Hellfire won’t fire for some reason

[Loadie]

Hi all,

 

starting to learn the Apache, love it so far. I’m going through the DCS training modules and when I try to fire the hellfire it just won’t fire.

 

i get to the point in the training module where I pull the trigger to the second detent but nothing happens.

 

Here is what I do. Find the tank in the scenario, zoom in, pull the trigger on the Virpil Alpha stick to the first detent. The laser gives me the 1500m range and the large box is illuminated. Then I pull the trigger to the second detent, but nothing happens fire and the large box turns to a small box with hash/dashed marks. I also noticed that the hellfire shows AT and then AR I believe when I pull the second detent on the trigger. Does this make sense? I have the keys bound to detent 1 the first trigger position, then second detent for the same, second. 
 

help please…..

[Floyd1212]

I'm not sure I follow exactly how you have your binds setup, but it sounds like you have LRFD on the 1st detent of your trigger, and weapon release trigger on the second detent?

This sounds like an unusual configuration.  You might consider binding the LRFD to something completely different than the weapon release trigger.

As for the issue itself, when you go to the 2nd detent on the trigger to riffle the missile, does that laser stop designating since you moved off the first detent?

[Gunnar81]

I could be off here but isn't there a trigger guard or lock that can be toggled and/or shut off in the special options menu? Its been a while since I played around in the Apache so maybe I'm thinking of a different module.

Edited December 18, 2024 by Gunnar81

[LorenLuke]

3 hours ago, Loadie said:

Here is what I do. Find the tank in the scenario, zoom in, pull the trigger on the Virpil Alpha stick to the first detent. The laser gives me the 1500m range and the large box is illuminated. Then I pull the trigger to the second detent, but nothing happens fire and the large box turns to a small box with hash/dashed marks. I also noticed that the hellfire shows AT and then AR I believe when I pull the second detent on the trigger. Does this make sense? I have the keys bound to detent 1 the first trigger position, then second detent for the same, second. 
 

help please…..

Try binding the first trigger pull on your Alpha (the flippy trigger) to the RHG trigger (LRFD) second detent, and the second trigger on your alpha (the back one with two detents) to the LHG trigger (weapons trigger) first and second detent. 

To launch pull the flip trigger back to get a lase, and then with a big box, pull into the first detent of the second trigger to launch the missile. 

This is how I have my alpha bound for the CP/G Seat.

[Loadie]

2 hours ago, Floyd1212 said:

I'm not sure I follow exactly how you have your binds setup, but it sounds like you have LRFD on the 1st detent of your trigger, and weapon release trigger on the second detent?

This sounds like an unusual configuration.  You might consider binding the LRFD to something completely different than the weapon release trigger.

As for the issue itself, when you go to the 2nd detent on the trigger to riffle the missile, does that laser stop designating since you moved off the first detent?

Yes, that’s what I’m doing. I’ll try to setup like another poster below yours. See if that works first.

57 minutes ago, Gunnar81 said:

I could be off here but isn't there a trigger guard or lock that can be toggled and/or shut off in the special options menu? Its been a while since I played around in the Apache so maybe I'm thinking of a different module.

There is a 3 position trigger on the Alpha. The guard is 1, then the trigger itself has 2. But, it was suggested that I use the trigger guard as the laser then use the trigger itself as just that. I think that’s what he said.

5 minutes ago, LorenLuke said:

Try binding the first trigger pull on your Alpha (the flippy trigger) to the RHG trigger (LRFD) second detent, and the second trigger on your alpha (the back one with two detents) to the LHG trigger (weapons trigger) first and second detent. 

To launch pull the flip trigger back to get a lase, and then with a big box, pull into the first detent of the second trigger to launch the missile. 

This is how I have my alpha bound for the CP/G Seat.

I will give this a shot 100% tomorrow, thanks much!

[LorenLuke]

39 minutes ago, Loadie said:

There is a 3 position trigger on the Alpha. The guard is 1, then the trigger itself has 2. But, it was suggested that I use the trigger guard as the laser then use the trigger itself as just that. I think that’s what he said.

