Weather

[Philip McNiel 1282687]

I notice that vPilot (the only client software I use anymore because of its model matching) doesn't download weather info from the VATSIM server, so that the temp/pressure/visability, etc. that are displayed in my simulator are always different. I try to download weather data using FSInn, but sometimes it takes a long time for the simulator to decide to switch over to using that weather instead of whatever was in it before.

 

Is there any program that will quickly load the VATSIM weather into my simulator? It would be helpful.

[Bradley Grafelman]

One of the freeware weather tools that is popular seems to be FSrealWX.

[Don Desfosse]

Yes, it's probably not as nice as the payware tools, but it does a great job for freeware, and it is quick.

[Ernesto Alvarez 818262]

also note with FSINN, you definitely dont want to be using its weather feature with FSX. it has a bug with the way its processed through simconnect, so its highly recommended to have that feature disabled with FSX users

[Philip McNiel 1282687]

So if I use FSRealWX, will the conditions match up well with what's actually on the VATSIM server at the moment, so that the ATIS info will be correct for altimeters and stuff?

 

And what is this bug with the FSInn weather? I've been using it (just clicking on the cloud icon) to download its weather--using vPilot to actually connect to the server.

[Bradley Grafelman]

So if I use FSRealWX, will the conditions match up well with what's actually on the VATSIM server at the moment, so that the ATIS info will be correct for altimeters and stuff?

Well there is no weather on the "VATSIM server", per se. The VATSIM FSD server really just relays positions and text messages - it has no concept of weather as if it were rendering a virtual world. Separately, it does pull (or attempt to, anyway) live METARs from official weather reporting sources.

 

So, if you're using a 3rd party program that is pulling live weather from official sources, yes, you can likely expect it to match with the information displayed to controllers. (Just know that occasionally, for one reason or another, the METAR updating on the VATSIM side of things can have issues.)

 

And what is this bug with the FSInn weather? I've been using it (just clicking on the cloud icon) to download its weather--using vPilot to actually connect to the server.

IIRC, it had a temperature bug (a really big one), e.g. you'd be flying in the mid-to-high flight levels and suddenly find yourself with a SAT of +20°C.

[Ernesto Alvarez 818262]

yep it basically puts a plus on the temps instead of a minus, so instead of the temps going down the higher you go, its getting hotter, no bueno if you intend to climb above 16000 (thats usually when it starts happening). so if you've ever climbed higher and noticed the aircraft really struggling to get up there, that was pretty much the cause. it can pretty much make you fall out of the sky if the aircraft cant keep the power up, even then its just struggling to stay up there.

 

on that note, density altitude is simulated in the sims always fun trying to depart on a hot day and having a really long roll out

[Philip McNiel 1282687]

Density altitude is simulated in the Sims? I always thought that sort of thing was just in flight simulators--I take it Maxis has caught on?

[Philip McNiel 1282687]

p.s. If there is no weather on the VATSIM servers per se, then where does VATSpy get its METARs, and how up-to-date are they? I just want to make sure the weather's synchronized so that I don't have to keep hitting "B" to auto-set the altimeter to the correct setting for my simulator on account of the pressure in my sim being different from what's reported to controllers, and also have my weather be different from that of the other pilots around me for IFR/VFR purposes.

[Bradley Grafelman]

All I was trying to get at is that being connected to VATSIM doesn't mean everyone sees the same thing as far as weather goes. VATSIM does publish a copy of METARs (e.g. here) that it obtains periodically from an official source. The problem comes when either a) there is a hiccup in that synchronization and the METARs go stale, or b) a pilot is using a weather addon that is either using a different source for METARs or is interpreting it and injecting weather into your sim in a way that a controller can't account for.

 

At any rate, any addon that updates with live weather should work out just fine. It'll definitely be better than the built-in weather update in FSX or SquawkBox (neither of which work at all, in my experience).

[Don Desfosse]

Since most folks have figured out by now that Microsoft has stopped providing weather updates, most folks have moved on to a real weather provider. That doesn't stop you from hitting B -- I still do -- but it means that when you hit B you'll see the same (weather and) pressure that everyone else does. The bottom line is that if you want real WX like the controllers use, FS9/FSX or clients no longer provide that, and you need to get it from somewhere (payware or freeware). I strongly suggest using a real weather provider (payware, ASN or equivalent; freeware FSrealWX or equivalent) so you can see real WX, just like the controllers do.