Afterburner sound as an indication
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I’m really eager to enjoy my second flight, but I’m starting to seriously worry. I realized in my first flight that I couldn’t hear AB starting to enable, as in RL. I have no physical limit for MIL/AG on my throttle because of its location on my desk, it would end up hurting my shoulder, so the only way I have to detect AB is sound.
As it is now, it seems that AB sound is hardcoded to be very gentle on start and very loud (in comparison) on gate. I tried to modulate the sound in the table file, but I find no compromise, it’s either too soft on start or too loud on gate. As it is, and if I assess the situation well, I have no way to know I’m enabling AB except by keeping my eyes on engine gauges (nozzle position for instance).
1/ Is it really hardcoded? (I got a clue about that now, see below)
2/ Either way, any idea?Honestly, this is quite critical. I probably spent a couple minutes on AB in my first flight without knowing it, until I checked my fuel state, and can’t see any way to fix that.
Mav-JP noticed my question on Discord and suggested to add a click on my Warthog to hear the limit (through my headphones, hopefully, I’m really not sure about it). If there is another way I’m a taker, because I’ll probably never do that.
Thanks for your hypothetical interest =).
PS: yeah, just thought of one thing: replacing the AB sound with a very short, high pitched sound (like an alarm) that would ping in loop. At least I can keep my awareness, if I can find a suitable sound and configure it for good volumes in all situations. Immersion breaker, still taking a better solution…
PSS: Kanti_OM : file your ab detent. Good idea.
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Lorik, the AB is not something you can realy feel IRL. I’ve explained it many times in the past.
At low altitude and at takeoff, yes … At 20000ft 400kts, you feel nothing.
Same about airbrake.
Physio sensation is definitively not something relevant as valid feedback on AB or airbrake.On the F-16 you have the Nose Pos, the FF and (if you have a Courgar) the throttle detent (which is not an indication but a detent)
On the M2000 there is even a light.You option is tweaking a fake sound and add a bip if you can’t accept to have to read your instruments.
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Dee-Jay, I’ve always tried to avoid answering to you that way, but I end up having to: this is uncalled for.
I’ve clearly explained I know how it is in IRL, because people like you have explained it in the past indeed, and I don’t question that, nowhere. No you can’t feel AB kicking your ass in RL, to monitor if it’s enabled. No you can’t. I don’t even know why you’re mentioning it.
Reducing my question to “accepting to read instruments” is unfair, not to say condescending, and in addition we both know this is not what monitoring your AB sums up to. You say it yourself. Yes, I’ve always checked my instruments frequently and will continue to do so, but it doesn’t suffice. IRL, you physically feel AB on your throttle, because there is a detent. I don’t have this detent, I explain why. I’m looking for ways to compensate that.
I appreciate if you read my post and reply to the whole of it if there is something relevant to answer about it as a whole, but taking parts from it to give one of several replies that is/are out of context is not helping anyone, especially not you.
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i suppose i could have a cfg option to activate max AB sound as soon as AB first stage kicks in…but that would need to wait 3 to 4 weeks
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i suppose i could have a cfg option to activate max AB sound as soon as AB first stage kicks in…but that would need to wait 3 to 4 weeks
I can find options that are satisfying enough for my own situation. I can make with a beep until I fine my Warthog part to have a suitable detent. I don’t know for others or other devices though. I won’t state this wouldn’t be useful to a number of people.
PS: and I like how AB gently kicks in, as well as the whole new sound improvement
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It is quite discouraging reading alway the same things among years.
You already knows the solutions of your issue:
- Modify your sound sample (louder ou more bass or bip sound whatever you can identify)
- Puschasing a Cougar throttle
- Modifying your physical throttle to add a kind of plastic detent or anything that could prodive you an indication
- If you have a programable HOTAS like the Cougar, programming an axis limit that can be only bypassed by pressing a button.
Maybe it time for me to leave the arena once for all because I can’t be kind anymore as I should be.
EDIT: On my to do list (or rather to ask list) I had a proposal to trigger a dedicated sound when the virtual throttle is passing the detent in game … Like a “clonk”.
But … well … I am tired to ask always the same personne who is the only one that could help “me” and who is overloaded all the time. -
Hi,
I’m glad this issue has been brought up since i have it too. Also think about the people with throttles that don’t have any detent at all.
Would it be possible to have some audible click sound when the AB kicks in?
Just in order to simulate the missing detent.PS:
I am sometimes using komurcu’s Falcon MFD Software for android tablets and i noticed it has an afterburner indicator. How does that work? Based on display extraction? But what display?
Anyway, if it is possible to detect passing AB in an external application then the solution could be external. -
Lorik … Apologies for being an old grinch.
We should meet together and discuss with Jp … I need somebody to take my place.IMO, the best would be to have a sound played when throttle passes the AB 1st notch. And maybe also another slightly different (or not diferent) on Idle-CutOff.
