dores893

Server was Inferno, and I know their datalink works because I jumped in a Hornet. Might be the INS (although why would INS and datalink be in anyway connected).

I really didn't expect this thread to go seven pages! It seems like we can draw a few conclusions: (1) the Charlie radar "might" be overperforming, and (2) the Viper radar is underperforming compared to the Charlie. That makes sense. The Viper was designed as a day fighter and didn't have BVR capability until the C model. In contrast, the YF-17 was completely redesigned for the Navy and came out of the hanger shooting sparrows. The Viper is also probably about 40% complete. The Hornet has a big head start. I'll make another comparison after the products get closer to Alpha, but it does beg the question of an underperforming radar vs a programming issue that just hasn't been resolved yet? I agree that in ACM, the Viper is slower than I would like to grab a lock. Neither come close to the Eagle in detection range, but datalink levels the playing field tremendously. The Tomcat flies in a different category. I want to like the Viper. It's a fighter pilot's fighter plane. It irritates me that the Hornet is doing the same thing better than the rate machine.

Does the Viper's link16 datalink work in multiplayer? When I'm in a multiplayer server that I know has an AWAACS datalink, I put the viper on mids and nothing happens.

I was dismayed when they released the 16 without finishing the 18, but it makes sense as a business decision. F-16 sales are a cash cow for ED. But, yes, there is no way that would not slow down the F/A-18 development. I finally bought the 16 when it was half-off figuring I'd want to have it eventually.

I was able to get the Chaff/Flare to dispense with messages by doing a hot start and then running them in MAN and depressing CMS FWD. I can live with Manual mode. Does the Jammer work?

Then does the Chaff/Flare Slap Button work?

I'm new to the Viper, so I haven't paid close attention to what's been implemented yet. Where is the Viper in terms of countermeasures? Does MAN, SEMI, AUTO and Bypass work? Which one do most of you prefer? I can't seem to get anything to drop using CMS FWD.

I can be more specific. The scenario involves detection and splashing/scratching of unknown bandits in the 60-80nm range without datalink. You can run it on havoc company's dedicated Caucasus server out of Krasnodar center. The 18 basically takes off already detecting all targets in RWS out to 80nm, and it does not lose them even in TWS. At around 20 nm you can ripple off your AMRAAMs in TWS mode. If you need go into any of the ACM modes such as WACO, then target detection is very quick. Now, in the same scenario in the 16, if you can detect the targets at all, they are mostly blipping on and off the radar all the way to the merge. I find it so difficult to get a track in TWS, that around 20nm I go into ACM mode in almost every merge and just dogfight. Occasionally, I can get a target in STT in the 20-40nm range. It's great at dog fighting, but its BVR abilities seem pretty weak. I'm trying to understand why. I know the AN/AGP 68 is about 5-10 years older than the 73 carried by the Charlie hornet. I'm willing to accept user error, as I'm new to the plane, but the Hornet almost seems too easy in comparison.

Does the Viper radar suck donkey balls compared to the Hornet, or is it just me? I've been flying the Hornet for a while, so I'm much more familiar with it. However, in the same circumstances, without datalink, it seems like Hornet RWS and even TWS will clearly pick up everyone in front of it out to 80 miles easily. The Viper seems to struggle with its contacts, if it picks them up at all. I know the Hornet can't be that much better than the Viper, so that begs the question of (1) is this an early release issue, or (2) is the radar that touchy?

I'm wrong. Bunny is correct. The dispense swich goes forward and aft. The dispenser switch goes up and down. I wonder what's so special about program 5?

The Dispense Switch goes UP or DOWN as opposed to forward or aft, but I don't know which one runs program 5 (or even what program 5 does). I usually run program 3. I have bound the UP button and if that doesn't work, I'll bind the DOWN button. And I agree that we should be able to set it up on the ground (I'm pretty sure you can in the real hornet). I hate setting it up in the air, because sometimes I forget to do it. There is no worse feeling that being fired at and, as you go defensive, you look down and see standby on your countermeasures. :)

1. Has the ASPG Jammer been implemented yet? 2. Is the ALE-47 still limited to MAN mode? 3. What is the correct sequence to initiate a manual mode program on the ALE-47 after one has been selected? Pressing the dispense button seems to jettison all of the countermeasures. Thanks, Jim

That's excellent advice. I've spent too much time pointing lasers on the hawg.

Thanks for the quick answer. My follow up question has to do with accuracy. My JDAMs seem to hit "near" the target more often than not even when I zoom in all the way on the pod before I hit TDC depress. Is there anything I can do to increase accuracy? Does the release mode or orientation of the Hornet play into this? I'm missing targets when I have a 01 (good) alignment. On an unrelated note, the dispenser button used to (I thought) just run the countermeasure manual program I selected (I like Man 3). Now it seems to blow my entire load. How can I just run my program?

