2 questions: countermeasures&radio

[maxmax]

Hi guys,

 

Been playing a (short) while now. Have been trying out the Hideout mission.

 

Two questions arise from this mission:

 

1. How do I use radio to communicate with other jets in the mission? I probably also need to contact my wingman since I always leave without him. That makes him a sad pilot. Also, that makes me more vulnerable.

 

So the question is: how do I communicate with radio? With black shark i just press ' and it works. In A10 the manual says F10 but that brings up map. Also says \ but nothin happens. I also set it to = but nothing happens.

 

2. How do I use countermeasures in the most effective manner? I guess I'm doing it wrong since I always get shot down. I know theres a missile heading for me (from a Tor) and the auto-countermeasuers starts shooting flares&chaffs but I stlll get hit while trying to outmaneuvre the missile with the aid of the chaffs.

 

Do I need to set the system to look for older/never generation of anti-air? I remember reading something like that somewhere. That would also require the pilot to immediately recognice what kind of missile is heading his way.

 

So far I don't make a program for the countermeasures, just use the default program A.

 

Again, if i managed to write this in the wring place, i apologize.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Zomba]

Semi-auto is best for counter measures as it will pick the right ECM mode and Chaff/Flare program for you, but you will have to initiate it seperately for ECM or Chaff/Flares. The advantage is that you can moderate your Chaff/Flare usage so you don't run out too soon.

 

ECM and Dispensed CM are not magic bullets that make you impervious to SAMs. At best the ECM can be used to prevent a SAM system from getting a decent lock on you unless you are much closer than normal, so it allows you to close with them to engage. You can use Chaff/Flares like this as well, as a pre-emptive measure. These things can help with making life a bit harder for the SAMs tracking radar being able to effectivelly guide it's missile onto you once launched.

 

The more modern the SAM system is, the more resistent to ECM and Chaff/Flares it generally tends to be. To the point that it may only give you a slightly better advantage than going without it. The SA-15 Tor is a very capable system and is designed to engage low level aircraft and helicopters rapidly to protect armoured units on the move. If it detects you within it's kill range it should be able to launch in under 7 seconds. Even though it has a relatively short range, it makes up for it with it's very rapid engagement time (Aided by a lot of system automation) and it's modern radar and electronics system.

 

The effect of all of this to you is that the Tor seems to pop up out of nowhere and all of a sudden you are being launched on. By that stage, unless you are on the very fringe of his maximum range and can turn 180 to get outside his missile envelope, things are not looking good for you.

 

A good way to counter SA-15s if you think they may be about is not to charge in at high speed, but instead fly at high speed perpendicular to it's suspected area and slowly inch your way towards it. E.G. if you think it is to the East then fly North and South (or NNE and SSW) and fly a little bit more to the East every pass. With patience you should get to that rather small zone where his search radar will spike you on the RWR, but are still too far away for him to launch.

 

To kill him you can either fly about 22'000 feet above his elevation and bomb, which is not always possible. Engage him at about 15mi engagement range using Force-Correlate that is availiable on some of the Electro-Optical maverick varients or, if possible, sneak in under his radar using the terrain to mask you and popping up when you are within normal Maverick range (About <7.5mi) and quickly engaging him and then dropping back down under the radar. This last one is very risky, but a lot of fun and very rewarding.

[Zomba]

http://www.enemyforces.net/missiles/tor.htm

[maxmax]

Thanks for the info, will try it out tonight. I think I'm using the more complicated radio, but I will have a look at that tonight :)

 

The problem with the countermeasures is that with the Hideout mission the ingress point is really close to the target area. So by the time I've located the targets and locked the maverick the Tor has already fired a missile. So even though my maverick takes out the Tor, the Tor also manages to take me down.

 

But maby i can circle and use A-G mode from further away to locate targets and then slave the maverick to that point?

 

Maverick is nearly impossible to locate targets with, except at close range and by then you are basically dead. Also, I find it difficult to slew the mav, even with autpilot on. Is there any way to "stabilize" it, so it doesn't keep moving around?

