Majestic Dash-8 Q400 and XAcars for MS Flightsimulator

M

Morten Grandt

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Today 3:50 AM
Dear All,

in several flights with the new Majestic Dash-8 Q400 I have experienced a problem with XAcars which I use for flight reporting towards ACH: Everything works fine with XAcars until landing - while VATSIM closes the flight plan after successful landing (which can be checked e.g. by means of vataware) XAcars does not recognize this and therefore no PIREP can be submitted towards ACH. WIth other aircrafts I have no issues at all regarding XAcars operation.

Anybody else made the same experience and found a solution?

Best regards
Morten
 
Hi Morten,

in another forum I read, that it is not possible for XAcars to recognize the engine-start of the dash.
That ist a problem, which is caused by the conversion of the aircraft in the FSX and therefore it will not be possible to fix it in the XAcars to that time. :(

Perhaps that will be a reason for your problem too.

Kind regards,
Jürgen
 
it is not possible for XAcars to recognize the engine-start of the dash
Click to expand...
Wouldn't it be possible to make a simple XML-button gauge that simulates a default FSX engine start :?: Something that reacts to CTRL-E? I don't own the Majestic Dash but if you think this would help I'll do a little research into this.
 
Hi,

thank you very much for providing feedback. The problem here is not about engine start - XAcars perfectly reports the flight from pushback up to the landing (as to be seen in the ACH live watch) but does not recognizes the aircraft as being landed. Maybe this is something to do with FSUIPC ? (In my setup XAcars is executed on a client PC connected via WideFS)

Does this problem also occur with FS Flight Keeper or similar tools?

Best regards
Morten
 
Morten Grandt said:
Hi,

thank you very much for providing feedback. The problem here is not about engine start - XAcars perfectly reports the flight from pushback up to the landing (as to be seen in the ACH live watch) but does not recognizes the aircraft as being landed. Maybe this is something to do with FSUIPC ? (In my setup XAcars is executed on a client PC connected via WideFS)

Does this problem also occur with FS Flight Keeper or similar tools?

Best regards
Morten
Click to expand...

Hi Morten, is there no way to tell XACARS when it should stop the tracking, like Ican do it on flightkeeper. There I set it to PARKING BRAKE and it works fine.
Cheers Tom
 
is there no way to tell XACARS when it should stop the tracking, like Ican do it on flightkeeper. There I set it to PARKING BRAKE and it works fine.
Click to expand...

Hi Tom, All.

With all other A/C types XAcars recognizes that the flight is completed (referring to the XAcars support website this recognition is related to the state "engines out") but not with my Dash-8 although both parking break was set and engines were shut down.

Well, in another google session I have found this:
You do not have permission to view link please Log in or Register
. Obviously the engines out trigger is not properly provided by the MJC8 Q400 simulation model. A workaround is described there as well - sounds not very convenient though. We will have to wait for a patch :(

So, when there will be a solution available we should post it here for further reference...

Again many thanks for your support!

Best regards
Morten
 
Morten Grandt said:
is there no way to tell XACARS when it should stop the tracking, like Ican do it on flightkeeper. There I set it to PARKING BRAKE and it works fine.
Click to expand...

Hi Tom, All.

With all other A/C types XAcars recognizes that the flight is completed (referring to the XAcars support website this recognition is related to the state "engines out") but not with my Dash-8 although both parking break was set and engines were shut down.

Well, in another google session I have found this:
You do not have permission to view link please Log in or Register
. Obviously the engines out trigger is not properly provided by the MJC8 Q400 simulation model. A workaround is described there as well - sounds not very convenient though. We will have to wait for a patch :(

So, when there will be a solution available we should post it here for further reference...

Again many thanks for your support!

Best regards
Morten
Click to expand...

Hi Morten,
I did not know xacars only from Xplane. But it lokks pretty the same. Is there no config file you could change just to "Parking Brakes On" for stopping tracking? - it must be somewhere configured. Maybe in the code itself - then there is a problem. But even with Flightkeeper there are still problems, Sometimes the BARO is not recognized, the lights are not recognized - so even with a nice greased landing you will get punished cause you did not set the correct lights - if you switch off the rating then it is fine. Maybe Majestic will change this in a future version - but I think this is not on the top of the change list.
Cheers Tom
 
Is there no config file you could change just to "Parking Brakes On" for stopping tracking? - it must be somewhere configured.
Click to expand...

Hi Tom,

I have found the *.ini file of XAcars but only high-level information there (server addresses, reporting types etc.) - unfortunately nothing related to trigger types. I assume that the trigger "engine out" is hardcoded in the software and therefore not configurable.

Best regards
Morten
 
Hi all
After many try I coudn't fill my pireps using Dash8Q400 (MS) because xacars doesn't recognize the parking brake. I tried to load another plane but P3D crash everytime when loading another plane after the Dash... (and I lost xacars data) Could I fill manually the pireps? It would be great! Thanks to light my candle... Phil
 
As far as I remember this is not an option in Air-Child. But I can tell you that Flight Keeper is working fine.
Cheers Tom
 
Just an idea, if you are using the cockpit to set the park brake, have you tried the key command instead? as using the key command may send a trigger to the xacars program. (I don't use xacars so just guessing)
 
Thanks Tom and Andrew for your answer
I tried both the parking brake (key and cockpit) and nothing happen, Xacars doesn't recognize the plane status therefore checking in website its mentioned "landed". Loading another aircraft result an immediate crash to desktop. I'm turning to flight keeper but I'm not sure its compatible with P3D... Any idea are welcome!
 
Could I fill manually the pireps?
Click to expand...

Hi,

the question raised by Phil brings me to an idea: Would it be possible to add some kind of reporting form to this website (e.g. related to the flight bookings) in which we could report the flight. For those flying online a link to the vataware report could be included as proof of flight execution. This would form a workaround solution for the Dash8 issue as well as for the problem that - at least on my side - I sometimes forget to start XAcars at the very beginning.

Clearly, also using FS Flight Keeper would be an option but - apart from the reporting function - on my side almost all of the functionality of this software is covered either by other software tools I use for flight planning / execution (Weather, EFB etc.) or by add-on aircrafts (wheather / terrain map, TCAS, GPWS, cockpit announcements etc.).

Best regards
Morten
 
Morten Grandt said:
I sometimes forget to start XAcars at the very beginning.
Click to expand...
You're not alone. I rip my hair off when I realize after an hour of flying that my Flight Keeper isn't recording. So even though I don't fly the Dash yet, I wouldn't mind a manual form if there was any way to prove a flight was flown... could be an issue. Though FSX also creates its own log entries of flights if those are any good...
 
Gents,

there is an updated version of XACARS available. It is stated that FSX version 2.5.5 should provide full support of the Majestic Dash-8 Q400.

More here: http://www.xacars.net/index.php?index

Best regards
Morten
 
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