DD_Fenrir

Start-up: I just use the clickable cockpit buttons as mapping these would be a waste of something more usefully at your fingertips in combat or wanted in a hurry, i.e. during landing or refuelling (and there's a great deal of those...!) Taxying: having the "Nosewheel Steering" button handy seems a good idea, particularly for airbase ops with their concurrent takeoff/landing rolls but on the boat I find using the default keyboard bind fine as it's generally on and I leave it there. Takeoff: "Wing Sweep Auto", "Full Flaps", "Master Reset Button [for the CADC]" would be my go to choices here. You might able to bind the "Manual Sweep Override Lever" but I find it fine - and satisfying - to use the clickable cockpit. Having all your Trims to your HOTAS mapped is a must, as in all flight regimes you'll be tickling them regularly, particularly pitch. "Launch catapult" is a potential but as you'll only ever need it in that specific situation on one or two occasions in a given mission, why not leave it on the keyboard? most of us have moved it to the Spacebar however, as with a joystick, the default binding for that button to "Trigger" makes it moot and it's a darn sight easier to access than the "LShift+U" combination that the launch command is on by default. "Retract Gear" for once airbourne also recommended, but again, if buttons at a premium, you should only need that on two occasions during an entire mission, so... Landing: The usual run of commands to get your a/c in dirty config for landing, ("Gear Down", Flaps Down", etc). "Hook", sure, but again, it's nicely accessible clickably in 'pit, and you should be getting it down well before you commence the pattern so it shouldn't be coming at a moment of task saturation (unless you forgot it!) and you'll only use it once, so is it worth a HOTAS button? Your call. What I will say is "Speedbrake In/Out" is essential on your HOTAS, and if you have the buttons, "Activate DLC" and the associated "DLC Thumbwheel Up/Down" would also stand you in very good stead. Weapon systems.. now there's a can o' worms. I'll elaborate more on those later....

For which I still have not forgiven him....

Is that speculation/wish on your part Nick or have you a source....?

Personally if you'd budgeted for £120 I'd go for the 32, as DCS can and wil use it - plus you'll have future proofed your RAM requirements for a while.

In the near future the Dedicated Server will have all maps available - as clients you'll individually have to own it to be able to connect if the server is running a payware map when you wish to connect. We would have to open up the decision to a vote as those without a given payware map would be unable to join the Dedicated Server at those times that those missions using payware maps are in rotation and thus we risk excluding certain members from using the Server at certain times.

Hello chaps/chappesses, Think it's safe to upgrade our Skyhawk installations to v1.3 now, not sure about compatibility with host, so if we all smile sweetly at FT and batter our eyelashes, maybe he could install it to the Dedicated Server... Available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sbeGMJ209PwhOIkW8tF9y0q_gvjdoOz2 A-4E-C v1.3.zip is the file you need. If we could all have this by Monday 22/4/19 eve chaps could help pre-empt any potential issues joining the server.

Victory205, an ex-real Tomcat driver posting over at the ED forums has covered everything you need to know about getting Tomcat aboard the Carrier in his post here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=235301 There is a PDF attached. Read it! As an adjunct, he details the functionality of the flaps, slats and spoilers here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=235701 The functionality of the Tomcats hanging-outy bits can seem a bit disingenuous so again, read the attached PDF to familiarise yourself with how, why and when these bits work or don't.