 

Thanks!

[BiPod]

Thanks for the info, will try it out tonight. I think I'm using the more complicated radio, but I will have a look at that tonight :)

 

The problem with the countermeasures is that with the Hideout mission the ingress point is really close to the target area. So by the time I've located the targets and locked the maverick the Tor has already fired a missile. So even though my maverick takes out the Tor, the Tor also manages to take me down.

 

But maby i can circle and use A-G mode from further away to locate targets and then slave the maverick to that point?

 

Maverick is nearly impossible to locate targets with, except at close range and by then you are basically dead. Also, I find it difficult to slew the mav, even with autpilot on. Is there any way to "stabilize" it, so it doesn't keep moving around?

 

Thanks!

 

You can ground stabilize the Maverick with TMS Aft Short and don't forget to reduce the slew rate (UFC [2] then press "slew" OSB on the maverick page). But I prefer to search with the TGP and slave the mav to it.

 

For the Hideout mission:

Don't come too close until the SEAD flight has taken out the SAM. You trigger the strike by talking to the [?AWACS?]. Just keep talking and they will call it in.

 

Cheers,

BiPod.

[Wayc00lio]

TMS down will ground stabilise the mav seaker head. But you can use the TGT Pod to find the tgt, then slew the mav seaker to the spi from the TGT Pod. Then keep pressing TMS up till you get a lock then shoot.

[nomdeplume]

If it's a user-triggered strike, it will be done via the F10 "other" comms menu. i.e. use any of the MIC switches to open the comms menu, select F10, and you'll probably have an option there to get the mission moving.

 

The "Other" menu houses all mission-specific "radio commands".

[maxmax]

Thanks for all the quick replies. Now I know how to spend my evening :)

[RodBorza]

For the Hideout mission:

Don't come too close until the SEAD flight has taken out the SAM. You trigger the strike by talking to the [?AWACS?]. Just keep talking and they will call it in.

 

Cheers,

BiPod.

 

I'm playing the Georgia Hammer Campaign and yes, the Area of Operations is very close to the air base (Batumi). So, once you clear the runway, turn your ECM on and do the same for MAVs and the TGP.

 

Also, as BiPod said, wait for the SEAD to clear the area. There are lots of other flights coming in and out of the AO, so don't go straight and hot for it until the area is clear. How do you know it is clear? When you see the number of spikes on your RWR diminish drastically. Also, if you look outside, you'll see the other flights bombarding the enemy air defenses and artillery. (nice view!)

 

Well, at least this is how it's been working on the campaign so far.

I remember first mission was a simple "bomb the bridge" mission, and I got shot down three times. So in the 4th time I waited and after SEAD cleared it up, I went in and sent the bridge sky high.

Other missions things got easier, as there should be with a rolling air/ground attack happening 24/7.

 

If it's a user-triggered strike, it will be done via the F10 "other" comms menu. i.e. use any of the MIC switches to open the comms menu, select F10, and you'll probably have an option there to get the mission moving.

 

The "Other" menu houses all mission-specific "radio commands".

 

If you look at the Guard Channel (usually UHF AM) you'll see the F-10 option. Also, keep an ear out for AWACS calls. If they say "group, hot, 20" it is time to call the CAS. The CAS are nice F-18 or F-16 loitering over the lake, and then they'll come to the rescue. Very nice to avoid that pesky Su-25 or MIG-29 from taking you down.

 

After the CAS patrol your area, they'll RTB. But keep listening to the guard channel. From time to time you'll hear that some flight is airborne. (from an aircraft carrier stationed somewhere in the coast...the level of detail in this game is amazing!)

Check again in the F-10 to see if a new CAS or SEAD flight is available and use them if the threats are still around.

 

About the ECM. As everybody said, the best one is Semi-Auto. It'll choose the best program for you and you'll have to manually turn the program on/off. (program it on your HOTAS, makes things a lot easier).

