PicklePicklePickle

Just an update after a lot of testing and building a PC just for DCS. I hope it doesn't turn into a rant. I think this is a DCS problem and not so much a headset A vs headset B issue. I'm not going to list everything I have done, but let's just say that excluding modding DCS(texture mods, etc), I have everything applied and then some. I went as far as disabling every single service in Windows that is not critical for running DCS. The biggest improvement came from just building a 'maxxed' out machine(in signature) and overclocking it. Since DCS only uses 1-2 threads, I disabled half of the cores and am running 5 cores at 5.4Ghz. With this configuration, I am able to get smooth performance about 50% of the time, the other 50% it just stutters and doubles as usual. And all this is not with mind-blowing DCS settings either, and I'm mostly running an Index (G2 is at HP) which has inherently lower resolution. Before building this machine, I was using a laptop albeit a really beefy one with an external RTX3090 and DCS would never go past 45fps. Once I got the gaming machine it was very clear that this being stuck <45 was a bottleneck in the laptop/eGPU system, because if I set all minimum settings(PD=0.5, etc) the laptop would still not max out the headset frame rate, while the gaming PC does hit the maximum headset framerate. Every time I fly DCS and it gets smooth or it starts stuttering, part of my mind is distracted thinking about what is it about the condition that is helping or hurting performance. The other day I was flying the F-16 over Caucasus mountains on the 162nd training server and it got perfectly smooth 90hz for a few minutes. Was it the absence of water? Was it the absence of buildings? Was I not close enough to other aircraft? Did someone sacrifice a cow to Eagle Dynamics? Who knows but it was great for a couple of minutes. However, I can confirm that during the periods where it is running smoothly there is no stuttering and no doubling of features when banking. It is buttery smooth, and i'm convinced that if DCS where written with modern techniques it could run this smoothly all the time. However, I know how difficult it is to continue developing legacy code, and this might require a huge rewrite and might be very challenging, but I am hopeful. I hope it is just a matter of something like splitting off I/O to another thread, adding the multicore processing, or something like that. It was sort of a rant.

Thanks for the reply! That's a good point about the datalink, i'll chalk it up to that for now. I think that I have seen it go away and then come back in straight level flight at high altitude, where the LOS should not have been interrupted, but i'll keep an eye on this. As far as the radar, I have experimented a lot. I have adjusted the elevation and left it there for 1 minute or more. I have changed the BAR scan pattern. Even when i'm not experimenting for this issue, I use the information from AWACS to adjust the elevation such that the range shown next to the cursor contains the altitude for the bogeys as relayed by AWACS. Still no contacts or at most they pop on for 1 scan and disappear. I am aware of the expand function, but I do not think this is the issue because most of the time I see the datalink bogey triangles and can see there are multiple aircraft there, yet no radar white dot/brick/etc. Very weird. I'm hoping there is a magic button somewhere i'm missing.

Hello, I've been recently learning the F-16 and I have noticed a few things, I was wondering if they are user error or just the state of the module: I often connect to the 162nd training server which has slight variations of the same mission. There is a group of enemy F-15's that usually come from the east. For some reason, on the F-16 I get no contacts on RWS or TWS. I have to wait until I am dogfight range and lock them in ACM. I have tried changing all the radar settings, the contacts just don't show up. In general, the radar seems to have a very hard time finding contacts in multiplayer. Often a momentary contact will show up(one dot in what should be a group of 4 bogeys) momentarily only to go away on the next radar sweep. The second issue is that the datalink seems to come and go in multiplayer. The datalink symbols seem to show up randomly. I am aware that the INS has to be aligned for this to work and the coordinates have to be confirmed when doing INS NORM ALIGN, so this is not the issue. In single player, the datalink seems consistent. The radar is better but still seems to have a hard time seeing contacts that are there. It is very different to the F-14 where once Jester finds a contact it rarely goes away(can't say the same for his locks of course). On the F-16 it seems unusual to get the same level of radar consistency seen on the F-14. Thanks in advance.

The air refuel switch was the problem, thank you very much!

