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Help Getting Pilot Voice to say St. Barts: Part Deux


HoggyDog

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Several weeks ago, I posted a thread asking for help getting ATC and "my" pilot voices to say "Saint Barts" instead of "Tango Foxtrot Foxtrot Juliet" on the radio.

 

I got what seemed to be an authoritative and knowledgeable reply, except that I didn't know what to do with the information provided. I asked for clarification/elaboration in this post but didn't get a response, and the thread wandered off in another direction- which is why I'm not just bumping it now.

 

So, reluctantly, I guess I have to start over.

 

Here's the problem: I approach TFFJ, which is actually named "King Gustaf III Airport" or "King Gustave III Airport" depending on whether you are Dutch or French... but because it is located on St. Barthélemy, everybody just calls it "Saint Barts." This airport does not have a control tower, just a CTAF, so the drill is for all aircraft to approach at 1500 feet and announce position and intentions 10-15 miles out, then again when on final.

 

When I attempt to do that, instead of saying "Saint Barts traffic, this is Lollapalooza Six-One-Niner, 15 miles northwest, inbound for landing Runway 10," what my FSX pilot voice says is "Tango Foxtrot Foxtrot Juliet traffic, this is...." That's just as stupid as switching to London City tower inbound on the ILS and calling "Echo Golf Lima Charlie tower, this is..." instead of "City tower, this is..." Aviation is all about details- and this 'trotting fox doing two kinds of dances with a vixen named Juliet' verbiage is really harshing my mellow :p about enjoying my new Fly Tampa Sint Maarten scenery. :cool:

 

According to what I learned in the previous thread, EditVoicePack already has the necessary "Saint Barts" voice files, but I also read stuff that sounded to me like this: "The bgl file, times the hypoteneuse of an unladen European Swallow, divided by a bevy of subcutaneous earthworms, must be in the proper transmogrification alignment before and during the rainy season." :confused: There were several other equally-obscure explanation-free admonitions whose meaning completely escapes me.

 

So, while I'm sure all the statements I was given are 100% correct, I have no idea what a bgl file is... I called WalMart but they don't sell bgl files; however, they do have nail files, metal files, file folders and wood rasp files. :p Even if I had an assortment of bgl files in my pocket, I still wouldn't know where to put them (shut up, Zippy :p ).

 

I have EVP, and I have run the update process several times... but still no "Saint Barts." Won't someone please take a moment to outline how to get the "Saint Barts" voice files into play in FSX and not just tell me that "the bgl files have to be in the right place" without specifying which bgl files and where "the right place" is?

 

I also need to know, once the appropriate bgl files are in place, how do I "tell" FSX to start saying "St. Barts?" If it was an airline name/callsign, I would know to go into airlines.cfg and make sure the name was there, then run the EVP update process to install the voice files for that airline, then go into aircraft.cfg for the airplane and livery and make sure the atc_airline= entry exactly matched what was in airlines.cfg.... but it's not an airline name, it's an airport name, and there's no "airports.cfg" that I can find.

 

I would appreciate any explanatory help, or even just a pointer to somewhere on the interwebs that 'splains how to do it.

 

Thanks.

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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I GET IT! Neener, Neener, Neener!!;) Sorry, must be cautious never to give out my super secret flight numbers.

St Farts.JPG

 

1. Those .bgl file must be stuck where the sun shines brightly, not where the sun don't shine!

 

2. Tongue must be stuck sharply into right, not left cheek. (Most Important)

 

3. When updating EditVoicePack, One must always remember to hit the "SAVE" icon after closing the update box...I usually forget this step. Also today, for the first, I noticed that I never checked the box that I show in the next shot.

 

edit voice pack.JPG

 

Now, get that box checked, update again and save. You should be alright! :D

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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1. Those .bgl file must be stuck where the sun shines brightly, not where the sun don't shine!

 

2. Tongue must be stuck sharply into right, not left cheek. (Most Important)

 

3. When updating EditVoicePack, One must always remember to hit the "SAVE" icon after closing the update box...I usually forget this step.

 

Now, get that box checked, update again and save. You should be alright! :D

 

*sigh*

 

Just as info, the Save icon is grayed out in EVP XL (latest version) after doing an update, and their tutorial (yes, I read it twice before posting here) does not call for a separate 'Save' step after updating. Apparently, the save icon is for saving the EVP configuration (which boxes are checked) that guides the update process.