However, in Beta 4, the ECM pod does not start jamming. Beta 6, hopefully, will have ir corrected.

Edited February 15, 2011 by RodBorza

[maxmax]

Managed to do the radio. Not difficult when you find the right buttons to push and know the frequencies.

 

I managed to shoot+bomb a lot of enemies. But at some point my wingman got shot down and I was on my own. So I ran out of ammo and had to use cannon+unguided missiles. So I got a bit close and a bmp got me.

 

Getting better though :)

 

Oh, and is there a button for autopilot? would make mavericks a lot faster.

 

I still find mavericks hard to use. You never really know what you are aiming for since the zoom level isnt really that great. Just aiming for whatever the missile manages to lock on to.

 

Probably doing it wrong. More reading for me.

[RodBorza]

Nikola is right, trying to lock on targets with the Maverick is very dificult. Use the TGP with its zoom power to get a view of target.

Also, even with TGP, sometimes it is difficult to find that target. Listen to JTAC instructions carefully, when he says that the targets are "0 nautical west, 2 nautical northeast, 3 nautical east". It helps a lot to find and detect targets.

 

For MAVs use, I recommend the following links:

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3171145/How_to_use_weapons_Picture_gui.html#Post3171145

 

And a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1IoF2xKBCI

[maxmax]

This might be obvious or silly. But anyway. How exactly does one designate target with TGP, make SPI and then slave all sensors to SPI?

 

When I press V long or HOTAS China hat forward it sets the waypoint as SPI, not the target i just aimed for with TGP, for example a BMP. Do I need to have the TGP as SOI? I tried that yesterday, and I have the feeling that the mav was aimed for the waypoint not the target.

 

Also, the maverick target point keeps moving around so you need to "fight" it. I guess thats just the way it is, and I need to target via the tgp?

 

Is there a checklist available somewhere? Otherwise I'll make one as soon as I understand this monster of a machine.

[maxmax]

Oh, and thanks for the links RodBorza. Had a quick look and it seems very useful!

[BiPod]

-Lock with the TGP then TMS forward long to make the TGP target the SPI (TMS forward long makes any SOI target the SPI).

-Switch to Mavericks and make the maverick the SOI then press China hat forward long.

-The mav will now slew to the target but you will still need to lock it (brief slew or TMS forward short).

 

There are several variations to this which you will discover for yourself. As you have suggested, the whole process is a bit awkward, but it will soon become second nature as you become more at ease with the process. Try to slew the mavs while flying level until you get expert at it. Practice practice practice!

 

I have the feeling that the mav was aimed for the waypoint not the target.

 

Hehehe...I've done that more than once with my laser guided bombs. The pilot workload is extreme while you are learning, and it's easy to miss obvious errors.:)

 

BiPod.

[RodBorza]

Oh, and thanks for the links RodBorza. Had a quick look and it seems very useful!

 

No problem. Glad to help.

 

There are several variations to this which you will discover for yourself. As you have suggested, the whole process is a bit awkward, but it will soon become second nature as you become more at ease with the process. Try to slew the mavs while flying level until you get expert at it. Practice practice practice!

 

BiPod.

 

See what BiPod said: Practice, practice, practice.

 

To use MAVs, I do all the steps you have to do as described above.

However, in order not to use th Active Pause, I usually start from 10 nm from target area, engage autopilot, zoom my viem in the TGP, find the target, make it my SPI, slave all, change to MAVs. Then, as the plane was moving, after all the steps I'm close to the MAV effective range. It is then a matter of TMS Forward Short, lock on, and send it away.

And then, go back to the last waypoint, 10 nm from target area, prepare the ordnance, and do all the process again.

 

Also, a good tatic is to NOT go hot and straight for target area, but 10 degrees off left or right. Example: Your target is at 000 degrees. Before you head its way, put the plane at 350 or 010 degrees before doing all the steps for acquiring target. This way, you'll have some room to maneuver and will not risk overflying the target.

Once you acquire target, change course, put the target symbol on the HUD and "rifle".

