Squawk code for LOT-ATC

[Thomas_LOLW]

I have recently joined a virtual squadron which uses Lot ATC. The tower controller assigns transponder codes before take off, but I am not sure how to enter them in the DCS Hornet. Has anyone experience with this? I know it is possible to use SRS for this purpose, but I would prefer to do it in the Hornet cockpit.

Many thanks, Thomas

[MARLAN_]

On the UFC, press IFF, then select the mode you want to input, and type it in.

e.g. UFC -> IFF -> MODE 1 -> 33 -> ENT

[Minsky]

To add to the above:

- Mode 1 allowed range is 1-23  EDIT: not quite so

- To squawk IDENT, if requested, you press the I/P button on the up-front controller;

- Mode 2 is not used in DCS;

- Make sure the transponder is enabled ("XP" or "AI" is displayed in the scratchpad).

Edited July 5, 2022 by Minsky

[MARLAN_]

2 hours ago, Minsky said:

To add to the above:

- Mode 1 allowed range is 1-23;

- To squawk IDENT, if requested, you press the I/P button on the up-front controller;

- Mode 2 is not used in DCS;

- Make sure the transponder is enabled ("XP" or "AI" is displayed in the scratchpad).

Are you sure it's up to 23? I don't know the intricacies of that but we use 33 (based on F18 pilot input) and the NFM example figure shows 32 being used and seems to indicate that 00-73 is valid. Did you mean specifically that LotATC only accepts up to 23?

[Thomas_LOLW]

Thanks guys!
 

our squadron uses 4 digit codes, so I guess I have to use a different mode.

[Minsky]

7 minutes ago, Thomas_LOLW said:

our squadron uses 4 digit codes, so I guess I have to use a different mode.

That's the common "civilian" MODE 3 squawk, entered alongside the other modes mentioned above.

[Minsky]

1 hour ago, MARLAN_ said:

Are you sure it's up to 23? I don't know the intricacies of that but we use 33 (based on F18 pilot input) and the NFM example figure shows 32 being used and seems to indicate that 00-73 is valid. Did you mean specifically that LotATC only accepts up to 23?

I have a remark in my notes saying this

However, I just did a more thorough test, and it is more complicated than that:

Spoiler

0-3 - ok
4-7 - error
8 - resets to 00
9 - resets to 01
10-13 - ok
14-17 - error
18 - resets to 10
19 - resets to 11
20-23 - ok
24-27 - error
28 - resets to 20
29 - resets to 21
30-33 - ok
34-37 - error
38 - resets to 30
39 - resets to 31
40-43 - ok
44-47 - error
48 - resets to 40
49 - resets to 41
50-53 - ok
54-57 - error
58 - resets to 50
59 - resets to 51
60-63 - ok
64-67 - error
68 - resets to 60
69 - resets to 61
70-73 - ok
74-77 - error
78 - resets to 70
79 - resets to 71
80,81,82,83 - resets to 00,01,02,03
84-87 - error
88 - resets to 00
89 - resets to 01
90,91,92,93 - resets to 10,11,12,13
94-97 - error
98 - resets to 10
99 - resets to 11

There seems to be a pattern, but I have no idea how accurate it is to the real jet:

X0-X3 - OK
X4-X7 - ERROR
X8 - resets to X0
X9 - resets to X1

EDIT: so the above ranges give us enough codes to support up to eight four-ship flights.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Minsky

[buur]

vor einer Stunde schrieb MARLAN_:

Are you sure it's up to 23? I don't know the intricacies of that but we use 33 (based on F18 pilot input) and the NFM example figure shows 32 being used and seems to indicate that 00-73 is valid. Did you mean specifically that LotATC only accepts up to 23?

In my last checks one year ago LotATC accepts all numbers. So you have the Range from 00-99.

The A-10C can only create the a first digit with 0-7 and a second digit with 0-4. In total there are 32 Values.

Other planes have the digits inverted.

Unfortunately IFF in DCS is not god integrated.

