Icing conditions

[DanBonenfant]

Sorry if this has been posted before...

Departing KABQ temp is +16c but GSX prompts for de-icing and won't allow engine start until pushback completes. No big deal, but not correct behavior.

[virtuali]

I'm sorry but, I've checked the code, and it's not possible to get a deicer prompt if the OAT is higher than 7°C. So, the only possible reason for this, is that something else has set the temperature wrong.

We simply read the metar from the sim, using the standard Simconnect call.

[DrumsArt]

Sorry if this has been posted before...

Departing KABQ temp is +16c but GSX prompts for de-icing and won't allow engine start until pushback completes. No big deal, but not correct behavior.

By chance, which aircraft do you use when you have the de-icing prompt?

Regards,
EDIT:It seems that I also have prompt de-icing with temperatures above 7°C. I thought it was maybe a problem related to a type of aircraft, in this case perhaps the AeroSoft A320 because it has a small problem with the ground temperature (identified) in the MCDU. This is a difference of (+-)-5°C compared to the temperature given by Active Sky. But when I read Peter-Andrew's post, I see that he uses the PMDG B737-NG, so...
Thank you and Regards,

[peter-andrew]

Same problem for me departing from KJAC OAT 14°C  and from KBZN OAT 16°C and deicing condition systematically detected. The OAT is from the Metar showing up in ASP4 and transfered to P3D4.My plane is pmdg B737-NG. Any possibilities from one way or another, for confusion between °F and °C?
All the best

[virtuali]

Any possibilities from one way or another, for confusion between °F and °C?

Not possible, the simulator reports weather using the standard Metar format, which is always expressed in °C, regardless if the simulator is configured to be using US or International settings. I tried it, of course.

As I've said, I double-checked the code and, it's really impossible for GSX to report icing conditions if the temperature reported by the standard Simconnect weather report it's at least 8 °C so, the only possible explanation is that, for some reason, Simconnect DID report a temperature less than 8 °C.

[DrumsArt]

...And if, for some reasons, there was a confusion between temperature and dewpoint? I got the message again at KSLC Temperature 09°C Dewpoint -02°C.

Thank you and Regards,

[virtuali]

...And if, for some reasons, there was a confusion between temperature and dewpoint? I got the message again at KSLC Temperature 09°C Dewpoint -02°C.

The code will just exit from the whole routine, whenever the temperature is 8 °C or more.

Maybe there was an error in the metar report, like an illegal metar string, in that case GSX might not update the deicing status since the last time it got the correct readout.

[jskiffington]

Had the same thing happen to me last night. At the gate at KDEN, temperature was around 16C. This was using QW 787-9 (latest version), AS for P3D4, and Flightbeam KDEN.

[sw34669]

I get this more when departing high altitude airports
I use activesky
The last departure from ABQ I had in the PMDG 737 I was asked if i wanted to de-ice
I checked the following to see if there was an issue with either p3d or activesky

KABQ - outside temp 18C, temp showing on aircraft screen, 18C, p3d weather settings showed 18C

I couldnt find anything that should trigger the de-icing request but i see im not alone.

[sw34669]

Here's Telluride with default 737 p3dv4 latest v of activesky
i checked the metar KTEX 252215Z AUTO 28010G17KT 240V300 10SM CLR 17/M12 A3035 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT S

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w1t4wwgrvf3lefr/icing.JPG?dl=0

I also checked in p3d the temp was set to 17C and I was offered de-icing

[jskiffington]

Here's Telluride with default 737 p3dv4 latest v of activesky
i checked the metar KTEX 252215Z AUTO 28010G17KT 240V300 10SM CLR 17/M12 A3035 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT S

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w1t4wwgrvf3lefr/icing.JPG?dl=0

I also checked in p3d the temp was set to 17C and I was offered de-icing

Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, Telluride, Denver, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City...seems like a trend. I'll have to try it at a low altitude airport and see what I get.

[sw34669]

Umberto is on the board of a virtual de-icing fluid company ! Ah go oooon will you not have a little de-icing

[virtuali]

I found what might be the issue:

if the metar string is MALFORMED (which is not of course depending by GSX), meaning there's an illegal/non-standard metar command in it, GSX will report possible icing condition.

This is not really a bug. In fact, we thought about it and, while you can always decide to *not* use deicing if prompted, there's no way to force-call it if you really want it so, in order to prevent the loss of deicing in case there was an error reading the metar, we decided it was better to be safe than sorry, and allow deicing anyway.

I guess this might be confusing, and could be seen as a GSX bug but, in fact, the real cause is that for some reason, the metar string reported by Simconnect was invalid, so we decided to err on the side of safety, and allow deicing in that case.

[DrumsArt]

I found what might be the issue:

if the metar string is MALFORMED (which is not of course depending by GSX), meaning there's an illegal/non-standard metar command in it, GSX will report possible icing condition.

This is not really a bug. In fact, we thought about it and, while you can always decide to *not* use deicing if prompted, there's no way to force-call it if you really want it so, in order to prevent the loss of deicing in case there was an error reading the metar, we decided it was better to be safe than sorry, and allow deicing anyway.

I guess this might be confusing, and could be seen as a GSX bug but, in fact, the real cause is that for some reason, the metar string reported by Simconnect was invalid, so we decided to err on the side of safety, and allow deicing in that case.

Curious, because the Activ Sky weather report is read correctly in P3D and I guess FSX!? So?...but anyway, please, you may be able to make Gsx not send the message about not to start the engines when the user declines the de-icing offer...

Thanks and Regards,

[sw34669]

I dont understand about the METAR string. You said GSX just read the temp from simconnect . Also the metar string i used above was not from simconnect it was from https://aviationweather.gov/adds/metars/index?submit=1&station_ids=KTEX&chk_metars=on&hoursStr=1&std_trans=translated&chk_tafs=on

Where does GSX read the METAR string from ? The aircraft, p3d or the weahter engine ?

Also what is malformed about it ?

Heres the current metar from KTEX from active sky : KTEX 271015Z AUTO 13005KT 10SM CLR 05/M13 A3040 RMK AO2
And the real world metar : KTEX 271015Z AUTO 13005KT 10SM CLR 05/M13 A3040 RMK AO2

They are both valid ive been reading metars in real life for a long time.

I just did a test with no weather, temp at 20C and no weather engine running and get the same issue. ie no METAR has been anywhere near p3d.

We would appreciate it if you can fix this or tell us what the issue is with p3d or activesky so we can talk to them about it..