Does the sim auto-tune needed frequencies as is the sim norm, or does one have to enter all comm and nav frequencies manually?
Thanks
“The sim” doesn’t auto-tune frequencies. An aircraft system may do so. The Airbus does. Generally, the Boeing doesn’t. However I don’t know how PMDG has coded the 737 systems.
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No, you have to tune it yourself.
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Udd, just so I am clear, one must enter all comm and nav fequencies manually–there is no way to have the co-pilot or a/c systems do it automatically? Is that correct?
ILS and VOR frequencies must be tuned directly on the navigation radio panel in the cockpit. For sim ATC stuff, you can use the Toolbar ATC menu, as you would with most any other plane. I don’t use the sim ATC most of the time, though I will sometimes check the arrival airport ATIS via the Toolbar, which does not require manually tuning the radio.
Thanks all, that’s what I needed to know.
Lame, one more clarification–if I use the World Map to flight plan, and then use the sim ATC will all the frequencies be auto-tuned in that case?
Thanks.
I don’t know - I plan everything in the PMDG 737 via Simbrief and as I say, I don’t generally use in-sim ATC. When I check arrival ATIS, I have go through the Toolbar ATC menu, find the arrival airport (*) and then click it, then select that airport’s ATIS. There’s no manually-tuning required for this. I imagine it would work for any other voice comm channel as well but I don’t know for sure.
(*) It still boggles my mind that when I’m flying a plane the size of a 737 that the ATC menu gives me a list containing every tiny town airport, every little dirt strip, and every grass ultralight field within 50 miles INSTEAD of the only one or two airports nearby able to handle an aircraft of that size. There should be a setting in the sim options to filter by type of airport, such as those with a formal ICAO registration at least.
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That sounds like a great Wishlist topic for default ATC. I looked through the Wishlist category and didn’t see anything pertaining to this. Just a thought …
It makes no difference if you use the world map or not regarding ATC communication frequencies when using the in sim ATC. When you use the top menu to communicate with ATC it is tuned automatically and when you get handoffs etc, you just click the option to tune xyz control etc and it works fine.
Similarly if you give the copilot control of the ATC it works as it should.
I would however recommend that to get the in sim to really work properly (well, as well as it can) you should put the flight plan into the world map (ideally download from simbrief and load it in to the world map) then, as soon as the aircraft is powered up, communicate with ATC and request IFR clearance. That will then enable the in sim ATC to give you taxi and takeoff clearance plus do the best it can with your route, approach etc.
If you don’t do this right at the start, you lose the option to request clearance for your flight plan and you’re then limited to effectively flight following.
The in sim ATC needs the flight plan in the world map to give you IFR clearance. Note that there is no option to update the in sim flight plan if you need to change approach etc.
Yes you can change approach or even arrival runway with the ATC. I do it all the time.
You are right. Sorry what i mean is that the FMC in the PMDG doesn’t automatically sync so if you change the flight plan you need to update the FMC and the ATC. They are not linked is what i was(badly) trying to say
I have been using Simbrief and the World Map separately and jointly for more than a year so I understand all that. All I am trying to determine is if it is up to me to input all frequencies manually in every case. The reason I ask is I am not sure I want this bird if that is necessary. I know how to do it (former commercial pilot) I just don’t know if I want to bother. I may pop for the a/c either way but I’d like to know going in how much minutiae to expect.
Thanks again all.
Best practice: Always assume you have to do it. Check RADNAV with every plane to make sure it’s set correctly.
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If you’re hesitant about the ~$70 investment before you buy, look up any of the by-now numerous live-stream flights from YouTube folks like 737NG Driver, BritishAvGeek, Captain Canada, XP72 or others. Of these, some are great from a technical perspective but kind of dry; others are pretty much typical for casual/fun flight simming - fast and loose with procedures but entertaining to just kind of halfway watch and listen to while working or doing something else.
But the livestreams are good because they show you all the stuff you need to do to fly this iteration of the plane from this developer.
Comm frequencies are automatic, nav frequencies you have to do
That’s pretty funny right there. As if the in game ATC were even capable of performing the most menial ATC tasks, reliably, competently, regularly.
Yes, If upu use the copilot option.
When you’re learning, things get so busy one has mo choice but use a copilot.
If tou want a real treat, check out Pilot2ATC. You get to initiate the calls and the copilot does the rest of the radio work. It’s very cool.
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Radios can be automatic if you use the world map flight plan in conjunction with simbrief, like many advanced planes the world map flightplan is not advanced enough.
Nav radios + Course knobs needs to be tuned manually in Boeing 737 NG series, unlike Airbus its a manual proces… however only for ILS as the FMC does the rest itself.
If you dont want to bother with such a simple thing… i would advice against getting a study level airliner.
Note: PMDG Recommends disabling all assists because they can interfere with AC systems, this does not include the ATC Menu if you do it yourself.
The PMDG 737 does indeed auto-tune the ILS frequencies that are provided by the approach you have selected. The Airbus does this as well.
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