Alan Phillips 908353 Posted November 23, 2016 at 04:44 AM Posted November 23, 2016 at 04:44 AM I am a newbie to this wonderful service. Well actually I registered in 2004, but I've only just started to train up to use it. Given I do appreciate that this service is costing me no money at all, I would like to ask a couple of questions respectfully. Why is UNICOMM text only and why are we not using CTAF's ? Is this an issue of network bandwidth, legacy support of old simulators /client software or just a policy decision ? For the past few months I have been flying VR with an Oculus rift headset, its a game changer and eventually I would imagine most hardcore simmers will step in to this . It truly doesn't get any more real. Granted the resolutions are not exactly 4k, but it makes up for it in complete immersion unlike anything else. It is possible to drag the VPilot app in to the headset and place it in a convenient location and interact with it just like any window you place in there, but typing in to it while flying is completely impossible. You either have to take your headset off or pause the sim for a couple of secs while you type, both of which are not plausible/acceptable. A voice to text facility in the vpilot client, even through an API connection with a commercial voice/text program would be a solution. That would adhere to the requirements of text only for Vatsim and keep the voice conversion on the client machine. Maybe being a newbie I'm missing many years and chapters here and I certainly don't mean to bring these things up to be create issues. I do accept the service for what it is, which is just incredible and I would have expected to pay for it, so it feels a little difficult voicing anything that can be construed as a criticism. More an observation and suggestion. Alan Phillips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernesto Alvarez 818262 Posted November 23, 2016 at 05:16 AM Posted November 23, 2016 at 05:16 AM majority can be answered here. its a topic that often comes up viewtopic.php?f=84&t=38243 we may/may not see the introduction of voice functionality on "unicom" in the future. chances are we will have it at some point, just certain barriers need to be overcome first (its not at the top of the food chain) also keep in mind "unicom" is a misnomer on VATSIM, its not a real unicom, basically treated as a CTAF, there is simply one channel (with the exception of 2 areas on the globe) as far as typing. certainly doable, with practice. ive been doing it since the networks infancy, before we ever had voice coms. practice makes perfect, if there is one thing youll learn to do online is multitask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Harrison Posted November 23, 2016 at 07:21 AM Posted November 23, 2016 at 07:21 AM Alan, Come and fly in Australia some time. We have a very strong VFR group, and we use voice for Unicom and CTAF. Our CTAF procedures mirror the real world, so don't panic with the typing. Sean C1/O P3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Coughlan Posted November 23, 2016 at 07:26 AM Posted November 23, 2016 at 07:26 AM For the past few months I have been flying VR with an Oculus rift headset, its a game changer and eventually I would imagine most hardcore simmers will step in to this . It truly doesn't get any more real. Granted the resolutions are not exactly 4k, but it makes up for it in complete immersion unlike anything else. It is possible to drag the VPilot app in to the headset and place it in a convenient location and interact with it just like any window you place in there, but typing in to it while flying is completely impossible. You either have to take your headset off or pause the sim for a couple of secs while you type, both of which are not plausible/acceptable. A text only for Vatsim and keep the voice conversion on the client machine. Alan I use oculus for controlling sometime using the flyinside app when on tower, imagine my frustration when it comes to text! You're right though it is a game changer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Mckee Posted November 23, 2016 at 01:19 PM Posted November 23, 2016 at 01:19 PM Also, correct me if I am wrong (it does happen ) Unicom is 122.80 and that is the only freq that Vatsim's current policy is based upon. So, if some one was able to write voice files for outside Australia they would be for CTAF's (or country equivelant) and therefore would not impact upon 122.80. In our Australian GA flights we do not to use 122.80 as that is against the rules for voice. We are lucky enough to be able to use actual CTAF's. If a particular field does not have an official CTAF or in the odd occasion a field's CTAF does not work we use a vacant freq or indeed communicate on TeamSpeak. So, as in another post this evening I just do not understand Vatsim's stance against using voice AND text as complimentary to each other. All this presumes that some one out there has the will and the time to write such files as I for one do not have the technical knowledge to do so. Now that would be a logical reason for the embargo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Fuchs Posted November 23, 2016 at 01:35 PM Posted November 23, 2016 at 01:35 PM There are frequencies different from 122.80, due to regional rules. Brazil has UNICOM on 123.45, because some of their tower-frequencies are 122.80 and they did not want to divert from the real frequencies... Cheers, Andreas Member