Hello, Just learning the F-16 and have 2 questions I can't seem to answer, i'm sure I probably missed some startup step: if I try to use the autopilot by selecting PITCH ALT HOLD, the switch doesn't stay in place, it always reverts to A/P off, why could this happen? Whenever I load external wing tanks, i check the QTY using EXT WING setting, it never goes down like the fuel is never used. With the switch on normal, eventually i get a 'FUEL' warning on the HUD and joker, bingo, etc, but the EXT WING tanks never seem to go down at all. Any ideas? I also tried setting EXT FUEL TRANS to WINGS FIRST, which made no difference, but i don't think it should since I don't have a center ext tank anyway. I realize one or both might just be the state since it is early access, but figured I'd ask. Thanks!

I haven't played with the MSAA mask size, however I have found the Bloom effect setting useful. If you try flying a night time cold start, the bloom effect makes the super bright cursor in the dark cockpit have a 'halo' around it, which is pretty annoying and makes it hard to see the dark controls. Turning off the bloom effect really helps in dark cockpits, at least for me.

Can you post what some of the blue screen errors say? It might be a hint as to whether it is G2 related (likely USB flavor error) or something else...

Just my opinion, but I used DCS first with just 2D screens, then Track IR and I even tried really large screens like using projectors. When I went to VR, there was no going back. It's hard to describe but you get this 3D situational awareness, that I just don't know how you could replicate with 2D screens with the exception of having a curved screen that covers an entire cockpit-shaped area, and even then it wouldn't be 3-dimensional. The example that strikes me the most is when missiles are coming at me. With VR I frequently find myself in a deep turn looking straight up at the missile to decide how to evade it, and it feels like I am able to find a 3D solution(sometimes anyway) to how to cut off the sucker. I just never got anywhere close to that experience with 2D screens or TrackIR. In my opinion (good) VR is orders of magnitude better and there's no going back once you try it. Yes, there is the downside of not being able to see a physical sim-pit cockpit environment. Maybe that will eventually be fixed with AR. But I think much more is gained than lost.

I agree with speed-of-heat, just as a sanity check, disable any overclocking. Some people have found the external powered USB hubs solve their problems with the G2, but in my case (error 4-1) it never did and I had to send it back, still waiting for the replacement. Have you always had this issue since you bought the G2 or did it just start? I hate to suggest it but it could be another manifestation of the defects many have experienced with the G2. Mine worked perfectly for 2 weeks or so and then it progressively got worse. My symptom progression was that it started sporadically having 4-1 connection errors on WMR that would get resolved after many replugs..the in the middle of the game(DCS in my case) it would randomly flash blue then go to black, and then could not be connected(error 4-1 again). Eventually it got to the point where it wouldn't connect at all. Oh and what is the error in the blue screen? That might be a hint specially if it is USB related...

This solution doesn't address the cockpit controls, but for the ejection handles: Martin Baker GRU-7A Ejection Seat from the Legendary F-14 Tomcat! Complete RARE! | eBay a little pricey...

I have both the G2 and the Index, as well as Pimax. My G2 is not here, it is at HP waiting to get replaced due to a WMR error 4-1 that just showed up a couple weeks after I got it. Nothing changed in my systems, I got the same error on all 3 and they are Intel+nvidia systems, so it is a problem with the G2. If the G2 did not have this problem, I would recommend slightly it over the Index. My reasons would have been: no screen door effect, better resolution, no need for lighthouses and the fact that it is the only headset that gave me no eye strain at all. Due to the widespread defects requiring replacement, I would recommend the Index. This is not meant to knock the Index, it has been rock solid and I love it. It has a better FOV than the G2. Setting up the lighthouses is a pain but once you figure it out, it works fine. But I had to change my sim setup because otherwise I didn't have line of sight to mount them and that sucked, when the G2 tracked fine anywhere. Honestly, the resolution is not even that big of a deal, especially since it is so hard to smoothly drive high resolutions in DCS right now. If the Index did not require lighthouses and had no screen door effect, it would be pretty perfect for the state of technology right now in my humble opinion.

I had an issue with the G2 were the view was slightly slanted, even when I press the DCS reset VR view. I solved it by going into WMR and re-doing the (seated in my case) setup such that it asks you to aim the headset at the screen and press a calibration button. For some reason that solved it for me.

