cannot reproduce and missing track file Datalink showing no contacts ?

[Jel]

Since a few weeks, i can´t see any F18 on my Datalink (HSI page or Radar page), neither can ppl see me via DL.

This started after the additional Link4 got implemented, also i only encounter this with the F18 clients in Multiplayer. AI planes seem to appear correctly.

On startup i activate my DL (yes, the Link16), i can see contacts from Awacs as well other donors directly such as F15, F16, etc - but none of those donors are actually F18, despite them having DL active as well. Aren´t they supposed to appear as donors also ? And why can nobody see ME although i got my DL activated as well `? As far as i remember, there is no additional setup to do apart from powering the DL.

Am i missing something ?

Edited July 13, 2022 by Jel

[QuiGon]

53 minutes ago, Jel said:

On startup i activate my DL

You're probably activating the wrong DL, meaning you're activating Link-4 instead of Link-16.
To activate Link-16 you need to press the DL button twice, then it will take you the Link-16 options, where you can push ON/OFF to turn it on.
If you only press the DL button once, it will take you to Link-4.

And yes, this changed with the update that introduced Link-4. Before that update, you only had to press DL once for Link-16, but now you have to press it twice.

Edited July 13, 2022 by QuiGon

[Jel]

Ah i should have made clear that i DO activate Link16

So that´s not the problem...

Edited July 15, 2022 by Jel

[Jel]

 

posted in the wrong subforum by mistake, i´ll try again here

Since a few weeks, i can´t see any F18 on my Datalink (HSI page or Radar page), neither can ppl see me via DL.

This started after the additional Link4 got implemented, also i only encounter this with the F18 clients in Multiplayer. AI planes seem to appear correctly.

On startup i activate my DL (yes, the Link16), i can see contacts from Awacs as well other donors directly such as F15, F16, etc - but none of those donors are actually F18, despite them having DL active as well. Aren´t they supposed to appear as donors also ? And why can nobody see ME although i got my DL activated as well `? As far as i remember, there is no additional setup to do apart from powering the DL.

Am i missing something ?

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Jel

[Sickdog]

This very well may not be the issue for you, but I've had this problem a few times when mission building and just ran into again today. I've found that if you are using a tanker (in my case a big-wing) and setting their Tacan to 3Y or 4Y, it seems to bork my datalink contacts. It makes absolutely no sense at all to me, but I've reproduced this in a Caucasus Mission and Syria Mission. Again, maybe just a weird thing I keep running into, but perhaps check if this is the case for you. 

[Tholozor]

48 minutes ago, Sickdog said:

This very well may not be the issue for you, but I've had this problem a few times when mission building and just ran into again today. I've found that if you are using a tanker (in my case a big-wing) and setting their Tacan to 3Y or 4Y, it seems to bork my datalink contacts. It makes absolutely no sense at all to me, but I've reproduced this in a Caucasus Mission and Syria Mission. Again, maybe just a weird thing I keep running into, but perhaps check if this is the case for you. 

This should explain what you're seeing. Certain TACAN frequencies interfere with Link16.

Here's a handy chart:

Edited July 19, 2022 by Tholozor

[Jel]

Well the issue i encounter also persists without ANY TCN signal on the map, so i doubt we can consider this as a cause here...

So thanks for the chart, i´ll keep it in mind when building my next maps.

[Hobel]

Am 20.7.2022 um 08:44 schrieb Jel:

Well the issue i encounter also persists without ANY TCN signal on the map, so i doubt we can consider this as a cause here...

So thanks for the chart, i´ll keep it in mind when building my next maps.

Does the problem still exist?

[markom]

On 7/19/2022 at 4:39 PM, Tholozor said:

Here's a handy chart:

 

 

I remember seeing this chart in the past thinking that this is great, but something is missing. What is missing is... what is this chart showing? I.e. it shows some channels degraded, but... under which conditions? Is there a wider context/post that explains it? Specifically, are these channels that are degraded when Link16 is used, or something else? Further more... if those channels are in use, are they themselves degraded, or Link16 (in reality, it should likely be both if they overlap, but may not be modeled in DCS).

[Tholozor]

24 minutes ago, markom said:

I remember seeing this chart in the past thinking that this is great, but something is missing. What is missing is... what is this chart showing? I.e. it shows some channels degraded, but... under which conditions? Is there a wider context/post that explains it? Specifically, are these channels that are degraded when Link16 is used, or something else? Further more... if those channels are in use, are they themselves degraded, or Link16 (in reality, it should likely be both if they overlap, but may not be modeled in DCS).

It has to do with which antennas/frequency filters (to not interfere with the IFF) are being used for which function, and how the aircraft is loaded. The upper antenna is fixed, so the lower antenna has the ability to switch in and be used for L16 transmitting and TACAN transceiving. This causes the TACAN channel filter that makes certain channels unavailable for certain antennas.

The top antenna becomes unusable for air-to-ground T/R channels 1-29X and Y, 47-63X, and 64-92Y. This is why their performance is listed as 'degraded' because only one antenna is able to transceive on the bottom of the aircraft. If a centerline tank is loaded, the tank itself can limit the antenna's ability to transceive if the emitting station is in the aircraft's rear hemisphere.

The MIDS terminal also uses less power than the original AN/ARN-118 TACAN module (by about one-fifth). This reduces the range at which DME can be resolved when the aircraft is flying away from the station (this is especially important during marshal stacking).

Edited August 12, 2022 by Tholozor

[markom]

Sorry for bluntness - this is great, and I will re-read it one or two more times because of curiosity, but...  it doesn't actually answer my question as to what the chart is showing. You are wonderfully explaining why X is happening, but not what X is

Edited August 12, 2022 by markom

[Tholozor]

I don't really understand the question then. The chart is showing which channels shouldn't be used due to degraded performance for the reasons explained above.

[markom]

7 minutes ago, Tholozor said:

I don't really understand the question then. The chart is showing which channels shouldn't be used due to degraded performance for the reasons explained above.

For underlined section: used... when? When doing what other thing - or at any time?

[Tholozor]

At any time. Because MIDS and TACAN are embedded in the same terminal, enabling one enables the other. The antenna filter is basically in effect at all times.

[markom]

Perfect - thank you for your patience in explaining. It's a lot more clear now.