"Dire Straits" - why does my radar not show any targets?

[Brausepaul]

Hi,

I am still fairly new to DCS and I spend all my rare time in learning the Hornet. I watched lots of videos, rewatched some as needed while doing the training missions. Currently, I am repeating "Dire Straits" again and again to get familiar with taking off, setting target coordinates, bullseye etc. By now, I do know what opposition I have to face, but what puzzles me is that I never get the enemy Mig-29s with my radar. I know that they are there because my RWR shows them. I get frequent updates by AWACS including their range but they never show up until it is too late. I am usually locked on, my jammer kicks in (deactivating my own radar) and then I die...so why does my radar not show them at all? I am at the same altitude and face them, when I tell my wingman to engage I can see his AMRAAMs passing by in the general direction I am looking at. Any hint is appreciated.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Brausepaul

[Johnny Johnny Johnny]

Try setting the radar to "HI" mode if the target is far away and coming right at you, you should pick it up around 40 NM somewhere, default is interlace hi/med I think, once he gets a lot closer , switch to MED. 
Also have the radar elevation correctly to your targets altitude.   

[Fresh]

Hi,

check out the Hornet manual, page 492, set your ASPJ to "REC" so that your radar isn't blocked by your jammer.

Switch your datalink/MIDS ON (manual page 362-364) so you can see the bandits etc. on your radar and SA page. That will help you to see where they are on the radar. Then you can check your radar elevation bars and azimuth to find them with your radar instead of only via datalink. (Datalink symbols are smaller).

Good luck!

[_Hoss]

My DCS mantra is "Practice, practice and practice some more" Your Deception Repeater (DECM) going into Repeat should not effect your RADAR at all, the Interference Blanker takes care of that.  If it does, it's modeled wrong and should be fixed.  If your wingman can lock and shoot, their DECM is not the problem either.  So go back over the tutorials, all you can find of using your AARAM's.  Otherwise your Dire Straights problem means you spent "Money for Nothing"............. sorry, had too....

Grim Reapers have good tutorials on Youtube, and some other good pilots have tutorials on there too.

there are 104 Grim Reaper tutorial videos on the F/A-18 alone on their youtube channel.  In fact they have good stuff on everything DCS has to offer. 

Cheers and good luck.

Hoss

Edited December 3, 2021 by 352nd_Hoss

[Fresh]

The DCS F/A-18's ASPJ puts the radar into standby mode when it is jamming: see at about 3:00 when Wags talks about it in the following video. The DCS F/A-18 doesn't have a DECM.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Fresh

[Sacarino111]

Hi.

Check out this one. To me, one of the most precise, direct and easy F/A-18 radar tuts I've seen.

Saludos.

Saca111

[Fresh]

I guess if Brausepaul watches all those videos he should have no problem using his radar!