Aries Radio System

@Snoopy

it is a bit confusing for me. Please correct me if I am wrong.

• 
  
• The upper row turn buttons are used for volume control and may cut off the reception on the given device, if pushed.
  
• The main rotary switch selects the device, which receives my voice for transmission, if PTT is activated.
  
• Beside the mechanical selection of the transmission device (main rotary switch), the pilot can select VHF FM, UHF or VHF FM with the coolie at the throttle. The next PTT then directs the output to the selected transmitter, regardless of the rotary switch position.
  
• Only one device can be selected as transmitter at a time while reception on all three boxes is possible in parallel.
  

Is that correct ?

@Snoopy

it is a bit confusing for me. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

• 
  
• The upper row turn buttons are used for volume control and may cut off the reception on the given device, if pushed. Yes
  
• The main rotary switch selects the device, which receives my voice for transmission, if PTT is activated. No, the rotary only affects the behavior of mic switch forward.
  
• Beside the mechanical selection of the transmission device (main rotary switch), the pilot can select VHF FM, UHF or VHF FM with the coolie at the throttle. The next PTT then directs the output to the selected transmitter, regardless of the rotary switch position.I have no idea what your asking on this one.
  
• Only one device can be selected as transmitter at a time while reception on all three boxes is possible in parallel.COLOR="Red"I have no idea what your asking on this one.[/color]
  

Is that correct ?

Simply put, aries shouldn't force the rotary switch to move. Mic switch down is always UHF, Mic switch aft is always FM no matter what the rotary is set to.

The rotary only affects mic switch forward so having the rotary set to:

INT makes is so you can talk to the ground crew by pressing mic switch forward if the HM (hot mic) knob is not pulled up.

FM makes it so you can hear the FM radio even if the FM knob is not pulled up.

VHF makes mic switch forward broadcasts on VHF/AM radio (should be default setting)

HF should have no function in current modeled DCS A-10C

Ok, got it...

Ok, got it...

:thumbup:

Can you just check your "Export Lua" entries?

Hi Schleudi,

Yes it is before the Tacview dofile. I actually tried to comment out all other dofiles in my export.lua (please see attached) but still same.

At the same time I have also removed any mapping for the Intercom panel rotary so that it's not because I am use a hardwired panel.

Still same. I have to restart PC to get Aries to work.

Cheers

Hans

Export.lua

Beside the mechanical selection of the transmission device (main rotary switch), the pilot can select VHF FM, UHF or VHF FM with the coolie at the throttle. The next PTT then directs the output to the selected transmitter, regardless of the rotary switch position.[/font]

This part has me confused. The coolie hat has nothing to do with radios.

The mic switch doesn't "select" radios, it is the PTT or to be accurate three separate PTTs, one for each radio.

Towsim I have been chasing a problem in my Aries setup and I think I have it tracked down but I need some advice on how to fix it. When the AB Radio is loading it does not load an entry for the forward mic switch from my hotas. The assignments are working correctly in TS until the GUI pops up in the cockpit. Looking at the log file I can see where it doesn't load an entry for the button handler for radio one. What do you think?

25 [00:00:26.014] EnumJoysticksCallback: DIENUM_STOP found Throttle - HOTAS Warthog

81 [00:00:26.051] Configure Radio 0 Frequency: 0.000, Volume: 1.00 stereo: 20000000

33 [00:00:26.088] Thread ButtonWatch started HDL: c30 ID: 374

81 [00:00:26.126] Configure Radio 1 Frequency: 0.000, Volume: 1.00 stereo: 30000000

34 [00:00:26.156] DEVICE_HANDLER: Throttle - HOTAS Warthog handle = c30

81 [00:00:26.194] Configure Radio 2 Frequency: 0.000, Volume: 1.00 stereo: 10000000

34 [00:00:26.231] device handler 1 for Throttle - HOTAS Warthog installed. HDL: c30

e3 [00:00:26.293] 1 Try to install new Button Handler device: Throttle - HOTAS Warthog for PTT_box2 Btn 4

