Effective A-A Radar Range currently, especially for Cold and Flanking targets?

[Nate--IRL--]

I've been trying to get to grips with the FA-18 Radar and have been playing about with GrEa5eLiTeNiN's HAFU practice mission

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3317002/

Something I've noted for the first time is that the Radar detection range for Fighter size Targets in the mission, that are not HOT, is about 20-25nm. This seems to be the same whether Co-altitude, Look-Up, Look-Down, High or Med PRF, RWS or TWS. 

Is there something I'm missing or is this the intended model for the Radar at present?

 

Nate

[wilbur81]

16 minutes ago, Nate--IRL-- said:

I've been trying to get to grips with the FA-18 Radar and have been playing about with GrEa5eLiTeNiN's HAFU practice mission

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3317002/

Something I've noted for the first time is that the Radar detection range for Fighter size Targets in the mission, that are not HOT, is about 20-25nm. This seems to be the same whether Co-altitude, Look-Up, Look-Down, High or Med PRF, RWS or TWS. 

Is there something I'm missing or is this the intended model for the Radar at present?

 

Nate

Hey, Nate. Several tracks provided would be super helpful to get a sense of all the factors at play. 

[Nate--IRL--]

Yes, apologies I should have included something to show what I was seeing.

Here is a quick n dirty track. Co-alt, 4 contacts flying directly away. RWS, MED prf. Left to right F-15, F-16 Mig-29 and Mig-21. There are other Flights, but ignore them.

Contact on Mig-21 is lost at approx 20nm, Then Mig-29 at 23nm or so, then at 25nm, the F-15 and F-16 on the left are lostFA-18-Radar-Test.trk

Nate

[Exorcet]

Med PRF isn't going to see very far. I usually stay Interleaved.

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Exorcet

[Nate--IRL--]

Fantastic Graph! Thanks.

Isn't MED the preferred mode for Cold and Flanking contacts though?

Nate

Edited October 23, 2022 by Nate--IRL--

[Exorcet]

6 minutes ago, Nate--IRL-- said:

Fantastic Graph! Thanks.

Isn't MED the preferred mode for Cold and Flanking contact though?

Nate

I sort of merged your posts together when replying, so I guess my answer wasn't super clear and I didn't see the "not" in your original post before, so I thought you had issues with Hot targets too. Anyway, Med is supposed to be better for Cold/Flanking targets, although keep in mind the Hornet INT PRF doesn't work like FC3. It actually swaps between HI and MED instead of creating some kind of average inbetween PRF. So every 1st scan will be HI, giving you range and every second scan will be MED giving you off aspect detection.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Exorcet

[Krippz]

On 10/23/2022 at 11:54 AM, Nate--IRL-- said:

Fantastic Graph! Thanks.

Isn't MED the preferred mode for Cold and Flanking contacts though?

Nate

 

High (HI) - High PRF provides extended range detection of forward aspect targets at only slightly less range than VS.

Medium (MED) - Medium PRF provides detection of all aspect targets at intermediate ranges and provides improved range resolution over HI.

Interleaved (INT) - Interleaved PRF combines HI and MED in the same scan volume and incorporates advantages of both modes at a slower update rate between detections.

While MED is preferred for flanking and cold targets the detection range is lower than INT and HI PRF. 

[Harker]

INTL just alternates between HI and MED though, it's not a separate PRF. At least according to public docs and the way it's modeled in DCS.

[Nate--IRL--]

On 10/25/2022 at 10:53 PM, Harker said:

INTL just alternates between HI and MED though, it's not a separate PRF. At least according to public docs and the way it's modeled in DCS.

I've not tested this in sim yet, but further reading suggests that it alternates between Bar scans, but doesn't alternate each bar after a sweep. E.g........

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is Med

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is High

reset 

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is Med

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is High

 

Where it should be 

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is Med

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is High

reset 

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is High

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is Med

I'll test it at the weekend.

Nate

[rob10]

Pretty sure it was updated in game (not likely in manuals yet) to be the proper (2nd example) way.

[Harker]

5 hours ago, Nate--IRL-- said:

I've not tested this in sim yet, but further reading suggests that it alternates between Bar scans, but doesn't alternate each bar after a sweep. E.g........

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is Med

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is High

reset 

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is Med

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is High

 

Where it should be 

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is Med

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is High

reset 

Bar 1 in a 2 bar is High

Bar 2 in a 2 bar is Med

I'll test it at the weekend.

Nate

Just tested the OB branch, works correctly here.

2B does
HI-MED
MED-HI
HI-MED
MED-HI

4B does
HI-MED-HI-MED
MED-HI-MED-HI
HI-MED-HI-MED
MED-HI-MED-HI

[Nate--IRL--]

Glad I checked here first before testing it myself. Thanks @Harker !

Nate