Laser Burnout? Weird Out of Control Vikhrs

I was on my 4th trip back to the AO. I was using the S77th server last night before their mass Blue-side get-together. I kept going back to my Red-side FARPs to refuel and rearm, and 2nd or 3rd RTB I did a repair. I had 52 targets, some of it was infantry, I had hit with the Vikhrs. I use the Shkval for targeting.

I came up on their Blue-side FARP getting ready to kill off their defenses. Every missile of mine fired went erratic. I was less than 8K out. I had the yellow aiming reticule circles overlapping in my HUD, so I know I was good. Thought maybe I had a fault in my K-041 Targeting computer, so I even shut-down the K-041 switch, everything related to targeting, and re-fired it up.

Was thinking, maybe, the Savage Blue guys made it so I could not hit their FARP ground vehicles (gv's).

So, I changed position, back to Sukhumi city. Found Blue gv targets. Same thing happened. I acquired a target, got missile lock up for firing, I launched them, about half-way to target, they fly off erratic, like they were being jammed. I realize they are not radar guided missiles.

The only thing I can think of is a burned out Laser; the Laser stand-by---OFF switch that arms the Laser. Does this switch time-out or burn out? Or is it the lower front panel Laser?

What do you guys think?

I try to remember to turn off the fire control Laser in transit, to AO and back RTB. Maybe I should shut down the fire control computer on RTB to get more life out of the Laser.

Does a repair selection on the FARP or ramp get me a fixed Laser?

Or just go grab another helicopter?

You can see if your laser is burned out, if the laser coundown on the hud only lasts 1 second, and when you fire vikhr the same thing happens.

you can repair it, but the unfortunate thing is that if nothing else has been damaged on your helicopter the ground crew wont repair it, so you can just do a hard landing to break the gear a bit, then itll repair the laser.

The only thing I can think of is a burned out Laser. What do you guys think?

Sounds very much like it.

Without Laser, you can't get an updated range to target.

To test the theory (when the same thing happens again), you could reset the targeting system, uncage Shkval and lock up a new target. If you get a range reading, the Laser still works, if you don't, it doesn't. :)

In case you never reset the targeting system, it's possible the system worked with incorrect ranges, which would result in exactly the problems you described.

Without any range at all, you won't be able to launch Vikhrs unless you switch to manual.

I try to remember to turn off the fire control Laser in transit, to AO and back RTB. Maybe I should shut down the fire control computer on RTB to get more life out of the Laser.

AFAIK that won't help at all.

The Laser "lifetime" decreases with each lasing. That would be:

a) Ranging (when trying to lock a target, but regardless of whether or not locking is successful)

b) Firing Vikhrs

To make the most out of your Laser, avoid ranging/locking unless you intend to actually shoot at the target.

I believe it's also a valid trick to lock a new target as soon as the previous Vikhr hits its target. There should be roughly 7 seconds of active target illumination left when the Vikhr hits. If you lock a new target within this time frame (watch the countdown in the HUD), the Laser won't fire anew and you've successfully made more use of it. :thumbup:

Does a repair selection on the FARP or ramp get me a fixed Laser?

 

Or just go grab another helicopter?

Grab another helicopter. Cool-down period is 30 minutes IIRC, and repair won't cool down the Laser (unless this was changed sometime since the release of BS2).

Edit:

you can repair it, but the unfortunate thing is that if nothing else has been damaged on your helicopter the ground crew wont repair it, so you can just do a hard landing to break the gear a bit, then itll repair the laser.

That works? Huh, good to know. :thumbup:

Hey DieHard,

check out DEVRIM's MOD to have a GAUGE for the LASER TEMP in your HUD.

Just installed it and I think it will help us to avoid overheating the Laser.

Measuring a DISTANCE also causes the Laser to wear out/heat up more than

"only" providing a Laser Beam 1 way. The intensity of ranging should roughly be twice as much as the one needed for providing a Beam.

Check it out, DEVRIM is the man for this ;)

Bit

Hey DieHard,

 

check out DEVRIM's MOD to have a GAUGE for the LASER TEMP in your HUD.

 

Just installed it and I think it will help us to avoid overheating the Laser.

 

Measuring a DISTANCE also causes the Laser to wear out/heat up more than

"only" providing a Laser Beam 1 way. The intensity of ranging should roughly be twice as much as the one needed for providing a Beam.

 

Check it out, DEVRIM is the man for this ;)

 

Bit

re:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=93618

Updated to 1.2.7

Thanks

Thanks DieHard,

think I had an older version and providing a working & correct link is always welcome ;)

CheckSix

Bit

* just checked, I had Vers. 1.1.... well, it worked till the update of today but none the less, I replaced it via JSGME with Vers 1.2*

It's kind of a spoiler that I often have to damage my Ka just to get the only thing fixed that's broken, THE LASER :(

Is there any fix along the code branch that we might get sometime or hasn't this been addressed yet at all ? Any Dev any info ?

I can live without RWR but taking also my laser away is not funny :(

..and who hired that repair crew ? They dunno how to fix a HuD too, while you are at it !

Any info if this has been fixed in internal builds ?

apart from those old bugs, the newest version just rocks online...smooth, almost now graphical performance issues anymore, higher frame rates and almost no stutter throughout the game. I am impressed. Now get that Ka fixed and we are half way to a nice Milestone.

Bit

Apparently it has not been mentioned, but you can shorten laser usage by resetting it with the laser reset switch. For example the laser keeps firing on even when target has been destroyed.

"Laser Reset Switch", is that one located bottom of forward panel? I was turning off and on Laser Switch placed on weapon control panel (on left console).

"Laser Reset Switch", is that one located bottom of forward panel? I was turning off and on Laser Switch placed on weapon control panel (on left console).

Yeah it is the dark red one just below the HSI on the left foward panel. It is called "laser designator reset button" and activated with LAlt+LCtrl+O: