Naips clock - gone?

[Aerodynamisist]

Where has the naips UTC clock gone ? I went to set my watch of the airservices website today and I can't find it.

[AmarokGTI]

Log in, go to other services - time zone converter. UTC displayed at the top.

[Shagpile]

Zulu Time (http://zulutime.net/)

[Aerodynamisist]

Thanks shagpile that one works well for my purposes.

The one on the asa website doesn't refresh and has no display of second, no good for aviation use, according to the big book of rules we have to be accurate to 30 seconds.

[training wheels]

I usually sync my watch to the clock on the FMS... or your GPS if you don't have an FMS.

[FGD135]

The old NAIPS program (Naips for Windows), had the UTC time and date displayed in the bottom right corner of the window.

That was very handy when reading NOTAMS and trying to assess when/whether they applied to your flight.

With the new NIS interface however, there is no clock. ASA, please bring back the UTC clock (to show the UTC date as well as the time).

Thanks.

[blueloo]

Actually ASA, just bring back the old NAIPS full stop. Why do I have to log in to get the weather and ATIS? What utter utter rubbish.

If you are not able to revert to the older and better NAIPS, at least provide a direct link outside of the login process for a direct link/bookmark to the weather (like the AIS MET SYSTEM). This is actually pretty important for when you have a bad internet connect and just need to get the weather using minimum bandwidth.

It is now easier to get Australia's weather from the US (albeit without the ATIS). How is this a step forward for safety?


And bring back the live utc time!

[Lasiorhinus]

Just set all the work computers' time zones to UTC. The clock is in the corner of the screen

[CharlieCharlie78]

I found the old Naips UTC time used the seconds from your computer clock anyway!

Set it from your GPS!

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Re your query Mr Blueloo, why do you have to 'log in'..??

Would it / could it be that, the intention is to introduce a pricing regime, so you have to log in to have a billing address..??

Just speculating is all, but a pricing regime was suggested many years ago,
To 'discourage participation', for pilots wishing to use the radio for pre flight info and flight plan submission from a location where a phone was 'reasonably available'.

.??

[Lasiorhinus]

Perhaps, but depending on where you are right now, mainland Australia alone could be UTC+11, UTC+10, UTC+10:30, UTC+9:30 or UTC+8. That's five different time zones, let alone the remote islands. And when you're moving regularly between them all, it's easy to get confused.
It doesn't hurt to have it available and prominently displayed.

Also, knowing the conversion does not in any way help you synchronise your watch to the correct time.

[AerocatS2A]

You had to log in to NAIPS as well, the NIS is no different in that respect.

[Slugfest]

Log in to NIS and look at the very first page presented....

Home
-------------------------------------

09-Dec-12 0015 UTC

Welcome to NAIPS

Note 1. ICAO has changed Flight...

[Slugfest]

Lasiorhinus,

May I suggest...

Goto the NIS time conversion page or the NIS Home page,
Set your timepiece to 1 min ahead of the displayed time,
Refresh the NIS page a couple of times till the min changes,
When the NIS min = Timepiece min, start your timepiece.

[Captain Nomad]

Slugfest, none of your methods ensure that you are within 30 seconds of the displayed minute. The lack of a real-time clock is a poor omission. No better time than pre-flight briefing stage to check such things and now it has been made harder for people.

[AerocatS2A]

Why not just use your computer clock?

[Slugfest]

Capt. Nomad,

Have you tired this? I can get my watch to well within the 30sec depending on the frequency of refresh of the NIS displayed time.

For example, if refreshed every ten secs, the most I can be out is <10sec.

If refreshed at 20 sec interval then that is still <30sec.

[Harro]

Yes I miss that UTC clock , I used to sync my watch with it and it was handy while reviewing briefing material.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

My smartphone keeps pretty good time.

One clock on local time and another on home time and another on Zulu.

Just checked to be 100% sure and the time hack is spot on the second.

[AerocatS2A]

I've always thought that another thing telling you the time is the last thing you need. The computer you log into NAIPS from has a clock accurate to the second (assuming you have it set to synchronise with a time server), your mobile phone has a clock accurate to the second, if you have an iPad or similar device it has a clock accurate to the second, the GPS in the aircraft has a clock accurate to the second. Why the **** do you need yet another piece of software to tell you the time, can you really not make do with the other 5 time pieces at your disposal?

[Capn Bloggs]

Actually, my computer clock only displays only to the minute and I'll be blowed if I'm going to dive into the Control Panel just to see the seconds display.

I think it is entirely reasonable that a official pilot's briefing site has a clear display of UTC hours mins and secs on the Briefing page without refreshing. Plenty of other sites have real-time UTC time (http://time.is/UTC). For those of you happy with +/-30 secs, you're probably the ones clanking up the Feeder Fixes! :}

You had to log in to NAIPS as well, the NIS is no different in that respect.
No you didn't, it preserved the username and password. NFW :ok: NIS http://www.smilies.our-local.co.uk/index_files/thumbsdown3.gif

[ollie_a]

Hello all

See www.airservicesaustralia.com/noc for the clock you seek.

[Capn Bloggs]

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/noc
Well there you go. Put that on the NIS Login page and all will be sweet.

Some of you jokers might now even be a bit more accurate with your Feeder Fix times! :ok: :p :}

[FGD135]

Put that on the NIS Login page and all will be sweet.


Not just on the login page, but all the pages where NOTAM/MET info is viewed.

As a few of us have stated on this thread already, the greatest need for the date/time is when reading NOTAMS that advise the commencement or cessation of something (e.g. airspace activation). The time(s) given in the NOTAMs are, of course, the standard UTC 6 or 8 figure date/time groups.

When assessing a NOTAM, the job is made so much easier and more accurate when a clock showing the UTC date and time is visible nearby.

Those of us that were flying back in the days of the briefing offices might remember the big digital clocks that were mounted on the walls or ceilings.

For most of their history, these clocks were mechanical (with really loud tick sounds), but for the final couple of years, there was an all-electronic version with LED digital display.

Those electronic displays showed the UTC date/time like the following:

12130135

Which of course is the same format that date/times appear in NOTAMs. Very handy, and made assessing the NOTAMs very easy.

ASA, I'm sure there is somebody in your ranks that can remember the digital clocks of the briefing office days. PLEASE put a little display like that on all the NIS briefing pages.

[Slugfest]

I dunno, but somehow I figure that sending an email to [email protected] would be a better suggestion than posting to pprune for a requested system change.