A strange issue with a-10c II landing training mission

[nessuno0505]

I have a strange issue, but maybe it's me doing something wrong.

I usually keep easy comms off. I'm reviewing the A-10C II procedures and I'm redoing its training missions, in which easy comms is on by default.

When I'm doing the landing mission, the instructor says to tune AM radio to Batumi, and I do it.

Then I use Vaicom Pro and I say: "select: Batumi -- pause -- inbound".

The issue is that the radio immediately after my call automatically changes its tune and I have a radio answer from Kutaisi (maybe the nearest in that moment?).

But if I have already tuned Batumi frequency, why does it change by itself? I have checked and "select tunes radio" is unthicked under vaicom pro preferences ("instant select" is thicked).

Is this a bug? Or is it me doing something wrong?

What is the best way to do the training missions using vaicom pro?

Thanks.

Edited November 2, 2021 by nessuno0505

[fabio.dangelo]

Same issue

 

[MAXsenna]

Does happen sometimes. Never thought of that the mission would force easy comms. Edit it and turn it off.
You "neglected" Batumi in second command. What probably will work is "Batumi select", "Batumi inbound", or just "Batumi inbound".
For this reason I ALWAYS have made me the habit of including the recipient. "recipient command".


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[sthompson]

Here is a bit more explanation on top of MAXsenna's advice: Your call is going to Kutaisi since that was the nearest ATC at the start of the mission and thus is the ATC that is "selected" by VAICOM by default until you change it. Your command syntax for switching it to Batumi is incorrect, and so when you give the "inbound" it goes to Kutaisi instead (and with easy comms on the radio is tuned to Kutaisi first, by DCS, not VAICOM). The fix is to give a valid "Select" command before you make the inbound call. So "Batumi <pause> Select" followed by "Inbound" as a separate command should work. In theory you should be able to say "Batumi <pause> Inbound" instead, provided "Instant Select" is checked, but I haven't tried that. Always give the recipient first, followed by a short pause, followed by the command.

[nessuno0505]

This is a strange behaviour, since I've noticed that if i tune my frequency when the instructor tells me to do, when I call the inbound I have the "bug", while if I tune the radio beforehand, at the start of the mission, I've got the right answer from Batumi and the frequency does not change by itself. So maybe it's a mission related bug and not a vaicom's one. Unfortunately, the mission does not proceed anyway, since maybe the condition set to proceed is the click on the mic switch forward, that is not assigned using vaicom pro. I landed the same, since I managed to follow the inbound instructions from Batumi, intercept the ILS and eventually land. But with no more instructor's voice, who maybe was still waiting for the mic switch forward. Moreover, I do not know how to edit the default training missions since there's no option to open them in the mission editor.

Edited November 3, 2021 by nessuno0505

[MAXsenna]

I'll try the mission tomorrow. Are you sure you're using the correct radio?

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[sthompson]

@nessuno0505 I tried it a few times tonight. First try I had VAICOM running but did not use voice commands. I used the keyboard (as instructed by the instructor) to move the mic switch (L.ALT and Num+) so that the mission instructions could proceed. Everything worked as expected.

I next ran the mission using VAICOM to call Batumi after tuning the radio as instructed. The command I used was "Batumi, Inbound" with a small pause at the comma. I have "instant select" checked in VAICOM options so this automatically selected Batumi, and everything worked again as expected. (I did have to also move the mic switch, however, to keep the instructions going.)

I then tried running the mission a third time, using the voice commands from your original post. This reproduced the issue in the OP, namely that the radio retuned to Kutaisi and sent the Inbound call there.

Finally, I tried a fourth time, using the VAICOM commands "Batumi, Select" and then "Inbound." This worked as expected.

I conclude that VAICOM is working correctly and the problem is that you are not using the correct VAICOM commands, as I suggested a few posts up. "Select Batumi" is not a valid command.  Instead say "Batumi," wait for the beep, then say "Select." After the confirmation beep you can then say "Inbound."

Note that the default ATC is the one that you are closest to when you first push a TX key during a mission. In this mission that is going to be Kutaisi, unless you wait a long time to give your first VAICOM command, in which case it might be Kobuleti or Batumi.

[nessuno0505]

Ok, I've tried simply Batumi, inbound, but I have the same issue if I wait for the instructor to ask me, while all works well if I tune the radio immediately at the start of the mission. Maybe my voice recognition is not as finely tuned as yours or I do not pronounce Batumi correctly: I'm italian so 1) my pronunciation is not perfectly british LOL; 2) I have some difficulty in training the voice recognition since I have to change Windows language from IT to UK (or USA), then train the voice recognition, and then switch the language back to IT (with Windows in italian I can use the english voice recognition but I cannot train it); 3) maybe I should train the voice recognition using the mic of my Reverb g2, but it's quite difficult to read a text on a monitor while wearing the VR headset; moreover my flight seat is next to my desk so it's quite difficult for me to use a keyboard shortcut while in VR, and the warthog mic switch is assigned only in vaicom pro and not in DCS. I sorted the problem of the radio, but I should use the keyboard shortcut to have the instructor continue doing his work. If I remember well, the other training missions do not require the use of the radio so I can live with it.

Edited November 4, 2021 by nessuno0505

[MAXsenna]

Well, I'm not Georgian, but I'm pretty sure Italian pronunciation will be closer than any English.
The VA log will show you if the command is understood. If it is not there, well. Then it didn't work, simple as that.
But you have actually broken a rule of VoiceAttack best practice. DO NOT use different microphones!!! Or at least make different profiles, (in Microsoft obviously), for each microphone and train all profiles. At least this helped me.


