Prepared by Seb Warmoth
Welcome
AirWeGo pilot to this advice and vital information on getting online using
Vatsim. I only got online last year but since then I have clocked up over 100
hours flying online and now I am a voice rated Controller (mainly at
Humberside).
My
aim in the next few weeks is to get as many of you online as possible and then
as regularly as possible. I control at Humberside 4-5 nights a week and very
rarely have any aircraft, let alone any AWG ones. Right then, lets get you all
online.
A microphone and speakers
will be needed to fly online but you can text controllers so the microphone
isn’t essential. Controllers will talk back though, so speakers of some form
will be needed.
Firstly before anything
else make sure you are familiar flying a type of aircraft of your choice (one
with an auto pilot is better but not essential). Also doing some flying around
Humberside would help before coming online as you are then familiar with the
airport but again it isn’t essential.
Now you need go to
www.vatsim.net and go to the ‘join now’ hyper link. Fill in your
details into the form and then you will be shown your P.I.D number. Make a
note of this as you will need it later. Within 5-10 minutes after completing
the form, you will be e-mailed a password. Make a note of this as your P.I.D
and Password will be needed to log on later.
Now that you are a Vatsim
member, you need the software to be able to fly.You can download squawkbox
from www.avsim.com. Once you have downloaded squawkbox
into a folder anywhere on your hard drive (doesn’t need a specific place),
run the squawkbox setup program
that will be in that folder. Go through the setup procedure and then squawkbox
will be installed as a program on your pc.
If you want to use voice
(which is advisable if possible), go to www.rogerwilco.com
or www.downloads.com and get roger
wilco This can again be downloaded into any folder of your choice and will
again have a setup program to fill in. When it is installed, find it in ‘my
programs’ and start it up. It should look like:
On
this screen, go to adjust and the only things you should need to adjust are
the input and output volume gain sliders (use the ‘test mic’ button to
test the settings.). Once satisfied, press configure and go through these
menus. If you are not to sure about what you are doing then just keep clicking
on next until you get to the option of whether you want full duplex or half
duplex. You want FULL DUPLEX here. Now press next. This is the section where
you want to put in the key which you press to transmit. I use the ` key to the
left of 1. As far as I know it isn’t used in Flight Sim for anything but is
up to you which one you choose. On the next screen you are able to put in a
callsign. The best bet is to put in AWG_****_”””” where **** is you
PID number for AWG and ”””” is a nickname or your name. I put in Seb.
It is just so the controller can see the name of the person he is talking to.
Now click ok and minimize Roger Wilco. It will become an icon in the right
hand side of the task bar (next to the clock). If you want to access it from
now just double click this icon.
Trouble shooting: When I
press test mic and talk, nothing is played back to me?
I had this problem at
first but if you go to the start menu and then to programs – accessories –
Entertainment – Volume control. Check that the main volume isn’t muted and
then go to options and then properties. It says adjust volume for…. Change
playback to recording and then check that the ‘microphone’ option is
checked so that it is on. Now click ok and go back to the page with the
sliders on. Make sure that under microphone, the ‘select’ box is checked
so that it is on. This fixed it for me but I have to do it quite regularly as
it turns itself back off after u turn your pc off.
Another thing to download
is fsuipc. I am sure you can get this from www.simclients
as well. When you have downloaded this zip file. Extract it into your modules
folder in your fs directory. If you have installed it into the place it
suggested when you installed it, it should be:
my computer – C drive – Program files – Microsoft Games –
FS**(version of fs you have) – Modules. You shouldn’t have to use this
again once it is in the modules folder. It is a program that keeps your
weather on your pc up to date with the real life weather in the area you are
flying in. If you are flying at Humberside it will probably be foggy, Hazy or
lashing it down with rain.
NOW I THINK WE ARE READY
TO GO FLYING!!!
Firstly start up Roger
wilco and then minimize it. Now start up Flight sim. Take yourself to
Humberside in the plane of your choice from earlier but MAKE
SURE YOU GO TO A PARKING SPACE AND NOT THE RUNWAY. Believe me. There can
be nothing more annoying than an aircraft appearing on the runway as you are
on short finals and you having to do a go around. Once at a parking space go
to ‘flights’ on the menu bar at the top. I think it is the same in all
versions. Then go to multiplayer and then connect. Type in your nickname in
player name and make sureb the connection type is on TCP/IP. Now click host.
Write your name in the session name and put the max pilots number up to max it
will take and observers I have left at 1. No password needs to be entered. Now
click on ok. It will now set up.
Minimise flightsim at this
point and now go to the start menu and programs – squawkbox. With FS95,
FS98 and FS2000 click on squawkbox and the options box comes up. For
people with FS2002, first you have to go to squawkbox host and start this up.
This is because it puts the squakbox bar in another window. Now go to
squawkbox and start this.
All
versions: Now type in your AWG_**** (AWG number) in the player name box as
this will be your callsign while online. Mine is AWG_5127 as an example. Make
sure the option is taken as above (internet TCP/IP connection for directplay).
Once the callsign is in press ok. Now click on start search. Leave the box on
the next screen empty and click ok. Now your multiplayer game on flightsim
should come up. Click join and then click on the ‘get into action’ button
at the bottom of the next picture. Now go back to flightsim and there should
be a squawkbox bar at the top of the FS95/98/2000 and in the squawkbox host
window for FS2002. On this bar, right click and then go ATC functions –
change callsign. Put in the one that you put in earlier (AWG****). Now click
ok. Now go ATC functions again and this time to file flight plan. Put your
first and last name in the relevant boxes and put EGNJ as your home base
airport.
You now need to connect to
the Internet.
Now right click and click
on connect. In internet server,
type 212.19.195.26. Under pilot registration type in your Vatsim P.I.D. and
Vatsim Password. Under callsign, again type in your AWG**** callsign. Type in
the 212.19.195.26 into the roger wilco server box and check the ‘use roger
wilco voice’ box. Now click ok and it will log you on to the server.
Now go to ATC Directory by
right clicking again. A list of available ATC areas will appear. When I am on
it will appear as egnj_v_app. Click on it once and then click on ok. This will
bring you up on my ATC sector.
Maximise Roger Wilco and
see if you are in a chat room with me (egnj_v_app_seb) If not then go to join
and in the top box type in rw.vatsim-uk.net/egnj_v_app.
This should join you to my chat room. Call me by giving me your Callsign and
your position at the airport. If you need some charts then go to www.ais.org.uk
and get the Humberside charts.
I
should be able to speak to you now. When speaking on Roger wilco. Always
remember to press the transmit button before and during you speak.