posted via the -Web to Usenet- forums at http://forums.simradar.com
Visit www.simradar.com and try our Flight Simulation Search Engine!
Ibby
FS Genesis considered best out there and due to the move to FSX they have a
good offer at the moment on mesh for FS9
http://www.fsgenesis.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=DVD9
Buy all four regions and get 45% off plus free world buffer mesh.
Second I would recommend improving ground textures. Most people go for
Ground Environment 2006 which comes in normal or Pro versions
http://environments.flight1.net/. I hate photo scenery as they only look
good if flying at 20000ft+
I have MyWorld2004 landclass which gives an overall improvement to the whole
world with Ultimate Terrain taking over on their dedicated regions
http://www.myworld2004.com/
Improve the water textures with plenty of freeware products or payware
http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=esdfsh2o
Accurate roads and landclass for, US, Canada, Alaska and Europe are
available from Ultimate Terrain http://www.scenerysolutions.com/UT.html
If you wish to improve your weather and sky textures there is Flight
Environment or Active Sky 6
http://sales.hifisim.com/ASV6/downloads.htm
Next up could be Ai traffic, the default is terrible with virtual airlines.
Ultimate Traffic would be the main package
http://ultimatetraffic.flight1.net/
Then get yourself a couple of good quality payware aircraft to fly in.
http://www.carenado.com/ecommerce/navegacion.php3
http://www.precisionmanuals.com/
http://www.leveldsim.com/sevensix_home.asp
http://www.flight1.com/
If your into flight planning FSNavigator is very good
http://www.fsnavigator.com/
If you wish to view your virtual cockpit better with the ability to pan and
walk then try Active Camera http://www.anticyclone.be/
or if your budget was bigger get TrackIR4 Pro which is excellent
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/
The list never stops as you can then add quality airports like the FlyTampa
ones and other scenery packages
Hope these tips help
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
"Newsy" <mun...@minions.com> wrote in message
news:2pkuk29cbigbstket...@4ax.com...
Quilljar
Not just for flight planning. You need FSNav to see where you are and to
move rapidly to somewhere else if you have to. If I only had to have one
add-on this would be it, and I know I am not alone here :-)
--
Cheers Quilly
For four good books to read look at...
http://www.quilljar.btinternet.co.uk/covers.htm
Buy three or four altogether and get economy postage.
Ibby
aircraft position and auto map centring as I find it a bit of a cheat if it
tells you where you are. I suppose in this day of age pilots rely more on
GPS now than the older days of trying to work out position based on VOR
radials and DMEs etc I like to try and work it out.
One problem I have noticed with FSNav and perhaps someone here can help is
if I have a plan plotted on it and I'm following a radial away from a VOR
and the needles are centred, when I tune the next VOR into the Nav radio and
make it active the needle usually moves off the centre even when I'm still
on the same bearing
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
"Quilljar" <wykehill-...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Z5mdnZU4kbO...@bt.com...
Barrie
>> http://www.fsnavigator.com/
>
> Not just for flight planning. You need FSNav to see where you are and to
> move rapidly to somewhere else if you have to. If I only had to have one
> add-on this would be it, and I know I am not alone here :-)
>
> --
I have just installed FSNav. Have only had a quick look and tentative
button-push so far and am already thrilled. It's well worth the price of
admission, so registered immediately. Used PayPal; so also had the novelty
of making a payment in euros. Makes a chap feel quite worldly. :-)
A wonderful add-on; an interest in its own right.
--
Barrie
--------------------------------------------------
No more room on top. Inside only please.
Hold tight.
ting-ting
Marc Adler
>I have just installed FSNav. Have only had a quick look and tentative
> button-push so far and am already thrilled. It's well worth the price of
> admission, so registered immediately.
I'm having trouble grokking what FSNav does, exactly. Can it be summed
up in a sentence or two?
Marc
Beech45Whiskey
> I'm having trouble grokking what FSNav does, exactly. Can it be summed
> up in a sentence or two?
Provides a very feature-rich moving map of your flight.
--
Peter
Wilson-Okamura@forums.simradar.com David Wilson-Okamura
- FS Genesis terrain mesh
- Ground Environment replacement textures
- Ultimate Terrain (for rivers, roads, coastlines)
- ActiveSky
With left-over money I would get:
- Flight Environment
- A quality aircraft or two (RealAir Marchetti for VFR, Baron or B200
for IFR)
troppo1
thought that it came standard..
Dallas
> if I have a plan plotted on it and I'm following a radial away from a VOR
> and the needles are centred, when I tune the next VOR into the Nav radio and
> make it active the needle usually moves off the centre even when I'm still
> on the same bearing
That's how it works in real life.