Evening all! "What is SRS and why should we care?!" I hear you cry. SRS stands for Simple Radio Standalone. It was originally developed as a plug-in for TeamSpeak but now runs completely separate - hence the name. Imagine TeamSpeak tied directly to the virtual radio systems in your DCS aircraft. You select a specific channel, on a specific radio and you will only be able to communicate with others on that specific frequency. Change the channel in you virtual cockpit and you change who you can communicate with. Clever, eh? Add to this moves towards making comms sound more realistic, and the ability to simulate various real-world limitations such as line-of-sight only function for certain types, degradation of signal strength over distance, and you can see it's an impressive and immersive little package. Why should you care? Well, for our run-of-the-mill nights it'd be overkill, sure, however as we get a bit more cosy in our various a/c I'd like to move towards some slightly more realistic co-op style missions, with multiple mission types occurring at once - in these cases having everyone on a single comms channel could well prove a bit overwhelming and the ability to at a key juncture be able to filter out some irrelevant chatter about a dogfight 80 miles away could save your ass when your wingman's SAM launch warning isn't squashed by some loud bugger yelling about the bandit he just splashed! Add to this the increasing number of interesting dynamic-theatre based servers other than our own that are out there that almost all use SRS, having it installed and being familiar with how to use it will allow us as a group to descend en-masse into a server other than our own for some away action, or for you yourself to investigate and participate a little more fully on these servers if you fancy moonlighting on your own if no other Dog is around. By no means is this mandatory, and will not replace our Teamspeak comms but I recommend you at least check it out. https://github.com/ciribob/DCS-SimpleRadioStandalone/wiki If you get far enough to set-up your own favourites list, our SRS is running on: 148.251.42.207 I would recommend getting familiar with the in virtual cockpit mic switch button bindings for your particular rides, and have a spare key/button binding to make TeamSpeak Push-to-Talk activated, else it kinda negates the point!

2. Pulse Dopplar Many thanks to Mudspike for putting up the article here: https://www.mudspike.com/dcs-f-15c-combat-guide-for-beginners/ Of which I copy the relevant part below as it sums up what pulse dopplar is all about far better than I could hope to emulate.I recommend dropping in to Mudspike regularly during your internet sojourns to see what other nuggets of info they can furnish you with.

1. Antenna, Scan Areas and Range Lets start with the basic misconception. I have a honking great radar on the front of my awesome supersonic fighter jet, so it can detect any plane too far for me to acquire visually in front of my aircraft, and display it on a nice fat radar screen which upon which can easily see them all and determine friend from foe, and each their altitude, heading and airspeed. THIS IS WRONG. This is the more accurate version: I have a honking great radar on the front of my awesome supersonic fighter jet, that - if I manipulate it correctly - might detect some planes too far for me to acquire visually in a very narrow slice of the sky somewhere in a horizontal 120° arc in front of my aircraft, and display it on a small confusing radar screen that - if I manipulate it correctly - might let me determine friend from foe, and if I'm lucky their altitude, heading and airspeed. Adjust your expectations accordingly... So, lets start at what the antenna can actually see... The main lobe is what we use to do the detecting - in the F-14Bs AN/AWG-9 this is kicking out the bulk of the 10.2 kilowatts (!!!!) of radar energy and sending it down range, relying on the sensitive receiver antennae to pick up the faint reflected returns of anything that got in it's way. Now for the surprise. This main lobe is effectively only 6° wide total. "Hang on a minute, Fen!" I hear you cry, "you said that we can see in a horizontal 120° arc in front of the aircraft! How on earth can a beam only 6° wide see a full 120° arc???" Well, simply it can't and neither can you. Much like walking through an unknown and very dark building with a flashlight, you would naturally scan your beam of light left to right to make sure you're not about to bump into anything nasty. So it is with your radar antenna. It is sweeping left and right to the limits 60° either side of the bore-sight line of your aircraft. At any given snapshot you cannot see the entire 120° arc - any contacts displayed are always shown at the last position they were detected when the antenna last swept over that location. This azimuth sweep is automatic, and commences the moment the radar is turned on and in a search mode (there are modes on which it does not sweep but more of these later) and the speed of the sweep depends on a variety of factors. However the typical time to sweep one half cycle (i.e. From left most to right most limit) is generally around 1-2 seconds depending on the radar. In most of the radar equipped aircraft in DCS that are flyable this is represented on the radar display in some form: as a line on the F/A-18 radar page, similarly on the F-14 DDI and as a carat on the bottom edge of the F-15 radar display are examples. It should be noted that 120 is not the only option for your scan width; there will be times when it is advisable or even mandatory to select a narrower azimuth range to be scanning but more of that later. To be expanded - awaiting still more typing from Fen.....

