PilotEdge; Etc.

Discussions surrounding the software that lets pilots connect to PilotEdge and the actual simulators
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mamskas
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:54 pm

PilotEdge; Etc.

Post by mamskas »

Ok, admittedly my first experience with PilotEdge was not so pleasant. I apologize to all involved. I must admit I expected PilotEdge to be more than met my eyes. For one, I was not anticipating that PilotEdge was using SquawkBox. Truly, I expected far more and a client created by PilotEdge and for use only with PilotEdge that offered me pilot services such as weather, advanced flightplan and clearance, etc. After all, once my two week trial is up, I will be charged for service use. I thus hope you can understand my initial disbelief and the subsequent problems I had with basic and simple communications on the PilotEdge network. With VATSIM, I use FSInn and the communication is very easy and simple to use.

I could not receive any communication from any of your controllers using SquawkBox and I did not have a problem with sounds or ability to transmit on your network. I thought this must be a joke. This is a pay for service and I can't even use it. I finally tune into LAX ARTCC 125.80 and still I hear no one. You were right to boot me off the server and ban my account as I was quite taken back with disdain because your website appears to make a promise of something (to pay for) that is above and beyond VATSIM, IVAO, etc. But instead I see tons of bots roaming the Las Vegas area, no controller list to even indicate someone is there I can speak with and no one online able to assist me of the six frequencies I tuned. Yet I am to pay for this? I am a licensed pilot and know the only benefit PilotEdge brings to me is radio communication practice. Seems like it is promising and with the glowing resumes of the individuals I read about on the website, I was assuming there would somehow be much more coming from such an illustrious group.

I hope PilotEdge grows and becomes serious; stops using squawkbox which has been surpassed by better software (or create your own) and offers seamless communication services to pilots and non-pilots alike that want to learn. It is funny because I got pretty high in VATSIM as a controller to like S3 having been in numerous places from nasty Chicago back in the early days of VATSIM to SOCAL, Detroit, etc. I get this shaking feeling that old hat controllers from VATSIM and other networks are working the scopes at PilotEdge. This is fine with me but I hope there are professionals in the mix because my initial impressions (if you are trying to sell me pilotedge of free VATSIM) are very low at the moment and I can say I am very glad you have a two week intro because if I had to pay right now I would be refunding immediately.
Peter Grey
Posts: 5716
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:21 pm

Re: PilotEdge; Etc.

Post by Peter Grey »

Hello,

Our controllers did hear your multiple radio checks today and attempted to reply to them. I can't speak as to why you didn't hear them replying to you. You can verify this by listening to the recordings that we have at http://assets.pilotedge.net/recordings/ ... _17510.mp3 (specifically at the 3:15 mark) which will show that our controllers were replying to you. We can work with you to solve radio issues specifically by contacting support@pilotedge.net . If you can't hear us there is nothing we can do to help online as we can't do any sort of diagnosis online.
But instead I see tons of bots roaming the Las Vegas area, no controller list to even indicate someone is there I can speak with and no one online able to assist me of the six frequencies I tuned. Yet I am to pay for this? I am a licensed pilot and know the only benefit PilotEdge brings to me is radio communication practice. Seems like it is promising and with the glowing resumes of the individuals I read about on the website, I was assuming there would somehow be much more coming from such an illustrious group.
The reason you didn't get a hold of anyone is that there is something that was making it so you couldn't hear us. We could hear you and were replying to each of your transmissions, the recordings show that.

We do use bots to enhance the experience on the network by adding additional traffic to see and avoid. We advertise this on http://www.pilotedge.net/pages/comparis ... r-networks .

We don't need a controller list as if you tune a real world frequency during our operating hours you will get a hold of someone.

Beyond that there really isn't much else for me to say at this point. I imagine Keith will reply to some of the other concerns you bring up in the morning.
Peter Grey
PilotEdge Director of Quality Assurance and Operations
peter@pilotedge.net
Keith Smith
Posts: 9939
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
Contact:

Re: PilotEdge; Etc.

Post by Keith Smith »

You made some poor choices by departing from a towered airport without being able to establish communication. If you saw the RX light illuminating from time to time but you couldn't hear anything, then as a real world pilot, would your choice be to stop and work out what's going on, or would you just continue with the flight and try a bunch of random frequencies while you enter the LAS Bravo airspace, making non-sensical, pointless calls?

