Default GPWS question

[WarHorse47]

Anyone modified or replaced the default GPWS sounds?

I took advantage of the recent RAZBAM sale and picked up their Corsair II packages. It's a fun airplane to fly, but it uses the default GPWS warnings which drive me nuts when flying around the Cascades or coming in for a landing.

I came across at GPWS Silencer freeware by Aaron R. Swindle, but there's no documentation on what it does or what it replaces.

In searching my FSX install I did find that the default F-18 has a set of GPWS files with a female voice, so I'm thinking about swapping out the default files in the \Sound folder with these just to get a more pleasant warning. For some reason a male voice warning me about 'Terrain' or 'Sink Rate' just doesn't seem right.

Anyways, I thought I'd see if anyone else has some experience to share.

Thanks in advance.

[fxsttcb]

I killed all of mine. "GPWS_Dont_Sink.wav.bak", as an example...Don

[dhazelgrove]

Nothing easier. Just add the following to the bottom of your aircraft.cfg:

[GPWS]
max_warning_height=-1
sink_rate_fpm=-999999
excessive_sink_rate_fpm=-999999
climbout_sink_rate_fpm=-999999
flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm=-999999

Dave

[WarHorse47]

Thanks, Dave. Never knew you could control the GPWS settings.

I assume your settings deactivate the warnings entirely. I would just like to modify them, or even change them to a female voice if possible.

I might just tinker with these to see if I can increase the thresholds before the warnings are activated.

[gpws]

This section sepcifies the details of the ground proximity warning system.

<tbody>
Property


Description


Examples




max_warning_height

The height below which a warning is activated.

Boeing 737-800 Paint1( max_warning_height = 1000 )



sink_rate_fpm

If an aircraft exceeds this rate of descent a warning is activated.

Boeing 737-800 Paint1( sink_rate_fpm = -1500 )



excessive_sink_rate_fpm

If an aircraft exceeds this rate of descent an urgent warning is activated.

Boeing 737-800 Paint1( excessive_sink_rate_fpm = -2000 )



climbout_sink_rate_fpm

If an aircraft starts to descend during takeoff, and exceeds this rate of descent, a warning is activated.

Boeing 737-800 Paint1( climbout_sink_rate_fpm = -100 )



flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm

If an aircraft is landing, and exceeds this rate of descent without flaps or gear extended, a warning is activated.

Boeing 737-800 Paint1( flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm= -100 )


</tbody>

[dhazelgrove]

These are from the Iris F-16D:

[VoiceAlerts]
LowFuelPct = 0.00, -1, 35 //Low Fuel limit (percent), Check BELOW, Check every 60 seconds
OverGLimit = 9.0, 1, 1 //High G limit, Check ABOVE, Check every 1 seconds

[GPWS]
max_warning_height = 2500
sink_rate_fpm = -5000
excessive_sink_rate_fpm = -8000
climbout_sink_rate_fpm = -100
flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm= -9999

Dave

[WarHorse47]

Interesting.

Dave, what do you think of the IRIS settings? I don't have that one, so I can't compare.

I did a search of all my aircraft and found something interesting. Those that have the [GPWS] entry in the aircraft.cfg have it to disable it, such as:

[GPWS]
max_warning_height = -1 //No need for GPWS

OR

[GPWS]
max_warning_height = 0
sink_rate_fpm =-5000
excessive_sink_rate_fpm =-30000
climbout_sink_rate_fpm =-100
flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm=-10000

Here is what I added to the RAZBAM Corsairs

[GPWS]
max_warning_height=500
sink_rate_fpm=-2000
excessive_sink_rate_fpm=-2500
climbout_sink_rate_fpm=-200
flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm=-200

I still get the warning, but only at a lower altitude. I'm landing at about 2000 fpm, so I might increase that.


Thanks

[dhazelgrove]

It's that last entry that you'd be most interested in, I think, together with the first - so you have a warning for sink rate with full gear and flaps together with a not-above height.

I'd guess that the sink rate will be different for aircraft trying to 'crash' on a postage stamp (carrier) from an aircraft aiming at a runway, but it all comes down to the glideslope angle you want. That'll be about 4 degrees for most land-based aircraft (3.5 for Lightnings and F-104s). I was never too sure about sea-based aircraft.

Dave

[WarHorse47]

You're right. I increased it to -2000, and it's much better now. This is based on several touch-and-goes using the ILS, and my own flying style.

Here's my current entries:

[GPWS]
max_warning_height=500
sink_rate_fpm=-2500
excessive_sink_rate_fpm=-3000
climbout_sink_rate_fpm=-200
flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm=-2000

I don't hear the GPWS until under 500 feet with wheels and flaps down if I exceed 2000 fpm..

[napamule]

Here is Rob B's long time disable entry for aircraft cfg. Just wanted to give credit where it's due.
Chuck B
Napamule

[GPWS]
//This Disables the 'don't sink', 'too low-flaps', etc call outs
//Courtesy of & Thanks to Rob Barendgret.
max_warning_height=0
sink_rate_fpm=-9999
excessive_sink_rate_fpm=-9999
climbout_sink_rate_fpm=-9999
flap_and_gear_sink_rate_fpm=-9999

[Chris Sykes]

there is a disable GPWS key command that you can assign to a key...

[PRB]

Re the original question: In FS9's sound folder there was a GPWS folder inside of which was a wav file for each of the altitude call outs. The files were called "10.wav", 100.wav", "200.wav", etc. These were the standard wav files for the "dude" calling out altitudes during approach. The "DON'T SINK" and "PULL UP" wav files were in there as well. I found a sexy female voice version of all those files on AVSIM or someplace and replaced them. I've been looking through my backed up FSX files (my FS computer is "T.U.") but I can't find where they're located in FSX. They may be specific to the aircraft's sound folder. Seems to me you should be able to replace them the same way.

[dhazelgrove]

Re the original question: In FS9's sound folder there was a GPWS folder inside of which was a wav file for each of the altitude call outs. The files were called "10.wav", 100.wav", "200.wav", etc. These were the standard wav files for the "dude" calling out altitudes during approach. The "DON'T SINK" and "PULL UP" wav files were in there as well. I found a sexy female voice version of all those files on AVSIM or someplace and replaced them. I've been looking through my backed up FSX files (my FS computer is "T.U.") but I can't find where they're located in FSX. They may be specific to the aircraft's sound folder. Seems to me you should be able to replace them the same way.

In FSX, the files you want are in the main FSX sound folder, and are prefixed with 'GPWS_'. They're easily changed, I would think.
Just imagine a set of these recorded by Foghorn Leghorn.....

Dave