As you know, the magnetic pole is not where the true north pole is. As you
go from VOR station to VOR station the magnetic variance is different. In
other words, their north pointing arrows are not parallel to each other.
At one station (A) the variance might be 6°. At a station further west (B)
the magnetic variance could be 7°
That means a flight outbound on the (A) 300°radial would intercept the (B)
inbound radial at 119° (120°- 1°= 119°).
--
>>> Dallas <<<
Dallas
> I'm having trouble grokking what FSNav does, exactly. Can it be summed
> up in a sentence or two?
Flight planning software. Drag and drop waypoints into the flight plan box
and it will plot your course on the map.
As a new member of AOPA you can now download their free Real-time flight
planner which is a must have for you.
But, as a piece of user friendly software, FSNav kicks the AOPA's Real-time
flight planner's ass all over the field. I'm not supposed to... but I've
used FSNav to make real world flight plans. (Disclaimer: I always back it
up with real charts, so don't come down on me.)
--
>>> Dallas <<<
Beech45Whiskey
> But, as a piece of user friendly software, FSNav kicks the AOPA's Real-time
> flight planner's ass all over the field. I'm not supposed to... but I've
> used FSNav to make real world flight plans.
Reads like you have a learning curve to overcome. As a three year user of
Jeppesen's IFR Flight Star (the AOPA flight planning software is more or
less the same package), I can say that their flight planning tool kicks
FSNav's pants.
What the heck are you doing using a sim product to plan real flights?
That is a big NO-NO. :( First, the AOPA RTFP is updated with current
Nav-aid changes and, more importantly for VFR flight, man-made obstacles
like that brand new, 1,500 foot digital TV tower five miles from your home
airport. FSNav is based on sim data over three years old. I won't go
further other than to suggest you give the RTFP another try. :)
--
Peter
Newsy
Southern California, US. Long Beach to be exact. He's also in high school.
I don't want to overwhelm him. But it has to be 'plug and play' (I'll
pre-install everything). At the same time I'd like the setup to have 'legs'
(that is he doesn't have to buy additional addons for about a year or until
the price of entry to FSX come down to reasonable, realistic, and
affordable levels - else his parents will kill me).
Except for the one Sybex book whose title I can't think of at the moment and
which I found as a rehash of online sources anyway, are there other FS9
books you'd recommend for the flight sim and aviation newbie (What's a VOR,
what is terrain mesh, what is landclass and that sort of thing). Thanks in
advance.
Newsy
>
> - FS Genesis terrain mesh
How does this compare to the freeware 19m mesh available in fsproject.com?
Newsy
> Second I would recommend improving ground textures. Most people go for...
> I have MyWorld2004 landclass which gives an overall ...
> Improve the water textures with plenty of freeware ...
> > Next up could be Ai traffic, the default is terrible with virtual
> Ultimate Traffic would be the main package....
> Then get yourself a couple of good quality payware aircraft to fly in....
> If your into flight planning FSNavigator is very good....
>> If you wish to view your virtual cockpit better with the....
> or if your budget was bigger get TrackIR4 Pro which is excellent ....
> The list never stops as you can then add quality airports like the
> ones and other scenery packages.....
Well rounded list, and it looks like you have everything covered. Thank you
very much.
PPS
about the FSGS Service, then tweaking is over and your sim will run at its
best.
"Newsy" <what...@tired.com> wrote in message
news:lzM3h.5919$9v5....@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...
Newsy
this stuff I think it'll be prudent to upgrade his box instead. He
currently has an Athlon XP 1700+ AMD based cpu and motherboard, a Geforce
Ti-500 64MB AGP video card, lots of disk space, 512MB RAM, WinXP Home, a 17"
monitor, and a 430w power supply. Also, a Microsoft Sidewinder (I don't
remember which one) and he has broadband access to the Internet. Will
upgrading his 1700+ to a 2500 mobile CPU and overclocking it to 3200+,
upgrading to his video card (128 or 256? Geforce or Radeon?), and adding
RAM (to 1 or 2 GB?) make it as real as it gets? I won't have time to
replace the motherboard so that's not an option now. Thanks again.
Newsy
advice
> about the FSGS Service, then tweaking is over and your sim will run at its
> best.
First things first. I want to convert him to the hobby first (he asked me
about the FSX ad Microsoft has been showing on TV). He can tweak and twist
as much as he wants later on down the road if and when he decides to upgrade
and join the FSX bandwagon.
Dallas
> I won't go
> further other than to suggest you give the RTFP another try. :)
Relax... remember my disclaimer. I am, by nature extremely meticulous and
I used a current sectional, RTFP and it's map and Nav Log to make the
flight plan. FSNav produced a very clean overview with the correct courses
and distances that I thought was easier to read at a glance so I took that
along too. I would never rely on FSNav's output alone, I value my life.
