No reply from Batumi ATC for startup/takeoff clearance

[wernst]

I think that the Huey as any other airplane should have a tower clearance for start up and take off from an international airport.

At BATUMI I tried different radios in the Huey to contact the tower for clearances – no single answer from ATC.

 

I’m using the key for the COMM menu and tried the following Batumi radios:

 

VHF AM COMM 131,00MHz

VHF FM RADIO 40,400MHz

UHF RADIO channel 16 = 260 MHz AM

No answer from any of those. What am I missing?

[sunwukong]

No reply from Batumi ATC for startup/takeoff clearance

 

I’d say a bug.

 

Just tried manual and auto start.

 

With and without ground power.

 

Turn on power to vhf radio and dial 131.

 

Turn radio selector to 1. (also tried each one from pvt to 4).

 

Volume fully up.

 

Request startup....nothing.

 

Tried at kobuleti.....133....still nothing.

 

Jump into gazelle.....no problems....I got a reply.

 

Huey radio bug.

 

 

Just take off but don’t cross the runway.....lol.

 

 

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Edited March 14, 2020 by sunwukong

[rtimmons]

You may need to set the radio/intercom selector rotary knob on the center console to the correct radio. I know that after startup it needs to be on intercom in order to get the ground crew to rearm etc...never tried ATC in a huey though....

[rtimmons]

I got an answer at Batumi using radio 2 set at 131.000 Mhz. I did a hot startup and the radio was on by default.

[Holton181]

You may need to set the radio/intercom selector rotary knob on the center console to the correct radio.

Indeed!

Intercom, 2 (VHF AM) and 3 (UHF) are the only ones used (for voice com) in DCS what I know of, the other three isn't (if I'm wrong I hope someone correct me, with some proof).

[wernst]

I got an answer at Batumi using radio 2 set at 131.000 Mhz. I did a hot startup and the radio was on by default.

 

Yes, good point, I didn't set radio/intercom selector rotary knob correctly, but . . .

 

. . . but even after setting this sel knob to 2 (or 1 or 3) I couldn't get any answer from Batumi tower

when dialing 131.00 on the VHF COMM (sw to ON and VOL to max).

[sunwukong]

Right got it to work.

 

Set rotary to 3 and bring up menu by pressing ‘Pilot’s radio trigger RADIO’.

 

Don’t use the communication menu button.

 

This brings the menu up and states what radio your on at the top.

 

Just as a side note, chucks guide is wrong.....I remember this now when I was starting.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

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[wernst]

Right got it to work.

 

Set rotary to 3 and bring up menu by pressing ‘Pilot’s radio trigger RADIO’.

 

Don’t use the communication menu button.

 

This brings the menu up and states what radio your on at the top.

 

Just as a side note, chucks guide is wrong.....I remember this now when I was starting.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Yes, you're right, now I got answer from tower.

 

It's not the COM menu, it's the "CB pilot's radio trigger".

But so far it only worked with VHF FM radio set to 40,40 MHz and rotary selector to 3.

Thanks for your help.

[sunwukong]

That’s still strange.

 

There’s a test button on the vhf am radio. Press that to make sure the radio is on. If you hear some noise then try again putting rotary to 3 and calling ATC.

 

No sound obviously means no power.

 

 

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[wernst]

That’s still strange.

 

There’s a test button on the vhf am radio. Press that to make sure the radio is on. If you hear some noise then try again putting rotary to 3 and calling ATC.

 

No sound obviously means no power.

 

 

yes, test noise is there on the VHF AM Radio.

Setting this radio to 131,00 at BATUMI and calling ATC (trying 1, 2 or 3 on the rotary) will not be answered,

regardless of pushing the "Pilot’s radio trigger RADIO" button or calling the ATC via COM menu.

[sunwukong]

Weird

 

 

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[wernst]

Weird

 

 

 

Yes, it's weird.

 

But I don't want to give up and tried doggedly all possible setting options.

What I found:

 

The rotary sw selects one of the three radios available which can be recalled by the

"Pilot’s radio trigger RADIO". (At Batumi) it is

 

rotary 1 -> VHF FM set this radio to 40,400 MHz

rotary 2 -> CB UHF set this radio to 260,00 MHz)

rotary 3 -> VHF AM set this radio to 131,00 MHz)

 

But, here comes the frustrating part of this solution. I tried all 3 radios.

Sometimes I got an answer and sometimes not, just accidentially, no logic behind.

And, one has to wait for an answer sometimes almost a minute.

(which is total immersion because it simulates busy (lazy) tower controllers perfectly).

Edited March 15, 2020 by wernst

[sunwukong]

Lol....I must admit when playing multi player ...rotary on int ....call ground crew to rearm n refuel....nothing

 

You have to rotate the radio selector all the way round to int and try again....ground crew seem to then wake up and reply.

 

 

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[Holton181]

rotary 1 -> VHF FM set this radio to 40,400 MHz

rotary 2 -> CB UHF set this radio to 260,00 MHz)

rotary 3 -> VHF AM set this radio to 131,00 MHz)

I realize I mixed 2 and 3 in my previous post, but does really the VHF FM radio work for the ATC?!

I was pretty sure it was supposed to not work, and I even think I tested it long ago without success. Good to know that it might work.

[wernst]

I realize I mixed 2 and 3 in my previous post, but does really the VHF FM radio work for the ATC?!

I was pretty sure it was supposed to not work, and I even think I tested it long ago without success. Good to know that it might work.

 

Yes and no, I can only confirm that all 3 radios work sometimes, more or less accidentially.

In previous tests I concluded that none of the 3 radio work, because I was expecting to get an answer within 5 secs. Wrong.

By chance I found that sometimes you have to wait much longer, say more than 30 secs, and then you might surprisingly get a reply from tower ATC.