Gonna start a series of mini-lecture threads to give you guys something to reference to hopefully dispel some misconceptions you may have and increase your understanding of how some of the systems in real-life work and how they are emulated in DCS. We'll start with Radar, as this is not quite the magic, invisible, omniscient eye that some may (thanks to generations of earlier jet-sims with massively over-simplified representations of radar and its capabilities) think it is.

Didn't you know that DCS stands for Disingenuously Contrary Software? ? All part of belonging to the rich tapestry of befuddlement that is DCS old bean!

Lovely little(!) railway there Mark, my Dad's just gotten into US G gauge 1:32 scale (or was it 1:29...?) and is threatening to make a start on the permanent way this summmer. That's alongside the shed he built for his o gauge layout! Seems you can't have enough railways....

Some resources specific to getting lock on dem pesky MiGs in the Cat: Long range for AIM-54 Phoenix: The RIO has full control of the radar in this mode. The RIO should be in TWS mode (Track While Scan). Jester will be in 'TWS Auto' as a default. Make sure as pilot your "MSL PREP" switch is ON, and has been for 2 MIN before attempting to launch. Ensure your Horizontal Situation Display Indicator (HSD) [lower of your two TV screens] is set to TID - use the square topped switch on your right vertical panel by your right virtual knee; it needs to be in the middle position. This offers no control of the radar; it is simply repeating the Radar display that your RIO/Jester is currently manipulating. Hide your Control Stick to get better visibility of the TID. Default keybinding is 'Backspace'. Select your Phoenix missiles by pressing your "Weapon Select UP" switch till you see Sparrow (SP) in your HUD. Then press "Weapon Select PRESS" - note, NOT "Weapon Select DOWN". You should then see see Phoenix (PH) in your HUD and a number below indicating how many of them you have loaded currently. Flick the Master Arm Safety cover up (right click the red-white switch cover on the right hand side of the ACM panel immediately below the HUD) then switch the Master Arm Switch itself to "ON" with a right-click. Jester will call any bogeys/bandits/friendlies detected in the field of view of the radar. He will also try to identify unknowns via IFF. Range is indicated by the dashed lines. Each represents 20 nm, as do the gaps between. Friendlies will have a ̑ symbol above the contact dot. Unknowns will have a ͆ symbol above the contact dot. Hostiles will have a ˆsymbol above the contact dot. Numeral to the left of the contact dot indicates altitude: 0 = 0 - 4,999ft 1 = 5,000 - 14,999ft 2 = 15,000 - 24,999ft 3 = 25,000 - 34,999ft .. and so on. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LOCK ANYTHING AT THIS STAGE. The Weapon Control System (WCS) will automatically start assigning target priority numbers to unknown or hostile contacts. These will appear to the right of the contact dot. They will number as many Phoenixes as you have aboard the aircraft. These targets are all being tracked and are, for want of a better word, soft locked. You do not have to enter any further key inputs. As soon as the target is within maximum theoretical range it will start to flash and you will see a "HOT TRIGGER" light lit on the ACM panel immediately below the HUD. DO NOT FIRE AT THIS POINT. Unless your going 1000mph at 40,000ft and your target is a huge lumbering bomber/transport that can't manoeuvre a damn, you'll be wasting a shot. Let the target(s) get under 40nm (25-30 is best) and then press the trigger - NOT the pickle button - for 1 second to release the first AIM-54 at the first priority target. IT WILL TAKE 2-3 SECONDS TO COME AWAY AS THERE'S A LOTTA SHIT GOING ON! The "HOT TRIGGER" light will extinguish. The priority one target symbol on the TID will change from number 1 to a countdown indicating the missiles Time of Flight. Wait a mo and the "HOT TRIGGER" light will re-light letting you know that Phoenix 2 is ready to fire and will be assigned to the no. 2 prioritised target. Press the trigger for 1 second to release it. Again it will take a few seconds before the missile leaves the aircraft. Rinse repeat until all your Phoenixes are gone. Select your Sparrow missiles with "Weapon Select PRESS" (SP in your HUD) and get ready to pick up any stragglers with PAL lock... see below. Under 20 nautical miles: And some specific Sidewinder modes:

Hey Crash. You have two altimeters to the left hand side of the central green tv screen, one is radar altimeter the other a traditional barometric. These what you're referencing?

