Quick question: Laser rangefinder override

[Necc]

I have been reading about the laser in the KA-50 and methods to prevent overheat, but here's my query:

 

1. If you lock a target while the laser is turned off, you will not get range info, but if you switch the laser on without re-locking the target and then fire a vikhr missile at the target, the laser designator automatically fires for approximately 9 seconds and this method is useful for saving laser power: you can engage targets that are less than 5km away and still achieve a hit.

 

2. If the laser is turned on and then you lock a target, the laser rangefinder fires for 9 seconds and once this time period expires and a missile is fired afterwards, the laser than fires the designator for the missile to beam ride.

 

So my question is really about adequate practice with the laser. Is it ideal to lock a target with the laser turned on and then immediately launch a missile in order to override the 9 second laser rangefinder firing period, thereby prolonging laser lifetime? Or should you wait for the laser rangefinder to cease counting down before firing a vikhr missile?

[kilix]

Hi

1. You don't always need to use rangefinder, or to lock a target. When attacking a group of enemies, lock the first one, get range and then only move shkval pipper to other targets in close proximity and fire away.

That way you spare the rangefinding uses of laser, which are more demanding than actual missile guiding (AFAIK).

2. You should always wait for the 8-9sec period after using a rangefinder. That way, the laser has time to cool down before actually guiding a missile, which again, heats it up.

2.1. I like to use the RESET LA button right below HSI. After I see a hit on Shkval, and I am in close range <5km, I don't wait for the countdown to reach zero. There is no need to continue lasing when the target is hit already. So, by pressing this button I stop the lasing before the countdown.

 

So, to sum it up: don't use laser rangefinder when you don't need to, cancel lasing when you see a Vikhr hit on Shkval.

This all helps to prolong laser life.

I don't sweat it thou, I don't follow these rules religiously, only lightly, and I don't exactly remember when was the last time my laser went off (maybe in april once? I dont know)

Also, this awesome Devrim's mod helps a lot to understand what is happening with your laser>

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

Edited November 24, 2016 by kilix

[Necc]

I was doing some experiments with the vikhr: you can use the rangefinder and lock a target, but you can also quite accurately hit other targets without needing to use the laser rangefinder again. The shkval is able to calculate a rough estimate of the range from the initial range scan. Having said that is there a way to actually lock a target with the shkval without having to use the rangefinder laser again (or by not turning the laser off)? What happens if a target is moving and you need to reacquire a lock with the shkval but you don't want to lase the target unnecessarily?

 

As I understand it, once you press the target lock button, it initiates the laser rangefinder again - is there a way to circumvent this, or am I just worrying about something that's not really a practicality?

[flanker0ne]

For me the best way to spare the laser is to shoot 2 Vikhr to 2 target almost alined.

 

Set your system to manual and ripple to long.

Aim to the closest target, press but don't hold the trigger, this will fire the first missile, wait 5/6 seconds, depending on the distance between the 2 targets, than press the trigger again to fire the second missile.

For this part both the missile are guided toward the first target, my advice is to not lock on that tgt.

As soon as the firs target is hit move the crosshair to the 2nd, this time you are free to lock.

Last, press Laser Reset.

 

You can understand by your own that this method is not 100% sure, at least for the second tgt.

Is very dependant on the sensibility/speed with which you move the Shkval from the 1st to the 2nd tgt.

Edited November 25, 2016 by flanker0ne

[kilix]

 

As I understand it, once you press the target lock button, it initiates the laser rangefinder again - is there a way to circumvent this, or am I just worrying about something that's not really a practicality?

 

 

yes, no and yes.

1. lock=rangefind

3. no circumventing, why would you want that?

3. You are overthinking it.

Just use the laser as needed but don't overdo it, don't lase unnecessarily.

Install the mod I provided in my first answer and that will help you to understand what is happening.

[ShuRugal]

Hi

1. You don't always need to use rangefinder, or to lock a target. When attacking a group of enemies, lock the first one, get range and then only move shkval pipper to other targets in close proximity and fire away.

 

I was doing some experiments with the vikhr: you can use the rangefinder and lock a target, but you can also quite accurately hit other targets without needing to use the laser rangefinder again. The shkval is able to calculate a rough estimate of the range from the initial range scan.

 

It is worth noting that this is only true if you are in a stable and stationary hover. There is a long-standing bug in the Shkval simulation in DCS that causes the range calculation to become wildly inaccurate if the shkval is slewed vertically (either by pilot command or by motion of the helicopter) while moving forwards.

 

 

That aside, I have to say that I have never once burned out the laser in my shkval when I let the automatics do their work. The built-in cooldown timer after each shot is more than adequate to go through all 12 vikhrs in continuous fire, after which the time it takes you to RTB, rearm, and return to the fight should be sufficient to allow the laser to fully cool. Even adding in the rare cases where i go through all my vikhrs, rockets, and both belts of 30mm, I have never burned out the laser while using the automatics.

 

The only way I can think of an exception to this (aside from cheating with infinite ammo or carrying 24 vikhrs) would be if you were fighting within just a few km of your FARP/airbase. In this case, however, it would be unrealistic in the extreme: If you have enough enemies that you need multiple full reloads to kill them all, they will overrun your position fighting at such close range. If you were directly defending you FARP, you would use a secondary FARP as your re-arm point to avoid being captured while on the ground.

[Necc]

So if you have 10 targets in close proximity at a distance of 7km; you would lock one target with the shkval using the laser rangefinder to acquire the correct range. You then fire a vikhr at that target and the other 9 targets begin to move away. But my understanding is in order to lock one of those moving targets with the shkval, you would have to activate the laser rangefinder another 9 times because you cannot engage targets further than 5km without first activating the laser (should you decide to switch the laser off after the first engagement).

 

EDIT: I kind of have a solution to my problem: If I wanted to lock another moving target but I don't want to lose my range information given by the first laser designation and I don't want to fire the laser rangefinder either, I could launch a vikhr and then quickly lock the target while the missile is in flight - which should circumvent the laser rangefinder, correct?

Edited November 27, 2016 by Necc

[flanker0ne]

Yes, the Vikhr have, as a rule of thumb, a Time of Flight (TOF) in seconds that is double of the distance in Km.

A target 5km away can be hit in around 10 seconds from the launch. A time long enough to lock or to retargeting another one.

The System add autonomously 6 seconds to the calculated TOF in order to compensate any moves of the target, even a flying one (with some limit).

[BitMaster]

Map a button to your Hotas and disengage Laser whenever applicable, that way you safe some.

 

Still, if you have a very good run, with a2 or 3 rearmings, you will eventually face the burned out Laser.

 

TBT, in real gaming life, that is no issue on most good servers ( BF etc.. ) where you dont have the time to rearm and rearm and rearm....long flights..3h server up-time---makes it somehow impossible to burn the laser in real server scenarios. In campaigns that might apply, never flown one despite I own them.

 

Just dont misuse it to range and range and range all sorts of targets to get an overwiew...thats how you burn it. With shooting alone its hard to kill it