[CORRECT AS IS] Laser deactivate after being on too long

[Orsi]

I’ve set 84 targets for training with APKWS, but after target 26 my laser stop working properly. It was set to latch. My laser doesn’t keep firing even holding down the stick button.

Maybe I’ve got a laser burnout, but how long we can use our laser? I was hitting one target at a time, going 6nm out and when reaching 6nm turn back to attack other.

[RuskyV]

I noticed this the other day thinking the same thing as you I looked through the manual to see if I could find anything on it but came up blank.

 

What I found is that when you have it latched and fire the laser the L only flashes twice and then stops.

[Orsi]

Yes, that behavior happened to me, I hit the nws the L flashes and stop even with tgp in latch mode.

What I know is that wile the L is flashing the laser is firing

[NeMoGas]

Yes the laser will burn out after about 1190 seconds of continuous use (just under 20 min). I think it might also be cumulative since on rare occasions I have had it burn out while buddy lasing for friendlies for a few hours and making sure to turn it off in between.

Edited October 4, 2020 by NeMoGas

[Guillote_ACES]

I noticed this the other day thinking the same thing as you I looked through the manual to see if I could find anything on it but came up blank.

 

What I found is that when you have it latched and fire the laser the L only flashes twice and then stops.

 

exact! The same happened to me. practicing with the Lazer Rockets, I was firing one at a time and at one point the lazer would blink for only a second or two and could not link.

[SmilingBandit]

Yes the laser will burn out after about 1190 seconds of continuous use (just under 20 min). I think it might also be cumulative since on rare occasions I have had it burn out while buddy lasing for friendlies for a few hours and making sure to turn it off in between.

 

I'm not sure that it's not burning out prematurely at the moment. I'll have to keep better track of it in the coming sessions.

[icemaker]

[CORRECT AS IS] Issue with lasing after a moment

 

i have tested it with a friend, and when you fly for a moment, the laser stops lasing correctly, even if you deactivate it for a moment, or between two lases.

When you activate laser with pinkie it lases for 3 seconds then stops lasing.

 

 

here is the link for the track : https://www.dropbox.com/s/s8b3hmiaw295org/Syria-AG-test-2-20201006-143709.trk?dl=0

[Puma]

Just confirming: did you switch the laser into latch mode before trying this? By default it is only on when pinky is held down. Tgp cntl page allows you to set that to latch mode which makes the pinky button toggle it on:off.

 

If its not that, does your hud/tgp symbology work properly? “L” should be flashing while the laser is on.

[icemaker]

i configured laser in latch mode, the L in TGB blinks for 3 seconds then stops

Edited October 6, 2020 by icemaker

[Deezle]

It was posted by someone else that the laser burns out after about 20 minutes of use.

[icemaker]

i have read it but i do not lase for 20 minutes continously, my teammate cuts the laser when he don't use it and he had the same issue.

I hope we can have a fix quickly

[icemaker]

Same issue here i posted a track, Hope ED will do something, now we use Laser a lot more.

[solidGad]

notice this as well sometimes. definitely not 20 mins. more like 1 min.

[solidGad]

i get similar issues sometimes. usually after turning it on and off often, which happens when i use the rockets.

[BIGNEWY]

Yes the laser will burn out after about 1190 seconds of continuous use (just under 20 min). I think it might also be cumulative since on rare occasions I have had it burn out while buddy lasing for friendlies for a few hours and making sure to turn it off in between.

 

Yes there is a limit, I forget what it is but I will try and find the answer

 

notice this as well sometimes. definitely not 20 mins. more like 1 min.

 

Would like to see a track replay of your 1 minute claim.

 

thanks

[solidGad]

for sure. i'll save it if it happens again! :)

[icemaker]

Yes there is a limit, I forget what it is but I will try and find the answer

 

 

 

Would like to see a track replay of your 1 minute claim.

 

thanks

 

 

So let me know how real pilots manage the laser when doing 3+ hour missions?

do they shutdown TGP for a while?

[Emmy]

So let me know how real pilots manage the laser when doing 3+ hour missions?

do they shutdown TGP for a while?

 

For GBU-12s you only lase the last 12-15 seconds before impact. Same for the new GBU-54s. That’s only a minute of use over four drops.

 

AGM-65Ls require a bit longer lase time as do the new rockets but still, you’re looking at maybe 30-40 seconds max per weapon (and honestly, IMO, the 65L should be lased by an off board entity so that it’s “Fire & Forget” for the Hog … self lasing means driving in uncomfortably close to targets.)

 

I’ve flown several 3+ hour missions and never had a laser failure. I certainly never leave it on full time.

[BIGNEWY]

Laser overheat is modelled, same for viper / hornet and warthog.

 

It will heat up and cool with use and can burn out, careful management of the laser is required for prolonged flights.

 

I don't have times, temps or any values to share currently, but if you think you have a bug please share a track replay.

 

thanks

[NeMoGas]

When you mask the laser and then press the pinky switch to turn it off, it actually stays on and will continue to fire once it is un-masked again. Perhaps this is how people are overheating/burning out the laser, because they think they turned it off?

 

You need to make sure you turn the laser off before it becomes masked, or just be aware that it will continue to lase even after you press the pinky switch while masked once you un-mask.

 

Not sure if this is intended behavior but this is how it seems to work in DCS.

 

Also @BigNewy, the 1190 seconds was determined by starting a mission in the ME and then using RCTRL+Scroll Lock to being up mission time. After the first 60 seconds I started the laser and waited for it to burn out. Then I took the total time of the mission and subtracted 60 seconds. 1190 seconds is rough but pretty close over a few deferent tests. I have also tested this in years past and it was also around 20 minutes for burnout during continuous use.

 

Edit:

So I went and retested just to make sure and got a continuous time until burnout of 1196 seconds. I also tested to see if it was cumulative or if a cool down would allow it to lase indefinitely before burnout. I allowed a cool down of 5 minutes in the first test and a cool down of 10 minutes in the second. The laser burnt out in both of those tests with a combined laser on time of about 1185 seconds. It appears that the total time the laser can be on is cumulative and cooling down has little effect, actually seeing slightly less combined time than the continuous laser on test.

Edited October 6, 2020 by NeMoGas

[Puma]

FWIW I have never enabled latching mode and this is precisely why. Admittedly I didn’t know how sever the consequences were, but it never seemed like a good idea to be one click away from accidentally lasing everything. With the tm warthog its not much hand stress.

[NeMoGas]

Holding a button down for 20 minutes is pretty difficult to do accidentally lol. But if you do you are limited to roughly the same 20ish minute maximum laser lifespan. Even if you stop lasing between targets.

[Foka]

So I went and retested just to make sure and got a continuous time until burnout of 1196 seconds. I also tested to see if it was cumulative or if a cool down would allow it to lase indefinitely before burnout. I allowed a cool down of 5 minutes in the first test and a cool down of 10 minutes in the second. The laser burnt out in both of those tests with a combined laser on time of about 1185 seconds. It appears that the total time the laser can be on is cumulative and cooling down has little effect, actually seeing slightly less combined time than the continuous laser on test.

 

By cooldown do you mean just not lasing, or did you set AHCP laser switch to SAFE?

[NeMoGas]

Just not lasing, but I'll try that next time.

 

Edit:

So I just tried turning the laser to safe during the cool down period (10 minutes) and the results were the same.

Edited October 6, 2020 by NeMoGas

[=4c=Nikola]

Laser burn out existed in A-10C since 2011. Noting new here.