Use of the public chat for communication

[Paul Demaske]

So I’m curious I’ve already looked at the code of conduct on this so tonight my mic decided to not cooperate and I was nothing but static after several failed attempts I used the chat which worked well enough for my clearances through takeoff after take off I was told to contact departure which I attempted to do so in the chat got no reply then an administrator contacted me I explained the above and was told if I couldn’t communicate to disconnect I normally wouldn’t care but in this case I made the attempt to contact them and they just didn’t respond I was still monitoring the freq just couldn’t talk I’m just curious what is the proper procedure if you will if I lose my mic or in the case of some people just don’t use one I just found the response to be a little much especially since I mentioned being new to vatsim like only my 5th flight 

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Communicating by text over frequency is just as acceptable as communicating by voice over frequency.  If a Supervisor contacted you, it sounds like you were doing something without having been cleared to.  Regardless of any COM issues you are having, if you're operating at a towered airport or within controlled airspace, and a VATSIM Controller is online covering that location, you need to have their instruction before moving anywhere.  If you make an attempt to contact them and they don't respond, you can't just go anyway -- you need to figure out why your COMs aren't working.

[Matthew Bartels]

Forgive me for the confusion. But were you attempting to receive the control instructions via Private Message? It that's the case then whilst you were trying to do the right thing, you were actually going about it wrong.

If voice is not working for you, you are correct to revert to text, however you would text in the primary text box in the client, not via private message. You would follow the same process as a voice flight by tuning the controller's frequency in your COM1 radio and ensuring it shows selected in the pilot client.  Then you type  your message and hit enter as opposed to pressing your PTT key.