afn2 homing?

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

hey guys!anybody already used the afn2 homing indicator to find beacons/navigate to airfields?

if so, how is it set up in the mission editor correctly?how to use it correctly...thx

EDIT: looked into the manual, but i find the manual by far not as useful as the one for the p51.

[NineLine]

The needed beacons are not in the sim currently, so this wont work as far as I know. Hopeful for DCS WWII add-ons... till then, get out your stop watch :)

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

:(nothing against the stopwatch,...but i really looked forward to that feature.

[NineLine]

:(nothing against the stopwatch,...but i really looked forward to that feature.

 

I have hope for the future, and Normandy, but lets face it, current map was not made with us WWII lovers in mind :)

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

true....well, i was asking, because i assumed it is working, as luthier mentioned once that this will be working, but only for airbases at the beginning at least...

[NineLine]

true....well, i was asking, because i assumed it is working, as luthier mentioned once that this will be working, but only for airbases at the beginning at least...

 

Luthier mentioned many things...

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

:doh: totally forgot :lol:

[alado]

Luthier mentioned many things...

 

 

lol lol lol :lol::lol::lol:

[Flagrum]

I had success with the AFN2 and user created radio transmitters (for the appropriate frequencies). But I only checked it briefly - all I can say is that I saw the needles move when the radio was set to "Abst." for the appropriate channel.

 

That damn gauge is placed at the most inaccessible location in the plane EVER. Damn you, huge EZ42 ... :o)

[rrohde]

That damn gauge is placed at the most inaccessible location in the plane EVER. Damn you, huge EZ42 ... :o)

 

Hmm, that brings to mind that maybe an unarmed FW-190 trainer version, (e.g. A8/U1, see image attached) would be another nice addition to DCS, similar to the TF-51D. Having such a trainer variant would allow us to properly learn how to navigate using AFN2 homing, without the gunsight getting in our way. :)

Edited August 14, 2014 by rrohde

[Knubinator]

Hmm, that brings to mind that maybe an unarmed FW-190 trainer version, (e.g. A8/U1, see image attached) would be another nice addition to DCS, similar to the TF-51D. Having such a trainer variant would allow us to properly learn how to navigate using AFN2 homing, without the gunsight getting in our way. :)

I kinda really want a TFw-190 now.

[mwd2]

I had success with the AFN2 and user created radio transmitters (for the appropriate frequencies). But I only checked it briefly - all I can say is that I saw the needles move when the radio was set to "Abst." for the appropriate channel.

 

That damn gauge is placed at the most inaccessible location in the plane EVER. Damn you, huge EZ42 ... :o)

 

so what is the frequency range of the AFN2?

[Nereid]

I had success with the AFN2 and user created radio transmitters (for the appropriate frequencies). But I only checked it briefly - all I can say is that I saw the needles move when the radio was set to "Abst." for the appropriate channel.

 

How exactly have you done this? I have tried it myself but the damned needles won't move. :(

[Flagrum]

How exactly have you done this? I have tried it myself but the damned needles won't move. :(

I've set up a ground unit that transmits at 41.0 AM (= radio channel 3) and switched the radio to "Abst.". That's it.

 

See attached track/mission for an simple example (but don't judge my flying, lol!)

afn2_test.trk

afn2_test.miz

[9.JG27 DavidRed]

thx very much Flagrum!nice finding!it is indeed working if set up correctly in the ME.

i guess its not working totally correct yet:

-i think a red warning lamp in the center of the gauge should indicate that you passed a beacon?

-in il2 1946 the needle changed the direction when you flew over a beacon.it made a difference whether flying towards or away from the beacon, so you had to either "turn into the needle" or "turn away from the needle"

 

but in general, its working, and usable for missions!big thx for that finding!

 

EDIT: just building a mission with it where it is will be needed.ill post it here later.

[Flagrum]

thx very much Flagrum!nice finding!it is indeed working if set up correctly in the ME.

i guess its not working totally correct yet:

-i think a red warning lamp in the center of the gauge should indicate that you passed a beacon?

-in il2 1946 the needle changed the direction when you flew over a beacon.it made a difference whether flying towards or away from the beacon, so you had to either "turn into the needle" or "turn away from the needle"

 

but in general, its working, and usable for missions!big thx for that finding!

 

EDIT: just building a mission with it where it is will be needed.ill post it here later.

I think there are two different functionalities that the afn2 provides:

 

1. simple homing on any radio source
   
2. ADF with special radio beacons ("Zielflug"?)
   

 

Simple homing seems to work, as we have seen. But the beacons needed for 2) are not (yet?) implemented in DCS. (OR maybe existing beacons need just additional frequencies?). This is, I believe, why the manual states "not implemented" for the AFN2 ...

 

I think, that red lamp is part of 2).

 

But for your second point, iirc the vertical needle does change it's direction. When I flew over the transmitter, the needle was slightly to the left as the ground unit was a tad bit left under my wing. After passing it, the needle jumped to the right. But I did not really test this in detail.

[Krupi]

Hi David,

 

Please check your PM.

[Krupi]

Hi David,

 

Please check your PM.

[Flagrum]

so what is the frequency range of the AFN2?

The AFN2 is slaved to the FuG16ZY and therefore it is operating in the range of 38.4 - 42.4 MHz.

[towsim]

The glow lamp has no function in DCS up to now.

[NineLine]

Anyone seen any real world documentation on how this is supposed to function? Would like to read up on it some more, but nice find thought for sure, you can even set a structure to trasnmit the single if you dont want a modern MBT in your WWII mission :)

 

Does anyone know if sound was transmitted during real use of this?

[Nereid]

I've set up a ground unit that transmits at 41.0 AM (= radio channel 3) and switched the radio to "Abst.". That's it.

 

See attached track/mission for an simple example (but don't judge my flying, lol!)

 

Strange. I have done this with 40.4 Mhz AM and set channel 1 and 2 to 40.4 Mhz without any success. Does AFN-2 only work with channel 3?

 

I will try channel 3 instead...

[Flagrum]

Anyone seen any real world documentation on how this is supposed to function? Would like to read up on it some more, but nice find thought for sure, you can even set a structure to trasnmit the single if you dont want a modern MBT in your WWII mission :)

 

Does anyone know if sound was transmitted during real use of this?

Maybe this could interest you: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=129912 , but I try to dig up something more AFN2 specific.

 

But so far as my understandng goes, the AFN2 was operating in two different ways. The simpler radio homing as we know it from other aircrafts already and what I demonstrated in my test mission ("Abst." at the mode selector switch) - any radio transmission would do.

And then the "Zielflugverfahren" where special ground beacons were used. I think, the indicator light of he AFN2 was used for this purpose (only). What I don't know, yet, is, how this method was utilized in practice and of what nature those beacons were, i.e. what they transmitted, etc.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Flagrum

[NineLine]

I'll PM Mac if he can talk to Erich about it....

[Flagrum]

Strange. I have done this with 40.4 Mhz AM and set channel 1 and 2 to 40.4 Mhz without any success. Does AFN-2 only work with channel 3?

 

I will try channel 3 instead...

 

Two things: don't use channel I. It function differs from the others and/or is not (yet?) (correctly?) impemented in DCS. See here for some details: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=129912 :o)

 

Second thing: don't play around with the channel selector too much. There is still the bug present that transmissions get mixed up if you change a radio frequency while the transmission is still being sent.

 

So my guess would be, you tried it first at ch. I, didn't work, switched to ch. II ... and boom, all screwed up. :o)

Just use one channel and stay on it - with the correct frequency configured, either II, III and IV should work.