Looking for help with navigation and radio

[Eugel]

Hello, I´m looking for a bit of help regarding navigation and radio controls in the Huey.
I think I finally understood how the ADF and VOR navigation works.

What I don´t understand is how do you navigate to waypoints without beacons ? 
For example, if I should attack a convoy or fly to a FARP somewhere.
Did I miss something ? ADF and VOR don´t have any range information, right ? So I couldn´t plan something like "go to beacon X for 10 miles, then change to beacon Y" ?
Or is it really just "go to town XY and look for green smoke to the east" with the Huey ? 

I have seen in a tutorial video that someone set up a FARP to have an FM frequency which you can tune into. How do I do this ? 
I couldn´t find an option to set an FM frequency in the mission editor.

And finally something I really struggle with: How do you guys handle these things during flight ? When I look up frequencies of airports on the F10 map or fiddle around with the radio knobs in the cockpit, the Huey goes all over the place. I have a hard enough time to keep it straight while looking out the window. I mean, I can´t land everytime I want to change a radio frequency or look something up on the map.
Is there an option to make the co-pilot fly for a minute ?

sorry, lots of questions ... any help would be greatly appreciated

[razo+r]

1) Land, look at the map and then fly. This way you can easily navigate by looking at landmarks. Or even easier, look at the map before flying. 

 

2) You can use ADF and VOR. You will always know the location from/to the station. So if you know where the target is, you know in which direction the target is in reference to the station. Then you just have to fly onto that specific radial in one direction. 

 

You can also use intersecting radials. XY is on Radial xyz from A and on Radial xyz from B. Then it's just a matter of flying the correct radial. 

 

3) For example, place a vehicle->advanced waypoint options->Set frequency (easiest is to make it transmit on NDB frequencies). Make sure to pay attention to the frequency put in and the unit at the back of the field (I think its in Mhz, so for example 0.3Mhz for 300Khz).

 

4) Autopilot is available. Use it to fly straight if you cannot manipulate your helicopter while flying. 

 

Easier would be to properly trim your heli, so the heli flies straight and you can do whatever you want. 

 

5) You can also use a clock. Fly for example 60 Knots, then time it. You know you will fly 1NM a minute. Requires a bit more things to do but it's a tool at your disposal. 

 

6) You also have a kneeboard with a map on it. You can also use it. 

Edited November 18, 2021 by razo+r

[Andurula]

The Huey has an AI co-pilot also referred to as an "autopilot".  Feel free to let him fly while you flip switches turn the dials in the cockpit and look over the map.  That's why there are two crew in a Huey.  One flies while the other handles the other stuff.

 

 

 

 

[Eugel]

Ah, thanks, didn´t know the AI Co-Pilot actually does anything. Always thought he was just a placeholder for a human copilot.

How do I activate him ? Is there a keybinding just for "Autopilot" or do I have to "pass over" the controls to him like in multicrew ?

[razo+r]

Search for "Autopilot". You have a bunch to choose from.

[MAXsenna]

To add to the map functions on the kneeboard. To see where you are, use the mark position or something.
There's also a free moving map app by Bergison.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[Eugel]

On 11/19/2021 at 12:39 AM, razo+r said:

3) For example, place a vehicle->advanced waypoint options->Set frequency (easiest is to make it transmit on NDB frequencies). Make sure to pay attention to the frequency put in and the unit at the back of the field (I think its in Mhz, so for example 0.3Mhz for 300Khz).

I can´t get this to work for some reason. I set up an APC next to the FARP, waypoint option set frequency, etc.

But once I´m in the Huey, the CDI does nothing. I then hopped into the "Elbrus Rescue" mission, and everything works fine, so I don´t think I push the wrong buttons in the cockpit.
Then I loaded the Elbrus Rescue mission in the ME and checked, but they set it up exactly as I did. Even when I use the same frequency, it doesn´t work in my mission...
Does the "power" setting in the "set frequency" action do anything ? It´s empty in the Elbrus Rescue mission, but in the ME it automatically sets it to 10, but even if I increase it to 1000, it makes no difference...