Edited February 16, 2011 by RodBorza

[maxmax]

Well, managed to use mavericks. Every missile hit its target. yay :)

 

Now it's just a matter of not crashing and getting back to base. Thanks for the help! Got some good tips.

 

Gbu38's seem to jam on their pods quite often though. My fault or just a feature?

[RodBorza]

Good to know that you managed it!

 

Two questions:

1) Why are you crashing? Are you not enganging the Autopilot to search and lock on targets?

2) What do you mean by "jam"? Wouldn't it be "stores hung" warning?

For JDAMs you need to pay attention to when to drop them by looking at the HUD. Look at the link I sent to you. And when you have the release cue, you need to press and HOLD the button. If you press and release, they will not drop and you'll get the hang store warning.

[maxmax]

1. I am crashing because of using outside view to check if I'm being shot at. That's just dumb and my own fault. I also crash because i get shot down when using cannon. Just going a bit too close, that's also dumb and my own fault.

 

2. By jam I meant to say "Stores hung". Just coulnd't figure out the word when I was writing it.

I need to look at shooting gbu38 again. The aiming looks different from 12's, which i can use with ease. Just haven't figured out the aiming with 38's. Will have to do that :)

 

And I always keep the trigger pressed, never just click it. But perhaps I did that by mistake and got the "stores hung" error. Is there any way to correct it? If not, any way to clear the error message since it takes up a large portion of the screens.

[nomdeplume]

I need to look at shooting gbu38 again. The aiming looks different from 12's, which i can use with ease.

 

GBU-38 / -31 are IMO the easiest weapons in the game to use. Just fly toward your target (SPI) and wait for the triangles around the range circle that indicate the maximum and minimum range to expand. Then wait until the range bar unwinds enough to be within those limits. You even get a MAN REL cue on the left of the HUD in case determining when a bar is between two triangles is too hard for you. Then just hold the weapon release button until it goes clunk.

 

Is there any way to correct it? If not, any way to clear the error message since it takes up a large portion of the screens.

You might be able to correct it by resetting the station, although I'm not sure if a) it works and b) it's supposed to work. To clear it, just use TMS LEFT SHORT to acknowledge the message. You should also get an "ACK" on the rightmost button of the bottom row of both MFCDs.

 

Edit: check out this thread for resetting a hung JDAM. Video in question is linked on the very last page. But note the various comments that you wouldn't normally try to re-use a hung store, you'd either jettison it or RTB with it. In either case, you'd be pretty embarrassed. All that training ... :D

Edited February 17, 2011 by nomdeplume

[BiPod]

any way to clear the error message since it takes up a large portion of the screens.

 

TMS left short clears WCNs (Warnings, Cautions, Notices). You may need to press it more than once if there are several notes.

Pressing "ACK" (Acknowledge) on the MFCD will also clear it. "ACK" will appear as a menu option when a message appears.

 

Cheers,

BiPod.

 

EDIT: Pipped at the post by nomdeplume (if that is his real name). Grrrrr... ;)

Edited February 17, 2011 by BiPod

[RodBorza]

1. I also crash because i get shot down when using cannon. Just going a bit too close, that's also dumb and my own fault.

 

A good thing to do while you are learning weapons usage it to do the first Instant Action Mission - Georgia Spring. There are a variety of targets in there, the threat environment is low (but gradually gets higher) and it is a good place to test your skills. I lost count of how many times I did this mission, one eye on the screen other on the manual, making notes and restarting it to do the right way next time.

 

The cannon works nicely for soft targets at long distance. For the A-10 the gun is considered a stand-off weapon. It can destroy trucks, IFVs, Artillery, SAMs up to 12000 ft (2nm) with a half to 1-second burst. The best shooting distance is when the gun distance bar cue is at the 9'o clock position to the 6'o clock position.

 

With thanks, then it is a whole different story. You'll need to get very close ( 3000 feet - 3'o clock position), from behind and give it a full 2 second burst.