LORAN Beta Test Available

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi all,

Jorge Rechani and I have been working on getting a LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) gauge up and running and you can help us by testing the gauge and making sure it works as expected. The gauge currently includes all station pairs covering the Atlantic Ocean and the Aleutians. Other Pacific Ocean stations will be added later.

This beta test is currently set up to be installed into the widescreen CalClassic DC-7 Base Pack panel (the 16:9 widescreen which is the default panel) and the square screen JBK DC-6 panel (the default panel). In the release versions other panels will be supported and it will also be included in the CC DC-6 and DC-7 Base Packs, but we are keeping it simple for now. For those that know how to add 2D subpanels it is a straightforward process to add these three gauges to other panels. However, that will not be directly supported for this beta test (although you are free to ask questions about it). Details in the installation text file.

The beta is over.

If you want to try using a LORAN chart to determine your latitude and longitude, this one would be useful for the beta test:

1954 North Atlantic:

www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~299531~90070545

There is also one for the Aleutians:

historicalcharts.noaa.gov/search.php

and search for Title:

aircraft position

Look for the North Pacific map and click the JPG link.

Note that charts from different years may have stations renamed to different codes (i.e. 1H0), but the actual LORAN data did not typically change. Just use the designation on our 1954 map instead.

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

First fix.

If you have already downloaded the file and are installing into the DC-7 panel:

In the panel.cfg file change this line near the top of the file:

Window29=LORAN Map Pacific

to:

Window19=LORAN Map Pacific

The uploaded file has been updated at this point.

Last minute edits always bite me!

Sorry,

[connieguy]

Many thanks, Tom. Here is what seems some rather curious feedback. In recent years I have always had frame rates at Unlimited until a week or two ago, when I was using a 2d panel where gauges flickered with that setting, the flickering stopping when I reduced frame rates to 27. With the Loran gauge I had no problem installing it in the C-121 and when I opened it and started working through your tutorial noticed immediately that the Filter and PRR switches were not showing and that the Amp Balance switch was not rotating.

This has been corrected by switching frame rates back to Unlimited. Both switches now show and the Amp Balance Switch rotates.

I have now also completed the tutorial successfully after a bit of trial and error. One thing I notice since the tutorial was done is that the font for the notepad has been changed from a sort of typewriter face to something that looks more like handwriting. I can see why, but it is harder to read and although I use a 24 inch monitor I had to enlarge the window to see it properly and even then it wasn't very good. Another possible effect of doing this was that I could only enter three digits rather than four under 500s, though the tutorial shows four. Possibly there is something I have misunderstood on that. Hope this helps.

Ken

PS. It is, of course, wonderful.

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the feedback. Jorge put the notepad writing into Freestyle Script font, which I do not own. So my computer substitutes the typewriter font you see in the tutorial. So either your Freestyle Script font is different from Jorge’s or your computer is substituting that unreadable font. If you want to you can open the LORAN_GUI.xml file, do a search for Freestyle Script, and replace it with a font of your choice. Be careful with the punctuation surrounding it, and save a copy of the file before attempting it. I think the rest of the notepad text is in Courier New.

It you don’t feel comfortable doing that I could send you a version using a different font - just ask, it would take me only a couple of minutes.

The frame rate limiter effect is something I’ve never seen, although I think I can see a cause for it in the code (although I have no reason why that should cause your symptoms). Much of the SYS gauge is written in an Update section, which simplifies the coding. I think that section runs at the current frame rate? But normal gauges run at 18 times per second, *slower* than your 27 frames per second! So theoretically that should not cause your problem. You could try raising the limit to around 50, I believe that’s where mine is set and I don’t have problems.

By the way the numbers in the upper left are for my debugging, they will be gone in the release version.

[connieguy]

Tom,
    The frame rate issue doesn't bother me particularly, because I use unlimited as a norm and it is easy to switch in the sim. It would be a problem if I wanted to use Loran with flickering 2d gauges, but I shall probably not. It may be worth adding to the documentation as a possible issue on some systems. I changed the font to Courier New without problems but that hasn't sorted out not being able to enter 4 digits in the 500s column. Immediately I enter the fourth digit it becomes -48, but I can get the correct total by pressing Total. Screenshot attached _ I had gone back to the original font at this point to make sure it was nothing to do with Courier, but that was doing it as well.



I have tried it several times but perhaps I am making the same error repeatedly.