My real point was that RTFP could learn a few things from FSNav in their
next update. RTFP's interface is cumbersome and pretty slow to use
compared to FSNav. JS could take a lesson from FSNav's drag and drop
intuitive user interface, the scroll wheel to zoom in and out, and a half
dozen other well thought out little features.
--
>>> Dallas <<<
Beech45Whiskey
> JS could take a lesson from FSNav's drag and drop
> intuitive user interface, the scroll wheel to zoom in and out, and a half
> dozen other well thought out little features.
Those features are available, at least in the Flight Star version, but I
would also suspect in the RTFP version as well. The mouse as scroll wheel
is not turned on by default, so check the options in the RTFP; it should be
there.
The drag and drop should be available, too. Create a direct route, then
drag the course line to an airport or navaid for it to be added to your
flight plan.
--
Peter
Dallas
> The drag and drop should be available, too. Create a direct route, then
> drag the course line to an airport or navaid for it to be added to your
> flight plan.
Hum... maybe I do need to spend more time with the manual.
--
>>> Dallas <<<
Marc Adler
Wilson-Okam...@forums.simradar.com> wrote:
> - FS Genesis terrain mesh
> - Ground Environment replacement textures
> - Ultimate Terrain (for rivers, roads, coastlines)
> - ActiveSky
So these all work together, right? (I know, stupid question, just
making sure.)
Where does Bird's Eye View fit in?
Marc
Ibby
To be honest I didn't think it would have been that smart!
Thought it was an error perhaps caused by FSNav rounding up/down to nearest
radial degree from the actual angle between VORs
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
"Dallas" <Cybnorm@spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote in message
news:182461tqfzrfi.1...@40tude.net...
Ibby
Allows easy planning of flight. You can have auto routes between airports
with SID/STARS being loaded too where available.
You can enter any fix point unlike the map, create multiple VOR bearing
points which means you dont fly too them but use nearby ones as a reference
for distance or when you need to know when to turn etc based on a radial
from it.
Its very very good and a second monitor is preferable when using it
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
"Marc Adler" <marc....@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1162837626.8...@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Ibby
If anyone knows anything about mesh its him ;-)
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
"Newsy" <what...@tired.com> wrote in message
news:lBM3h.5920$9v5....@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...
Wilson-Okamura@forums.simradar.com David Wilson-Okamura
it's one price for the whole world, all seasons.
Marc Adler
Wilson-Okam...@forums.simradar.com> wrote:
> Bird's Eye View competes with Ground Environment. One advantage of GE:
> it's one price for the whole world, all seasons.
So if it's either GE or BEV, which one is better? (to put it baldly...)
Marc
Mxsmanic
> That's how it works in real life.
>
> As you know, the magnetic pole is not where the true north pole is. As you
> go from VOR station to VOR station the magnetic variance is different. In
> other words, their north pointing arrows are not parallel to each other.
>
> At one station (A) the variance might be 6°. At a station further west (B)
> the magnetic variance could be 7°
You have to travel quite a distance to see a change in many areas,
though. The closer you are to the magnetic pole, the more likely that
this will be a factor.
--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.
Marc Adler
> You have to travel quite a distance to see a change in many areas,
> though.
That's not true. All you have to do is accelerate or decelerate (in the
right direction) to see quite a change.
Marc
Wilson-Okamura@forums.simradar.com David Wilson-Okamura
the screenshots for both and sese what you like. Or just get GE -- it
has everything in one package, and it is very good.
Mxsmanic
> That's not true. All you have to do is accelerate or decelerate (in the
> right direction) to see quite a change.
That does not represent a movement of the magnetic pole relative to
your position.
SimFly
___| reply |__________________________________________________________
Dallas writes:
_____________________________________________________________________
differences in magnetic variation is not the only effect. most VOR's
radials ain't aligned with magnetic north to begin with. FSNav gives a
correction like
Mag. Variation: 1.0 deg
NAV Course: Mag. Heading - 3 deg
and especially with far distances between VORs the true course from one
station is not 180° off the true course from the other. this, too, is
especially pronounced at high latitudes.
Mxsmanic
> differences in magnetic variation is not the only effect. most VOR's
> radials ain't aligned with magnetic north to begin with. FSNav gives a
> correction like
>
> Mag. Variation: 1.0 deg
> NAV Course: Mag. Heading - 3 deg
They are all supposed to be aligned with magnetic north.
> and especially with far distances between VORs the true course from one
> station is not 180° off the true course from the other. this, too, is
> especially pronounced at high latitudes.