I'll admit that I've fiddle with the software a bit so I'm not completely sure your bind outputs are the same buuuuut, I figure I can try to clarify for absolute clarity, since I have the old Alpha and the binds are slightly different from the modern pro model.
First off, the trigger guard setting doesn't apply to using the TEDAC Right- and Left-Hand Grips (RHG/LHG), but the pilot stick. The Copilot does have one of their own, but most of the functions on that stick exist on the TEDAC hand grips, and those should be bound instead. The in-game trigger guard should be something you only worry about in the pilot's seat (and only if the special setting is enabled for it, which I don't think it is by default).

For the Copilot/Gunner controls using my constellation alpha:
The first trigger, when flipped forward is bind 1, when pulled it's bind 2. When the second trigger is pulled halfway it's bind 3, and when pulled until it clicks and stops moving is 4.

Bind 2 to the second detent of the laser (RHG trigger, second detent) , bind 3 to the weapon trigger first detent (LHG trigger first detent), and bind 4 to the weapon trigger second detent:

null

Nothing: 

Lasing only: 

 

Shooting:
null

[admiki]

It's probably trigger guard as Gunnar stated.

LRFD is inconsequental for firing Hellfires.

[LorenLuke]

2 hours ago, admiki said:

It's probably trigger guard as Gunnar stated.

LRFD is inconsequental for firing Hellfires.

It would be, methinks, except that they claim they lost the big box when following through with the trigger pull, which makes it seem like there's some sort of bind that loses the laser, unless I'm completely misinterpreting what's being said. 

[admiki]

You are correct in that regard, but you don't need laser to fire Hellfire.

[Loadie]

Got it sorted out, lol.. my fault, as usual…… So I thought that it was simple trigger issue. I didn’t realize that you need both left and right triggers to work to shoot. I now have it working.

 

thanks everyone for your help, greatly appreciated!

[admiki]

5 hours ago, Loadie said:

both left and right triggers

What are these?

[LorenLuke]

8 hours ago, admiki said:

What are these?

Likely referring to the TEDAC, and (kilo) hellfires requiring a lase of some sort to track. 

[admiki]

Tracking has nothing to do with firing HF Kilo.

You do not need a laser to fire laser guided missile.

[LorenLuke]

28 minutes ago, admiki said:

Tracking has nothing to do with firing HF Kilo.

You do not need a laser to fire laser guided missile.

While technically correct, I feel that your missing the point as they see it. While you don't need a lase, strictly speaking, you do, however, need either an acquisition source in constraints, or valid laser energy detected and in constraints. If you don't have the first one (which someone just beginning to learn the module may not know how to do), then a laser is required. A self-lase dead ahead is the most rudimentary and straightforward way to obtain a valid launch condition, and is likely what is meant in this case.

[Loadie]

LorenLuke, thanks for explaining that, suffice to say, I have it working for me now…… Well, I did, until I hooked up the Moza AB9 FFB base. Now, I’m completely lost. That’s gonna be another steep learning curve, lol

[LorenLuke]

12 hours ago, Loadie said:

LorenLuke, thanks for explaining that, suffice to say, I have it working for me now…… Well, I did, until I hooked up the Moza AB9 FFB base. Now, I’m completely lost. That’s gonna be another steep learning curve, lol

If you look at your VPC configuration tool that you have for virpil stuff, one of the things I noticed is that any joystick device is labeled by it's base and then you gotta be like 'This has a constellation alpha grip on it' or whatever, somewhere in the menu. So even if you use the same grip, it's considered a different device (which would have different binds) because the device is the base itself. The good news is that if you bind it the same as you had before, it should behave the same as well (as far as I know, anyway; certainly as far as the laser and shooting the hellfires are concerned). 

[Greyman]

On 12/19/2024 at 7:08 PM, admiki said:

You do not need a laser to fire laser guided missile.

As I found, probably to some innocents' cost, when pressing the spacebar, in response to a mission prompt. 

I've since cleared the default keyboard spacebar binding, to avoid a repeat.  

Edited February 15 by Greyman