[chris_c]

Everything installed OK and seems to work. I actually created new versions of the stock KMCC DC-6 and DC-7 panels for the LORAN gauges because I wanted to keep my Polar-Path compass and GCA functionality and my monitor doesn't really work with the wide-screen bitmaps. I have set up the new panels in a pair SAS Douglas's, one DC-6B and a DC-7C.

The learning curve for LORAN seems pretty steep but am sure that once I can grasp the concepts behind the system, learning to use it should become simpler.

Thanks to all involved.

-Chris

[Tom/CalClassic]

Just to confirm you are typing ENTER, 3, 0, 0, 0, ENTER (the ENTERs can be clicks as well). None of the commas are actually typed. I have no problem entering it (I just checked), so this is going to be difficult to figure out... Perhaps an English vs American keyboard? But all the keys you are typing are the same in both...

What if you enter 3001?

There are a few combinations of digits that cause the display to blank; entering a slightly different number avoids that. Never seen the -48 before though.

[Tom/CalClassic]

Glad to hear it Chris, let us know how it goes.

[Defender]

Hi Tom,

This is a long way short of a full beta but I thought I would start something anyway.

Ken, I don't get any problem with my usual 30 FPS lock.

Tom, the download and installation is easy, despite my many variations from the release panels. But I see a line in your window 00 list that I don't have, gauge78 reload gauges. I have no such gauge in my system, just the AIRCRAFT_RELOAD that comes with the revised autostart. Is that important?

Going through your KDCA test programme worked exactly as the tutorial says. Complicated but worth the effort. It's a great bit of work and clearly a lot of thought put into it.

Some comment 'though. Some folk might want to enter both the chosen Loran networks into the notepad before starting the tuning process, just to check that both are within range. That might need some tutorial comment as the notepad doesn't seem to like that, or I'm not following a working procedure?

Also going back a step to correct something isn't easy. Once it's set by click I can't delete/change an existing notepad "us" value for example, even going back to SS1. Backspace or delete doesn't work. I've had to reload FS!

Last but not least, my attempts at using another location haven't been too successful but perhaps it's just practice needed. I do see however that whilst in flight the top line moves slowly from left to right in SS5- which complicates the "us" value setting. I know that's going to happen but tutorial advice needed again?

Hope this is of interest.

Bill

[connieguy]

Tom,
     I'm afraid it has got worse. I installed it in the 2d cockpit of the JBK C-54 and the two switches were missing and the Amp Balance didn't rotate. In the C-121 if I turn the filter switch to OUT it stops the Amp Balance rotating. I am using panels which have been heavily modified with other gauges and there is also intervention by FSUIPC; possibly they are factors.  However, I am concerned that Bill is also using heavily modified panels but has not had these problems, though I can confirm that backspace/delete doesn't work.

[Tom/CalClassic]

I have an idea. Please try it with the default DC-7 panel. I’m afraid the panels you are trying to use are constantly sending commands to FS, breaking multiple keystroke commands. This most commonly shows up trying to open cargo doors with shift E 2 and selecting multiple engines with E 1 2 3 4. If that doesn’t work, then this gauge may not work either.

Press E 1 2 3 4 and then move your yoke throttle. If only engine 1 reacts then this could be the problem.

I guess I could devise a different interface, but that would take time…

[Tom/CalClassic]

The reload gauges gauge is used while editing gauge XML, and will not affect anything if you don’t have it.

[Tom/CalClassic]

And backspace and delete only work before you have pressed ENTER or clicked to finish the entry. After that you need to click/ENTER again to restart the entry.

I have no problem checking two different stations at a time, but I see no real advantage to that. All stations can be checked using the left side, before starting your first measurement.

But if you really want to, here's how:

1. Set the first station on the left.
2. Click the top of the notepad.
3. Set the second station on the right.
4. If you go back to the station on the left, reset the station using the knobs to the original one from step 1.
5. You can actually do the measurements in either order, left/right or right/left.

When you switch from left to right and visa versa you just have to reset the station using the knobs, the gauge does not remember the previous setting (and cannot remember it, or you would never be able to change it). Also remember that when you switch stations, you need to redo the measurement from the beginning, SS1.

[connieguy]

Tom,
I'm afraid I do not have the DC-7 installed. As you say in the manual if one skips through Sweeps 5,6 and 7 and press Total the correct Total appears. It may be that I shall have to be satisfied with that, especially if I am in a minority of one, because I don't want you to go to the trouble of devising something different just for me,
Ken

[Tom/CalClassic]

You could always write the numbers down on a piece of paper and add them together yourself. 😁