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[nessuno0505]

I use just one microphone: the one of the g2. But the initial voice recognition training done in windows, even before installing VA, has been done with another microphone. Nevertheless, it's quite weird that the same voice command does different things in different moments of the mission: it works if I already have the radio tuned beforehand, it does not if I tune the radio just before the voice call. This cannot be a microphone related issue 

[MAXsenna]

I use just one microphone: the one of the g2. But the initial voice recognition training done in windows, even before installing VA, has been done with another microphone. Nevertheless, it's quite weird that the same voice command does different things in different moments of the mission: it works if I already have the radio tuned beforehand, it does not if I tune the radio just before the voice call. This cannot be a microphone related issue 

I'm not saying it's a microphone issue.
But if you run into recognition issues laater, you should make a new profile in the MS Speech called G2 and redo the training.

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[MAXsenna]

TL:DR

Did you actually press spacebar to make it progress?

---

Okay, reread the thread and got around to test the mission, both in A-10Cs I and II. Seems they are identical, except for the airframe.
I follow the instructions exactly, but the mission relies heavily on spacebar to progress several places. In one of your posts you write that the mission didn't progress after the radio call. It's not relient on the call. It asks you to press spacebar after confirmation. This might be your issue.
I did the missions several times. I use "Batumi inbound", no pause really as I use VSPX. I get a reply from Batumi, (well it's called something else starting with D), every time and the radio do not auto tune to another airport.
To edit the mission you should be able to find it in core install mods aircraft A-10C II missions training something.

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[nessuno0505]

I've tested the mission again and I can reproduce the issue. I have similar auto tunes of the radio in other training missions, for example the cannon and rockets one: if I tune Batumi and ask "Batumi, inbound" after I have destroyed my targets, I have an auto tune to kutaisi

Edited November 9, 2021 by nessuno0505

[MAXsenna]

Can you post your VAICOM settings?
Something must be setup differently.


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[nessuno0505]

[sthompson]

5 hours ago, MAXsenna said:

Can you post your VAICOM settings?
Something must be setup differently.


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Also, turn on debug and then send the VoiceAttack log generated from a mission where the issue occurs.

[nessuno0505]

Here is my log, but I think I have managed the issue: I have to keep pressed the mic switch, that was probably the problem: I must press, then, keeping pressed, say "Batumi, inbound", and I have my message sent to Batumi. If instead I do: press, then say "Batumi", then release the button, press again and say "inbound", the inbound call is diverted to the nearest airport and the radio tunes by itself on kutaisi frequency. In the log you should see the wrong call first, and the right one later.

The first issue is solved. Unfortunately, it's not the same for the second issue: when the instructor asks me to call Batumi, he does not want me to press the spacebar (he asks for the spacebar beforehand, when just tuning the radio), but he wants me to click mic switch forward. Since my mic switch is not assigned in DCS but only in vaicom, the instructor won't go ahead with voice requests bacause he does not detect the click on the mic switch. If someone has found a workaround to finish the landing training mission using vaicom, please let me know, thanks.

That said, the main problem was the first one and I have sorted it out by means of the log suggestion, so thanks to whom suggested it. 

VAICOMPRO.log

Edited November 9, 2021 by nessuno0505

[MAXsenna]

Well, glad you found out about the correct procedure.
As for the training mission, you are correct, you need to have the buttons mapped correctly or press LAlt + Num+, then it advances.

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[sthompson]

2 hours ago, nessuno0505 said:

Here is my log, but I think I have managed the issue: I have to keep pressed the mic switch, that was probably the problem: I must press, then, keeping pressed, say "Batumi, inbound", and I have my message sent to Batumi. If instead I do: press, then say "Batumi", then release the button, press again and say "inbound", the inbound call is diverted to the nearest airport and the radio tunes by itself on kutaisi frequency. In the log you should see the wrong call first, and the right one later.

The first issue is solved. Unfortunately, it's not the same for the second issue: when the instructor asks me to call Batumi, he does not want me to press the spacebar (he asks for the spacebar beforehand, when just tuning the radio), but he wants me to click mic switch forward. Since my mic switch is not assigned in DCS but only in vaicom, the instructor won't go ahead with voice requests bacause he does not detect the click on the mic switch. If someone has found a workaround to finish the landing training mission using vaicom, please let me know, thanks.

That said, the main problem was the first one and I have sorted it out by means of the log suggestion, so thanks to whom suggested it. 

VAICOMPRO.log 3.05 kB · 1 download

 

Regarding the second issue, you can just press the keyboard shortcut for the mic key. If you really want to do this with your voice, create a VoiceAttack command that presses the mic key using the DCS keyboard shortcut. You would only need it temporarily to make progress. It's not really a VAICOM issue, but rather a limitation of the design of those training missions.

[MAXsenna]

Yeah, I had my radio hat on my Warthog setup in DCS. I guess that's why I didn't notice it.

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[nessuno0505]

9 ore fa, sthompson ha scritto:

Regarding the second issue, you can just press the keyboard shortcut for the mic key. If you really want to do this with your voice, create a VoiceAttack command that presses the mic key using the DCS keyboard shortcut. You would only need it temporarily to make progress. It's not really a VAICOM issue, but rather a limitation of the design of those training missions.

I think the voice command for the mic switch is the right solution, thanks.

[MAXsenna]

I think the voice command for the mic switch is the right solution, thanks.

Or just map the radio buttons the same in DCS. Though not a supported config, it will wok with hidden menus.

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