I would like to try a Vive Pro just to see what the F-14 cockpit and the sky looks like at night time on the OLED screen. The black level with LCD technology is pretty bad. it's not unplayable on night missions but it does look odd. I suppose the OLED can do perfect black, not sure how good the step out of black dither is on the Vive.

I have the Index/G2/Pimax 8KX. I have to agree with the others here it is between the Index and the G2, but I would tip it to the Index right now due to the defects with the G2. While it was working before I had to return it, the G2 was the best headset: completely eye strain free(for me at least), no light houses, extremely comfortable, no screen door effect and great resolution. My only nitpicks with the G2 were: it has a subtle LCD mura that looks like soft horizontal bars but again it is very subtle, and the FOV is not the best so you really have that 'looking through binoculars' effect. The flip side of this smallish FOV however, is that the pixels are densely packed in the FOV so it looks quite phenomenal. However, considering how widespread the issues (Error 4-1, etc) with the G2 are, requiring return of the unit, I have to recommend the Index. The index needs the annoying lighthouses, the resolution is not as great and it has SDE, but it has been rock-solid, and with decent settings DCS looks great in it. It also has quite a good FOV and it is adjustable so you can get the lenses as close to your eyes as is comfortable. It also has absolutely, positvely no LCD mura whatsoever. I have to add a final note on the sweetspot...the sweetspot on these two headsets is great(pimax is a disaster), but I have to give it to the Index. The Index has a mammoth sweetspot for me, I have to look pretty far into the edges to see distortion which is a big plus.

I had some issues when I first tried to use the DCS FPS readout as well. One issue I had is that it does not show in the startup menus, you have to be in the cockpit for it to show up when you press the key combination. The other problem I had is that my laptop keyboard doesn't have a Pause key, so I tried to reassign the control to another key combination but that does not seem to work. Apparently it only works at the default key combination. I later found that there is some key combination (Fn+P) that gives the Pause key on my Thinkpad laptop, and then it worked. Hope this helps.

I will try, but I would normally do this with my phone in 2D, it is going to be difficult since it is VR. Is there a way to record a clip while in VR directly?

I'm using the warthog, so no detent between MIL and AB. However I swear that I heard this sound even when im descending with engines idle. It was hard to miss since I was on autopilot and just waiting to get to the field. I will check again though, maybe i'm misremembering...

I only fly the B, and it is always there. The stall is an interesting thought but everytime i've heard it i'm just cruising on mil power. Maybe it is a genuine noise of some hydraulic pump?

I've had luck with BVR phoenixes but as others said I keep the TWS track which for me means slowing down while they track so i don't have to go defensive and track. I also like to launch for high altitude, not sure if that helps. I also have luck launching them pitbull in boresight, however I do believe the point about them not tracking well pitbull near target after WCS is correct. I have seen AIM54's miss a target when they are clearly within FOV and the missile should be pitbull. The sparrows work for me IF: I am not in ACM mode, AND i am above the target withing range. If i turn on ACM mode and hold the bandit in the relevant region of the hud for the radar ping, they just fly straight. I always have to disable ACM mode to use sparrows. Sidewinders work great for me, but they are easily defeated by enemy flares which is as should be I think.

I have this question as well!! I've been hearing this a lot at odd times. I thought maybe the RIO was dumping chaff but I looked outside and was not the case. It sounds like the pop when the AB kicks in, but it happens randomly well within MIL power. I think it might be a bug?

I tried something the other day. I just went to one side of the carrier, punched the afterburner and was able to take off with no catapult. I then tried it with a weapons load and was able to repeatedly do it as well. Is this accurate? Very interesting if so, i always thought without the catapult the f-14 couldnt get off the deck.

My favorite quote is the panicked "AAHHH!" when i fly too low defensive and he ejects leaving me with no canopy.

The flickering(looks like an 'interlaced flickering') on the loading screen only happens on my Reverb G2 for me. On the Index and Pimax the flickering does not occur. I beleive the reverb must employ some sort of interlaced method of inter frame smoothing, because it also seems smoother at the same frame rate than the other two headsets.

That's great news, we could use new clouds. Whenever i tilt my head and the clouds rotate with my head, i think, maybe this is not what jet pilots see.

Scratch that. Started doing error 4-1 again consistently on the 3rd system. Wishful thinking.