LAM

Fellsider

Sector(s) controlled: LAM
Start time of exercise: 1000hrs
Time anomaly spotted: Throughout
Exercise number: Not used
Rate set: 12
Westerlies or Easterlies: Westerlies
NAT Central, North or South:
AIRAC version: 10/2024

Hi, I am just running LAM and have noticed that some of the newer voices don't have the full vocabulary such as the fix names.
For example a "newer" voice will read back the instructions given but when it comes to the fix/waypoint it reverts to an original voice for the fix name then back to the newer voice for the rest of the read-back.
This happens on both the male and female voices.
Examples that I have heard are Lambourne and Clacton

Also Xigar waypoint seems to be missing for Stanstead departures, (I had a flight departing Stanstead report in passing Xigar however there is no Xigar waypoint on the map.

Something else that I notice has changed is that planes departing Heathrow and London City don't report in immediately they depart as they used to.

An example is a flight from Heathrow to Amsterdam via BRAIN. It used to report before CHT but now don't call until after Brookmans Park Is this a change to the procedures or a new sector for departures? I realise that there have been many changes and amendments and I was just wondering if this is the new procedure.
Apologies if it has been asked before although I couldn't see it anywhere.

(I don't work in the aviation industry)
Thoroughly enjoying running the sim though!

Thanks in advance,
Ian

CloggyUk

Fellsider Hello

XIGAR is a ‘hidden’ waypoint. Only used on the CLN9R SID out of Stansted. It is there to make sure aircraft don’t turn too tight or wide when intercepting the required CLN Radial. Nearly all CLN deps now use the CLN2E RNP in real life.
You can find XIGAR by using <ALT> D R and typing it into one of the boxes.

Regarding the voices. I had to manually delete all the old voices at the time and copy the new ones in to the directories where the old one were previously. it worked for me. Make sure you make a backup of your files before you do so.

I have not run airac 10*24 yet, so can’t comment on the late calling of flights.

Cheers, C

Graham

Hi Ian

I haven't been able to replicate the voices issue you described, either by running LAM according to your time and settings or otherwise. Nor do I get aircraft off LL calling late; they all establish first contact on the initial right turn out of LL. Maybe revert to your previous install and then try reinstalling AIRAC 2410 to see if something's gone awry somewhere?

I've addressed XIGAR and found it exists in the Fixes file, as it should:

XIGAR 514850N 0001546E n - FIS-E:20:LAM:155😃AGGA:245:S26:305:S2

Let us know how you get on after uninstall/reinstall?

Best,
Graham

FewCloudy

Also getting a mixture of voices on some sectors Cloggy. Can you give us a brief an idiots guide on how to update them all please? Thanks!

Fellsider

Hi Graham, CloggyUK and Few Cloudy,

(Version 1.2.3 AIRAC 10/2024- LAM sector, Westerlies)

Graham - I have reinstalled the sim from my original disc from 20 years ago and reloaded the AIRAC 10/2024 update, (new computer (Windows 11)
Unfortunately I am still having the same issue with a mix of two voices reading back a single message to me, it appears to happen for the fixes/waypoints and also call signs, Sun Express was one I heard. (The second voice always being one of the original voices from when the sim was first launched).

I am still getting the Heathrow - Clacton departures not calling me until well after Brookmans Park, usually when planes get to the "Dagga sector" boundary between Brookmans Park and Totri
This also applies to Luton - Clacton and Northolt -Clacton departures too (Stanstead deps appear to report passing Xigar).

I seem to recall this part of LAM used to be NE DEP Sector, I wondered if it had anything to do with that?
I am running the sim as LAM primary with no secondary sector selected.

CloggyUK - Thank-you for the explanation, does this mean Xigar isn't shown on charts or radar displays?
I too, am in need of an "idiots" guide! I work in the railway industry so I am neither good with computers or very knowledgeable about the ATC world, however, I hugely enjoy running this simulation!

Few Cloudy - Thank goodness I am not the only one!

Appreciate your feedback everybody,
Thank-you,

Ian

CloggyUk

Fellsider Hi

XIGAR is on the departure plates for CLN9R deps out of Stansted (only 1 A in Stansted!). I don't know if it is on the TC radar displays. It is never used as a waypoint or direct, as it is so early on the SID. I doubt real world pilots will ever refer to it, as when they check in with London they have to report SID, passing Alt and cleared Alt. If pilots refer to it in LC, use it to your advantage. If you miss the callsign of the aircraft calling you, but they mention XIGAR, the call must have come from a Stansted departure.

