radar searching techniques

[Dave317]

Does anyone have any good techniques for searching using the radar? I generally set it to 80nm range and high prf. I then fly along scanning up and down. Is there anything I should be doing differently?

[VTJS17_Fire]

I suggest to minimize the azimuth limits to 60° (instead of 120°) to get contacts earlier. I set the scope to 80NM, the TDC to 60NM and search normally from 0 to 25.000 ft. (4bar). I then flatten the Radar cone and search from 0 to 12.000 ft. and from 25.000 ft. to 50.000 ft..

 

I also switch sometimes from high PRF to interleaved PRF for maneuvering contacts and those, which beaming me.

 

If you're in a 2-ship, you overlap the search pattern (in elevation). For example: Lead search from 0 to 25.000 ft., the wingman search from 20.000 ft. to 45.000 ft.. It's important, that both players use the same scope and TDC settings.

[Dave317]

What does changing from 120 to 60 (do you mean 60 to 30) degrees do? Why do you put the tdc to 60 nm? I thought the tdc was used just to select which contact to lock.

Edited September 17, 2016 by Dave317

[VTJS17_Fire]

If you use a tighter Radar cone, you can use more Radar energy at a specific point, which increases detection range. You can compare it with a flashlight and the range of its light spot. Besides that, your sampling rate is higher, because the radar antenna has a shorter way from one side to the other and can scan the bars faster. Yep, 30° for each side, 60° in total.

 

This is my experience from LOMAC to DCS 2.0 in the F-15, the TDC procedure as well. And it worked for us fine, no problems with radar work and finding (low, medium/ high) targets at all.

[droopy114]

What does changing from 120 to 60 (do you mean 60 to 30) degrees do? Why do you put the tdc to 60 nm? I thought the tdc was used just to select which contact to lock.

 

He use the TDC to set the correct antenna elevation at 60NM for an altitude between 0/ 25 000ft.

[Rlaxoxo]

What does changing from 120 to 60 (do you mean 60 to 30) degrees do? Why do you put the tdc to 60 nm? I thought the tdc was used just to select which contact to lock.

 

If you search so the TDC is at 80 nm then the cone when the alt is from 0 to 30k feet won't really show you the targets that are closer to you since they will be below the cone

 

40 - 60 nm is somewhat reasonable distance and 60 degree cone means that the radar goes from left to right quicker hence you will pick up targets more easily and quicker if they're within the cone

 

But then again you will have to move the Cone after you've finished a scan of the area

[Dave317]

Maybe I'm missing something fundamental here. Are you searching by moving the TDC? Does the TDC move the radar about? I though it was like a cursor and all you use it for is to select which target to lock up.

[Rlaxoxo]

You don't search by TDC but if you have TDC at certain spot you can visually see at what altitudes and range are you searcing at that specific range

[Dave317]

Ah I see. Do the numbers to the right of the tdc mean the upper and lower altitudes of my search cone?

[jojo]

Ah I see. Do the numbers to the right of the tdc mean the upper and lower altitudes of my search cone?

 

Yes.

 

And for azimuth, if it's set at ±30 or ±15 the scan zone is centered on TDC.