Over large distances, they will never be aligned, because the Earth is
a sphere. There are a few exceptions (exactly north-south or
east-west courses, for instance).
Dallas
> So if it's either GE or BEV, which one is better? (to put it baldly...)
I own BEV summer -- BEV might be the better texture package but they make
you buy each season of the 5 seasons and only for the USA/Canada. They
have 5 seasons times $12 bucks = $60 bucks for just the USA/Canada.
GE 2006 covers the whole world and costs $29.95.
BEV priced themselves out of the market.
--
>>> Dallas <<<
SimFly
___| reply |__________________________________________________________
SimFly writes:
_____________________________________________________________________
well, maybe they are supposed to be, but at least in FS there is a
difference.
as magnetic variation shifts over time, are VORs adjusted to that or
are they rather left alone so as to keep airways on the same radials,
ignoring the shift?
Ibby
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
>
Mxsmanic
> well, maybe they are supposed to be, but at least in FS there is a
> difference.
Hmm ... can you give some examples?
Remember that the deviation for each station may be different, because
it depends on the geographic position of the station.
> as magnetic variation shifts over time, are VORs adjusted to that or
> are they rather left alone so as to keep airways on the same radials,
> ignoring the shift?
They are periodically adjusted, but I don't know what the adjustment
intervals are. I believe they are supposed to be kept accurate to
within 1/2 degree (in practice most are more accurate).
Dan Wenz
SimFly
___| reply |__________________________________________________________
SimFly writes:
> ignoring the shift?
_____________________________________________________________________
VOR/DME OBK
Full name: NORTHBROOK
Frequ./Range: 113.00 MHz 195 nm
Altitude: 757 ft
Mag. Variation: 1.0 deg
NAV Course: Mag. Heading + 1 deg
Lat/Lon: N42°13.29' W087°57.11'
L-Airways: V100 V191 V228
V24 V526 V84
H-Airways: J100 J101 J128
J19 J35 J547
J584 J71 J73
J84 J87 J89
J90 J94
File: scenedb\westhem\usgl\scenery\usglvor.bgl
Fly to Dist/Head: 6.4 nm 353 deg
VOR/DME ORD
Full name: CHICAGO-O'HARE
Frequ./Range: 113.90 MHz 60 nm
Altitude: 649 ft
Mag. Variation: 1.0 deg
NAV Course: Mag. Heading - 3 deg
Lat/Lon: N41°59.26' W087°54.29'
File: scenedb\westhem\usgl\scenery\usglvor.bgl
Fly to Dist/Head: 7.8 nm 173 deg
well, here is some example of two VORs 14 nm apart, with the same
magnetic variation, but switching between the two you have 4 degrees
difference in radials.
the magnetic heading from OBK to ORD is 173, but you got to follow OBK
radial 174 (mag heading +1) or ORD radial 170 (mag heading -3).
this is taken from FS 2002
Ibby
Are you involved in FSNav?
Just wondering!
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
"Dan Wenz" <djw...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:RfadnfmMTM4ynszY...@comcast.com...
Ibby
FSNav posts on this thread
--
Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
"Ibby" <donote...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:uPGdnU9nDvNIJczY...@bt.com...
PapaGeorge
At 60nm a degree is one mile wide. It gets considerably narrower closer to
the station.
The difference in the distances to the VORs can make a slight change in the
indication. PapaGeorge
"Ibby" <donote...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:WcudnXZ5yul...@bt.com...
>I have to say when using FSNavigator on my second monitor I turn off my
>aircraft position and auto map centring as I find it a bit of a cheat if it
>tells you where you are. I suppose in this day of age pilots rely more on
>GPS now than the older days of trying to work out position based on VOR
>radials and DMEs etc I like to try and work it out.
>
> One problem I have noticed with FSNav and perhaps someone here can help is
> if I have a plan plotted on it and I'm following a radial away from a VOR
> and the needles are centred, when I tune the next VOR into the Nav radio
> and make it active the needle usually moves off the centre even when I'm
> still on the same bearing
>
> --
> Ibby (The artist formerly known as Chris)
>
>
> "Quilljar" <wykehill-...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:Z5mdnZU4kbO...@bt.com...
>> >
>>> If your into flight planning FSNavigator is very good
>>> http://www.fsnavigator.com/
>>
>> Not just for flight planning. You need FSNav to see where you are and to
>> move rapidly to somewhere else if you have to. If I only had to have one
>> add-on this would be it, and I know I am not alone here :-)
>>
>> --
>> Cheers Quilly
>>
>> For four good books to read look at...
>> http://www.quilljar.btinternet.co.uk/covers.htm
>> Buy three or four altogether and get economy postage.
>>
>>
>
>