Please help me troubleshoot METAR updates...

[Will]

The problem is that PSX isn't updating weather according to downloaded METARs.

I'm at RJSS, starting with a situ that has a stored QNH of 1025 hpa.

Real-world METAR at RJSS has QNH of 1015 hpa.

The most recently downloaded METAR file is 2024071608.metar.

The entry for RJSS is "07RJSS 160800Z 13007KT 9999 FEW010 BKN080 23/21 Q1015".

Upon loading the situ, I'm expecting that after circa 12 seconds, the weather in PSX would update to reflect the fresh downloaded METAR, but it seems frozen.

"Set zones by flight track and downloaded METARs" is checked.

"Internet is on" is in magenta.

Simulator time and real-world time match.

The zones are all showing a gray triangle with an "A" and a red line through them ("This zone is more than 320 nm away from the aircraft, and hence, cannot be focussed"), and all the stations are in North America--not close to my present position in Japan.

Reloading the situ doesn't change things. Toggling the checkbox on "Set zones by flight track..." doesn't change things either, but when it's unchecked, the zones change from automatic to manual. They revert back to the gray "A" with the red line when the box is checked again.

METAR downloads appear to be occurring on schedule, latest was 2.3m, 16 JUL 2024, 0843z, which matches the downloaded METAR above.

Suggestions on how I can troubleshoot this?

[Edit: Maybe it has something to do with being on the ground at RJSS? While this issue isn't unique to RJSS, I do notice that if I take off, when I get about 3 nm from Sendai, the zones start to populate with Japanese METAR stations. But this doesn't happen until I get airborne.]

[Hardy Heinlin]

The entry for RJSS is "07RJSS 160800Z 13007KT 9999 FEW010 BKN080 23/21 Q1015".

Where is this entry?

[Bluestar]

The problem is that PSX isn't updating weather according to downloaded METARs.

This is a constant and frustrating battle I fight with PSX every day. 

[Will]

Hardy, that's the relevant line (the entry for Sendai) in the .metar file that was most recently downloaded. The file name is up there in the original post.

[Hardy Heinlin]

Anything in Aerowinx/Logs/errors.txt?

[Will]

I'll check when I get home tonight.

[Will]

Okay, please try this.

1. Load Basic 003 - On ground and cleared for engine start.situ

2. Go to Instructor > Situation > Weather and click "Set zones by flight track and downloaded METARs"

3. Verify Internet is on, in magenta

4. Note that station TNCC becomes focused, and is in smooth transit

5. Now go to Instructor > Situation > Position

6. In Aircraft Position, type RJSS

7. Select "Takeoff" position on Runway 09; note that the aircraft has moved

8. Go back to Instructor > Situation > Weather

9. De-select "Set zones by flight track and downloaded METARs"; re-select it

Here's the issue, PSX doesn't capture an airport near RJSS as being nearby, and no weather zone ever focuses. Shouldn't PSX recapture the nearest METAR?

This happens when repositioning to RJSS by loading a situ as well.

[Edit: errors.txt has no entries.]

[Hardy Heinlin]

Will and Bode,

do you only see such METAR problems when repositioning the aircaft in an on-ground situation?

Or do you also see these problems when in flight?


I can reproduce that RJSS problem and I'm analyzing it ...


|-|ardy

[Bluestar]

Will and Bode,

do you only see such METAR problems when repositioning the aircaft in an on-ground situation?

Or do you also see these problems when in flight?


I can reproduce that RJSS problem and I'm analyzing it ...


|-|ardy

I don't normally reposition. I just restart from where I finish.  It has shown up on start up, enroute and arrival.  It is almost like PSX loses focus. 

[Hardy Heinlin]

There are two problems. A general one and a specific one.