[razo+r]

1 hour ago, Eugel said:

I can´t get this to work for some reason. I set up an APC next to the FARP, waypoint option set frequency, etc.

But once I´m in the Huey, the CDI does nothing. I then hopped into the "Elbrus Rescue" mission, and everything works fine, so I don´t think I push the wrong buttons in the cockpit.
Then I loaded the Elbrus Rescue mission in the ME and checked, but they set it up exactly as I did. Even when I use the same frequency, it doesn´t work in my mission...
Does the "power" setting in the "set frequency" action do anything ? It´s empty in the Elbrus Rescue mission, but in the ME it automatically sets it to 10, but even if I increase it to 1000, it makes no difference...

See page 90 in the manual as of why it won't work in that mission.

 

CDI works with VOR frequencies. So if you have an NDB frequency set up, you need an other instrument.

Edited November 23, 2021 by razo+r

[Eugel]

4 minutes ago, razo+r said:

See page 90 in the manual as of why it won't work in that mission.

 

CDI works with VOR frequencies. So if you have an NDB frequency set up, you need an other instrument.

 

No, it does work fine in the "Elbrus Rescue" mission, the mission specifically tells me to tune in the FM radio to 40.5 Mhz and use the CDI to get there. Everything works fine in that mission.
I can´t get it to work in self created missions and don´t know why.

[razo+r]

Ok, I take my previous statement back.

 

I've just tried creating my own mission with a vehicle -> Set frequency to 40.5Mhz and -> Transmitt something and I can home in on that vehicle with the CDI.

 

Did you make sure that vehicle is transmitting something (A small audio file for example)?

7 minutes ago, Eugel said:

No, it does work fine in the "Elbrus Rescue" mission, the mission specifically tells me to tune in the FM radio to 40.5 Mhz and use the CDI to get there. Everything works fine in that mission.
I can´t get it to work in self created missions and don´t know why.

 

[Eugel]

19 hours ago, razo+r said:

Did you make sure that vehicle is transmitting something (A small audio file for example)?

 

Yeah, that was it, thanks a lot, I would have never figured that out. 

I mean, it makes sense in real life, but I did not expect DCS to actually simulate that there has to be a message being transmitted.

[IJammer]

Trim the ship and then apply the auto pilot, if you have no beacons for the ADF go to the map, locate where your are and where you are going and set a compass heading then follow it.  No SAT NAV here lel (and better for it; analogue rules!)

IJammer

 

[rayrayblues]

On 1/28/2022 at 7:23 PM, IJammer said:

analogue rules!

[Captain Orso]

So, just so the dumb among us--me--can understand. I can use the FM radio to home in on a signal, but only if the sender is sending audio all the time. So if for example I want to go to Kobuleti, which transmits ATC on 40.40 FM, I can tune my FM radio to 40.40 and set it to Homing, but unless Kobuleti is currently transmitting, there is no signal into which to home. Correct?

So if I'm on a map like Persian Gulf, and I want to fly to an island which doesn't have VOR or ILS and nobody singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for hours on end on the FM radio, there is no way to use the UH-1's radio equipment to navigate to the island. Correct?

[razo+r]

3 hours ago, Captain Orso said:

So, just so the dumb among us--me--can understand. I can use the FM radio to home in on a signal, but only if the sender is sending audio all the time. So if for example I want to go to Kobuleti, which transmits ATC on 40.40 FM, I can tune my FM radio to 40.40 and set it to Homing, but unless Kobuleti is currently transmitting, there is no signal into which to home. Correct?

So if I'm on a map like Persian Gulf, and I want to fly to an island which doesn't have VOR or ILS and nobody singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for hours on end on the FM radio, there is no way to use the UH-1's radio equipment to navigate to the island. Correct?

You can also use NDBs, if one is available. 

On top of that you can also use VORs that are not in the area you are to navigate. Using radials and the DME will get you everywhere. 

Edited May 26, 2022 by razo+r

[Quati]

Correct.

Also if you choose to set a vehicle transmitting a signal with "Set Frequency > Transmit Audio Message" make sure it's from the same side (Red or Blue) as your aircraft.

