IFF/NCTR- sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't

[YoYo]

Will there be any update on IFF soon? This is quite an important feature. Personally, I don't expect to have it 100% real at this stage of EA, but the main problem is that it doesn't always work. Sometimes it will tell me what it is from 100 miles, and sometimes being 20 miles from the enemy it still doesn't recognize it. Same thing with our own planes, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have absolutely no idea what it depends on, after all, a blue C-130 flying at 6000 ft should be recognized without any problems but sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I understand that with a long range or during interference, the function may not work, but even without it, it does not always work correctly at short distances. Fingers crossed for solution soon. 

This applies to MP but the same is true for SP.

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by YoYo

[Rainmaker]

Sounds like you are not even talking about IFF....

[davidrbarnette]

8 hours ago, YoYo said:

Will there be any update on IFF soon? This is quite an important feature. Personally, I don't expect to have it 100% real at this stage of EA, but the main problem is that it doesn't always work. Sometimes it will tell me what it is from 100 miles, and sometimes being 20 miles from the enemy it still doesn't recognize it. Same thing with our own planes, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have absolutely no idea what it depends on, after all, a blue C-130 flying at 6000 ft should be recognized without any problems but sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I understand that with a long range or during interference, the function may not work, but even without it, it does not always work correctly at short distances. Fingers crossed for solution soon. 

This applies to MP but the same is true for SP.

 

 

Are you referring to IFF or NCTR?

IFF will only tell you whether it responds to a transponder query (a circle) or not (triangle or square). If a circle, it is friendly. If not, it could still be friendly or it could be hostile or it could be neutral... all you know if that it didn't respond to the query. 

NCTR will give you what type of aircraft it is (but not whether it is friendly, neutral, or hostile), but only if it is basically facing you (I guess it needs to see the compressor blades). If it is side-aspect or flying away from you, you won't get a recognition.

[YoYo]

This is what I wrote, they are two cases, one is IFF, the other is NCTR. Both sometimes work sometimes not.

[davidrbarnette]

6 minutes ago, YoYo said:

This is what I wrote, they are two cases, one is IFF, the other is NCTR. Both sometimes work sometimes not.

For NCTR, is the contact you're trying to ID flying directly toward you?

[davidrbarnette]

And just for clarity, the confusing thing about what you wrote is that you never mention NCTR at all, but say that "sometimes being 20 miles from the enemy it still doesn't recognize it." 

IFF doesn't recognize enemy aircraft, ever, regardless of distance. The transponder pings the other aircraft and waits for a response. Enemy aircraft won't do anything. IFF only identifies friendly aircraft with their IFF systems on.

[YoYo]

25 minutes ago, davidrbarnette said:

For NCTR, is the contact you're trying to ID flying directly toward you?

Mostly yes however for example, yesterday I was chasing in multiplayer for .... C-17, good thing I didn't shoot, he was flying exactly with the same direction, so I was on his 6th. From long distance to very close. I finally identified it optically. He was blue like me.

Edited July 18, 2023 by YoYo

[Burt]

Yeah friendly will show up as a circle on the radar bandits are square. I gotta hit the manual up again because I'm not sure if all friendly have to have IFF enabled. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Burt

[YoYo]

2 hours ago, Burt said:

Yeah friendly will show up as a circle on the radar bandits are square. I gotta hit the manual up again because I'm not sure if all friendly have to have IFF enabled. 

 

Maybe not very good quality of picture (I have to change from jpg to png). IFF switch Mode4 selector A, Mode4 reply swich Audio/rec (it doesnt work btw), Master IFF Norm.

Coolie switch long right - rectangle C-130 (our) is still a rectangle. Less than 20 nm even.

Edited July 18, 2023 by YoYo

[PaulToo]

Coolie left long (outbound) is for IFF, coolie right long is for NCTR. That's for the front cockpit.
As others have stated NCTR only works for frontal aspect and at certain ranges.

Both methods work for me.

[YoYo]

1 minute ago, PaulToo said:

Coolie left long (outbound) is for IFF, coolie right long is for NCTR. That's for the front cockpit.
As others have stated NCTR only works for frontal aspect and at certain ranges.

Both methods work for me.

Left? So it could be my foul, I’ll check it!

[Burt]

Yes its Coolie Left Long. I haven't got into the NCTR yet slowly working my way there tho. 

[davidrbarnette]

NCTR is coolie right and will give an immediate response if the aircraft you’re trying to ID is coming more or less front aspect. IFF is coolie left, takes a second to initiate and a sweep of the radar to respond, and doesn’t give a “definitive” answer. If it squawks back, you can bet it is a friendly. If it doesn’t, that isn’t a guarantee that it is hostile. This is true in both the sim and real life.

[RED]

12 hours ago, YoYo said:

Maybe not very good quality of picture (I have to change from jpg to png). IFF switch Mode4 selector A, Mode4 reply swich Audio/rec (it doesnt work btw), Master IFF Norm.

Coolie switch long right - rectangle C-130 (our) is still a rectangle. Less than 20 nm even.

Are you talking about transponder settings? They have no effect on the interrogator (and no effect in DCS at all).