 

However, bowing to the superior El Zippo intellect, I hit the grayed-out icon several times after updating just so I could say Nah-nee nah-nee boo-boo to you later. ;)

 

Anyway, I did all of the above, and this is still the result:

StilDoingTheTangoWithTrottingFox.jpg

 

:( :confused: :mad:

I'm reeeeeeeeeeeally getting tired of doing the Tango with a trotting fox. Obviously, I'm missing something, but I just can't for the life of me figure out what.

 

Also, I think you and I are still talking about 2 different things. :confused:

 

Thing One: Airport name used by ATC Clearance Delivery

Thing Two: Airport name used by Pilot on Multicom/CTAF

 

Your example shows that ATC is clearing you to Saint Barts, but NOT that your pilot communications on the St. Barts Multicom/CTAF are saying Saint Barts.

 

Since Day One of this problem, ATC at Juliana has properly said "Saint Barts" when clearing me there. That's how I know that the voice files are already in FSX.

 

My issue is ONLY that my announcements on the St. Barts Multicom/CTAF do NOT say "St. Barts."

 

In the previous thread that a couple of people responded to, the statement was made that they were not having this problem- their pilot communications on the St. Barts Multicom correctly used the name "St. Barts." That's how I know that it is SOMEHOW possible to get FSX to do what I'm wanting it to do.

 

It's changing the SOMEHOW above into AHA! that I'm asking for help with.

 

PS: Neener, neener neener to you too, and a juicy PBBBBBBBBBBBBB to go with it! :p

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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I'm just making sure that the advisory at St. Barts is showing when I announce position. It does! The only thing I can think of is when you do the VoicePack update and save is do you have every single last + sign clicked to expose all of the different things to be updated and all boxes checked? The only box not checked is ICAO because I use FAA Phraseology.

 

St Barts.JPG

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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I'm just making sure that the advisory at St. Barts is showing when I announce position. It does!

 

I don't like you any more. :( I'm so jealous. I am stabbing your screenshot on my monitor with my Whiteout dabber so I don't have to see you having what I want so badly...

 

The only thing I can think of is when you do the VoicePack update and save is do you have every single last + sign clicked to expose all of the different things to be updated and all boxes checked?

 

Yep.

 

What scenery are you using for St. Barts? A response on my first thread implied that the Guitteny scenery installer had REMOVED the St. Barts Multicom name but then put it back. Somewhere. Somehow.

 

However, I had this same problem with the Guitteny scenery installed, and I'm STILL having it after uninstalling that package and installing my new Fly Tampa Sint Maarten package which includes Juliana, Saba and St. Barts.

 

The "Saint Barts" sound is already in my FSX- I know this because ATC clears me to St. Barts, not TFFJ. So I don't believe that my issue is a sound file issue. I believe I have a wrong or missing instruction somewhere that tells FSX what to call the airport during pilot communications at that airport.

 

I just wish I knew where FSX gets the instruction on which sound file to play for pilot communication at a specific airport.

 

PS: does anyone know how to remove Whiteout from an LCD monitor screen? :p

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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Hi

Following Mr Z's advice with Edit Voicepack X, I can now depart and arrive at St Barts and never have to perform complicated dance routines with Juliet from taxi call to clear of the active!

I run fsx with sp1 and 2 and do not have any scenery add-ons for that region.

Cheers

Andrew

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http://marcoh.gratisim.fr/stbarth_en.html This is the St. Barths scenery I am using. Go easy with the whiteout! Alcohol works good, both to clean and consume!:p

 

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/drink/trink40.gif

 

Wow! I'm impressed. You guys are changing the ATC and I can't get the island to look right!

 

Mr. Z.

 

I downloaded the link and installed it as I usually do. What I ended up with was the runway mostly underground. Though there are some trenches where you can see it.

 

My Bad? Took it off and downloaded the whole thing again. Same result!

 

What am I doing wrong??

Being an old chopper guy I usually fly low and slow.
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Mr. Z.

 

I downloaded the link and installed it as I usually do. What I ended up with was the runway mostly underground. Though there are some trenches where you can see it.

 

My Bad? Took it off and downloaded the whole thing again. Same result!

 

What am I doing wrong??

 

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger! The scenery looks pretty good but my runway looks like a gravel strip. Not ruts or trenches, but not pretty. Everything else looks way better than the default, by far. I might look around for a runway repair download.

