SquawkBox

[BAW470]

Hello,
I have had some requests for a SELCAL test from pilots as they wanted to check if it actually worked, so i was wondering what the shortcut was in ASRC to test a SELCAL? n e ideas

Thanks

[jcboliveira]

write selcal <code>

José

[BAW470]

So... you just type .BDFH once a/c selelted?

[jcboliveira]

yes write

selcal BDFH

It should play the tone and then a warning for the pilot and only the tones for the others.

When I have time will post a gauge to add a visual notification and a changed warning that will scare the pilot.

José

[Norman]

You DONT ASEL!

SELCAL is a broadcast.

with NO aircraft selected type selcal abcd where abcd is their code.

SB3 is case insensitive and the hyphen is optional so

selcal abcd
selcal Abcd
selcal ab-CD

All will work.

[jcboliveira]

Norman

Yesterday made a NAT flight and liked the fact that pilots are using selcal and the controller did use it.

Talked with Pedro Sousa and he is thinking about making available his Oceanic and conventional crash course. It has 2 parts:

Pilots and controllers;
Controllers only;

José

[Norman]

I have been mentoring Chris Pawley, the guy doing Shanwick for the past few days. It is excellent to hear all those tones!

[Nuttycomputer]

Question will SELCAL still work if you leave the frq? Should by while trying it the other day did not hear any tones.

[Craig Moulton]

Yes, it should work regardless of your frequency, or the controller's frequency...provided you have the Selcal enabled in SB3 options.

[Nuttycomputer]

hehehe Fast reply as always, should it also sound if outside the Flight Simulator window, ie browsing the web. That might have been the problem.

[Norman]

[Nuttycomputer]

Hmm.... we need to get a new system in the works then. Because doesn't that just make the whole being able to leave the frq. pointless?

[Norman]

You have TWO comms boxes on your radio stack.

Discuss.

Secondly you are not meant to leave the frequency. The unattended rule is quite clear. A supervisor may or may not call you using SELCAL. They are under no obligation.

[daveg4otu]

Real World - the pilot would have one radio tuned to the relevant control freq at all times but with the gain (volume) turned down.The Selcal activates an audible/visible warning - but is frequency dependant
If he wished to talk elswhere(EG Company or listen to Volmet) he would use the second tx/rx

The reason for selcal was to make it unneccessary for pilots to have to listen for hours on end to the very high noise levels prevalent on HF/AM and later HF/SSB (short wave) frequencies used for long over- water flights or in some less populated areas.

In fact Selcal is seldom used by ATC on normal VHF/UHF frequencies as normally an aircraft is seldom on a single freq long enough for it to become neccessary and - normally the squelch will be set to cut out any background noise.

The exception to this is on such as the Shanwick long range VHF freqs which can be used up to 350-400 miles range


Dave

[mnowinski]

I have tried to use the SELCAL feature without success.

First, I have checked the SELCAL option in the Advanced section.

When I try to set the code into the aircraft, I get an "Invalid SELCAL Code" message. I have tried codes such as PJTJ, PJ-TJ and strictly numeric codes with no success.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike