Free Weather Radar Program?

[JBaymore]

..........but then again I have dust bunnies living in my wallet.

Probably from buying the PM stuff.

Seriously, thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check it out. Never heard of PMWeather. But from what I have seen PM is way, WAY out of my price range.

best,

.................john

[Bob Reed]

Well unfortuenitly there are more problems then that with PM's GetWeather. Trevor and I where trying to fly online together the other night and we could not stay connected. Once he turned of PM's GetWeather no more trouble. Have also heard it has a frame rate problem. Just what I have heard since I bought the SX weather thing I have not tried to use Getweather.....

[Bob Reed]

Also should note. I would doubt that PM's GetWeaterh will work with anything other then PM...

[ak49er]

Oops, you, of course, are correct JB, it was not AVSIM, but actually it was your link you mentioned that I used, and thank-you by the way for that link. Additionally, if you say it did not come with a FMC, but only a CDU that too, is most likely correct. I have not even tried to use the FreeFD CDU, I only have displayed it. GFD v1.05 does have a CDU/FMC but I still have not tried it either, JB any other info a newbie to FreeFD should know, tips, tricks, hints?

[JBaymore]

Here's a quick shot of my pit so far:




best,

..................john

[Bob Reed]

John.... That looks great! Can you post more pics?

[JBaymore]

..........but actually it was your link you mentioned that I used, and thank-you by the way for that link.

No problem. I was REALLY disappointed when FreeFD went "bye bye". I based my whole pit idea on the availability of that FREE offering. I imagine that others did too. It really got me started on even pursuing the possibility.... without those core functions... hard to have a pit in the first place. As a professional artist by profession...... PM is just WAY out of my league .

I had the latest FreeFD files....but others didn't and were clearly searching for it to no avail. You could find no active download reference for it anywhere searching the web. Suddenly I remembered the archiving function of the Wayback machine site... and sure enough... there it was. So I posted the link on the SImV Homebuild forum for others like you to get it. Glad that worked.

One BIG thing that I REALLY want to get is an updated navdata file! I am hoping that SOMEONE that is a bit more "up" on programming and databases can figure out the format of the existing FreeFD database, and work on getting the current navdata cycle converted to the FreeFD format. ANY TAKERS?

The biggest "tip" I can give you on FreeFD is to use FSXpand (payware but reasonable) for the EICAS screens. I fooled with the FreeFD one for a long while...and never got it solved. And others seem to have the same problem. For me, the PFD and the ND from FreeFD are working nicely. I don't really use the other panels at the moment.

More stuff........

I have my FreeFD ND set up on a separate PC that also runs Teamspeak for online comms (with PTT mapped to a CH yoke button) and the Phidgets interface. That PC has a Hagstrom KE-72 encoder card that is hooked to (among many other things) a homebuilt EFIS panel. That panel on the glareshield controls the FreeFD ND's various modes like approach, map, etc., and functions like range, TACAS, VORs, NDB, arc/rose, and so on. I use FlightSim COmmander flight planning software to get a Squakbox format .sbp plan directly into the FreeFD directory... so that I get the "magenta line" function on the FreeFD ND.

Unfortunately... the FreeFD navdata is WAY outdated compared to FSCommander's current database!

So... some thoughts for you.

best,

.....................john

[JBaymore]

John.... That looks great! Can you post more pics?

Bob,

Thanks. I'll try to do that.

best,

.................john

[Westozy]

[quote=JBaymore;35290]No problem. I was REALLY disappointed when FreeFD went "bye bye". I based my whole pit idea on the availability of that FREE offering. I imagine that others did too. It really got me started on even pursuing the possibility.... without those core functions... hard to have a pit in the first place. As a professional artist by profession...... PM is just WAY out of my league .

Hi John,
I can relate to this aswel, PM is way out of my league as I am building my sim on a $40/week budget! I don't know if you've already seen this page on my site but it describes how to do a great panel with PMDG software. http://aerosimsolutions.googlepages.com/pcconfiguration
Without the projector, I have spent less than US$3000 on my sim and I will complete it this year for not much more. (Never finished, just "complete")

Gwyn