Targets disappearing in high closure...

[cobrabase]

I'm up against some piss-ant Mig-23s. I have the superior airplane and weapons but not the experience.

 

The avionics of the flanker really are difficult to manipulate the radar. I didn't believe the critics at first but I've seen it first hand this afternoon.

 

Here I had the radar scanning cone (okay... its not really a cone but it feels weird to say "box" pointed toward my enemy in the sky. He's not jamming me. Distance is closing rapidly. I'm starting to sweat because he's not showing on my radar. I try to slowly slew the radar down guessing that my target is in my radar shadow... MISSILE LAUNCH! BOOM. IR R-23 in my face.

 

SHIT!

 

I need some pointers from the masters. :smilewink:

[GGTharos]

Basically, you did two things wrong.

 

1. You guessed wrong, or didn't slew the antenna far enough, or had the wrong expected range set.

2. An IR missile launch happens usually in the WVR arena. This means you made the following errors here: You didn't visually detect and track these guys, and you didn't keep scanning for missile contrails visually if you suspected they're really close. But the biggest one is continuing to fly towards them when you KNEW they were getting close and you couldn't find them.

 

The problem isn't with your radar work, it's your tactics ;)

[Rhino4]

Like GG says, if they keep getting closer, and you're starting to get that antsy feeling between your shoulder blades because you can't find them, then it's probably a good idea to disengage, extend and then reengage.

[Ironhand]

When you begin to suspect that the bandits are !!CLOSE!!, waste no time switching to one of the WVR modes. BVR mode takes far too much time in that situation unless you are extremely lucky. And, as already mentioned, get your eyes out of the cockpit. And, FWIW, running away when you have no idea what is going on, allows you to live and rejoin the fight on better terms.

 

Rich

[Pilotasso]

Using CAC modes is better once you aquired a target visualy. Trying to aim the antenna at that range is a death defiance stunt. VErtical scan and boresight mode are 2 modes that are usueful for nearly instantaneous visual designation.

[RedTiger]

 

1. You guessed wrong, or didn't slew the antenna far enough, or had the wrong expected range set.

 

I bold this for emphasis. This is a big part of finding something with the N001 radar as represented in LOMAC. Your default expected range is 10 kilometers. The basic thing to remember about that is this is going to cause your scan pattern to shift way up or way down each time you move it. If you keep it at 10, you may never find the bandit. You don't have to be exact (and without any sort of datalink you won't be!) but at least change the distance to something further out. I like to set it at 50 km myself.

[Boberro]

I use for CAC often Vertical Scan and Helmet mode which is exrtemally useful in really close combats example in mountains.

[A.S]

There is one thing you can do...( VISUAL PART IN CAC)

 

in each visibility setting there is a LOD value .

0.7 for low 1.0 for med and 1.5 for high visibility range...

 

basically what it does is, it changes the range in meters 700m 1000m 1500m where the high res textures switches over to low res...(you can notice that if you zoom out and plane suddenly changes color)

 

the pitty part is ..being in a close combat and lets say that litle tiny plane suddenly switches texture from high to low at 1.5 (1500m) infront of a bright sky for example ...you easily loose focus on it....its there but you just lost it....it fades out infront of the background. (similar to falcon ..at one point sun is reflecting then once rolled that things is dark above dark forrest and you see ####:megalol:)

 

what i do is i set my LOD values to 0,85 manually in gfx.cfg . that means

that high to low res switch happens at 850m ..(less is no good cuz bugs in externals in other parts) ....

 

at that range jets can switch resolution but they are always close and big enough not to loose focus suddenly.

 

if you use hypersuper unrealistic zooming..(what i hate) then you wont have that problem but anyways ..just a tip.

[cobrabase]

Thanks guys:

 

A. I will change tactics by practice and.....

 

B. I've modified my cougar HOTAS for full antenna control. Now I can quickly change scan zones. I tried it today and, while it is still tricky at times, it's MUCH EASIER to find the bastards.

 

C. I'm going to load in CAC and vertical scan mode into my HOTAS so that I can instantly switch when I get that "sinking feeling."

 

One question... when getting close to infrared-missile range anyone hit the "O" key and told the IRST to start searching? Is this a decent tactic?

[GGTharos]

When you get that 'sinking feeling' start looking for missile contrails around you, not at your radar or HUD.

 

And no, when getting close to IR missile range PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE PIT! Forget o's and i's and stuff. ;)

[G3]

There is one thing you can do...( VISUAL PART IN CAC)

 

in each visibility setting there is a LOD value .

0.7 for low 1.0 for med and 1.5 for high visibility range...

 

basically what it does is, it changes the range in meters 700m 1000m 1500m where the high res textures switches over to low res...(you can notice that if you zoom out and plane suddenly changes color)

 

the pitty part is ..being in a close combat and lets say that litle tiny plane suddenly switches texture from high to low at 1.5 (1500m) infront of a bright sky for example ...you easily loose focus on it....its there but you just lost it....it fades out infront of the background. (similar to falcon ..at one point sun is reflecting then once rolled that things is dark above dark forrest and you see ####:megalol:)

 

what i do is i set my LOD values to 0,85 manually in gfx.cfg . that means

that high to low res switch happens at 850m ..(less is no good cuz bugs in externals in other parts) ....

 

at that range jets can switch resolution but they are always close and big enough not to loose focus suddenly.

.

 

i know what your saying and changing the lods sounds like a good work around, have also heard people say not to use AA ?

will give the 0.85 a go, cheers --AS--