Hey everyone. I am able to use the JDAM TOO mode on a target by locating the target and then sending the coordinates to the JDAM from the LIGHTING II pod. However, after that, I am unable to refresh the coordinates and hit a second target. Here is what I do. I switch back to TOO mode and insert new coordinates into the TOO page, and I can see the coordinates change. But for some reason the targeting information in the HUD does not update. In fact, it gives me a target square that is not even locatable (you can turn 360 and never find it). If I'm updating target coordinates from the pod for target 2, why isn't the JDAM picking it up? What button did I not press? Thanks, Jim

Since extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, I feel it my duty to add that I just ran a simulation in SP with bandits, friendlies, AWACS, and myself. I had no radar issues whether LTWS was on or not. All the radar modes worked properly. This must be a multiplayer issue, and perhaps it occurs when your contacts are saturated (30+). That was the case on throughtheinferno last night when everything went to crap.

Well, you have your error report. Wags and his team will fix it like they always do. I usually don't take time out of my day to report anything unless its a major issue, but nothing I've ever said has gotten past the moderator of this forum. Yet, everything I've said has always been fixed. I've done my job. I'm sure he will do his. Peace out folks.

I went to ground school on the super hornet, so no offense, but how would you know if the radar is working properly? Maybe you are running it in 2.5 or using different drivers if it's working for you. But, we have verified reports that it's been bugged since the datalink integration on beta. Trust me, something is off, because it WAS working correctly a few updates ago. Where's a good crew chief when you need one?

Music off means electronic radar jamming turned off. You can't have music off and jammers on.

It might be a datalink issue, but when I turn off LTWS I will literally go from 20 contacts to 1 which is not realistic for a 140 degree sweep at 6 bars of elevation. Not to mention that contact will fail IFF interrogation. Even so, in ACM modes at under 5nm, I should be locking things up like crazy LTWS or not. My guess is that the radar code is imploding with all of the extra information from the datalink.

Hopefully this has already been reported, but the Hornet A/A radar is basically broken. 1. It's picking up almost no contacts with LTWS turned off. 2. AACQ is only locking friendlies, which is the opposite of what the software should be doing (prioritizing threats). 3. ACM modes are locking nothing. I was in a merge with 5 bandits at under 5nm and going through all the ACM modes could get no lock on anything. The radar used to work perfectly. I'm not sure what happened. Thanks, Jimmy

The surface radar is the heart and soul of the F/A-18's ability to be an efficient ground pounder. Can you deploy ordinance without it: yes. Should you: H to the no. It's the brain of the operation, and we don't have it yet. For example, we are getting a Harpoon. In a traditional Harpoon launch, you would go to the SEA submode of the surface search radar and lock on to a ship. That information is handed off to the Harpoon when you set up its flight profile. Without it, all you can do is a boresight launch and hope the Harpoon's radar picks up your target (and not a neutral or friendly). By the same token, you would lock a fixed ground target from the Real Beam Ground Map sub-mode as an FTT (Fixed Target Track) or if "moving" then from the GMTT (ground moving target track submode). The radar basically goes "STT" on a ground target. This information is handed off to your JDAMs, Mavs, Paveways, JSOWs, or SLAM-ER making deployment of stores much easier. The targeting pod is great, but only really needed for IFF and lasing. Also not have ALAS (auto-lase) is a bit painful. What I'm saying is basically we are doing our grand pounding in the hardest possible way and in a way the Hornet was not really intended to be used. Better to fly top cover for the A-10s and hope for TWS in the near future.

Zylon, thanks for directly answering my question. I just needed to bind a different button to start the manual program. One of my pet peeves of this century is having to watch a 20 minutes youtube video to gleen the 4 seconds of information that you need. I read a lot faster than youtube. :)

Does the current build support manual countermeasures programs? I was led to believe at this stage the jammer doesn't work and S/A and Auto do not work but Man does. When I select a default manual program and save it with the dispense mode set to on, the dispense button will drop half of my countermeasures (no matter the program) when I press the countermeasure dispense switch. When I select bypass and hit either the flare or chaff dispense buttons, it will drop everything (regardless of the manual's promise to only release one chaff or one flare). How can I get my countermeasure programs to actually run? If it is not the dispense switch, then what switch is it? Is there a start and stop program switch? Shouldn't bypass just set you up to release a single flare or chaff? Hopelessly confused. Jimbo

Another CTD on second pickle.