Regarding the traffic calling late: You are right that in old LC date (and real world) this bit of airspace is TC NeDeps. I have just looked at the Lambourne sector call areas, they look ok to me and traffic should be calling you a lot earlier than they do.

Regarding the voices: see below as it is easier to split it off and type it in a different post.

cheers, P

Graham

I'll refer this post to Kieran for his technical prowess because I'm lost for an answer other than as already said. My only additional thought is that there may be some 'cross-contamination' from your 20-years-old installer disc and our latest version. It may be that we add the whole package (base installer and latest update) to your account profile, then you can offload everything you have, download an entire new suite, install it, and see if it rectifies.

Graham

Have just been discussing the sound issue with the team, looks like you'll need to offload anything you already have vis. sound and paste our latest sounds in... "the mixed voices are because our updates do not delete users local files and thus some old remain. Delete or cut entire sound contents then paste ours in will work." And just be sure that you've followed the correct install procedure: "After following the download procedure, you will see a .ZIP file. You extract this file to access the required files. If you have purchased just the data, follow the instructions included to update the simulator. If you have also purchased the simulator you first need to run the .EXE which is located in the extracted .ZIP file and then continue with the process to update the data."

CloggyUk

Graham just beat me to it! 😀

CloggyUk

Regarding the way I personally solved the sound issue.
(@Graham, feel free to cut/paste into a different thread if you find it beneficial, hence I created a separate post)

First of all the disclaimer: you will be doing this at your own risk! I run a Windows 10 system, so do not know how it would behave on other platforms or Windows versions.

The steps I took, and that solved the issue for me:
Step 1: make a backup, that is not in the DM Aviation/LC directories of the 'Sounds' directory.
Step 2: You see a lot of directories in the sounds one named Voice0, Voice1 etc etc. Delete everything that is in the Voice0 directory, Voice1 directory, etc. All that will remain are empty directories.
Step 3: In the the latest LC update find the Files/Sounds directory. Go into Voice0 and copy all the contents to your (now empty) Voice0 directory in your main LC directory. Repeat for Voice1, Voice2 etc.

This should fix it, it did for me.

Cheers, C

AndyGatto

In regards to the possible issues with LAM an NeDeps, I always wondered after your Updates, why you removed the TC NeDeps sector? I think it worked very well split from LAM, and during low traffic periods, it was also fine to combine both sectors. Now with the single LAM sector, it often becomes very overloaded with high traffic, and because of the required zoom level for LAM sector, you can not concentrate closely on the departing LL,LC,KB and GW traffic.

I would personally like and suggest a re-introduction of the TC NeDeps sector!
I even did a private update of an older version with TC NwDeps spilt from BNN (arrival and hold) sector, which worked very well as a futher idea...

Graham

AndyGatto

It was removed because of AI controlling deficiencies. It used to be real-world NEDEPS & LAM, the same frequency but a different controller, indicating how dependent they were on each other. In LC when they were split the LAM sector became quite narrow for LL inbounds and the AI would turn traffic into NEDEPS to achieve separation, but resulting instead in infringements and losses of separation.

AndyGatto

Graham
Thanks for the quick reply. I also observed the mentioned "AI controlling deficiencies", but I think these came up after you changed several parameters rearding to the "automatic conflict avoidance" in the ATC.ini file, which resulted in way (unnecessary?) harder AI traffic avoidance turns.
I just did a longer run with my older adaption based on an end 2020 AIRAC cycle (with older ATC.ini parameters) with both NE DEPS and LAM sectors, and I had not one of these infringements at the mentioned northern LAM sector edge.
And for sure, the NE DEPS and LAM controllers work closely together, but I doubt they are working on the same frequency when operating split. (NE DEPS owns 118.830 and LAM 123.905 + LOREL 129.280 = TC North East)
(Same with NW DEPS on 119.780 and BNN on 121.280 for TC North West.)

During periods of high in- and outbound traffic, it feels way more controlled and structurized working those important sectors spilt...

Fellsider

Hi Everybody,

I have deleted the sound files on the original software and update and copied only the sound files from the AIRAC 10/2024 update and this seems to have solved the issue, I have run the sim from 0700hrs and have not had any instances of mixed voices.
(For reference - I have just got a brand new computer and uploaded the original disc then the October update).

There is still the late calling of Heathrow/Northolt and Luton departures which are a puzzler.

Thank-you for your help, it is much appreciated.
Ian.

CloggyUk

For those interested where XIGAR is: From Stansted it is bearing 165, range 4.4nm.

cheers, C