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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snip---------------------------

 

I just wish I knew where FSX gets the instruction on which sound file to play for pilot communication at a specific airport.

 

 

The instruction is in the Airport Header

 

      country="Guadeloupe"
     city="St Barthelemy I"
     name="St Barthelemy I"
     lat="17.9044442251325"
     lon="-62.8436109423637"
     alt="14.935M"
     magvar="14"
     trafficScalar="0.7"
     airportTestRadius="5000.0M"
     ident="TFFJ"

 
The following voice code says identifier="AIRPORT TFFJ" and the phrase="Saint Barts" that all the ATC Pilots (0 through 9) will say.
 
 
[code]identifier="AIRPORT TFFJ" 
use_variation="false" variation="0">
Mike Groves
Saint Barts - St Barthelemy Island airport (Guadeloupe)





 

Look in the ....FSX\Scenery folder for 0303

 

In 0303\Scenery look at the date and size of the APX31250.bgl

 

Date 8/12/2006

49KB

 

If that checks out ok then go to the following web site,

 

http://www.scruffyduck.org/

 

select menu ---> Other Software

download the ---> Simple Airport Scanner

 

Run this simple tool in FSX mode and it will find any duplicate airports regardless of name. You may have 2 or more Saint Barts airports and there may be a conflict.

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First and foremost, thank you for you informative response! :)

 

The instruction is in the Airport Header

 

      country="Guadeloupe"
     city="St Barthelemy I"
     name="St Barthelemy I"
     lat="17.9044442251325"
     lon="-62.8436109423637"
     alt="14.935M"
     magvar="14"
     trafficScalar="0.7"
     airportTestRadius="5000.0M"
     ident="TFFJ"


OK, but please- what and where is "the Airport Header?" This is neither a file name nor a folder that I have heard of before.
 
The following voice code says identifier="AIRPORT TFFJ" and the phrase="Saint Barts" that all the ATC Pilots (0 through 9) will say.
 
 
[code]identifier="AIRPORT TFFJ" 
use_variation="false" variation="0">
Mike Groves
Saint Barts - St Barthelemy Island airport (Guadeloupe)





Thanks. What folder\filename is this code supposed to be contained in please, so I can check it? If it's not in some file I can open and edit with Notepad, what software do I need to get to open and modify it?

 

Look in the ....FSX\Scenery folder for 0303

 

In 0303\Scenery look at the date and size of the APX31250.bgl

 

Date 8/12/2006

49KB

This is interesting: ALL of the files in that folder carry a "date modified" of my FSX:SE installation date- 01/08/2015, but they also all show a "date created" of 02/09/2015, which is clearly impossible- a file can't be modified in January, the month BEFORE it was created in February of the same year... :confused: So the file dates are not helpful to identify whether or not this is the right file. The file size, though, matches your example: 49KB. I went to my backup copy of FSX- Deluxe, which was formerly installed on this machine, and the 0303\Scenery\APX31250 file is indeed dated 08/12/2006. Just to see if it was the problem, I renamed the FSX:SE-installed file and copied the 2006 file in from backup. Sadly, the problem remains. So I reverted back to the 2015-dated FSX:SE-installed file.

 

If that checks out ok then go to the following web site,

 

http://www.scruffyduck.org/

 

select menu ---> Other Software

download the ---> Simple Airport Scanner

 

Run this simple tool in FSX mode and it will find any duplicate airports regardless of name. You may have 2 or more Saint Barts airports and there may be a conflict.

I ran this tool. It did not automatically locate my FSX:SE installation, which is the only flight sim installation of any kind on my machine. So, reading the interface, I guess it needed to be told where Scenery.cfg was, so I browsed to that file in my FSX folder and hit Scan. It returned nothing- a blank results field. So I unchecked "Only airports in multiple files" and ran it again- this time it found Atlanta, Miami, Pensacola, Jacksonville and Princess Juliana, the five addon-scenery packages that I have... Interestingly, Princess Juliana airport is part of my Fly Tampa "Maarten" package that also covers St. Barts and Saba airports; however, neither of the OTHER two airports in my Fly Tampa package showed up- Saba and St. Barts were completely absent. Just to be sure, I entered "TFFJ" in the [iD] field and clicked the [Find] button, and it said "Ident not in found results."