[Minsky]

12 minutes ago, buur said:

The A-10C can only create the a first digit with 0-7 and a second digit with 0-4. In total there are 32 Values.

Brilliant, this is 950% shorter than my list, and way more understandable  
The Hornet uses a similar pattern.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Minsky

[MARLAN_]

Ah, yes, F18 is 0-7 and 0-3 as well, I wasn't thinking when I wrote 00-73.

[Zyll]

I have recently joined a virtual squadron which uses Lot ATC. The tower controller assigns transponder codes before take off, but I am not sure how to enter them in the DCS Hornet. Has anyone experience with this? I know it is possible to use SRS for this purpose, but I would prefer to do it in the Hornet cockpit.
Many thanks, Thomas

In case it's not totally clear, you will still need to be connected to SRS on the correct server in order for this to work. The Hornet cockpit simply communicates via SRS (similar to how the radio controls work) which then communicates with LotAtc.

Zyll @ TAW

[buur]

If you toggle the radio overlay in SRS you can also check your transponder information.

[Steel Jaw]

How do you enter a squawk code in the Hornet?

[Tholozor]

IFF on the UFC, then ON/OFF to enable the CIT. Subsequent presses of the IFF button will toggle between the airborne interrogator (AI) and transponder (XP) menus. On the XP menu, colonizing the Mode 3 option will allow you to input your 4-digit squawk code.

[Thomas_LOLW]

It seems you can also switch between Mode C (reporting altitude as well) and non-Mode C.

[Swift.]

15 minutes ago, Thomas_LOLW said:

It seems you can also switch between Mode C (reporting altitude as well) and non-Mode C.

DCS problem though with there being two separate codes for mode 3 and mode C

[Minsky]

5 hours ago, Tholozor said:

 Subsequent presses of the IFF button will toggle between the airborne interrogator (AI) and transponder (XP) menus.

I understand the transponder part. But what's the point in having the exact same set of modes and codes for the interrogator?

[Tholozor]

5 hours ago, Minsky said:

I understand the transponder part. But what's the point in having the exact same set of modes and codes for the interrogator?

The interrogator can challenge in all modes; the codes for each mode can be set independently between the interrogator and transponder (i.e. you can challenge specific codes with the interrogator without having to change your transponder). You can see IFF reply information on the AZ/EL page with what mode it's replying to (AFAIK the only ones implemented at the moment are Mode 4 and PPLI responses).

Edited July 6, 2022 by Tholozor

[Minsky]

2 hours ago, Tholozor said:

The interrogator can challenge in all modes; the codes for each mode can be set independently between the interrogator and transponder (i.e. you can challenge specific codes with the interrogator without having to change your transponder). You can see IFF reply information on the AZ/EL page with what mode it's replying to (AFAIK the only ones implemented at the moment are Mode 4 and PPLI responses).

I still don't get it.

The codes we enter on the AI page: are they to interrogate others, or to respond to some different type of interrogation?

If it's the former, then what is the point of interrogating someone with the code 1234 in Mode 3 Charlie?

[Tholozor]

The codes on the AI page would be the codes to interrogate other aircraft.
The codes on the XP page would be the codes to respond to interrogations.

None of this is really modeled in depth yet, but in a more simulated environment, you could interrogate the airspace in front of you to locate a specific aircraft on a specific code. Let's say you're looking for an aircraft squawking 2286. You can set the interrogator to challenge that Mode 3 code and look for the response.

Right now, as far as IFF is concerned, Mode 4 is the only thing that matters. Mode 3 can be set for LotATC/SRS, but it doesn't affect anything in-game.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Tholozor

[Minsky]

33 minutes ago, Tholozor said:

you could interrogate the airspace in front of you to locate a specific aircraft on a specific code.

Now it all makes perfect sense. Thanks!

Edited July 6, 2022 by Minsky

[DArt]

There is no limit in LotAtc for numbers for mode 1 or 3 on my side, I let DCS modules manage that.

LotAtc implements Mode2 currently, it misses the mode2 support on SRS Side by the way to get it from the Hornet, not sure if it is planned or not