P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post any technical issues here. This forum gets priority from our staff.
User avatar
Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2097
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Paughco »

I have noticed this same problem on my Comanche in P3Dv4 also. I don't have the A2A 172, so I can't rename that file. Has anybody figured out a fix?

Thank you
ATB
Image

User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

It'll be sorted along with a few other niggles for the first P3Dv updater

thanks,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

User avatar
Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2097
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Paughco »

I think I fixed it. First I did a search for *beacon*.fx, and found that all my A2A aircraft beacons are in the same folder, C:\Users\MyName\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\A2A\Effects. Aha. Next I started up P3Dv4 with my Connie, and checked to see if the beacon works. YES! So I copied the file fx_wos_l049_beacon.fx, and renamed it fx_a2a_comanche250_beaconh.fx. I renamed my original file as fx_a2a_comanche250_beaconh (backup).fx first.

Now the beacon works on my Comanche!

I also noticed that there is a rotating on/off switch on the front of the overhead swivel light. Battery on, overhead swivel light switch on, no joy. Battery on, overhead swivel light switch on, AND instrument panel/nav light switches ALL on, and the light works.

Will fly the Comanche on a grand tour of some of my new ORBX airports as a test of the beacon soon as KAWO goes VFR.

Seeya
ATB
Image

Kimo
Airman First Class
Posts: 83
Joined: 03 Jan 2014, 06:25
Location: Netherlands

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Kimo »

Nice find, I copied the beacon fx from the v3 into v4 now I have a proper beacon :D
A2A used to be fast with updates shame they let this bug going on for so long.

patful
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1072
Joined: 15 Jun 2017, 21:15

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by patful »

I figured the beacon problem was in my P3D settings, glad to know it's not just me! I've also noticed that the nav lights on the Comanche and Texan are dim, no glow (brightness switch in Texan has no effect), but they're nice and bright on the Connie. I've seen screenies and videos of both dim and glowing nav lights. Is it a P3D versus FSX issue?

Kimo
Airman First Class
Posts: 83
Joined: 03 Jan 2014, 06:25
Location: Netherlands

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Kimo »

Yeah I think the nav lights have the same bug with the wrong fx file.

Kimo
Airman First Class
Posts: 83
Joined: 03 Jan 2014, 06:25
Location: Netherlands

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Kimo »

After pointing the fx file to the correct .bmp file it looks better the lights have a glow now.
Somehow the comanche fx file were pointing to the fx_a2a_c172_lights_1.bmp which I dont have installed in V4

Image

User avatar
Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2097
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Paughco »

The Connie must have a pretty serious beacon. It worked, but it also lit up the inside of the airplane whenever it flashed. Not much, but it was noticeable. I copied over the beacon file from the P3Dv3 version of the Comanche into the P3Dv4 effects folder, and now it's working. I get a flashing beacon from the outside, and no flashing on the inside. Ah... Comanche beacon nirvana.

Seeya
ATB
Image

patful
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1072
Joined: 15 Jun 2017, 21:15

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by patful »

Paughco wrote:The Connie must have a pretty serious beacon. It worked, but it also lit up the inside of the airplane whenever it flashed.
Seeya
ATB
Yeah, I noticed that. I won't buy the 172 and 182 just for the Comanche/Texan navs/beacons/strobes, will wait for the update. I'm patient and poor. :D

User avatar
Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2097
Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Paughco »

patful wrote:I'm patient and poor. :D
OK, at this point I am ready to agree with patful. I will be patient. After installing the beacon_fx from P3Dv3 into P3Dv4 the beacon worked, but all was not well. First, I noticed that the beacon would flash even with the master switch in the off position. I like to leave the beacon on, so it operates whenever the master in on. Sim CFI says it's good to have it that way, because you can always tell if you accidentally left your master switch when you roll your Comanche into the hangar and it starts lighting the place up like some kind of disco ballroom. Then, something else happened, which I still haven't figured out, but I did manage to fix. I had my Comanche up at Concrete (3W5), and it was raining. Figuring something was wrong with AS4 + ASCA, I quit the program and started over again. UH-OH! This time it refused to load. All I got was a window that says "P3D exe has stopped working. Windows will try to figure out what is wrong." Well that never happened; I had to figure out what was wrong. I tried all kinds of stuff, including running the shortcut to "Delete Generated Files." I isolated the problem to the point that everything would work if I deleted the folder as_srv from my P3Dv4 folder. This folder is generated when you fire up AS4 for the first time. I could fly around with default weather. What finally did work was when I rolled back my computer to a restore date the day before this problem appeared. Now everything is working again, except for my beacon. Oh well. Guess this dude will have to abide until the fix comes out. No more messing around.

