Appropriate TACAN channel for tanker?

[Drevin]

Hello. I've created for myself a small mission, so I could practice AAR. I picked a KC-130, and I gave her a random 55X TACAN channel. It works all nice. But, since I can't really do AAR yet, I've kept watching different videos on the matter. And in some of these videos I noticed that I'm supposed to hit the A/A button while setting my TACAN to find the tanker. But in my scenario, I don't have to do this, in fact if I choose A/A, I lose the tanker's signal.

So this made me wonder. Is my 55X randomly picked channel inappropriate for a tanker? Would a tanker's TACAN channel be assigned by a special rule? What would be an appropriate channel for me to assign to the tanker in the mission editor, for a more realistic setting? I'd kinda prefer to have to pick A/A because that would seem more appropriate, since the tanker is indeed in the air.

Thank you.

[Wrecking Crew]

I am prolly not answering your question, so I hope this helps.

I've picked this info up over the years, it's what I use...

Tanker Friendly Altitudes & Speeds
KC-130 is all tactical drogue, KC-135 is all boom, KC-135MPRS is all drogue
KC-130 Tanker Freq 298 MHz AM, "Shell", 9Y, "SHL", 15,000' @ 336 kts, for AV-8, drouge
KC-135 Tanker Freq 297 MHz AM, "Arco", 10Y "ARC", 12,000' @ 310 kts, for A-10, boom
KC-135 -- 20,000' @ 410 kts, for F-15C & F-16, boom
KC-135MPRS Freq 296 MHz AM, "Texaco", 11Y "TEX", 23,000' @ 430 kts, for F-14 & F/A-18, drogue
IL-78M Tanker Freq 290 MHz AM, 23,000' @ 430 kts, for Su-33

AWACS Freq 277 MHz AM, "Overlord", 24,000' @ 450
EWR Freq 280 AM, "Axeman"

Stennis Carrier Freq 380 MHz AM, TACAN Bearing 74X "STE", ICLS 11
Tarawa Freq 390 MHz AM, TACAN 75X "TAR", ICLS 12

--

For 250 kias. To get this set the Speed in the Mission Editor as follows:
30,000 ft. 400 kts
25,000 ft. 375 kts
20,000 ft. 350 kts
15,000 ft. 325 kts
10,000 ft. 300 kts
For intermediate heights, change it by 5 kts per 1000 ft.

---

Frequency Band Designations - AM Unless Specified:
30-37 (FM): Blue Ground
50-57 (FM): Red Ground
216-227: Red FARPs
228-239: Blue FARPs
271-276: Red AWACS/GCI
277-282: Blue AWACS/GCI
290-295: Red Tankers
296-302: Blue Tankers
304-314: Red Flights
315-326: Blue Flights
361-379: Red Ships
380-399: Blue Ships

TACANS
X Channels for Ground/Ships
Y Channels for Tankers/Air Units
32-43: Red
2-11, 50-80: Blue

 

WC's Flags.txt

[Drevin]

Thank you, but it didn't seem to change anything. I switched the channel to 9Y, even changed the radio frequency to 298.000. I can still get the tanker's bearing and range without activating A/A.

[Mistermann]

Easy Comms set?

[Drevin]

1 hour ago, Mistermann said:

Easy Comms set?

Not sure what you mean. I set the tanker's radio on 298.000 MHz in the mission editor, and I gave my plane the same frequency on channel 1, on both Comm 1 and Comm 2, also on ME, so I don't bother setting the radio all the time on every flight.

If you're talking about some game option, I'd have to recheck, but I set my options as realistic as I can, minus turbulence, if I recall correctly.

[Trigati]

I think it was an older implementation of the Tacan that got changed. So now you dont use the AA mode. I guess some of the videos you mention might just be that old.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rob10]

2 hours ago, Trigati said:

I think it was an older implementation of the Tacan that got changed. So now you dont use the AA mode. I guess some of the videos you mention might just be that old.

This is the answer.  You shouldn't use A-A mode with the tankers currently.  Use that for TCN yardstick between planes, but that's it.