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Activesky Unable To Download VATSIM metars


Brian Salmeron
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Brian Salmeron
Posted
Posted (edited)

Hello for the past few days Activesky has been unable To download the  VATSIM metars when you select 'Use vatsim weather' in the activesky settings. I've opened a support ticket at Hifi and they got back to me to say

'We have no control or any technical connection with their weather servers.

I know they are currently redoing their system so that may be the issue.'

Has the URL or server location changed and Activesky can't find where the data is or is it something else?

Regards

Brian

Edited by Brian Salmeron
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Matt Bozwood-Davies
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Posted

Hi Brian,

There have been no changes to the server or way METARs are output. The image you've attached isn't viewable so can you share it directly in the forum here and I can look further.

Matt

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Andreas Fuchs
Posted
Posted

Now that you are mentioning this, it looks like something's broken on the side of ActiveSky.

For example, the METAR for NZQN is only available to VATSIM with a special remark: NZQN 141530Z 04004KT 50KM NCD M03/M04 Q1027 RMK AUTO VATSIM USE ONLY

I just downloaded Queenstown's METAR through Qutescoop, meaning the VATSIM METAR feed works perfectly fine.

In ActiveSkyXP it looks like this:

Quote

NZQN 141532Z 00302KT 9999 FEW030 04/M02 Q1026 RMK ADVANCED INTERPOLATION


Decoded textual weather for NZQN

Wind: 003 at 2 knots
Visibility: 10+ SM (9999+ m)
Clouds: Few at 3000 feet
Temperature: 3,8C
Dewpoint: -1,7C
Precipitation: None reported
Altimeter: 1026 mb (30,29 inches)

Surface winds calculated from the closest data grid point

Surface temperature calculated from the closest data grid point

Visibility interpolation based on:
  -NZCH 188nm NE (0650)
Altimeter interpolation based on:
  -NZCH 188nm NE (Q1026)
Precipitation based on extended grid weather data

It cannot access the VATSIM METAR for NZQN, but uses grid data for some of the values and the METAR data from the nearest available station with current weather from the public METAR network, that would be NZCH. The current METAR from NZCH can be accessed by ASXP, because it is publicly available: NZCH 141530Z AUTO 30001KT 0200 R02/0650D R20/P2000N FZFG VV002 M03/M03 Q1026 TEMPO 2000 BR

Something's odd there.

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Brian Salmeron
Posted
Posted

Hi Andreas to make sure you tested it correctly, to use the vatsim metar in activesky you need tick 'use vatsim weather' in settings then load a flightplan into activesky then it downloads the vatsim metars for your dep, arr and alternate.

Just want to make sure it's not just on my end that somethings not working.

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Brian Salmeron
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Thank's for checking Andreas I'll let Hifi know about it again.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Andreas Fuchs
Posted
Posted
On 8/15/2020 at 12:22 AM, Brian Salmeron said:

Thank's for checking Andreas I'll let Hifi know about it again.

Hi Brian, have you heard back from them? I am currently flying online in New Zealand with VATSIM weather activated and it can only use the public METARs from NZCH, NZWN and NZAA. All others are not available and the interpolation of weather is pretty inaccurate.

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Brian Salmeron
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Just heard back from Hifi

'' We were able to identify the issue.  Apparently the VATSIM URL we were using to obtain the active METAR data URL (https://status.vatsim.net) is no longer returning result data for our programmatic "client", possibly due to an unexpected redirect, change at their web server end or to something with .NET/windows updates.  It works fine with a normal web browser but not our client.  This is the first we've heard of an issue here but it seems to affect all Active Sky products.  It's likely to have just started recently.

We have resolved in our current generation products ASP3D and ASXP (will be posted in next public builds soon) by simply using a non-https URL (http://status.vatsim.net).  We are not sure on the timeline for previous generation products such as AS16 but given our current workload and priorities it may take some time.  I regret that we are unable to provide a quicker fix for you. ''

As I'm an AS16 user it's not likely going to be fixed for me but for P3D and Xplane versions it will be fixed in their next update coming soon.