Seeya
ATB
Image

User avatar
Nick - A2A
A2A Captain
Posts: 13734
Joined: 06 Jun 2014, 13:06
Location: UK

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Nick - A2A »

Missed this thread originally, but until the next official Accu-Sim update arrives, you guys are welcome to try this unofficial fix. Just download the zip archive below, copy the 6 files within, then paste them into the A2A "Effects" directory, overwriting the originals. By default, the file path is: "My Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\A2A\Effects".

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ezwpblkspr0gr ... x.zip?dl=0

As always with such unofficial fixes, I recommend you back-up the original *.fx files just to be safe. I think there's still an issue with the strobes showing when there's no power to the aircraft.

Cheers,
Nick

undergroundleo
Airman
Posts: 26
Joined: 10 Sep 2017, 16:40

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by undergroundleo »

I have this issue too.

I tried to apply the files shared on dropbox, but no luck, did not solve the issue.

Noticed my Aircraft.cfg on the LIGHTS part says (unmodified):

[LIGHTS]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 7=recog, 9=logo, 10=cabin
light.0 = 10, 0.4, 0.00, 1.78, fx_a2a_comanche250_vclight // front (cabin)
light.1 = 9, -2, 0.00, 2.00, fx_a2a_comanche250_vclight // back
light.2 = 7, 0.65, 0.00, 2.00, fx_a2a_comanche250_vclight_red

Comparing it with my 172 it lacks the beacon and strobes (which dont light actually).

I must say that every light works alright on the 172.

Here is the Cessna 172 Aircraft.cfg Lights part:

[LIGHTS]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit
//light.0 =3, 0.0,-17.90, 3.00, fx_a2a_c172_navred
//light.1 =3, 0.0, 17.90, 3.00, fx_a2a_c172_navgre
//light.2 =2, -0.25,-18.00, 3.00, fx_a2a_c172_strobe
//light.3 =2, -0.25, 18.00, 3.00, fx_a2a_c172_strobe_2
//light.4 =1, -16.91, 0.00, 6.30, fx_a2a_c172_beaconh
light.1 =9, 1.3, 0.00, 1.40, fx_a2a_c172_vclight
light.2 =10, 1.3, 0.00, 1.40, fx_a2a_c172_vclight_dim
//light.2 =5, 1.7, -9.00, 2.60, fx_a2a_c172_landing_light_small
//light.3 =6, 1.7, -9.50, 2.60, fx_a2a_c172_landing_light_small


I must say that also, on the textures folder, I think I am missing some textures.
Only I can see these ones, and I think there should be more:
fx_a2a_c172_circle.bmp
fx_a2a_c172_exhaust_flash
fx_a2a_c172_lights_1
fx_a2a_comanche250_circle
fx_a2a_comanche250_exhaust_flash
fx_a2a_comanche250_lights_1
fx_a2a_comanche250_lights_2

Reinstalling wont solve the issue.

What can I do?

Regards

Leo

undergroundleo
Airman
Posts: 26
Joined: 10 Sep 2017, 16:40

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by undergroundleo »

After all the trouble, I was checking the circuit breakers and found the beacon/strobes one popped out:

Image

Maybe that solves the issue for many ppl... it worked for me.

Cheers! :oops:

User avatar
Nick - A2A
A2A Captain
Posts: 13734
Joined: 06 Jun 2014, 13:06
Location: UK

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by Nick - A2A »

Leo,

Yeah, checking the circuit breakers is definitely a necessary troubleshooting step in the A2A planes - glad to hear you managed to resolve the issue.

Just to clarify, the Dropbox download corrects an error whereby the lighting *.fx files for the Comanche are linked to the texture files associated with the C172. Because you have the 172 installed as well, this specific issue wouldn't be apparent on your system.

Cheers,
Nick

hughesj2
Airman
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Nov 2011, 14:26

Re: P3S v4 - Comanche beacon not lighting up?

Post by hughesj2 »

Hi Guys,
Just got the 250 from Just Flight, installed into P3D v4 and run the A2A_Update_10_12_17 and my beacon light still isn't working?
Is the fix still outstanding??

Cheers
James
James
Image

new reply

Return to “Piper Comanche 250 Tech Support”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests