In article ,
Mxsmanic wrote:

Ron Garret writes:

Except for boots, the safest policy is to just turn it all on if there's
any possibility of ice.

Correction: TKS should also be used sparingly because the amount of
fluid is limited.

And how do I recognize a possibility of ice? Should I assume that any
time I enter a cloud?

Obviously not. It has to be cold too.

Is there a safe external temperature above
which ice is never an issue? Logically I'd assume that ice would form
at zero degrees Celsius, but I don't know what margin above that to
provide.

Yes you do. You stated it yourself when you first asked the question.

Once again I have to ask: you do this a lot (dropping the context of the
conversation). Why? Do you have some mental deficiency that prevents
you from remembering what you have said previously in a conversation?
Or do you do it intentionally? If so, why? I really want to know.

At the same time, I don't want to wear things out (even
though they never wear out in the sim) by running them when there's no
real chance of ice.

These things are ultimately judgement calls, and depend on the risk
profile you wish to adopt. Since you're flying a sim it's a moot point.
Pick a policy; one is as good as another.

If ice starts to collect on places like the wings, what's the first
thing I would notice in the way the aircraft behaves?

In my first icing encounter the first thing I noticed was that less air
was coming through the vent. I didn't realize I had ice for another few
minutes.

I do have a
light that shines on the wing so I can look at it, but I need to know
what the symptoms are of ice build-up as well.

That depends on your sim. I'd consult the manual.

rg