bonesvf103

Yup, confirmed, it works now. This may also explain why when I edsignate a ground target with my JHMCS, the diamond suddenly slews away from the designation point! v6, boNes

What I do for a "boring" mission is do something like in flight refuel, then leave and go to a shore based airbase to land--in Case III/IFR conditions. Nothing more satisfying to me then making an instrument approach in low to no visibility, and touching down on the runway and coming to s stop. The beauty of it too is that you can do this anytime you want with an instant action free flight mission with weather set to whatever you want. Alternatively, you can plan a cross country flight from one airbase to another using only say TACAN navigation or ADF. v6, boNes

I think so. Then again, maybe I haven't actually tried to see if he does or not because I was satisfied with the zoom level her had. I'll have to try it purposely next time. But what I mean is that when I have head control, he doesn't change the zoom back to what he had or wants, because I have head control. v6, boNes

OK, thanks guys! I was wondering if it could be that, thanks for the tip. I'll try it and see if it helps. If anything I can always keystroke it. v6, boNes

It doesn't happen when I have head control, because, well, I have head control. But once I give control back to Jester, it's his decision unless I tell him over and over to zoom. Now in real life I could tell him to zoom in and keep it there, but really, as the pilot, I'm not the one trying to hold a valid lock in the LANTIRN for a weapons drop, it is the RIO. So if I tell him to zoom in all the way and he needs to zoom out based on his ability to keep the target locked or for procedure or whatever, he's going to ignore me and do what HE needs to do to keep the target locked not what I'm telling him to do. v6, boNes

If I go to the HSI, select UFC, then select GRID on the UFC, I get the grid on the right MFD. I hold down the TDC button, slew over to the grid I want, then release the TDC. The grid coordinate has an underline that blinks once then disappears. That's it. I can't enter coordinates because the underline never stays. What is wrong? v6, boNes

It might be, but it also might be that he is zooming it to where he needs it to do his work in the back. After all, it's the RIO that is performing LANTIRN work, and the pilot only pickles, he just follows what the RIO tells him to do until then and after. It's not really up to the pilot to tell the RIO how to zoom the image since he's not controlling guidance and tracking, unless the pilot needs to see something specific. v6, boNes

If you have VAICOM Pro, if you tell Jester, "Toggle view," he will zoom/unzzom the view as needed. Albeit for a short time until he brings it back to a view he needs to do his work. But you can tell him to toggle it again. v6, boNes

Yes, there is something odd in that before the patches all 6 would spawn properly. This mission is pretty old. v6, boNes

Nicely done. What happened to Virtual Pilot 7? Looks like he never spawned. You had 5 out of 5 Phoenix kills, so you must have come back with your 6th Phoenix still aboard. v6, boNes

Good tips! Thanks and thanks for your time. I look forward to seeing the vid so I can see your control inputs when you do get the chance. My appreciation in advance! v6, boNes

Follow-up: Yup, that looks like it worked! Thanks! v6, boNes

Sure, check your PMs! v6, boNes

I have many times argued the point that what is the point of having a $1.5 million long range missile that shoots and kills in the same effective range as an AMRAAM. I got a ridiculous amount of responses both for and against this argument, and most of them were against. To me it came down to, well, this is how it works in DCS as opposed to the real world and I am flying DCS not the real world so I will have to submit to that. The only part that I really got was that it was meant for big bombers at long range, like the Tu-95, that can't really maneuver and such. So yeah, against something like that, sure, set your target size to large and shoot at 110+ miles. But against a smaller fighter not so, since they are more maneuverable and better equipped. I get that too, but then I would think shots at say 50+ miles would be effective. Shooting at 30nm or less makes the Phoenix seem pointless since AMRAAM can do that. Of course the Tomcat doesn't carry AMRAAM. But again, I got so many arguments for and against that that it came down to meas being a fair tradeoff in the sim only. The thread where I pointed out what you said was here My post on page 15 all the responses following): I get alot of the arguments, and agree with many of them, but given the random inconsistency I get every time I fly the mission in the same way and under the same conditions, or even in different, I don't get consistent results. So I am left to just make do with what has been given to me and await all those fixes that are being promised and so on, whether it's realistic or not. v6, boNes

OK, so basically, I should immediately lock it into place with the TGP? I'll have to practice that, it's gonna take a little finger dancing. TDC up to HUD, look at target, TDC to designate, immediately TDC to TGP then choose PTRK or ATRK before losing the target to drift. Fun! I'll give it a few shots and see how it goes. Thanks! v6, boNes

