Datalink setup bug?

[skypickle]

Following WAGs video,

1) comm page: set origin ID

2) comm page: select preset, then  edit 'preset edit' (B6) - now I can select unit ID (my group), call sign, and 'PRIMARY'

My Preset 4 has the text 'FM2' in it as default.

Boxing 'PRIMARY' brings me to a frequency selection table. If i selecta  different frequency (for example FM1 SC') I jump back to the 'preset edit' page and now 'FM1 SC' appears under the word 'PRIMARY' If however, I unbox Preset edit, I come back to the main comm page which says FM2 in PRESET 4. FM1 seems to have not been selected. How can a primary channel be selected when it is not shown on the preset on the main comm page?

 

I CAN add FM1 by going to the main comm page, selecting preset 4, and selecting FM1 from the top row (T3). This pops up a selector box at the bottom right where I can specify FH,FH/M,SC using B4 to B6. Now preset 4 has FM1 and FM2. But if I hit the Primary button, it still says FM1. In fact I can assign any channel to primary and the the preset will still only show FM1 and FM2. 

 

Ultimately, I can add a whole bunch of channel frequencies to preset 4 using the buttons in the top row. But then how can I delete them? It seems preset 4 has those channels forever unless I assign one of them to another preset.

Edited March 25 by skypickle
spelling

[Amarok_73]

Think of a preset as a template, containing predefined settings for all types of radio (except HF, which is not implemented yet), as well as a data link, the parameters of which can be changed as needed. It is up to you to decide which of the frequencies available in a given preset you will use to assign to the selected radio types, i.e. you can choose that Victor (VHF) and FM1 radios should have the frequency from the preset you have called "Kitten", Uniform (UHF) from the preset "Auntie", and FM2 from the "Kebab" preset. You confirm the frequency selection by pressing the B5 button (the one labeled "SC" - single channel).
In the Datalink settings itself, it is important that the "Originator ID" is unique for each of the helicopters taking part in the mission and this is probably the only parameter that determines the occurrence of possible errors in Datalink operation. The rest of the settings, such as Callsign (C/S) or preset names, are simply decorations that do not affect the operation of Datalink itself.
As for the values that can be entered in "Originator ID", these are values from the range (if I remember correctly) 0-39, A-Z, 1A-1Z, 2A-2Z or 3A-3I, which gives a total of 127 available identifiers.
And of course, it is best to arrange the preset settings in such a way that they make using them as simple as possible depending on the phase of the mission, i.e., for example, you have a separate preset for the departure airport where the Victor frequency is set to tower, a separate one for the arrival airport with the same radio set to tower frequency of the arrival airport, but in all presets you have the same Uniform frequency, because you communicate with the HQ on it, and FM1 for communication within the package, and a separate preset with FM2 frequency specific to JTAC, whose services you may need to use during the mission . But of course it can be planned completely differently and from what I know, pilots usually spend a lot of time planning the so-called "communication ladder", and thus also setting presets, which are later loaded into the helicopter's computer using DTC.
This is in a very general outline and probably not entirely consistent with real-life practice, and @NeedzWD40 would probably have more acurate and detailed information, but for me this approach is enough to sort out this topic.
 

Edited March 26 by Amarok_73

[skypickle]

I know you are trying to help but your words are a surreal poetic stream that do not seem to address my question. Kittens, aunties, kebabs? Presets for communication with tower-? Im setting up datalink and the dl switch will be used to select which preset will b used for datalink.

[Amarok_73]

The DL switch is used to select the radio that will be used to exchange data via Datalink, not a preset. The settings of this radio can come from a preset or manual settings. If L1, L2 or L3, which are network identifiers, are not visible on the EUFD, next to the radio you selected using the DL rocker, it means that the setup required to support Datalink is not active on this radio.

EDIT: It would be way easier to explain in some live training session.

Edited March 27 by Amarok_73

[skypickle]

thanks. will do.

[markturner1960]

@amarok...if you fancy hosting such a live training, I would be keen to join it......

[Amarok_73]

10 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

@amarok...if you fancy hosting such a live training, I would be keen to join it......

Sure, I'm available almost every evening and I usually practice these topics.

[NeedzWD40]

@Amarok_73 has done a good job of explaining the why, but I'll try and answer as well.

The PRIMARY box under the PRESET EDIT menu is only an indication as to what the primary radio is for that preset. It simply highlights the radio, frequency, settings, plus puts an arrow next to it. It's for a quick at-a-glance overview of the preset for awareness/coordination. Suffice to say that it's entirely contextual in how/why this functionality is used, and normally in much busier commo environments than we simulate in DCS.

In here, I've edited my first preset to be called A-CHAN and the callsign to be ACH. In addition, I've replaced all the frequencies with custom ones. The PRIMARY is still VHF for that preset, thus VHF is highlighted and arrowed. However, I've gone through the top row for each radio and tuned them to the frequency in the preset, which is indicated under the left side with V U 1 2 H. This all means that right now, all my radios are tuned to the first preset as indicated. Unless I tune the radios differently (EUFD, COM preset, COM manual setting), they'll stay on that frequency until changed -- there's no deleting of a radio from a preset.

This is entirely an organizational thing: Instead of PRESET 1 I might instead call it BDE HQ, whereupon the frequencies preset are all the available frequencies that brigade headquarters is on, but the primary might be the VHF radio. I might have PRESET 2 as my inter-flight frequencies, where FM1 is the primary radio used, and so on. The idea is that instead of punching in numbers to tune radios each time, you simply select a preset for a known party (ie JTAC), select their primary radio, then select the appropriate mode. This applies whether you're speaking of datalinks or commo. The PRIMARY just makes a fancy highlight so you don't end up calling Juan's Taco Joint for a fire mission because you selected FM2 instead of FM1.

The second half is the EUFD, where the DL rocker comes into play. All five radios can be used for the datalink and each crewmember can independently select a radio for the datalink. Your crewstation is an open box indicator, while the other crewstation is a diamond. For example, the pilot can use the VHF radio to send a datalink message to brigade, while the gunner can use FM1 to send a datalink target to nearby flight members.

TL;DR: Presets are just a way to tune radios for both commo and datalink. Select your preset, select your radio, select mode at the bottom, and voila: radio tuned to that frequency. Use EUFD DL rocker to select radio for datalink, RTS to select for commo.