LORAN Beta Test Available

[Tom/CalClassic]

And if you use the Click the Total method make sure you read the tutorial on how to reset things for the next reading (click the station knob back and forth while in each of the two station pairs).

[Tom/CalClassic]

I installed the gauge into the default Super Constellation panel and it works fine there. The panel passes the E 1 2 3 4 test though so I don't know if that is the problem or not.

And installed into the default 749 panel and same result - works fine.

And the DC-7 panel on my computer has GCA installed and that is OK too.

[Tom/CalClassic]

I looked at the code and I am accessing only one key at a time, so I don't think the panel sending commands should be a problem, but I don't know for sure.

[Jorge]

May 8, 2023 5:49:36 GMT -5 connieguy said:

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,

I'm not sure if you remember, but I had this same problem when we were doing the "alpha" testing a few weeks ago. Mine came from a panel that was done with FSPanelStudio for some reason. I wonder if there is something there that is "breaking" the gauge when you use it.

When I entered everything by hand into the panel.cfg by using the info from the Excel sheet I made, then everything worked fine.

I also have the frame rates locked at 30 in the fs9.cfg, not through the sim interface itself. If you were setting them by the interface, it may or may not have been an issue, but not sure.

Ken, see if manually entering the different info into the panel.cfg file with notepad solves the issue. I'm not sure if that's the way you've been doing things, but just in case.

As for the "handwriting" text, the default style included in Windows systems (since Win-7 I believe) is called, "Lucida Handwriting" and can be substituted for the Freestyle Script. In my system I've changed it and it seems to be better for reading. If you want to stay with a typed font, that's fine. Courier or Courier New are good substitutes, as Tom says.

I'll try and look at checking the Connies on my end to see what it may look like on my system. I'll add the info into the panel.cfg file by hand and I'll let you know.

Also, try and make sure the screen resolution and the sim resolution are the same. I was having some issues before myself because I had the sim resolution at 1024x768 while the computer screen is a native 1600x900 screen. Not sure if that's much of an issue, but you never know.

I'll post findings soon.

Regards,

Jorge
Miami, FL

[Jorge]

I've done a quick flight from KATL to KDCA in the Jahn C-121A (L-749) in MATS livery. Can't remember if it came with the package or not, but I thought it would be a nice one to try.

The "flying" was okay until I tried the landing ... let's not talk about that.

As for the LORAN, it installed fine and worked as advertised. I still have to work out the sizing to not have "egg-shaped" circles (scope, knobs, etc), but okay none the less. Nothing you can't fix by resizing.

I wish I had more time to check this out -- especially since I'd like to actually "fly" a CalClassic bird without overspeeding, overstressing, etc, etc, since I'm still reading up on the procedures, but I have to work tomorrow.

If I can think of anything else to see about fixing some of the display issues I'll post it, but for now I can't think of anything new.

Regards,

Jorge
Miami, FL

[mrcapitalism]

CTD

FSX: Acceleration (Boxed). Windows 10 Home.
2 Attempts now with the DC-7, My default flight is the trike (location change to KDCA). I press "select" on the DC-7, the screen turns black, and I eventually get a CTD. Aircraft never loads.

Douglas DC-7 United Airlines 1958. Can't even select it within the Free Flight menu. Same thing. Preview screen is black, program hangs, CTD.

Don't see anything in the event viewer :-(

I have now reverted my panel.cfg and am sitting on KDCA Rwy 01 in the DC-7 UAL 1958 :-(

[Tom/CalClassic]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that the cfg file is set up for FS9. To get it working in FSX, you need to comment out three gauges in the panel.cfg file.

This forum thread has the details. The gauge numbers will be different, but these are the gauges that need to be commented out.

calclassic.proboards.com/thread/10601/game-crashes-when-select-stratocruiser

Hope this helps,

[connieguy]

Gentlemen. Thank you for all the responses on this. I didn't reply when I could have done yesterday evening because I just wanted to spend some time thinking about it. I am happy with Courier as the font and Jorge has noted that the gauge could do with resizing to produce a circular rather than oblongish cathode ray tube. However, that is a minor matter. What does matter is that apart from the filter switch turning off Amp Balance the gauge is working perfectly well in doing what really matters - getting to a state where the crucial data is available. The problems for me lie in entering it into the notepad. I could, as Tom said, write down the numbers and total them, but because my notepad will not accept four digits things breakdown at that stage.  It seems to me that if the issue cannot be fixed - and that seems quite likely - there are two options.

