FS Navigator

[Joeflyer]

I bought and loaded FSNavigator yesterday and am thoroughly impressed with the program. One exception is the long drawing time of
freak'n world map during start up. I've read posts from their support forum regarding this issue, so it doesn't look like there is a quick
solution to this bothersome process....other than deleting all of the SIDS and STARS from the database. For a real flyer like myself,
deleting them would be sacreligious So, I suppose I will have to deal with this problem until the FSN team can come up with a better
viable solution.

I know quite a few of you out there utilize FS Navigator and RC4 simultaneously. Are any of you experiencing the same slow map drawing
problems in FSN? If so, have you been able to correct the issue without having to delete the SIDS/STARS database, and what did you do
to correct it? Other than this, I like the way the program flies the routes after takeoff, adjusts vertical speed for certain altitude changes,
keeps the aircraft on course, compensates for wind speed and direction,etc. The only thing I haven't attempted yet is intercepting the
localizer with FSN. I plan to try this tonight. At any rate, I would appreciate any feedback from the regular users of FSN. RC4 is going to be
my next purchase Right now I'm letting my wallet cool off!

[Drew]

Joeflyer wrote:

I know quite a few of you out there utilize FS Navigator and RC4 simultaneously.

correct

Are any of you experiencing the same slow map drawing
problems in FSN?

Certainly

If so, have you been able to correct the issue without having to delete the SIDS/STARS database, and what did you do
to correct it?

No


Glad i was of help




To speed things up, as each time you start up it shows the world map, i have vor and nbr turned off normally, but the airports still take a
while to load, but if you can manage to remember (i never do) turn off the airports when you finish a flight, next time you open fsn the load time will be instant, zoom into the area
you wish to fly, and turn back on the airports



Post Edited ( 07-05-06 21:54 )

[Joeflyer]

Ahhh, thanks for the tip, Drew. But, when you turn the airports back on, won't the map do another redraw with the airports depicted??
That's what I'm afraid will happen, but if you have done this before and it worked, then I must try it. Thanks again, Amigo!

[Drew]

yes it needs to redraw, but before you turn them on, you zoom to the area you will be flying, and the redraw is much quicker

eg - redrawing 1/4 of usa's airports v redrawing 1/3 of the worlds airports

[Joeflyer]

Roger that...zoom zoom it is

[Joeflyer]

Drew wrote:
yes it needs to redraw, but before you turn them on, you zoom to the area you will be flying, and the redraw is much quicker

eg - redrawing 1/4 of usa's airports v redrawing 1/3 of the worlds airports

I just completed a looooong flight from MEM to TTPP(Piarco). I was HIGHLY impressed with how FSNavigator flew the aircraft along the
high altitude routes and was even more impressed on how well it flew the Captain Sim B757-300 on the ILS. Heck, without FSN, the CS
B757 would never fly the glideslope. It does ok with intercepting the localizer and staying on course but no glide slope. I didn't want to
take the chance to see if it would do an autoland(which this 757 is incapable of doing in its current state of incompletion), so I kicked off
the AP at 1,200 ft. and made a nice THUD of a landing With FSNAV, who the heck needs Captain Sim to complete the B757 package?!

I did do the zooming as you suggested....worked like a charm I'm hooked!!

[aristoteles]

The Loading time when first opening FSNAV occurs with certain Antialiasing values. If you disable them the loading time is much shorter,...
Anyway, Im not using it as much as I did, it´s an awesome navigation tool for my Cessnas, but I only use it as a moving map, it´s not very realistic
to have it fly your routes, makes flying less of a challenge.

[Joeflyer]

aristoteles wrote:
The Loading time when first opening FSNAV occurs with certain Antialiasing values. If you disable them the loading time is much
shorter,...
Anyway, Im not using it as much as I did, it´s an awesome navigation tool for my Cessnas, but I only use it as a moving map, it´s not very
realistic
to have it fly your routes, makes flying less of a challenge.

I totally disagree with you on this point, "it´s not very realistic
to have it fly your routes, makes flying less of a challenge." As in the C208 I fly in real time, it's common practice for us pilots to fly low
altitude routes using the AP along with the KLN89B, and always knowing where we are at all times. In bad weather conditions(depending
on turbulence), having that AP fly the routes and even fly the ILS at times is a huge relief on the workload in the cockpit. I use the same
technique when flying on the sim except I can walk away from it at any time without fear of crashing, having an engine quit,etc. Before
buying FSN, I was having to stay with the PC too much and not able to walk away for any length of time. Also, having flown in the cockpits
of the A310s and A320s, those pilots program the FMS to fly all of the routes and most of the time they perform autolandings. I have been
on 2 flights in the Airbus where the First Officer had to make a hands-on ILS to stay current on instrument approaches, but these events
have been quite rare in the years I have been with the company. So, is it realistic to do the same on FS9 with FSN? Of course it is.
I've had my share of pilotage and dead reckoning as a Private Pilot, but I still have VFR charts with me on every C208 flight I make in real
time. Just to note...some of the pilots I have flown with over the past couple of years utilize their laptops in the aircraft to view flight
tracking programs that are as good or even better than some of the GPS gadgets out there. They use it when in IFR conditions, and as a
back-up. In your opinion, does this mean that this type of flying is less of a challenge,too?

[Serviceman]

Run the FSNavDBC program from the Start menu (with FS NOT running) and check off the scenery areas you don't fly. Then rebuild the
FS Nav database. This may help your start up time.

[Joeflyer]

Serviceman wrote:
Run the FSNavDBC program from the Start menu (with FS NOT running) and check off the scenery areas you don't fly. Then rebuild the
FS Nav database. This may help your start up time.

Hey, thanks for the "heads-up", Serviceman I'll do just as you suggested