 

conclusion: The com with tower ATC in the Huey is not implemented well.

And in various Huey startup checklists communication with tower ATC for clearances are either left out or are simply wrong.

[wernst]

I realize I mixed 2 and 3 in my previous post, but does really the VHF FM radio work for the ATC?!

I was pretty sure it was supposed to not work, and I even think I tested it long ago without success. Good to know that it might work.

 

yes, you're right. I did more tests: VHF FM (selector to 1) doesn't work for ground to tower com.

Only UHF AM (2) and VHF AM (3) are operational for this purpose.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Holton181]

Sorry for the confusion.

No worries, easy mistake to make, often done similar ones myself.

[BIGNEWY]

Please add a track replay it seems to be working correctly for me.

 

Batumi. start up. adjust radio for 131.00 VHF AM select 3 on rotary switch use mic switch to contact tower.

[wernst]

Please add a track replay it seems to be working correctly for me.

 

Batumi. start up. adjust radio for 131.00 VHF AM select 3 on rotary switch use mic switch to contact tower.

 

yes, meanwhile I found that UHF AM (sel. to 2) and VHF AM (sel. to 3) are operational for contact with tower.

Sorry for confusion, but I read many Huey start up lists and found that none of them cover how to contact tower for startup/taxi/take off clerances.

These clearances are mandatory not only for planes but for helis as well at airports with ATC service.

I did some COM tests with mixed results but finally I know how it works . . . on step further.

[LuckyFromArma]

Right got it to work.

 

Set rotary to 3 and bring up menu by pressing ‘Pilot’s radio trigger RADIO’.

 

Don’t use the communication menu button.

 

This brings the menu up and states what radio your on at the top.

 

Just as a side note, chucks guide is wrong.....I remember this now when I was starting.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yep, that works. I still can't get reply to "Request Taxi To Runway" though.

 

Every thing else seems to work; do I have to hold a the hover test at a certain altitude for a certain amount of time or what?

 

O.K. I did this; I called for Hover Check and got it, then I brought the helicopter to a 5' hover and turned into the wind direction ATC gave me for a few seconds, then did a hovering autorotation, called ATC to request taxi, and got "Uzi one one, cleared to taxi to runway 31 left".

 

I don't know if the hovering auto is required or if you just have to hover into the wind for a few seconds then touch down, or just hover and touch down. I'll have to try it every way I guess.

 

Once you get to the runway you have to touch down on the runway before you'll clearance to take off, no holding short or anything.

Edited March 18, 2020 by LuckyFromArma

[LuckyFromArma]

Indeed!

Intercom, 2 (VHF AM) and 3 (UHF) are the only ones used (for voice com) in DCS what I know of, the other three isn't (if I'm wrong I hope someone correct me, with some proof).

 

On the selector

 

PVT. You can talk privately to your Copilot no one else.

Int. You can talk to the entire crew.

1. Interphone to the tower, like a private line to ATC

2. You talk to ATC, but it's a Citizen Band Radio, like a CB that truckers use, anyone with a CB can hear you.

3. VHF - AM or All Military

4. Not Used

 

The first radio on the left side of the panel is NAV COMM it's connected to the ILS indicator and can be used to track the Omni Directional Beacon by watching the double needle on the Radio Compass, or in aircraft that don't have the double needle by flipping the switch from ADF to VOR, if you have a double needle switch from ADF to VOR will marry the single needle to the double needle.

 

The ADF radio is the one you tune to track the NDB's(Non Directional Beacons) located off the ends of the runways.

 

Just above the ADF is the FM Radio, it's for communicating between other crews in other aircraft and on the ground, AND when used with the ADF Radio, for tracking ADF signals from downed aircraft or units on the ground that are transmitting a Homing signal.

[randomTOTEN]

On the selector

 

PVT. You can talk privately to your Copilot no one else.

Int. You can talk to the entire crew.

1. Interphone to the tower, like a private line to ATC

2. You talk to ATC, but it's a Citizen Band Radio, like a CB that truckers use, anyone with a CB can hear you.

3. VHF - AM or All Military

4. Not Used

These are all mostly incorrect. Please reference 7.1.1. of the UH-1H Flight Manual (pg. 87-88 ) for correct selector switch positions.

 

This is very bad info.

 

1 is not an interphone

2 is not a citizen band radio

AM is not an acronym for "All Military" and position 3 it not exclusively used by the military

[LuckyFromArma]

These are all mostly incorrect. Please reference 7.1.1. of the UH-1H Flight Manual (pg. 87-88 ) for correct selector switch positions.

 

This is bad info.

 

1 is not an interphone

2 is not a citizen band radio

AM is not an acronym for "All Military"

 

Then why don't you tell us what they ARE instead of what they're NOT?:smartass:...................Dun dun dun dun, dun dun, duuuun da dun, duun da dun dun dun dun done! Take your time..............................................................Please reference 7.1.1 of the UH-1H Flight Manual(pg.87-88).......................................

 

You'll be a while, because military manuals aren't number that way, so there is no page 88-87. Military manuals are number by section and subsection, like 2-1 and 5-2 or 2.1 and 5.2

Edited March 18, 2020 by LuckyFromArma

[msalama]

Dun dun dun dun

 

Dun dun.

 

PVT is for talking to all chopper stations that also have PVT selected.

INT permits INT or selected radio to transmit and receive.

#1 = FM transmitter

#2 = UHF transmitter

#3 = VHF transmitter

#4 = FM 2 / HF transmitter

[Holton181]

You'll be a while, because military manuals aren't number that way, so there is no page 88-87. Military manuals are number by section and subsection, like 2-1 and 5-2 or 2.1 and 5.2

I'm pretty sure he refers to to the DCS UH-1H manual, not the real life one.......... dum di dum.......