 

Here is what that looks like:

AirportScannerResults.png

 

Just on a whim, I opened Scenery.cfg and was amazed to find this first entry:

[General]
[color="#FF0000"]Title=FS9 World Scenery
Description=FS9 Scenery Data
[/color]Clean_on_Exit=TRUE

 

I have never had FS9 installed on this machine. I have no clue how one of my "core" FSX files came to identify itself as an FS9 file. Is this normal, or have I stumbled upon a possible source of my problems with St. Barts?

 

So. It would appear that even though the Juliana and St. Barts scenery is installed and working fine, parts of the St. Barts airport (and maybe Saba too, I haven't gone there yet) are completely missing from my installation. What I don't know, and what would I appreciate help on, is how to fix this.

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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Just on a whim, I opened Scenery.cfg and was amazed to find this first entry:

[General]
[color="#FF0000"]Title=FS9 World Scenery
Description=FS9 Scenery Data
[/color]Clean_on_Exit=TRUE

 

I have never had FS9 installed on this machine. I have no clue how one of my "core" FSX files came to identify itself as an FS9 file. Is this normal, or have I stumbled upon a possible source of my problems with St. Barts?

 

Don't sweat this! It's there in my scenery.cfg also!

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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HoggyDog

 

Did not know you had FSX Steam.

 

The header is in the APX31250 and that is why I asked you to check the date. For FSX:SE the date should be the day you installed FSX:SE.

 

I showed the voice code and how St Barts is added by a user since it is not a default FSX voice airport. If you hear the words Saint Barts when asking for clearence then it is in the USEnglishBig.evp file you are using.

 

Like Mr Zippy shows, the FS9 was never changed to FSX in the header of the scenery.cfg.

 

One more check. The Simple Scanner is pointing to the wrong Scenery.cfg. The correct Scenery.cfg is in the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX-SE folder if you do not have or never had the FSX box version of FSX.

 

No airports are added to the FSX\scenery.cfg file. That is a default restore file only and is not used by FSX. Make sure no 3rd party airports have been added to that scenery.cfg.

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jvile,

 

Do you have any idea why the downloaded file from the flightsim library to "fix" the errors in the stock St. Barts has me taking off in a trench and Mr. Zippy having a gravel runway there as well?

Being an old chopper guy I usually fly low and slow.
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I showed the voice code and how St Barts is added by a user since it is not a default FSX voice airport.

OK. I tried to open 31250.bgl using Notepad to add the voice code, but as I'm sure you know, Notepad just shows wall-to-wall gibberish in the file- about the same as opening an exe file in Notepad. So I installed BGLtoXML and decompiled 0303\scenery\31250.bgl. Nowhere in it is any phrase containing "Saint Barts" or "evp" both of which are in the code you posted here. Please, can't you please tell me where this code goes:

identifier="AIRPORT TFFJ" 
use_variation="false" variation="0">
Mike Groves
Saint Barts - St Barthelemy Island airport (Guadeloupe)






I don't know how else to request the information on where, specifically, this code is supposed to be, but I do know that I can't possibly check for it if I don't know at least the file name that should have that code in it.

 

The Simple Scanner is pointing to the wrong Scenery.cfg. The correct Scenery.cfg is in the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX-SE

OK, thanks. That explains why I couldn't find my Fly Tampa scenery there. Just as info, installing FSX:SE does not create any folders with "-SE" appended if there is no other version of FSX installed at the time you install the Steam Edition. It only does that to differentiate between Steam Edition and whatever other version is installed. So I pointed my Simple Airport Scanner to the correct scenery.cfg and got these two results:

 

This is telling me that TFFJ appears in the Fly Tampa package which I just installed, which is what I would expect:

AirportScannerTFFJ.png

 

I checked the "show only duplicates" box and ran it again. Apparently, although I'm not sure, this is telling me that TNCM (but not TFFJ) is ALSO showing up in TNCM_ADEX_GNC.BGL:

AirportScannerResultsDuplicates.png

 

I suspect that the Layer 120 TNCM_ADEX_GNC.BGL file belongs to the previously-installed Guitteny freeware scenery package, which included TNCM and TFFJ even though I thought I had carefully uninstalled it :confused: before installing the new Fly Tampa package.

 

So, based on my interpretation of the above results, I renamed TNCM_ADEX_GNC.BGL to TNCM_ADEX_GNC.BGL.removed and tried again. Sadly, I'm still saying "TFFJ" instead of St. Barts. What would be the next step in troubleshooting this?