     The first is to skip the entry of the Sweep 5,6 and 7 figures and simply press the Total button. This produces a Lat and Lon on the map and all is done. This is an option which I might well be happy to use most of the time.

     The second is to use the figures to work out my position on the real Loran map from 1954. I intially intended using a map based on Google Earth for this, in the belief that the multiplicity of lines on the 1954 map would make it extremely difficult to use on a computer. The real map was actually pretty big.  However, I then wondered if I could print sections of the map out at a high enough resolution to be usable and have been able to do this. I chose the Atlantic between the UK and Newfoundland because the number of Loran lines in the north east Atlantic is relatively small and once within NDB range of Gander one would be home and dry.  The eastern map is below and printed as a pdf at A4 it looks very useable. It could also be loaded into the cockpit pdf viewer.  I can supply these two pdfs to anybody who wants them, but obviously the thing now would be to do a test flight and see how well it works.

[Jorge]

Ken,

Here's the cfg entries I used last night on the C-121A. Replace the "window" and "gauge=" numbers with yours in the Connie you're testing:

Window12=LORAN
Window13=LORAN Map Atlantic
Window14=LORAN Map Pacific

and:

gauge43=LORAN!LORAN_icon, 296,742,19,19
gauge44=LORAN!LORAN_STA, 0,0,20,20
gauge45=LORAN!LORAN_SYS, 20,0,20,20

and:

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window12]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1122,935
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=0
ident=22200
window_size= 0.657, 0.730
window_pos= 0.343, 0.000

gauge00=LORAN!LORAN_GUI, 0,0,1122,935

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window13]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1280,1054
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=0
ident=10500
window_size= 0.905, 0.994
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

gauge00=LORAN!LORAN_MAP_ATL, 0,0,1280,1054

//--------------------------------------------------------
[Window14]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1280,1289
window_size_ratio=1.000
position=0
visible=0
ident=10501
window_size= 0.740, 0.994
window_pos= 0.000, 0.000

gauge00=LORAN!LORAN_MAP_PAC, 0,0,1280,1289

These are still 4:3 numbers, so things may look "squashed" a little on the scope and knobs, but okay otherwise.

Let us know if this works.

Off to work. I'll check later tonight when I'm back home.

Regards,

Jorge
Miami, FL

[connieguy]

Hi Jorge,
Many thanks, but it did not. What it did was remove the two switches and make Amp Balance inoperable. When I returned to the file I had backed up they appeared again,
Best wishes,
Ken

[mrcapitalism]

May 9, 2023 0:20:36 GMT -5 Tom/CalClassic said:

Sorry, I should have mentioned that the cfg file is set up for FS9.

Oh, it's just the engine start gauges? Whew!

EDIT: Yep, it works fantastically in FSX now.

[Defender]

Tom/Jorge,

I'm happier with it now having successfully got through the the tuning process at both Washington and Gander. I think the 750nm daytime range is a bit restrictive but might be realistic. And the 1000ms screen needs pretty good eyesight!

However these were "static". I still can't manage the process in flight. At SS5 the top line will keep moving. I tried pausing but when at 13000' just east of Gander using 1L3 I found that when trying to enter the first ms value the number stayed black, neither green nor red. No range warnings. Is there another in flight solution?

Also could you explain the exact procedure needed to clear the notepad before starting a second fix with a new Loran pair. That might be what was wrong.

Thanks

Bill

[Tom/CalClassic]

If you use the Click on the Totals method then you need to go to both stations of the pair and throw the Station switch back and forth in each one.

If using manual entry the process of making the measurement should reset things, but if you are unsure that’s working you can do the above procedure there as well.

If you are too close to a station the measurement my change too rapidly to “catch it”, but further away it doesn’t seem to be a big problem for me. Keep in mind that once you are less than around 100 NM from the coast the usual navaids should be available and LORAN measurements can be discontinued.

I’ve never seen black numbers unless you click the Total value, so I don’t know what’s going on there. Try clicking the Total value (perhaps twice) until the green/red numbers come back.

[mrcapitalism]

Minor math error in the tutorial?

In this image the offset is about 150, so 150 - 42 = 112.

Answer should be 108.

[mrcapitalism]

I'm trying to learn when to add values, and when to subtract them. While attempting to reset the notepad, this distance value remains displayed. Seems the right side total will become populated whenever a valid station pair is selected after clicking on the "easy total" option.