Also I believe that non doppler radar modes cannot be notched (Pulse Search) but then the target can hinde in the noise from the ground clutter instead and the range is decreased because of processing said returns. v6, boNes

What I do and usually works against fighters, even against the MiG-29 is while they are still far out, more than 30 miles away, I will get as high and fast as I can. USually in the missions I've flown I'd get to about 30,000 ft, maybe higher but then I start to lose performance and speed. I track them with TWS until they get to around 30 nm. Once they break that range, I fire, then I immediately dive, but not necessarily right down to the ground. I just dive to about 1000 ft below their altitude. This way my radar can look up at them and avoid ground clutter and obstructions. I remain fast, closing the range and keeping high energy in case the missiles fail--I've already got a Sparrow lined up. If the Phoenix hits, great. If not, I close in with the Sparrow and attack, while trying to keep good SA for the enemy wingmen since I can only STT the one. If I start to get within 10 miles of the bandits, I also start popping flares even if offensive--too many times I neglected this and got killed by a heater while I was monitoring my target and missile. If they are heading at me nose on at this time I do a barrel roll at idle while popping flares and that almost always defeats an incoming IR missile. If they fire a radar missile at me, since I am already coming in hot at them fast, I do an F-pole and that usually defeats their missile and then I re-engage with the same missile or another one of need be. If nothing works, I still have alot of energy to split S to the deck and bug out an re-evaluate if I should go back in or run for it. That's just my usual tactic. I did the stock BVR missions in PG and Syria and it's been working rather well usually. On MP servers against AI the same. v6, boNes PS Note, the key word is USUALLY

Thanks for the tip. I think I figured out that F7 changes that sensitivity. I may have been accidentally hitting F7 without knowing at those times. v6, boNes

It is a good analogy to me, and why I think it is a good analogy is primarily because of the "ease of use compared to dealing with negative numbers" that RustBelt explained. It is exactly why I think the Kelvin V Celsius analogy is so great. You get -C deg but the Kelvin version will never be negative and it helps me have the mindset of the shift of scale in what is being measured. I'm not talking about it being an equivalent converted unit for unit thing. The analogy gives me a better sense about how to look at units of AOA v degrees of AOA. That formula you found is also kind of thing I was looking for because it is not in the HB F-14 manual that I could find, hence why I went here asking around to begin with. The manual only says what the instrument indicates, but it says nothing about what a unit of AOA is. That formula answers my original question greatly but it had to be found in the forums to do so. Thanks everyone for the info. v6, boNes

Kelvin V Celsius. Now THAT is a great analogy (at least for those of us familiar with that scale). Thanks! v6, boNes

Yes, I already read that. But a unit is a measure of an amount. ie, a unit of length could be an inch, a unit of volume could be a liter...what is a unit of AOA equal to? A degree? If so why don't they just say 15 deg AOA instead of 15 units? Or is it something else? The manual does not state that. v6, boNes

There's alot of talk in the Tomcat about 15 units AOA. But since the indicator is an ANGLE of attack indicator, why do they say 15 UNITS of AOA? Wouldn't 1 unit=1 degree? What is the importance of 15 units of AOA to the Tomcat? Is that where you have the best balance between G and speed for your best and tightest energy sustaining turn? v6, boNes

I've been having an issue with this. I make sure nothing is designated and the TDC is assigned to the HUD and that I am in AG mode and see the dashed reticle in it. Then I look to say a target to my right with the JHMCS. I see the target, put the dashed reticle on it, and TDC designate. The dashed reticle turns into a dashed diamond, as it should , but it immediately drifts away off target. I don't know why. The only thing I could do to get around it was as soon as it turns into the dashed diamond, I use the TDC slew controls to put it back on target then redesignate. But it doesn't always work, at least accurately. Am I missing something? Or is my workaround actually how it should work? v6, boNes

Thanks, I'll check these. v6, boNes

@IronMike, I'm still trying to get this down and I'm getting close, but do you think there is anyway to post a video again like you did but with the control input display {RIGHT CTRL-ENTER] on? That way I can see your "fapping" and your throttle input. I've gotten some success but I feel like I have to be in Zone V all the time to get a hit and that doesn't seem right. Thanks. v6, boNes