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Andreas Fuchs
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Hi Brian,

thank you for quoting their reply! I had opened a ticket about this as well, but no answer yet.

Hopefully they will be able to fix your version of AS, too.

Edited by Andreas Fuchs
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Brian Salmeron
Posted
Posted (edited)

Hifi have kindly fixed the issue for AS16 now too and made the update available on their downloads page, the Xplane updated version is also now available. Not sure when P3D update will be done.

Edited by Brian Salmeron
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Andreas Fuchs
Posted
Posted

Yes, they have sent me a test version for X-Plane, but in this one they still have no access to VATSIM's METAR feed. So, no access to the METARs for Queenstown NZQN and other places that are only available at VATSIM.

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Brian Salmeron
Posted
Posted

That is odd it's working perfect with as16 even the Queenstown metar is working like before.

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Andreas Fuchs
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Posted (edited)

Your version of ActiveSky is able to receive a METAR from NZQN with a remark in the end saying VATSIM USE ONLY ?

Edited by Andreas Fuchs
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Brian Salmeron
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Posted (edited)

With a flightplan loaded into AS16 yes, no flightplan loaded just gives interpolated weather.

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Edited by Brian Salmeron
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Brian Salmeron
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Posted (edited)

Try downloading it from here version 7542 https://hifisimtech.com/asxp-and-as16-for-fsx-update-082520/

Edited by Brian Salmeron
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Andreas Fuchs
Posted
Posted

Yes, 7542 is the one that HiFi Support had sent me a link for, too. But even after loading a flightplan from NZQN to NZNS, it kept interpolating data, I never got the VATSIM METAR to show as in your screenshot. Strange!

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Christoph Reule
Posted
Posted (edited)
20 hours ago, Andreas Fuchs said:

Yes, 7542 is the one that HiFi Support had sent me a link for, too. But even after loading a flightplan from NZQN to NZNS, it kept interpolating data, I never got the VATSIM METAR to show as in your screenshot. Strange!

Not sure this really works, at least with ASXP (can't say about AS16). In the included revisions.txt it says

Quote

Fixed a VATSIM METAR fetching issue where VATSIM data was not downloaded even when option enabled and flight plan loaded (NOTE: METARs that are exclusive to use for VATSIM ONLY will not be downloaded due to data licensing concerns - These METARs would contain RMK VATSIM USE ONLY when looked up via VATSIM)

 

Edited by Christoph Reule
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Andreas Fuchs
Posted
Posted

Oh dear, that's bad.

Could someone from VATSIM staff make contact with HiFi Simulations to clear this up? It had not been a problem for so many years in the past!

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Matt Bozwood-Davies
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Posted

Hi guys, 

I'll reach out to them to investigate this further.

Matt

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  • 3 months later...
Adrian Foot
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Posted (edited)
On 8/29/2020 at 10:31 AM, Matt Bozwood-Davies said:

Hi guys, 

I'll reach out to them to investigate this further.

Matt

Hi Matt,

How did you get on please?  I can see that this is still an issue in ASXP - it's not downloading the METARs that have 'VATSIM USE ONLY' as a remark.  I've emailed (and copied you into) the General Manager for Aviation Services at New Zealand's MetService organisation.  Hopefully he can provide some clarity on the licence for the METARs they provide to VATSIM.  It would seem counter-intuitive for the licence to prevent tools like Active Sky from using them.

Cheers, Ady

Edited by Adrian Foot
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  • 1 month later...
Duncan White
Posted
Posted (edited)

I am running Active Sky XP version 7618.

"vatsim injection" has recently stopped showing in the flight plan metars.

I have the vatsim option ticked & have a flight plan entered in Active Sky XP.

Can someone with Active Sky XP please test if it is working.

Edited by Duncan White
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Pat Fuge
Posted
Posted

I also use ASXP 7618 with the XP11 Zibomod. The Vatsim Injection has stopped displaying in the CDU and on the ASXP Conditions Page. 

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