I would recommend deleting your "fxo" and "metashaders"/"metashaders 2" folders from your x:\Users\*yourusername*\Saved Games\DCS folder prior to running chaps.

I'll send you some updated missions - Tomcat included - a bit later FT.

Gentlemen, the Cat has landed... You Hornet jocks have some new toys to wrap your grey matter around also. Comprehensive! Gonna be a biggie so get d/ling... As with any large update, I would recommend deleting your "fxo" and "metashaders"/"metashaders 2" folders from your x:\Users\*yourusername*\Saved Games\DCS folder prior to running chaps. DCS AV-8B by RAZBAM Weapon positions fixed MPCD Transparency background fix KC-135 MPRS wingtip vortices position fixed Bitching Betty sounds upgraded Cockpit internal lighting improved Ground Proximity Warning System enabled Previous fixes now added: -Weapon positions fixed -MPCD Transparency background fix -KC-135 MPRS wingtip vortices position fixed -Ground Proximity Warning System enabled Tpod Point track issue Fixed ASL line behavior fixed Fuel Probe Model Changed Training Missions Updated Fuel Probe Model Adjusted to match real airframe DMT can now track moving targets MPCD Brightness control enabled DCS C-101 by AvioDev Improved textures of cockpit structure and front panel Fixed canopy textures Fixed pilot textures All liveries are now also accessible to users that do not own the module Fixed engine failure due to ice accretion Added the following failures: Engine flameout with relight Engine flameout without relight Engine anti-ice failure Chip in oil (including engine damage accumulation if engine is mishandled) GS and LOC signal failures VOR, TACAN, DME, ADF and radio altimeter failures Pitch trim runaway - Nose up Pitch trim runaway - Nose down Control stick pitch trim switch failure Control stick aileron trim switch failure Rudder trim failure Left gear extension fault Left gear retraction fault Right gear extension fault Right gear retraction fault Nose gear extension fault Nose gear retraction fault Flaps fault Front and rear cockpits synchronization in multiplayer (multicrew): Fixed dc bus tie and engine anti-ice syncs Added fuel valve, submerged pump and fuselage fuel quantity syncs Added partially functioning transfer pumps and start-up sequence syncs Fixed fuel pumps synchronization Fixed refueling on ground (Still WIP, can only refuel up to 97% and cannot defuel) Added buffet vibration and sound, due to high angle of attack, high g-force or high airspeed. Fixed refuelling and defuelling processes. Solved issue with engine shutdown at high altitudes when moving throttle in a slightly abrupt way. Added Force Feedback. Fixed emergency fuel lever full travel. It now reaches the max position. Improved buffet. It now vibrates depending not only in G load but also in AoA at high G loads. Added new ejection seat to external model. Added synchronization of the following systems to multicrew: -Canopy (partially working) -Radios priority -Navigation priority -VOR/TCN selector -HSI course/heading selector -Fuel test -Emergency air brake -Emergency landing gear deployment (working partially, only front cockpit) Updated CN localization. Solved issue with telebriefing dimmer moving ADF intercom button. DCS Christen Eagle II by Magnitude 3 LLC Introduction of new pilots and associated textures. DCS Fw 190 D-9 ME, payload. Corrected the order of hardpoints. The asymmetrical loadouts in the ingame payload panel are not possible now. The sensitivity of rotaries EZ42 Gunsight Target Distance Control and EZ42 Gunsight Altitude Aiming Correction Adjusting Knob I is decreased for fine tuning. DCS Bf 109 K-4 Corrected the parking places in the Taxi and Takeoff training mission. DCS F/A-18C MIDS with Link 16 datalink functionality was added Situational Awareness (SA) page basic functionality was added: MSI symbology, PPLI, F/F, and SURV tracks, EW symbols, air defense zones, TUC data, chaff/flares data, waypoints and route, and Sensor subpage IFF was