What are some interesting/useful HOTAS shortcuts you didn't know at first?

[HateDread]

After reading through Chuck's Guide for the F-16 for the millionth time, I noticed some unknown-to-me, easy-to-miss HOTAS shortcuts.

Here are a few of my favourites in terms of interesting/unique; some discovered today, some in the last few weeks.

• On the FCR, TMS Right Long will change between RWS and TWS submodes of CRM
• On the FCR, 'Transmit Switch - IFF IN (INBOARD)' (Short) will cycle the different filter options (All vs No Datalink Tracks, etc)
• On the FCR, 'Transmit Switch - IFF OUT (OUTBOARD) (Short) will remove datalink tracks (can then use the above to return them)
• In DGFT mode with HOB missiles equipped and the default settings, holding the 'Radar Cursor/Enable Switch' will slave the HOB seeker to your HMCS so you can point at off-bore targets with your head and fire, without having to go in and change slave modes just for that - it's a nice temporary switch, after which the seeker goes back to being slaved to radar lock
• Press the 'Radar/Cursor Enable Switch' in A2G to change firing modes for e.g. Mavericks, to quickly swap VIS/PRE/etc

What are some interesting HOTAS shortcuts and related information that you've found, that you think other players have possibly overlooked?

(Side-note; if anyone knows how to change the number of bars [the actual height, not elevation or azimuth] of the radar scan volume using the HOTAS and not the OSB/MFD buttons, let me know!)

Edited March 10 by HateDread

[wkth]

DMS down long disables/enables HMCS is .. probably well known (although I've seen quite a few youtube videos where people do "toggle" it with the brightness/off knob)  but very nice if you don't know it. At least I find the HMCS a bit disturbing if I'm not actively using it and just being able to toggle it with DMS down long is really convenient.

[llOPPOTATOll]

If you depress and hold the stick pinky switch it activates HSD ZOOM which goes to centroid and the lowest zoom level to see your flight. Useful for formation management 

[Mollerz]

"In DGFT mode with HOB missiles equipped and the default settings, holding the 'Radar Cursor/Enable Switch' will slave the HOB seeker to your HMCS so you can point at off-bore targets with your head and fire, without having to go in and change slave modes just for that - it's a nice temporary switch, after which the seeker goes back to being slaved to radar lock"

 

Holding TMS UP does this by making the ellipse appear. Is using the 'Radar Cursor/Enable Switch' different?

 

 

 

[Py]

On 3/22/2024 at 12:44 AM, Mollerz said:

Holding TMS UP does this by making the ellipse appear. Is using the 'Radar Cursor/Enable Switch' different?

The ellipse is pointing the radar to attempt a HMCS boresight lock, but the missile seeker is still caged and doesn't slew to the target until you get a radar lock (in slave mode, the default).

Holding Radar Cursor/Enable temporarily swaps modes (to bore mode in this case) which slews the actual missile seeker, so you can fire a sidewinder immediately without a radar lock just by looking at the target. Sometimes it takes a few seconds to get a radar lock so this can be a lifesaver. Also the AIM-9X can be fired at a wider angle than the radar can slew, and they will get no radar lock warning.

[Mollerz]

11 hours ago, Py said:

The ellipse is pointing the radar to attempt a HMCS boresight lock, but the missile seeker is still caged and doesn't slew to the target until you get a radar lock (in slave mode, the default).

Holding Radar Cursor/Enable temporarily swaps modes (to bore mode in this case) which slews the actual missile seeker, so you can fire a sidewinder immediately without a radar lock just by looking at the target. Sometimes it takes a few seconds to get a radar lock so this can be a lifesaver. Also the AIM-9X can be fired at a wider angle than the radar can slew, and they will get no radar lock warning.

Oh wow that is awesome. Thanks!

[Prime]

Holding the uncage button in Air to Ground mode will cycle to Gun Strafe Mode. However this is not implemented in DCS. 

[_SteelFalcon_]

On 3/24/2024 at 5:00 AM, Prime said:

Holding the uncage button in Air to Ground mode will cycle to Gun Strafe Mode. However this is not implemented in DCS. 

There‘s a thread for this in wishlist, although ED seems to be lacking evidence so far.

 

[Moonshine]

apparently marked as "planned" in this post

[_SteelFalcon_]

Good catch. Only 2 more weeks then  

[Keith Briscoe]

Can't believe there is no hotas shortcut to access gun strafe mode.

[Furiz]

3 hours ago, Keith Briscoe said:

Can't believe there is no hotas shortcut to access gun strafe mode.

Some people you can read like an open book

[Keith Briscoe]

huh?

[Tenkom]

In Vis/DTOS modes, and also HUD Markpoint mode, Tms up Long will slave SPI to HMCS so you can look at something on the ground and set your SPI there. HUD needs to be SOI for it to work I believe.

[Elof]

Radar Cursor/Enable where is this in adjust controls. Being trying to find it.

 

[Furiz]

16 minutes ago, Elof said:

Radar Cursor/Enable where is this in adjust controls. Being trying to find it.

 

Its called ENABLE Switch - Depress

[RyanR]

The "enable" tip is really neat. If I recall, you need the same button to align the HMCS on the ground, so it's handy to have mapped.

Thanks!

-Ryan

[Willdass]

Uncage with LG down to declutter the lower part of the HUD & remove ILS info. Useful on short final.

Edited April 13 by Willdass

[Fuggzy]

Surely lots of people know this one, it's clutch:  press/hold the EXPAND/FOV button (I think it's called that -- it's the pinky button on the stick) in any mode with HSD up but not SOI, and it zooms-in around your plane on the HSD.  I use it pretty constantly to keep track of my flight's positions in a grinder or when the HSD is cluttered. It's also lightyears easier to put a PDLT on a plane with HSD as SOI and click the button twice for max zoom.  I used to never touch that button, now I'm wearing it out. 

Kudos to @HateDread for this thread.  I had no idea about using Cursor Enable to get the AIM-9x seeker in bore mode on the HMCS, that is PURE GOLD.  No more reaching for the mouse to switch to BORE mode!  This saves at least 3 precious seconds in a merge, LOVE IT.

[WHOGX5]

5 hours ago, Fuggzy said:

Surely lots of people know this one, it's clutch:  press/hold the EXPAND/FOV button (I think it's called that -- it's the pinky button on the stick) in any mode with HSD up but not SOI, and it zooms-in around your plane on the HSD.  I use it pretty constantly to keep track of my flight's positions in a grinder or when the HSD is cluttered. It's also lightyears easier to put a PDLT on a plane with HSD as SOI and click the button twice for max zoom.  I used to never touch that button, now I'm wearing it out. 

Kudos to @HateDread for this thread.  I had no idea about using Cursor Enable to get the AIM-9x seeker in bore mode on the HMCS, that is PURE GOLD.  No more reaching for the mouse to switch to BORE mode!  This saves at least 3 precious seconds in a merge, LOVE IT.

Just to add to your point, holding Pinky Switch Long will not only zoom in your HSD, but it will zoom your HSD to the lowest possible scale where all your LINK 16 flight members are still visible, so it's a really useful tool to get situational awareness on your own flight. This works irregardless of SOI as far as I'm aware.

I'll also add my own point, which is that when you've assigned a PDLT on the HSD, you can use TMS Right Short to cycle your PDLT between all visible LINK 16 tracks on your HSD. Very handy when there is a lot of stuff on there.