Communications menu button does not work while airborne

[Youda]

With some of the recent updates the Communications menu button stopped working when i'm airborne. It works well on the ground but as soon as i take off it stops working. I even tried to open the menu on the runway right before taking off, but when i lifted off from the ground it disappeared and could no longer be opened.

Is this a bug? If not, how do i now communicate with the tower or AWACS?

[Tippis]

Is this all aircraft or just any one(s) in particular?

[rob10]

If you're not using EASY comms you need to use the COMM1 or COMM2 switch (at least in the Hornet) rather than the COMMUNICATIONS MENU binding.  COMM MENU works on ground, but not in air.  IIRC this can be forced on in missions/campaigns, so if you normally use EASY whatever mission you're flying may not let you use easy.

Edited July 18, 2021 by rob10

[Youda]

Ok, i thought this is game-wide problem but apparently it is aircraft-specific.

 

From what i own, the bug is present in

• F-5E
• F-86
• F-18
• L-39
• Mig-15
• TF-51

but is not present in

• F-14
• F-16
• All Flaming Cliffs planes
• Su-25

[Youda]

18 minutes ago, rob10 said:

If you're not using EASY comms you need to use the COMM1 or COMM2 switch (at least in the Hornet) rather than the COMMUNICATIONS MENU binding.  COMM MENU works on ground, but not in air.  IIRC this can be forced on in missions/campaigns, so if you normally use EASY whatever mission you're flying may not let you use easy.

Aaah, that's the problem. I had easy communications off and didn't notice. The specific microphone buttons for each plane do show the comm menu.

[Lange_666]

It's still a bug even when not in easy/games mode.

The comms menu contains a lot more then just comms like server info, special options (mostly multiplayer related) etc... which are not communications at all.

It would be nice to keep access to those things without setting a dedicated frequency which has nothing to do with those option.

So it's not really solved...

 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by Lange_666

[QuiGon]

1 hour ago, Lange_666 said:

It's still a bug even when not in easy/games mode.

The comms menu contains a lot more then just comms like server info, special options (mostly multiplayer related) etc... which are not communications at all.

It would be nice to keep access to those things without setting a dedicated frequency which has nothing to do with those option.

So it's not really solved...

 

It is not a bug, because you do still have access to these options, even when not in easy/games mode. You just need to press the actual radio button of the aircraft instead of the easy comms ' key. That's intended and not a bug.

Edited July 19, 2021 by QuiGon

[Lange_666]

I don't agree since part of the comms menu has nothing to do with comms at all and therefore should not need a proper radio button press to access it.

 

Also, it's not the same for every aircraft. Sometimes the general comms menu works with the / key but there are no comms when the radio's aren't properly set (which for me is correct). Sometimes there is no comms menu at all once airborne (F5-E) but there is when wheels are on the ground... etc.. In short... It's a mess.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Lange_666

[Tippis]

True. It's more that the intention is bad and needs to be changed since it was put in place without any regard for the multitude of functionality that has been tied to the “comms” menu over the year to the point where it no longer has anything to do with radios.

 

Alternatively, they could implement a more complete and sensible menuing system, but I'd be willing to be that, between the two, allowing the not-actual-comms-but-we-call-it-that-for-historical-reasons button to work anywhere and any time is by far the easier option.  

Edited July 19, 2021 by Tippis

[QuiGon]

16 minutes ago, Lange_666 said:

I don't agree since part of the comms menu has nothing to do with comms at all and therefore should not need a proper radio button press to access it.

 

I disagree. Everything in the comms menu is intended to be comms, it's just that some scripters, lacking proper alternatives, have "misused" the comms menu as a general interface for all kind of scripts, which is not really what it is intended for. Still, most of the scripts that run through the comms menu are still things that are to be considered comms like an EWR script to request a picture or the CTLD JTAC status request.

 

Anyways, the ability to access the comms menu at every time in every game mode is already there!

Edited July 19, 2021 by QuiGon

[=475FG= Dawger]

2 hours ago, Lange_666 said:

I don't agree since part of the comms menu has nothing to do with comms at all and therefore should not need a proper radio button press to access it.

 

Also, it's not the same for every aircraft. Sometimes the general comms menu works with the / key but there are no comms when the radio's aren't properly set (which for me is correct). Sometimes there is no comms menu at all once airborne (F5-E) but there is when wheels are on the ground... etc.. In short... It's a mess.

 

I can access the comms menu in flight in the F5 with no issues. Just because you don't know how to do it does not make it a bug.

[Tom Kazansky]

This is not the first thread with this issue. The mess obviously  comes from the ground-airborne-difference. Should be changed one way or the other.

[Lange_666]

4 hours ago, pmiceli said:

I can access the comms menu in flight in the F5 with no issues. Just because you don't know how to do it does not make it a bug.

Oh i now how to do it don't worry, it's just stupid not to use the same binding as when sitting on the tarmac.

It just needs to bring the menu up with the same key, period. That the radio part doesn't work when radio's aren't properly set is another thing and nothing wrong with that. But the common menu should be opening with the same binding. Just my cents (and i'm not alone).   

[QuiGon]

On 7/19/2021 at 4:18 PM, Tom Kazansky said:

This is not the first thread with this issue. The mess obviously  comes from the ground-airborne-difference. Should be changed one way or the other.

