Just saw a post by Ali Mahvan on a Facebook group called DCS Tomcat Aviators that was posted 3 hours ago that there is apparently new radar issues. Text is here:
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Radar is broken since the RIO MP update.
1500+ hrs in the Tomcat, competitive player. Now I can't hit a single target. I've attached some short clips to show different testing after spending a week trying to figure out if it was indeed pilot error.
It seems the radar (while in TWS?) flickers on and off, losing the lock (but Jester doesn't know it). Nothing goes pitbull (if it does, it's rare, and tracks poorly).
I've tried STT. but experience the same issue whether at 65nm, 35nm, or <10nm. I've complained in private about the AIM-54s being neutered for "balance", but now the aircraft is not even capable of defending itself against novice players.
Here's a clip of Jester failing to lock a target at 12 o'clock, flying level with no ECM. Painted SA with RWS, then tried locking with TWS unsuccessfully, then STT unsuccessfully, then TWS unsuccessfully again before being launched on and having to dive:
https://clips.twitch.tv/JazzyCrypticGua ... G8ENIymA6R
Here's another clip, target is flickering in the SA page, not running ECM, and over the water. Unable to lock via TWS and unable to lock STT:
https://clips.twitch.tv/KathishCuriousB ... 5w_vqD1HCs
The issue is NOT Jester, and we tested this with a human RIO to confirm. Same thing-- enemy plane flying high, level, and not running ECM or jammer. TWS lock failed multiple times, 2x missile launch never went pitbull, but targets were never out of radar cone.
The aircraft is currently unflyable in this condition.
Tomcat issues?
Moderator: RLG MGMT Team
Re: Tomcat issues?
I myself have not had any issues like this. The radar works fine with mer, the Phoenixes, well, not so much to my liking but I've figured out how to use them more effectively.
Looking at their video I can say this:
Video 1:
The target they have on the radar is at about 40 nm range. But they have their TID set up for 200. So this means that the AWG-9 has to process the entire volume of airspace for 200 nm for display in the TID. Think: refresh rate is too slow. So it can be lost in that scan initially. Then he switches it to 100 nm. SO the AWG-9 has to sacn a smaller region for display, but still has to do it, and so the target will either not show up at first, or, not at all if he manuevers out of the scan or gets lost in the MLC filter (ie, notch, no doppler search). What I would have done in that situation was as soon as I detected him at the 40 nm, I would have set my scan range to 50 nm. This would give it a smaller amount to have to scan for display and update the display scan faster. As the target got closer, I would adjust my scan range accordingly--basically one notch above the current range, so if the target was at 40 nm, I'd set it for 50. When he got to 20 nm, I would set it for 25. It has the drawback that any other bandits that are farther than 50 nm away are now not included in your scan, but if you have good SA, you would know that they're there and can decide if you want to exclude them for now or not.
Video 2:
The resolution of the video is not so good, but from what I can see, the target they have on the TID is a datalink target. If you ahve a datalink target, it means you have it from the AWACS but not in all actuality on your own radar. So you can hook it and get information about it (or ask AWACS for info) but since you don't have it on your own radar, you can't fire or guide upon it. So, using the info from the DL, the RIO would have to set his radar scan so that it looks where the AWACS is telling him the target is and bring it up on his own radar. Then he can TWS-A/M it or lock it up. Note on this: THe DL feed is not necessarily real time. I've noticed delays in it probably because it is the Link-4 DL and not Link-16 like the Hornet or Falcon have. Also, further than 100 nm out, the DL becomes very unreliable--you may lose contacts or not have any at all. For this I'm not sure if that's RL or a DCS thing.
Also they said nothing goes pitbull. I assume they mean the Phoenix since Sparrows don't go pitbull. BUt...you can't fire a Phoenix where it flies under SARH and then goes pitbull unless you have a valid lock in TWS. You can't even accidentally fire the missile--the RIO's launch button will never light up and the pilot's trigger will be dead. So since they are complaining that they can't get a lock in TWS or they lose the TWS contact, there's no way they could even fire the Phoenix. They must have some other issue or mode going on. The only way to fire the Phoenix in this case is to set it to go pitbull off the rail, in which case 1) you will not see the timer in the TWS telling you it went active and 2) the range would be severely cut. I don't know if it's IRL or DCS but firing a Phoenix pitbull off the rail only works when it is no more than 10 nm (and that' pushing it) and fired into the boresight.
There is also the possibility that they have the radar set for CW mode in which case a Phoenix will not work--it needs pulse mode for guidance. But that is a small chance.