General problem:
PSX rescans the world data for the nearest METAR reference stations whenever the aircraft has moved by more than 7 miles or has changed its heading by more than 30 degrees. This is intentional. Side effect: When repositioning the aircraft by Instructor actions, the last 7 mile reference may be reset before the scanner starter can detect the 7 mile movement. This is a timing problem that may cause the scanner to keep sleeping until the aircraft has moved another 7 mile distance. -- To avoid this problem, there is that additional heading change test. This heading change may also trigger a scanner start, even when the aircraft remains within its 7 mile radius. Coincidentally, the repositioning from the TNCC situ over to the RJSS runway 09 situation will keep the heading within 30 degrees, so that won't start the scanner either. You can trigger the scan by changing the heading a bit more.
Correction: This is normal. It just doesn't find any METAR stations ahead in the Pacific because RJSS runway 09 faces the ocean. However, it should put RJSS into one of the seven zones because RJSS is so close to the aircraft that the heading doesn't matter (headings are just relevant for distant stations; you need radar images just for the area in front of you). -- Well, RJSS is not in the METAR database; that's why it isn't automatically set as a zone.

Specific problem:
RJSS is not in the METAR stations database. I'll add it manually. Are there any other airports missing that should get an automatic zone center assignment? In the regular airport database there is no info on whether or not the airport has a METAR system. I can't let the zone scanner pick all airports from the regular airport database because that would clutter all up with smaller airports that don't provide any METARs anyway. A zone should only be centered on an airport that provides METARs.

I'll try to fix that stuff in the next PSX update.


|-|ardy

[Bluestar]

Add MMSM.  It is now the main cargo hub for Mexico City.

Is it possible to add a feature where the destination airport metar could be locked when within a fixed radius of the airport.  A good distance would be 10 miles.   

[MFarhadi]

While you're at it, is it possible to correct Kuwait's ICAO code for the MET station? It's been changed to OKKK (previously OKBK).

Thank you Hardy!


All the best,

[Will]

Thanks, Hardy.

I'll have to let Bode describe any enroute and arrival problems--I don't see those. I've only ever had this issue on the ground.

[Hardy Heinlin]

Is it possible to add a feature where the destination airport metar could be locked when within a fixed radius of the airport.  A good distance would be 10 miles. 

PSX already has such a lock function; I implemented it in 2019:

Version 10.72 - 20 March 2019
72.01. The nearest local weather zone is the focussed zone as usual, but now it will also be focussed when the detected related target runway is within 7 nm, even if another zone is closer.

The target runway is the one that the EGPWS terrain clearance floor algorithm determines. The same target runway is also sent to networked scenery generator add-ons that use the data for elevation transitions etc. The target runway is used for various functions in the sim world. It's independent of FMC entries.


As for the METAR stations database: I think I'll generate a new world file for the PSX community.


|-|ardy

[Bluestar]

"PSX already has such a lock function; I implemented it in 2019:"

Where do I find out how to implement it?

[Hardy Heinlin]

You can't implement it. I implemented it in version 10.72. If you have version 10.72 or higher, you have that feature already.

[Hardy Heinlin]

I've found a solution that increases the existing METAR stations database by about 40 % -- and the solution is free of charge. You can even edit it yourself as it's based on a text file. It will be available in PSX 10.176 in a few weeks.

But I have a question for the USA experts:
What kind of METAR stations or airports in the USA are those whose ICAO code start with the letter Q or X? I don't think that the NOAA METAR files will ever contain any METARs from such ICAO codes. I'm filtering them out as they clutter up the entire USA.


|-|ardy

[Hardy Heinlin]

This is a constant and frustrating battle I fight with PSX every day. 

The problem isn't always a missing station in the PSX database. Sometimes the station exists in PSX but there's just no METAR from that station in the latest NOAA download. Not all stations provide METARs 24 hours a day on 7 days a week.

[Hardy Heinlin]

New METAR stations database solution is now available in PSX update 10.176:

https://aerowinx.com/board/index.php/topic,2514.msg80526.html#msg80526

Tutorial: https://aerowinx.com/board/index.php/topic,7522.0.html


|-|ardy