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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This is telling me that TFFJ appears in the Fly Tampa package which I just installed, which is what I would expect:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]179507[/ATTACH]

 

I would be very tempted to open that TFFJ_ADEX_FLYTAMPA.BGL with Airport Design Editor to check out the COMMS list.

The identifier for the EVPMOD can be found there.

The same can probably be achieved with BglToXML, and then checking the resulting XML file.

 

Wim

b727fcaptain.jpgx701captain5.jpg
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Have you checked with anyone at the FlyTampa Site about a fix for their scenery?

 

I had this issue before installing Fly Tampa scenery, so no, I haven't asked them for help because I don't think it's their problem. I had this problem from the first time I started going into TFFJ when I had the Guitteny addon. Before that I don't know, only went there once and the scenery was so bad I didn't mess with it until I got acceptable scenery.

 

And until somebody tells me where the code is that tells FSX pilot voices to say "St Barts," I am at a complete standstill and can't go any further. So I'm playing other games while I wait.

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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I would be very tempted to open that TFFJ_ADEX_FLYTAMPA.BGL with Airport Design Editor to check out the COMMS list.

The identifier for the EVPMOD can be found there.

The same can probably be achieved with BglToXML, and then checking the resulting XML file.

 

Wim

 

Well thanks, but until I can find out where the instruction is supposed to be that tells FSX pilot voices to say "St Barts," just knowing the EVPMOD ID (whatever that is, I assume it's that long gobbledygook alphanumeric hash string in jvile's response) is useless to me. If and when I ever get that information from someone or somewhere, I'll be sure to follow your suggestion to get the EVPMOD ID. I have done MANY Google searches trying to find out where the pilot voice instruction code is supposed to reside, and asked in this very thread at least 3 times, but apparently, it's a secret. :p

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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This one is a bit of a head scratcher! I don't think the file where Pilot's Voices and instructions of what they say is so much as secret, as to the fact that not very many have dived so deep into what you are seeking.

 

Another weirdo is another one of the popular Netherlands Antilles Islands..SABA and the airport Juancho Yrausquin (Mouthful). Pilot and ATC say Sierra-Alpha-Bravo-Alpha when SABA is in EditVoicePack. EditVoicePack says the ICAO for SABA is TNCS. FSX uses S A B A for the code so there is a conflict, maybe?

 

Pilot and ATC have no problem saying Juliana. I assume you are using one of the standard pilot voices. Don't let this difficulty keep you from enjoying the rest of the world.:pilot:

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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Well thanks, but until I can find out where the instruction is supposed to be that tells FSX pilot voices to say "St Barts," just knowing the EVPMOD ID (whatever that is, I assume it's that long gobbledygook alphanumeric hash string in jvile's response) is useless to me. If and when I ever get that information from someone or somewhere, I'll be sure to follow your suggestion to get the EVPMOD ID. I have done MANY Google searches trying to find out where the pilot voice instruction code is supposed to reside, and asked in this very thread at least 3 times, but apparently, it's a secret. :p

 

Hi, this '

 

The way I understand it, there is no instruction set in FSX at all for triggering specific sounds. All you have to work with is the 'USEnglishBig.gvp' = EditVoicePack. You need to squeeze the desired sound file in it using EVP, then deploy it to FSX - I guess it is always just triggered by some ID (as you can see in EVP actually...).

 

As an alternative you could get yourself a decent headset and MCE - then you just talk to ATC in your own voice. Using the VoxScripts you can configure pretty much any phraseology you want.

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Thanks nuitkati! You just saved my bacon with SABA. With a quick (notepad) edit of the SABA.EVPMOD, I was able to edit out TNCS from the airport header and insert SABA. Now my pilot voice and ATC say the word and no more phonetic spelling.

 

Hope we can get HoggyDog on the right track!

Still thinking about a new flightsim only computer!  ✈️

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Hi, this '

Thank you for this info! Unfortunately, EVP does not think I should be able to export anything from anywhere to anyplace.

 

Here is the window when EVP opens:

EVP-UI-1.jpg

As you can see, there is no possibility from this interface of doing much of anything except the default "vanilla" EVP update process.

 

After pressing the "Advanced" button, here is what opens:

EVP-UI-2.jpg

Again, you can see that the Export function is grayed out. Inactive. Inaccessible. Dysfunctional. So I am at a loss as to how you guys are Exporting anything.

i7-10700K @3.8-5.1GHz, 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, GTR-2060 Super 8GB, 2x SSDs
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