As for getting a STT and losing it. That depends on the situation. If the target is a good range away, they really should use PDSTT. It has greater range than STT and can hold the lock better, but it subject to notching. As the target gets closer, that is when you should use STT as it can't be notched. However the target can be lost in ground clutter and the range is smaller (110 nm with pulse modes as opposed to 50 miles with regular modes).
1500 hours of flight time is a good amount, but that's flying time more than radar time. Especially if you use Jester...he's not quite there yet. So they could be missing something or not deploying the radar properly.
Just what I can tell from this little post and video.
v6,
boNes
Looking at their video I can say this:
Video 1:
The target they have on the radar is at about 40 nm range. But they have their TID set up for 200. So this means that the AWG-9 has to process the entire volume of airspace for 200 nm for display in the TID. Think: refresh rate is too slow. So it can be lost in that scan initially. Then he switches it to 100 nm. SO the AWG-9 has to sacn a smaller region for display, but still has to do it, and so the target will either not show up at first, or, not at all if he manuevers out of the scan or gets lost in the MLC filter (ie, notch, no doppler search). What I would have done in that situation was as soon as I detected him at the 40 nm, I would have set my scan range to 50 nm. This would give it a smaller amount to have to scan for display and update the display scan faster. As the target got closer, I would adjust my scan range accordingly--basically one notch above the current range, so if the target was at 40 nm, I'd set it for 50. When he got to 20 nm, I would set it for 25. It has the drawback that any other bandits that are farther than 50 nm away are now not included in your scan, but if you have good SA, you would know that they're there and can decide if you want to exclude them for now or not.
Video 2:
The resolution of the video is not so good, but from what I can see, the target they have on the TID is a datalink target. If you ahve a datalink target, it means you have it from the AWACS but not in all actuality on your own radar. So you can hook it and get information about it (or ask AWACS for info) but since you don't have it on your own radar, you can't fire or guide upon it. So, using the info from the DL, the RIO would have to set his radar scan so that it looks where the AWACS is telling him the target is and bring it up on his own radar. Then he can TWS-A/M it or lock it up. Note on this: THe DL feed is not necessarily real time. I've noticed delays in it probably because it is the Link-4 DL and not Link-16 like the Hornet or Falcon have. Also, further than 100 nm out, the DL becomes very unreliable--you may lose contacts or not have any at all. For this I'm not sure if that's RL or a DCS thing.
Also they said nothing goes pitbull. I assume they mean the Phoenix since Sparrows don't go pitbull. BUt...you can't fire a Phoenix where it flies under SARH and then goes pitbull unless you have a valid lock in TWS. You can't even accidentally fire the missile--the RIO's launch button will never light up and the pilot's trigger will be dead. So since they are complaining that they can't get a lock in TWS or they lose the TWS contact, there's no way they could even fire the Phoenix. They must have some other issue or mode going on. The only way to fire the Phoenix in this case is to set it to go pitbull off the rail, in which case 1) you will not see the timer in the TWS telling you it went active and 2) the range would be severely cut. I don't know if it's IRL or DCS but firing a Phoenix pitbull off the rail only works when it is no more than 10 nm (and that' pushing it) and fired into the boresight.
There is also the possibility that they have the radar set for CW mode in which case a Phoenix will not work--it needs pulse mode for guidance. But that is a small chance.
As for getting a STT and losing it. That depends on the situation. If the target is a good range away, they really should use PDSTT. It has greater range than STT and can hold the lock better, but it subject to notching. As the target gets closer, that is when you should use STT as it can't be notched. However the target can be lost in ground clutter and the range is smaller (110 nm with pulse modes as opposed to 50 miles with regular modes).
1500 hours of flight time is a good amount, but that's flying time more than radar time. Especially if you use Jester...he's not quite there yet. So they could be missing something or not deploying the radar properly.
Just what I can tell from this little post and video.
v6,
boNes
"Also, I would prefer a back seater over the extra gas any day. I would have 80 pounds of flesh to eat and a pair of glasses to start a fire." --F/A-18 Hornet pilot
Re: Tomcat issues?
Very interesting! I'm tempted to post your analysis back to Facebook, but I don't want to "start" anything.
Re: Tomcat issues?
Yeah I agree with you...I don;t see people taking what I say nicely.
v6,
boNes
v6,
boNes
"Also, I would prefer a back seater over the extra gas any day. I would have 80 pounds of flesh to eat and a pair of glasses to start a fire." --F/A-18 Hornet pilot