X-plane 10.3b5 on an iMac,with a Carenado Archer

[flyingdrill]

Just into my trial run with PE. Have X-P in OS-X and FSX in Windows 7 in bootcamp. PE installed and working in both.

A few hours ago, I had a few problems with the set-up as in the subject line.

Firstly, I couldn't get COM2 to work properly, so I had to use one radio - not the easiest when you need about 4 frequencies set up.... Then, the engine volume slider in X-Plane's sound prefs seemed to have no effect. So, hearing the controllers when climbing was really difficult in my headset! Consequently, I was reducing power so much that I was stalling or close to it, and had to cruise at around 80 kts. The flying got a bit erratic, as trying to tune things in X-P, while using a joystick with the other hand is not so easy, particularly as X-P seems more sensitive to control inputs than FSX, and most planes need to be tweaked to fly straight.

Then, I succeeded (while trying to change something with the mouse) in zooming into one instrument and opening another desktop! Oh dear!!!! I was In the middle of a practice ILS. I confessed to the controller that I was having a software problem, and that it was now more difficult than doing it for real, which caused us both to have a laugh. No harm done, and I'll have a try at the same flight tomorrow in FSX with A2A's Cherokee.

Someone in a forum said that 3rd party planes do not always obey X-P's sound prefs. I think some reconfiguring for this set-up will be needed. I'm using a USB headset/mic, but have external speakers connected to the iMac through it's headphone socket. If anyone else is using a similar set-up and can offer an easy (or obvious!) solution, I'll be grateful. The default new 172 was easier in PE from the sound point of view, and the Windows side seems fine too.

[BK1984]

Carenado planes generally utilize one of the volume knobs on the radio stack to control engine volume. I don't have the Archer so I can't say for sure, but that is how it works on both the BE33 and the BE58.

[flyingdrill]

That was a good idea, but the volume knobs only seem to switch on/off the radios in the Carenado PA28. I can alter the engine volume by editing a file to do with the SASL plugin, and may just do that. Also, I've found that the audio panel doesn't really work as in real life. Also, there are unrelated and undocumented features on the intercom panel. Carenado's documentation is patchy.

The aircraft is great to fly around in with X-Plane, but I don't think it's going to be a good choice for PE. A pity, because I love PA28s in the real world.... in fact, I hope to fly one tomorrow!

[Keith Smith]

Com1/2 support can be tricky to achieve with certain planes since the audio panels are not really set up to specify the TX and RX settings separately on most panels. We started working with Carenado as of the B200, but previously released aircraft probably won't behave as you're hoping. I can look at them on a case by case basis and help you get the COM2 going. Otherwise, I would just limit it to 1 com radio and perhaps use COM2 to get the ATIS. My guess is that regardless of which radio you select on the panel, it continues to transmit/receive on COM1 only when it comes to PE. You can use that to your advantage and still get the ATIS on COM2.

I'll ask the developer of that plane how to set the engine volume dynamically, normally you can simply drag the com1 knob UP or DOWN (not side to side) and it changes the engine volume.

[flyingdrill]

Thanks for that, Keith. It's a nuisance, but not more than that

Today, I used the A2A Cherokee in FSX, in Bootcamp and Windows 7 on the iMac. I had a brief fiddle with FSUIPC to get the trigger working as the PTT - not difficult, particularly after reading a few posts in this forum beforehand! Then (apart from a non PE related problem with me getting the brakes organised, and doing an unintended runway incursion!!!!! - till I got that sorted too - Thank goodness this is only a sim ), I had a great time doing a flight exactly as I wanted, with ATIS, ATC and all nav radios working exactly as they should.

PE is going to be a great tool for me - fun, and a great refresher. it really helps the brain keep up to speed when not flying for real. Also, I can see it being a great tool in practicing stuff you don't often (if ever!) do, and training for the big jets - which I'm never going to fly except with the sim!

I'll definitely be signing up at the end of the trial.

[Steven Winslow]

I fly on my MacBook Pro Retina and I actually did one of my "I" ratings in the Carenado Archer with no problems. Com 1 works with PilotEdge, but Com 2 doesn't. You can get X-Plane ATIS through Com 2, but you can't communicate with ATC on Com 2. As for your engine sounds, you should have those going through your external speakers, not your headset. If you have all your sounds going through your headset you will have a tough time hearing ATC. To make sure your engine sounds come through your external speakers, go to System Preferences>Sound>Output and select Headphone/Headphone port for your speaker output. PilotEdge ATC will still come through your headset. The PilotEdge plugin requires you to assign PE output to your headset, but it doesn't take control of your other external sounds. All other sounds will come through you external speakers, including ATIS information on Com 2.

[flyingdrill]

Steven, that does indeed work, and thank you. So much easier to hear what's going on, and much more like the real thing. I have to confess that I never noticed the configuration in the PE plugin preferences. I also read an earlier thread, where you explained some of this.
The only nuisance is that there does not seem to be a way to adjust the volume in the USB headset. I logged in to PE, and tried to adjust the radio volume in the "sounds" in X-Plane, but that makes no difference. Of course, the Mac system preferences will only be adjusting my external speakers, as I see no way that it allows me to separately adjust the USB headset. Or am I missing something? If I set the headset as the default, then adjusted it's volume, then changed the default back to the headset outlet (external speakers), would OS X remember the setting for the headset??? Fortunately, the volume from PE's controllers is about right, so it's not a huge problem. Maybe Keith can build a volume control into the plugin

I was flying a real Archer earlier today, and it's a darn sight easier to tune radios in that than in X-plane - and without flying all over the place while repeatedly moving the mouse up and down, etc..... The new Garmin 430 in X-plane 10.30 is even worse, because it has the 3 digits after the decimal point, and so tuning that takes forever. Or maybe there is a short cut, but I have yet to find it. I'm not sure that there is any documentation around for this new development.

[Steven Winslow]

I'll have to check the headset volume tonight after work. I don't remember if that is adjustable or not. I use my DC headset with the Flight Sound X USB adapter (http://flightsounds.com ) My headset has volume controls for each earpiece but I always have them set at maximum. Again, I'm not sure if you can control PE audio separately, but I'll check it out later.

As for tuning your radios, you might consider investing in at least one Saitek Radio Panel. I wouldn't fly on PE without one! http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/x- ... ail?no=181 Of course, I've had mine for a couple years now and I think they are indispensable. I have two Saitek Radio Panels that I bought from Nicolas at x-plane.org. He has a fair price on them and he's great to work with. I use one radio panel for my navigational radios and one for my com's, altimeter and transponder.

[flyingdrill]

I'll be interested to see if you did find an adjustment somewhere. Both the products you mentioned have been in my mind to get sooner or later. I have dealt with Nicolas a lot! Very good service. Trouble is, despite Keith's assertion that simming is much cheaper than flying, sometimes I wonder

[Keith Smith]

You can't adjust PE volume (yet) but you should be able to adjust the engine volume in the Carenado Archer. Every Carenado plane I've seen so far allows you to adjust the engine volume through a custom slider. Contact Carenado support and ask them how to do it, or check the documentation that came with the aircraft.

Up until very recently, X-Plane has NOT made the volume settings accessible from the SDK, so we've had no way of knowing what volume you've selected in the X-Plane sound settings.

Regarding radio tuning, I've mapped CTRL UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT to tune the fine and coarse portions of the com1 stdby radio, then I hit a button on the stick to flip-flop the stdby to primary. Doesn't get any easier or less expensive than that