correct as-is Can't get NCTR to work until within about 5nm

[imacken]

I just can't seem to get any response from NCTR long TMS hold until the plane is around 5 miles away. I don't even get the INVL symbol.

This is easily demonstrated for me in the NTTR 120 IA mission, or even the NCTR Training mission on it.

I have STT on the target within 30 degrees azimuth and elevation. I get the LOS message in bottom left of FCR, but nothing under NORM until within about 5 miles.

Something I'm missing?

[Furiz]

@imacken

Target needs to be pointing at you or away from you 30 degrees of azimuth and elevation, NCTR is conducted by radar reflection of turbine blades.

 

P.S. I didn't try it since the latest patch.

Edited March 16, 2023 by Furiz

[Chain_1]

I just tried it in MT and ST and the NCTR worked as advertised in the training mission.  The unknown IFF return did not show in either though.  Have you tried a repair?

[imacken]

Thanks guys, but I'm afraid it's just not working for me. Here's a track of the TM.  You can see me doing regular long TMS presses on the target and getting nothing.

NCTR.trk

[NineLine]

The Training mission states to go STT but your track shows you staying in RWS/SAM.

You must be in STT and within 30 degrees off the nose or tail of the aircraft and be within around 24 to 24 nm.

[imacken]

Thank you so much! I've been away form the Viper for a long time. forgot it was 2 up presses of TMS to get STT.

All good now!

[imacken]

However, I will say that the unknown IFF square does not appear ever as mentioned by @Chain_1 above.

Has this bug been reported?

[Chain_1]

1 hour ago, imacken said:

However, I will say that the unknown IFF square does not appear ever as mentioned by @Chain_1 above.

Has this bug been reported?

I was looking around yesterday and it looks like it's not a bug.

 

[llOPPOTATOll]

If you command NCTR in SAM it should go to suspended sam, complete the Nctr, then go back to SAM. The current implementation in incorrect

Edited March 19, 2023 by llOPPOTATOll

[Arctic Fox]

2 hours ago, imacken said:

However, I will say that the unknown IFF square does not appear ever as mentioned by @Chain_1 above.

Has this bug been reported?

The unknown IFF square should not really show up at all in DCS, that seems to be correct right now.

[WHOGX5]

2 hours ago, imacken said:

However, I will say that the unknown IFF square does not appear ever as mentioned by @Chain_1 above.

Has this bug been reported?

The unknown square only shows up if you get a IFF response that doesn't match the interrogation transponder code you've set for that particular mode on the IFF Interrogate DED page. However, due to DCS having an extremely simplified IFF model consisting only of Mode 4, all aircraft on one coalition will have the exact same Mode 4 transponder code set automatically and it is impossible to change it. Mode 4 IFF pulses are encrypted using a certain encryption key and an aircraft equipped with Mode 4 will only respond to an Mode 4 interrogation if its key matches the interrogation pulses it receives. If the key doesn't match, it doesn't respond. Therefore you will never see a unknown IFF response in DCS.

However, in real life the F-16C also has Mode 1, 2 and 3. The interrogation pulses for these modes are not encrypted and therefore an interrogated aircraft will always respond if its transponder is turned on. On the IFF Interrogate DED page you can choose which transponder codes to interrogate for in each IFF mode, and anything that matches the chosen code will show up as a green circle and anything that doesn't match will show up as a yellow square.

[imacken]

3 hours ago, Arctic Fox said:

The unknown IFF square should not really show up at all in DCS, that seems to be correct right now.

Thanks guys. The only thing is, that the instructor in the TM for this topic specifically says that the unknowns will show a square around them. 

[imacken]

So, as the TM says there should be a square for negative IFF response, and Wags's video from a few months ago shows a yellow square for a negative IFF, has the behaviour changed recently?  Just curious.

[ArielSharon]

On 3/17/2023 at 1:44 PM, imacken said:

Thank you so much! I've been away form the Viper for a long time. forgot it was 2 up presses of TMS to get STT.

All good now!

Really had to look for this detail to find out what I was doing wrong... the Viper just can't be as user friendly as the Hornet, can it

[WHOGX5]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:13 PM, imacken said:

So, as the TM says there should be a square for negative IFF response, and Wags's video from a few months ago shows a yellow square for a negative IFF, has the behaviour changed recently?  Just curious.

It's true that you get a yellow square for negative IFF responses. However, in DCS we currently only have Mode 4 which doesn't respond unless the interrogation pulse matches a certain key, meaning you'll never see a negative response. Once we get Mode 1, 2 and 3 transponders however, you will start seeing negative IFF responses as they always respond to an interrogation pulse.