This may be a dumb question - how would one use the Hoppie ID on Xbox? I want to try ACARS and CPDLC, but don’t want to interfere on a human to human live network. I only want to try this if it’s simulated by a server, if that makes sense?
The new PMDG 777 on Xbox has a place to enter a Hoppie ID - used for ACARS, and CDPLC
Since the PMDG does not natively interact with the sim’s ATC, I thought I might try to use the ACARS system to simulate requesting clearance, and other standard ATC communication - including oceanic clearances, etc.
However, If I enter a Hoppie ID, what / who am I connecting to? If I request clearance, is a person receiving and responding to my request, or is it an automated server somewhere? I don’t want to bother other people, or cause traffic chaos on some network.
Since I’m on Xbox, I’m not set up for live human to human ATC like Vatsim. I don’t really know what IVAO is. I just wanted to try the “text” version of ATC via ACARS if it’s simulated by a server…
Can anyone explain?
The PMDG website has some info about how to connect, but it doesn’t explain much further. It also has a warning not to enter an ID if you don’t plan on using it, since it will register with “the network” and use resources - who’s network? Hoppie? PMDG?
Most of the functionality would be with something like VATSIM. Some controllers have access to that functionality. There’s no equivalent automated ATC system for offline use with this system that I know of.
One thing you can do through HOPPIE is to get ATIS info through PMDG’s own server regardless of whether you’re using VATSIM or not.
So, to be clear, when you enter a Hoppie ID, the purpose is to connect to a “live” network with humans responding to the requests? And they would then see your plane and direct you as part of a live group of planes they are controlling? on Xbox?
I guess I would avoid that, since I’m not able to communicate properly with Vatsim on Xbox… but if there was a Vatsim controller with CPDLC, this would be the first way to use Vatsim on Xbox?
If I enter a Hoppie ID just to get ATIS, that seems like I would be “using network resources” improperly, right?
Connecting to hoppie network doesn’t simply mean that you will get controlled by ATC - This feature only works if you use Vatsim/IVAO this is where most controllers use datalink feature. If you are not connected to one of these ATC networks then connecting to hoppie will do nothing. You can potentially still get ATIS information and metar request but nothing in terms of actual interaction with ATC as you are not visible to controllers.
And we simulate that. We provide ATIS and TWIP for all airports worldwide and thus remove limitations on the IVAO and VATSIM networks.
Remember that our datalink modules are not there to connect to Hoppie alone. They connect to a Datalink Link Provider (in this case PMDG has a server dedicated for that) that links you to services like VATSIM via Hoppie. This connection from the aircraft to our server is 100% the same as a real aircraft connection to, for example, a datalink provider like Collins Aerospace or Garmin. In other words, if you connected our 777 to one of these service providers, they would not know it is a MSFS DLC.
It’s well explained in the chapter on Datalink in the Introduction Manual., with images like this:
We are currently working on the Company side of things. As this is a service all of our aircraft will share (that’s the advantage of the server-based system) this takes some time.