of VATSIM GermanyMy real flying on InstagramMy Twitch streams of VATSIM flights and ATC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Fong Posted November 24, 2016 at 01:19 AM Posted November 24, 2016 at 01:19 AM I am a newbie to this wonderful service. Well actually I registered in 2004, but I've only just started to train up to use it. Welcome! Why is UNICOMM text only and why are we not using CTAF's ? Is this an issue of network bandwidth, legacy support of old simulators /client software or just a policy decision ? Too complicated to implement right now. Some sort of standardization would have to be reached on CTAF procedure and the frequencies to be used (especially as some major airports are controlled IRL 24/7 and don't have official CTAF frequencies). It's definitely a possibility for the future, though. Regarding voice UNICOM, it'd just be a mess of transmissions clogging up the frequency, especially in busier areas - UNICOM has a 500-mile radius. Better to keep it to text. For the past few months I have been flying VR with an Oculus rift headset, its a game changer and eventually I would imagine most hardcore simmers will step in to this . It truly doesn't get any more real. Granted the resolutions are not exactly 4k, but it makes up for it in complete immersion unlike anything else. It is possible to drag the VPilot app in to the headset and place it in a convenient location and interact with it just like any window you place in there, but typing in to it while flying is completely impossible. You either have to take your headset off or pause the sim for a couple of secs while you type, both of which are not plausible/acceptable. A voice to text facility in the vpilot client, even through an API connection with a commercial voice/text program would be a solution. That would adhere to the requirements of text only for Vatsim and keep the voice conversion on the client machine. If implemented directly into vPilot with a means of seeing the original typed text, this has the potential to be quite useful. However, you must also consider its usage on busy frequencies - with such a system in place, you would also have to make sure no one else is talking when you send a message to avoid disrupting frequencies, a limitation not present with text chat. It's certainly an interesting concept though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Christie Posted November 29, 2016 at 01:01 AM Posted November 29, 2016 at 01:01 AM The code of conduct says. Pilots flying through uncontrolled airspace should set their VHF radio frequency to 122.80 or other designated "Unicom" frequency and monitor until they come under air traffic control coverage. For an airport with CTAF that is the other designated unicom frequency, 122.800 is used where no other frequency is designated. Kirk Christie - VATPAC C3 VATPAC Undercover ATC Agent Worldflight Perth 737-800 Crew Member Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnus Meese Posted November 29, 2016 at 02:20 AM Posted November 29, 2016 at 02:20 AM Hang on, are you recommending to use local CTAF where they are published? Do we really want to open that can of worms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernesto Alvarez 818262 Posted November 29, 2016 at 02:29 AM Posted November 29, 2016 at 02:29 AM last i checked using anything other then 122.8 requres network approval. so as long as that approval is gotten, i see no issue with it. just remember most folks these days arent into reading anything, sooooo the chances that people are going to be on the correct frequency for the months following such a decision is going to be interesting until the concept catches on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Hopkinson Posted November 29, 2016 at 06:20 AM Posted November 29, 2016 at 06:20 AM Hang on, are you recommending to use local CTAF where they are published? Do we really want to open that can of worms? Pretty much.... viewtopic.php?f=8&t=70437&start=75#p496272 Trent Hopkinson YMML. www.youtube.com/musicalaviator WorldFlight 2002,2008,2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Zhong Posted November 29, 2016 at 09:52 AM Posted November 29, 2016 at 09:52 AM Can't speak for other areas, but at least in Australia, we have proliferated the use of the published CTAF. While I held office in VATPAC, I did intend to formally declare them as the designated frequency for the purposes of that section of the CoC in order to line up common practice with the written rules (unfortunately I never got around to doing it). But certainly, at least in Australian airspace, in the event of a challenge, I would be relying on that clause and the fact that the local division have previously advocated for the use of published CTAFs. David Zhong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Martinelli 1316586 Posted December 15, 2016 at 06:00 AM Posted December 15, 2016 at 06:00 AM Trouble in Australia is that when there is no ATC, voice only works for FSX users - XSquawkBox for XPlane does not allow it. Difficult flying in a group with no ATC where most (FSX) have and use voice, and some (XP) do not because cannot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Zhong Posted December 15, 2016 at 09:36 AM Posted December 15, 2016 at 09:36 AM No voice doesn't prevent the use of CTAF... text still works the same David Zhong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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