improved: possibility to interrogate target on RDR page with no radar lock Link 16 capable AI aircraft were improved to interact with F/A-18C NCTR function was added Corrected Hornet 1989-OCA.miz Turn rate indication on ADI page was fixed HARM Target of Opportunity (TOO) mode was added Some minor fixes in HARM SP mode Tone for HARM handoff in SP mode was added WYPT indication on HUD will not jumps when heading goes through zero. Switching DDI's from left to right will not causes loss of contacts. On the SA page, the TDC will always be displayed as priority and "over" other symbols. SA TDC will be yellow color. Fixed bug that can caused to ghost contacts on SA page in multiplayer. SA page. Locked donor will be marked star symbol. Only a contact determined as hostile (red, chevron), will have a diamond TD marker on the HUD. Fixed uncommanded roll with crosswind. Added HARM TD box on HUD. F/A-18C. The TDC will be always displayed as priority and "over" other symbols on the SA page. F/A-18C. AGM-65 and AGM-88 don't disappear from stations 2 & 8 after fired fixed. Corrected heading values on radar page. F/A-18C missions: added HARM instant action mission, added more threats, added Hornet Nevada mission, updated sound trigger, updated SAMs, added waypoints, Added Hornet low alt recce mission for Normandy map, added new Hornet instant action caucasus mission, added voice-overs. Added French, Korean and Russian localization. Updated for datalink. The big part of Instant Action missions relocated to the Single missions. SA page with large number of threats will not causes significant FPS hit. Hostile identification on SA fixed (WIP). INS alignment procedure fixed (WIP). Added initial Latent Track While Scan (LTWS) mode Missing AGM-65F timing after re-arming is restored. Correct sequence of bombs release from double rack. Optimization of afterburner nozzles animation. Folded wings produce bug on 2nd and other LODs fixed. INS set correctly on Autostart. INS alignment fixed. Updates to IFF and datalink to include interrogation of already locked target DCS Flaming Cliffs MiG-29. RPM hangs at 100% if player moves throttle from max to medium position at supersonic speeds is fixed. Su-33. Training lessons from Simon Pearson added. Su-33. Fixed small jumps on carrier spawn. DCS F-5E Corrected some cockpit materials: radar indicator, gunsight glass, pilot textures. DCS F-86F Added chinese manual. DCS MiG-15bis Added chinese manual. DCS MiG-21bis by Magnitude 3 LLC Fixed flight model not reacting to damage values. DCS Campaigns A-10C Basic Flight Training (BFT) Campaign: BFT08 - Corrected Manual Reversion oscillations. BFT10 - Corrected altitude triggers. Added F10 Nav Point references for VR. The Enemy Within 3.0 Mission 02: Updated radio settings for the wingman (35.5 FM). Mission 04: Small adjustments and bug fixes for radio system. Updated laser code in the kneeboard. Mission 05: Fixed bug where sometimes the RTB conversation wouldn't be played. Wingman will no longer speak after he has been shot down. Mission 12: Updated timing of some voiceovers. Mission 16: Fixed bug where HVA would be destroyed even if player killed all enemy units. Mission 18: Fixed rare bug when some players would not hear comms with Overlord. Black Shark 2 Republic Campaign. Structure of campaign changed. Minor changes in missions. L-39 Kursant campaign. Changed banking around targets. Mi-8MTV2 Oilfield: 16th mission, place of emergency landing of 325th moved to the clean place. TEW 3.0 by Baltic Dragon Mission 13: Updated positions of some enemy units to decrease difficulty a little. Fixed occasional bug with allied helos not landing on the roof - now they will land beside the main building. M-2000C Red Flag by Baltic Dragon Mission 06: Updated F-14 model and loadout. Reduced skill of Aggressor Phantoms. Mission 11: Updated triggers for Hawg flights - they should RTB when task is complete. If AI flights crash after mission complete it won't affect the score.