It's quite obvious that there's an audio problem that needs to be solved on your end. Had you sent a message to support@pilotedge.net as it says on the Contact page, we could've helped you debug it quickly. Instead you opted to take off without any communication with ATC, and then make a series of calls (none of which included your callsign, by the way) in the blind, eventually resorting to swearing on the frequency and disparaging the service.

If you want to take zero responsibility, make sweeping assumptions about the service and continue to make disparaging public statements about the service, I won't stop you. I can assure you that there could've been a different outcome here.

We could've debugged your audio issue in about 60 seconds flat via a screenshare or email. Instead, you chose this path. You can continue believing that the software is terrible and that we offer no value if you like, but you'd be in the minority.

And lastly, despite your opinion that we're using Squawkbox, we're not. The interface has the appearance of squawkbox, but the network protocol, audio, and other internals were gutted and rewritten for use on PilotEdge. The software does work. I sincerely appreciate your well wishes for the network (I'm not being sarcastic when I say that), but you have misjudged where we are as a network today. Your approach to your first flight was highly flawed, and you would do well to take some responsibility for it, rather than simply passing judgement on the state of the network.
mamskas
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:54 pm

Re: PilotEdge; Etc.

Post by mamskas »

I agree Keith and again issue an apology to all involved. I expected, naively, I did not have much setup to do, connected, filed a flightplan, contacted North Las Vegas clearance delivery, saw the RX light up but no sound. My assumption this is not just some new VATSIM or IVAO and it must work out the box since I am paying for it and rush to jump in caused me to fumble around on the network.

I finally figured that I want to fly on the network and the controllers are simply unable to work with me. I should have stopped and corrected my problem but I was eager to make a flight on the network with much goitis. Again, I apologize to all involved and now understand better understand what PilotEdge offers.
wmburns
Posts: 474
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:28 am

Re: PilotEdge; Etc.

Post by wmburns »

Alternate trouble shooting suggestions.

From the audio recordings the controller was talking on frequency quite a bit. As a reminder that when tuned to the correct frequency and connected to the network, you should hear all of the controllers voice communication. You will only hear the pilots on the same frequency within range.

So when you logged in, did you HEAR the controller talking?

What I normally do is to position my plane at a non movement area in the airport. Then log on to PE and listen to the radio while I finish planning my flight. Generally speaking, you don't have to wait too long before you will hear the controller speaking. This will confirm that you are attached and that everything is working. This also mimics what should be done in real life.

Another trouble shooting tip. PilotEdge offers a tool to monitor all communications. It's the PilotEdge receiver.
http://www.pilotedge.net/pages/pilotedge-receiver

This offers a way to listen to all voice traffic on the PE network. Consider that if you hear the controller talking on the PE receiver but not on the sim set up, this points to an issue with the sim set up. I frequently monitor PE using the PE-receiver just to improve my listening skills.

As Keith as said, there are tons of PPL using the PE-client. I have both an FSX and a X-Plane set up (Win7) and found that both clients installed with very little drama.

Since you are new to the PE network and expressed an interest in advanced flight planning, you may not be aware of some of the route planning tools available on PE. Check out:

http://www.myflightroute.com

This site is very useful for searching TEC routes that are so common in the ZLA area. It's worth noting that if there's a TEC route available for your flight, that is the route you will be given.

Also check out http://peaware.pilotedge.net/ There's a city pair search that's helpful to locate previously filed routes by other pilots. This can be a real work/time saver.

Welcome to PE and hope that you will come to see why PE is soooo much better than VATSIM.

But a couple of questions for you. What would have been your reaction as a VATSIM controller to someone connecting and taking off without clearance?

Since you are so familiar with VATSIM, what's the driving force behind the switch? I suspect the reasons are why it's worth the effort to figure out what the issues are and to give the PE service a fair evaluation.
Last edited by wmburns on Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
Keith Smith
Posts: 9939
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: PilotEdge; Etc.

Post by Keith Smith »

Thanks for the post, wmburns, but just so you're aware, the radar audio recording was edited, so the majority of his calls are no longer available for review. It's for the best.

Your suggestion are perfectly appropriate even in light of that, though.

This matter has been resolved via email.
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