 

That behaviour is perfectly logical, because you don't need to access the actual radios to scream at the ground crew when sitting on the tarmac. DCS reflects this, so you don't have to use the actual mic switches of the plane when on the ground and can instead just use the general communication button of DCS.

Edited July 21, 2021 by QuiGon

[Tom Kazansky]

1 hour ago, QuiGon said:

 

That behaviour is perfectly logical, because you don't need to access the actual radios to scream at the ground crew when sitting on the tarmac. DCS reflects this, so you don't have to use the actual mic switches of the plane when on the ground and can instead just use the general communication button of DCS.

 

It seems not to be perfectly logical to scream to the tower through a closed canopy and ask for departure clearance though.

[QuiGon]

33 minutes ago, Tom Kazansky said:

It seems not to be perfectly logical to scream to the tower through a closed canopy and ask for departure clearance though.

 

Yes, and that's why you can't do that in DCS (with easy comms disabled). If you want to talk to ATC you need to use the actual mic switch. The general DCS comms button (') won't work for that.

[Tom Kazansky]

12 minutes ago, QuiGon said:

 

Yes, and that's why you can't do that in DCS (with easy comms disabled). If you want to talk to ATC you need to use the actual mic switch. The general DCS comms button (') won't work for that.

mine allows a "Request taxi to runway", "Request take-off", "Abort take-off" (using the freq. of com2 in the Hornet). it says I'm connected to (e.g. Nellis)Control. This connection is not accessible once airborne.

 

EDIT: easy comms is off

Edited July 21, 2021 by Tom Kazansky

[QuiGon]

5 hours ago, Tom Kazansky said:

mine allows a "Request taxi to runway", "Request take-off", "Abort take-off" (using the freq. of com2 in the Hornet).

 

Yes, you request it as the layout of the comms menu is always the same, but you won't get a response from ATC if you request that through the general DCS comms button ('), as ATC won't hear you shouting from your cockpit. You will only get a response from ATC using the actual mic switches of the aircraft. (Easy comms off)

 

  

5 hours ago, Tom Kazansky said:

mine allows a "Request taxi to runway", "Request take-off", "Abort take-off" (using the freq. of com2 in the Hornet). it says I'm connected to (e.g. Nellis)Control. This connection is not accessible once airborne.

 

I'm not sure what connection you're talking about there?

Edited July 21, 2021 by QuiGon

[Tom Kazansky]

6 minutes ago, QuiGon said:

 

Yes, you request it as the layout of the comms menu is always the same, but you won't get a response from ATC if you request that through the general DCS comms button ('), as ATC won't hear you shouting from your cockpit. You will only get a response from ATC using the actual mic switches of the aircraft. (Easy comms off)

 

  

 

I'm not sure what connection you're talking about there?

 

My ATC answers.

[Tom Kazansky]

When pressing the comms menu key at an airbase the title of the menu is called e.g. NellisControl. As long as my Com2 is tuned the ATC receives and answers my requests that I choose in the comms menu. This ends with no WoW. Not logical to me. I don't touch the Com1 or Com2 switch. Easy Coms is off.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Tom Kazansky

[QuiGon]

6 minutes ago, Tom Kazansky said:

When pressing the comms menu key at an airbase the title of the menu is called e.g. NellisControl. As long as my Com2 is tuned the ATC receives and answers my requests that I choose in the comms menu. This ends with no WoW. Not logical to me. I don't touch the Com1 or Com2 switch. Easy Coms is off.

 

Which aircraft?

[Tom Kazansky]

6 minutes ago, QuiGon said:

 

Which aircraft?

Hornet as mentioned in the post before.

[QuiGon]

24 minutes ago, Tom Kazansky said:

Hornet as mentioned in the post before.

 

Hmm, I tried to reproduce what you described there, but had no success (see attached track file).

For me it worked as expected (easy comms off, frequency tuned to Nellis ATC):

If I press the generic DCS comms button (default: '), then the generic comms menu appears, where I can select ATC and request a startup, but don't get any response from ATC, as I'm just shouting from my cockpit and they can't hear me.

If I press the mic switch (comms 1 in this case), then the actual radio menu for radio 1 appears (it says "COMM1: ARC-210" above the menu) and now I get a response from ATC if I request a startup, as I now talk to them through the actual radio.

 

 

So in short: I can't see any issue there.

 

Could you create a track of your issue maybe, so I can take a look at it?

 

CommsCheck.trk

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by QuiGon

[Tom Kazansky]

Interesting that your menu is called "Main". I'll check that on my side.

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by Tom Kazansky

[Tom Kazansky]

Thanks for the track. I have a short track with a hot start and to force an answer from ATC, I had to move the aircraft. (not kidding). I recorded a track (..02.trk) just for the taxi clearence but the same behavior is shown for take-off clearence too. At the end of the track I used Com1 and Com2 switches without sending, just to show how the menus look like.

 

I recorded another track (...03.trk), where you see that I only use comms button (default: ') and have a nice conversation with the ATC. Interesting: when I talk, the Com2 is not used. ATC answers via com2 though. This is at least odd.

 

BEWARE: I still use DCS 2.7.3.8494 - 14.07.2021 (today there was a new OB patch)

 

 

CommsCheck 02.trk CommsCheck 03.trk

Edited July 21, 2021 by Tom Kazansky