Tom Kaliamos Posted September 10, 2017 at 06:08 AM Posted September 10, 2017 at 06:08 AM Hi Pilots, I'm new to VATSIM and would like to participate but am anxious about stuffing up and don't want to be annoying. I currently use X-Plane 8, for some reason I've found the X-Plane 10 software to have too many issues and I'm familiar with the flight controls in 8. Q: What's the best way to connect and simply listen and observe? Q: Also, is the a specific airport and/or time to do this? Any help from fellow pilots would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Collins Posted September 10, 2017 at 09:36 PM Posted September 10, 2017 at 09:36 PM I'm new to VATSIM and would like to participate but am anxious about stuffing up and don't want to be annoying. Welcome to VATSIM! We all feel that way when we start - not to worry - make sure you leave a comment in your flightplan about being new and most controllers will be accommodating to help you get up to speed. I currently use X-Plane 8, for some reason I've found the X-Plane 10 software to have too many issues and I'm familiar with the flight controls in 8. Unfortunately X-Plane 8 is too old for me to support at all. The oldest version the latest releases of XSquawkBox are guaranteed to work on is X-Plane 10 at this time. I'm a bit surprised that you find 10 to be largely different though - I can't say I've used 8, but I have used X-Plane 9 and the interface in 10 was largely unchanged. The largest changes took place recently with X-Plane 11. If you're finding that the controls feel too dampened, or underdampened, there are options available in 10 to adjust the amount of control [Mod - Happy Thoughts]istance/stabilisation and you may find adjusting that reduces any control response discomfort. If you really must use X-Plane 8, you'll need to use one of the old (unsupported) releases of XSquawkBox. Please make sure you also read the notice about using old versions of XSquawkBox Q: What's the best way to connect and simply listen and observe? If you want to connect to listen and observe, XSquawkBox lacks an observer mode, so your best option is to do what I do when I'm testing - start up your simulator on the ramp near where you want to observe (not on a runway!), and connect to the network. You'll then be able to switch to a free camera view and move it around and observe what's happening for about a maximum of 30nm from your parking spot (if I recall correctly). You can also tune your radios into active frequencies (use the Who's Online feature to find active frequencies) to listen to the local ATC. Q: Also, is the a specific airport and/or time to do this? There's no set time or airport - I suggest you use VAT-Spy ([Mod - Happy Thoughts]uming you're on Windows) to identify active airports local to where you want to fly to observe. Bear in mind that every country has their own variations to procedures, so whilst you're starting out, you probably want to limit yourself to one particular country or area so you're only dealing with one procedural flow to start with. XSquawkBox - Developer/Maintainer Please post any support related questions to the XSquawkBox support forum rather than private messaging me, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Ogden Posted September 11, 2017 at 03:16 AM Posted September 11, 2017 at 03:16 AM Q: Also, is the a specific airport and/or time to do this? There's no set time or airport - I suggest you use VAT-Spy ([Mod - Happy Thoughts]uming you're on Windows) to identify active airports local to where you want to fly to observe. Bear in mind that every country has their own variations to procedures, so whilst you're starting out, you probably want to limit yourself to one particular country or area so you're only dealing with one procedural flow to start with. There is a piece of software that is brand new to the VATSIM network called Accomeap, a newer and more modern alternative to VAT-Spy, and it allows an accurate depiction of sectors and sector splits, where VAT-Spy is lacking. Check it out here: accomeap-project.com/ That being said, welcome to VATSIM! Andrew Ogden Gander Oceanic OCA Chief Vancouver FIR Senior Instructor Visit us: https://ganderoceanic.ca Contact: [email protected] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Avalle 1405789 Posted October 1, 2017 at 11:44 PM Posted October 1, 2017 at 11:44 PM I'm also a newbie and found this thread of interest, would like to piggyback a related question. What's the range of the "Who's on Line" feature? In other words, how close does one need to be to an active ATC to see frequencies via that window? Can I be at an airport some reasonable distance away and still see it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Collins Posted November 19, 2017 at 11:08 PM Posted November 19, 2017 at 11:08 PM I'm also a newbie and found this thread of interest, would like to piggyback a related question. What's the range of the "Who's on Line" feature? In other words, how close does one need to be to an active ATC to see frequencies via that window? Can I be at an airport some reasonable distance away and still see it? You have to be within the coverage area for that controller which is based on if you're within a specific distance via great circle arc from the controller's location. (if you go digging through VATSIM policy you'll find the nominated maximum coverage area per role). XSquawkBox - Developer/Maintainer Please post any support related questions to the XSquawkBox support forum rather than private messaging me, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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