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See the
bottom of the page for additional helpful links...
The advent of high-speed Internet
connections, routers and firewalls has made providing reliable
voice communications more and more difficult. VATSIM has created
its Voice Technology Program to address these issues by developing
new software for use by pilots and ATC on the VATSIM network.
This new software will be developed and deployed over the coming
months.
One of the primary goals of this
program is to improve the functionality and reliability of voice
communications on the VATSIM network by addressing some long-standing
issues that VATSIM members have identified including:
- The inability to hear users
behind firewalls and routers
- Incorrectly set microphone levels
- Integration of voice software
with pilot and controller client software
- Security of voice rooms and
controlling the use of VATSIM's voice servers for non-ATC purposes
- working, regionalized UNICOM
- voice ATIS that is tied to an
airport and not a controller
The first two deliveries of this
program will be ASRC 1.1 and a new voice client called AVC.
- ASRC 1.1
is now available from www.asrc.info
and integrates all voice functions into the controller client.
A controller using ASRC 1.1 no longer uses a stand-alone program
for voice communications.
- AVC
is a stand-alone voice client for use with SquawkBox 2.x (and
ProController). It cannot be used with ASRC 1.0. AVC currently
conducting a open beta test that will expire on 1 September
2004. See the AVC page for more information
on this client.
Each of these products will address
the issue of being unable to hear other pilots and ATC on the
voice channel. In addition, they will be compatible and interoperable
with existing voice technologies (save for a few complaints about
being "too loud" from users with incorrectly configured
Roger Wilco installations). This will allow a virtually seamless
transition on the VATSIM network.
In the future, the Voice Technology
Program will deliver additional enhancements including:
- SquawkBox 3, which will
feature integrated voice support and eliminate the need for
a separate standalone application. It will also include the
ability to listen on more than one voice frequency at a time,
matching the capabilities that already exist in ASRC.
- XSquawkBox, which will
allow users of the X-Plane Simulator to connect to the VATSIM.net
network and will feature integrated voice support.
- New Voice Server
technology which will integrate more fully with the VATSIM servers
and allow authentication and management features which are similar
to those that currently exist on the network. This means that
voice servers will be protected from unauthorized uses by members
and nonmembers, thereby enhancing voice services for pilots
and ATC.
The VATSIM Voice Technology Program
is working to ensure that VATSIM provides the best possible simulation
experience for its members. Watch this page for updates on our
progress.
OTHER HELPFUL LINKS
Setting
up Roger Wilco correctly
Last Updated:
6 June, 2004 12:05
ET
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