For the Hind at least I notice when trying to create a mission like "find-the-stolen-cargo-that-fell-from-space" that;

• If the vehicle is Red and your aircraft is Blue (or the other way around) you can get a homing signal but you will not listen the audio nor static radio noise.
• If the vehicle and your aircraft is from the same side you can get a homing and listen the audio (on the HIND if using the ARK-U2 direction finder you cannot hear the audio and get a homing signal at the same time as expected).

[Captain Orso]

Thanks for the replies 

2 hours ago, razo+r said:

You can also use NDBs, if one is available. 

On top of that you can also use VORs that are not in the area you are to navigate. Using radials and the DME will get you everywhere. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Quati said:

Correct.

Also if you choose to set a vehicle transmitting a signal with "Set Frequency > Transmit Audio Message" make sure it's from the same side (Red or Blue) as your aircraft.

For the Hind at least I notice when trying to create a mission like "find-the-stolen-cargo-that-fell-from-space" that;

• If the vehicle is Red and your aircraft is Blue (or the other way around) you can get a homing signal but you will not listen the audio nor static radio noise.
• If the vehicle and your aircraft is from the same side you can get a homing and listen the audio (on the HIND if using the ARK-U2 direction finder you cannot hear the audio and get a homing signal at the same time as expected).

I can setup a sender in a mission, if I'm creating it, but I'm actually in MP (4YA) and have no influence over anything--sorry, should have mentioned that in the beginning.

I have several maps of the region and I've noted that all have like a reference showing where an NDB sender is, but never what frequency.

I have Wombats PG charts--thanks Wombat!--but they miss somethings too, and they are not really clear on somethings.

So I was looking for something to use, which would be universal, and thought, ATC, every field has ATC, but I couldn't get it to work, and then I found this thread.

Anyone know the NDB on Abu Musa Island?

[Ramsay]

21 hours ago, Captain Orso said:

Anyone know the NDB on Abu Musa Island?

Abu Musa's NDB frequency is 285 kHz IRL and in DCS, however it's wrongly defined as a DME in Persian Gulf's Beacons.lua, so doesn't work for ADF.

Abu Musa's default DCS NDB definition

Sirri's NDB is correctly defined as a "Homer" in "Beacons.lua", editing Abu Musa to be the same beacon "type" allows it to work i.e. for the Huey's ADF

Tested in Open Beta 2.7.14.24228

[Captain Orso]

Many thanks for that answer, Ramsey.

So that's why 285 KHz didn't work, and I then thought thess were NOT the NDB 

I did you wrong, Wambat! Not your charts are wrong, DCS is wrong! 

So to fix this, all that one would have to do , is edit Beacon.lua and change

    {
        display_name = _('Abumusa');
        beaconId = 'airfield1_0';
        type = BEACON_TYPE_DME;

to

    {
        display_name = _('Abumusa');
        beaconId = 'airfield1_0';
        type = BEACON_TYPE_HOMER; 

and then it would work as it ought to.

Modded it. Works in SP AND MP, so far.

[Ramsay]

Note there are at least 2 other Persian Gulf NDB's with this issue in the current Open Beta.

These NDB's BH and KER have the wrong frequencies (instead of kHz, they've been given MHz)
• NDB BH 309 kHz --> 309 MHz
• NDB KER 290 kHz --> 290 MHz

...  and been given the wrong type
•  BEACON_TYPE_HOMER --> BEACON_TYPE_DME

NDB BH

NDB KER

Edited May 27, 2022 by Ramsay

[rayrayblues]

Looks to me like a proper bug report is in order.

[Captain Orso]

19 hours ago, Ramsay said:

Note there are at least 2 other Persian Gulf NDB's with this issue in the current Open Beta.

These NDB's BH and KER have the wrong frequencies (instead of kHz, they've been given MHz)
• NDB BH 309 kHz --> 309 MHz
• NDB KER 290 kHz --> 290 MHz

...  and been given the wrong type
•  BEACON_TYPE_HOMER --> BEACON_TYPE_DME

NDB BH

NDB KER

 

Thanks! I'll put these into my fix too.