But it is not (and must not be) a direct indication of AB ignition. Just an physiological indication that you have set your thottle on the AB position.
I think it would be the optimal realistic compromise to alow a feedback on throttle position. -
IMO, the best would be to have a sound played when throttle passes the AB 1st notch. And maybe also another slightly different (or not diferent) on Idle-CutOff.
But it is not (and must not be) a direct indication of AB ignition. Just an physiological indication that you have set your thottle on the AB position.
I think it would be the optimal realistic compromise to alow a feedback on throttle position.+1
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Lorik … Apologies for being an old grinch.
We should meet together and discuss with Jp … I need somebody to take my place.IMO, the best would be to have a sound played when throttle passes the AB 1st notch. And maybe also another slightly different (or not diferent) on Idle-CutOff.
But it is not (and must not be) a direct indication of AB ignition. Just an physiological indication that you have set your thottle on the AB position.
I think it would be the optimal realistic compromise to alow a feedback on throttle position.I seriously appreciate.
Yes, the idea of a unique sound is clearly the best, a sound designed for that. As I made my looping beep, I thought it would have been nice to have it beep clearly just once, started to edit a 1 minute AB sound with one beep (supposing it wouldn’t cause a problem in the sim, but I intended to give a test), and gave it up because I’ll always wonder either I missed it on a louder VHF comm or anything else. Naturally, the idea of a clunck sounds very good.
I went through a moment without any simple solution in mind, but I trust there will always be a solution suitable to anyone experiencing unprecedented troubles because the sound environment improved.
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What kind of throttle you have? I modded my CH one with a “detent” made out of two strips of velcro inside the throttle track. It makes it just a little harder to push into the very end of the range, and I like the effect very much.
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Lorik … Apologies for being an old grinch.
We should meet together and discuss with Jp … I need somebody to take my place.IMO, the best would be to have a sound played when throttle passes the AB 1st notch. And maybe also another slightly different (or not diferent) on Idle-CutOff.
But it is not (and must not be) a direct indication of AB ignition. Just an physiological indication that you have set your thottle on the AB position.
I think it would be the optimal realistic compromise to alow a feedback on throttle position.I feel your pain LorikEolmin and like the proposed solution for another question about realism vs. user orientated game-… sorry sim-play.
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@LorikEolmin I had a friend print this for me (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4355122). It allows me to push forward to the AB detent on my Warthog without hitting AB. Then when I want to go to AB, I just push a little harder (no lifting required) and voila.
I did need to grind a little bit off the top to get it to fit perfectly (variance in 3D printing I guess).
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@LorikEolmin I had a friend print this for me (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4355122). It allows me to push forward to the AB detent on my Warthog without hitting AB. Then when I want to go to AB, I just push a little harder (no lifting required) and voila.
I did need to grind a little bit off the top to get it to fit perfectly (variance in 3D printing I guess).
I’ve seen it also:
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Another little solution as well: creating a dead zone before AB to add comfort between MIL and AB. Works well with the Warthog (Target).
EDIT: line I added, thanks to Obe1 giving the initial code to tweak:
SetCustomCurve(&Throttle, THR_LEFT, LIST(0,5, 60,70, 80,70, 100,100)); //start at 5% for idle cuttoff & create a deadzone between 60% and 80% for AB
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Yes, the idea of a unique sound is clearly the best, a sound designed for that.
Creating a dedicated sound sample for this is no big deal for me. I will try to think about asking Jp if it is something we can (easily) do. Problem as usual, is finding where it is hidden somewhere among thousand and thousands of lines of code.
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More with Target and the Warthog, the device lights down somewhere in the dead zone while pushing. Exact point is not exactly on AB start, and it’s worth a physical feeling in a dark room, closer even to RL than a sound.
//LED Throttle Position Indicator; LED 1 - lights down while pushing AB, in dead zone KeyAxis(&Throttle, THR_LEFT, 0, AXMAP2( LIST( 0, 65, 75 ), LED(&Throttle, LED_ONOFF, LED_CURRENT+LED1), LED(&Throttle, LED_INTENSITY, 50), LED(&Throttle, LED_INTENSITY, 30) ));
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I use the warthog throttle smooth detent mod, and it works great. IIRC it was pretty cheap too. I think it is a must have for Warthog owners.
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Bro……I dont have that throttle nor do they make addon parts to this “detent”. Lorik is voicing the need of many like my self. Why do you feel the need to defecate on his attempts of making things better. Keep it moving sly guy.
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In a similar situation. We just had MSFS and DCS drop a lot of new simmers to the genre… let’s not shove them back out in the cold by making their latest new awesome sim (ie BMS) even harder to master. Why not make it an option in the config so the purists with the $$$ fly the plane “”more realistically”, while giving those of us without that level of financial commitment a cue? We already have colour-blind/high contrast options in the config menu, as well as the ability to add or remove an idle detent - why not add in a noticeable “engine note” during the transition between wet and dry thrust as per DCS’ recent changes on their F-*teens?