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[BETA] Request "Tower Mode"


Josh Glottmann
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Josh Glottmann
Posted
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With the addition of the ASDEX display, tower view, and flight strip bay, I have a feeling that people might start using vSTARS for Tower/Ground only. I think that this could be achieved with a "Tower Mode" which is automatically turned on when you log on with the DEL, GND, or TWR facility.

This mode would do two things:

1) Departures are not automatically tracked if you [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ign a transponder code. Currently, they are, which is an issue if you're on Tower.

2) The ability to see planes' callsign regardless of whether they are being tracked (in case there is no above approach facility).

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Krikor Hajian
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When I toured BOS ATCT with vZBW last summer, they quick looked the TRACON's final position. Maybe there could be a command for a "Tower Quicklook" that would quicklook everyone that comes up, and the tags would also be white instead of green (as they are now when quicklooked). With the addition of the ASDEX and virtual tower view, I think vSTARS definitely could be used for local positions now.

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Dhruv Kalra
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Agreed. In the case of not tracking aircraft for which the position [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igns the beacon code, I'd add the qualifier that the tower scope not track targets for which the beacon code was [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned on the ground. In the case of VFR transiting Cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B/C surface areas, there are valid reasons for when a local control position at many towers would tag up those aircraft as opposed to approach doing it.

Dhruv Kalra

VATUSA ZMP ATM | Instructor | VATSIM Network Supervisor

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Josh Glottmann
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In the case of not tracking aircraft for which the position [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igns the beacon code, I'd add the qualifier that the tower scope not track targets for which the beacon code was [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned on the ground.

I don't think there needs to be a qualifier necessarily. To keep it simple, if DEL, GND, or TWR [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igns a code, they don't autotrack anyone.

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Dhruv Kalra
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I don't think there needs to be a qualifier necessarily. To keep it simple, if DEL, GND, or TWR [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igns a code, they don't autotrack anyone.

Ok, how about for a VFR transiting a Cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B surface area then? Those get squawked and tracked by local at every Cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B.

Dhruv Kalra

VATUSA ZMP ATM | Instructor | VATSIM Network Supervisor

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Josh Glottmann
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Ok, how about for a VFR transiting a Cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B surface area then? Those get squawked and tracked by local at every Cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B.

I should have been more clear. They don't get tracked immediately off the ground (as it is now). Tower could start a track on any plane as they normally would, it just wouldn't happen for every departure automatically.

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Dhruv Kalra
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Posted (edited)
I should have been more clear. They don't get tracked immediately off the ground (as it is now). Tower could start a track on any plane as they normally would, it just wouldn't happen for every departure automatically.

Right, which is why I was suggesting the qualifier of if the beacon code gets [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned to an aircraft on the ground, it's not automatically tracked, whereas the current behavior of automatically tracking an airborne target that squawks the code you [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ign it remains in place.

Edited by Guest

Dhruv Kalra

VATUSA ZMP ATM | Instructor | VATSIM Network Supervisor

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Josh Glottmann
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Right, which is why I was suggesting the qualifier of if the beacon code gets [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned to an aircraft on the ground, it's not automatically tracked, whereas the current behavior of automatically tracking an airborne target that squawks its [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned code remains in place.

I misread your original post :mrgreen:

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Dominic Nguyen
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If you want the 2nd functionality might as well go back to VRC. Send them contactme's. We'd need a vNAS type of software that is linked with the VATSIM database where planes on IFR flight plans are automatically [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned a beacon code (vZMP has their IDS system that spits out ARTCC or intrafacility codes). It might work for now if you set the radar site elevation for tower positions to be a bit higher than the TRACON, then basically the TRACON can pick up the track first.

 

@Krikor just use the existing controller quicklook function in vSTARS. I think there could be a more advanced quick-look function that could be implemented where there are quick-look regions:

Defined vertically by altitudes (floor/ceiling) and geographically by

latitude/longitude, a circle around a point or the entire system plane.

Further defined by:

1) Sector tags (e.g., all 4F tags).

2) Type of tag (e.g., arrival/departure tags to/form an airport)

3) Primary scratchpad

4) Any combination of above.

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Dhruv Kalra
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If you want the 2nd functionality might as well go back to VRC. Send them contactme's. We'd need a vNAS type of software that is linked with the VATSIM database where planes on IFR flight plans are automatically [Mod - Happy Thoughts]igned a beacon code (vZMP has their IDS system that spits out ARTCC or intrafacility codes). It might work for now if you set the radar site elevation for tower positions to be a bit higher than the TRACON, then basically the TRACON can pick up the track first.

 

@Krikor just use the existing controller quicklook function in vSTARS. I think there could be a more advanced quick-look function that could be implemented where there are quick-look regions:

Defined vertically by altitudes (floor/ceiling) and geographically by

latitude/longitude, a circle around a point or the entire system plane.

Further defined by:

1) Sector tags (e.g., all 4F tags).

2) Type of tag (e.g., arrival/departure tags to/form an airport)

3) Primary scratchpad

4) Any combination of above.

 

Real system's quick look is pretty rudimentary. You can quick look one or more position's tracks. That's basically what vSTARS does now.

Dhruv Kalra

VATUSA ZMP ATM | Instructor | VATSIM Network Supervisor

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Dominic Nguyen
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Dhruv, so that addon of quicklook with primary scratchpads or regions is an option at facilities or does that matter between STARS G4 or Elite?

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