81 [00:00:26.343] Own Unit Name: A-10C channels: 30000000

e4 [00:00:26.381] InstallBtnHandler Throttle - HOTAS Warthog btn 4 function: e0f18d60

30 [00:00:26.418] Callsign: Reaper ID: 1000301

e5 [00:00:26.455] 1 Installed new Button Handler device: Throttle - HOTAS Warthog for PTT_box2 Btn 4

10 [00:00:26.493] Ownship ID: 1000301 A-10C Model: 1 DLL: 1

e7 [00:00:26.530] 1 Try to install on existing device: Throttle - HOTAS Warthog for PTT_box3 Btn 5

33 [00:00:26.568] Display VHF1 Mode 2

e4 [00:00:26.605] InstallBtnHandler Throttle - HOTAS Warthog btn 5 function: e0f18f30

33 [00:00:26.642] Display UHF Master 1

e8 [00:00:26.680] Installed Button Handler on existing device Throttle - HOTAS Warthog for PTT_box3 Btn 5

33 [00:00:26.717] 0 Display UHF Mode 0

e7 [00:00:26.755] 1 Try to install on existing device: Throttle - HOTAS Warthog for RadioToggle Btn 2

33 [00:00:26.792] 1 Display UHF Mode 0

e4 [00:00:26.830] InstallBtnHandler Throttle - HOTAS Warthog btn 2 function: e0f19210

10 [00:00:26.867] power: 0 crad:0 mode: 0 channel:0 code: 166654

e8 [00:00:26.905] Installed Button Handler on existing device Throttle - HOTAS Warthog for RadioToggle Btn 2

22 [00:00:26.975] Sent version to TS3

22 [00:00:27.160] Version summary:

AriesRadio.luac: 1.955

AriesAirborneRadio.dll: V1.955

TeamSpeak plugin Version: 1.955

Running vcredist_x64 in the DCS World\distr folder fixed the PTT not working for me.

@Eddie

I think we both mean the same. If you have three different PTTs, I said, a specific radio is selected for transmission. You see the device from the technical point of view where it would be more correct to say, the microphone input is feed to a specific radio. Is that OK?

@Reaper73

According to your log file, the section [PTT_box1] was never found in AriesAirborneRadio.ini. It could be, that the section was deleted or changed accidently.You should open the file \DCS World\AriesWings\ AriesAirborneRadio.ini with a text editor. The first line should contain the section [PTT_box1] followed by the device name in the third line. Check, if the section is present and the required device name matches the spelling of that in the section[PTT_box2]. You can even send me your \DCS World\AriesWings\ AriesAirborneRadio.ini. I would check if the entries are correct.

Towsim,

Quite a few members, though not all, of my squadron are having the following experience:

With Aries enabled, the tanker does not respond to refuel requests. That said, the tanker *does* go into a refuel state when approached (lights on, boom extended) but pre-contact is not an option in the AI radio panel.

Commenting out the Aries export.lua entry resolve the problem, but of course disables Aries. :)

Other members have advised the same is true for AWACS, but I have not tested first hand.

I can repro this consistently.

Hi Dojo

I just made a multiplayer test and noticed no errors. Can you describe the situation more precisely where the error occurs.

e.g.

- operating system

- DCS version (World / OpenBeta / Steam)

- affected frequencies

- communication setting (easy communication enabled?)

It would be helpful if you could send the affected MIZ file to Towsim.

Schleudi

Hey Schleudi,

While on our training flight yesterday we too faced problems with an tanker on UHF 265.000 with A-10C and F-15C on realistic settings, latest release version of DCS World and Aries.

On first call on the frequency the tanker responded, but in precontact position, all tanker lights on, boom lowered, the boom operater refused to do his job and control the boom. To some player the tanker even didn´t respond, eventhough they reacted on their first request and turned on the light.

Never thought it would be related to Aries, but I just read this and you never know. We used the default server mission on our dedicated server.

What I found out so far in regard to the refueling procedure:

• 
  
• DCS obviously changed the configuration procedure to simplify the contact to the tanker. If the key sequence (# - show menu) ,(F6), (F1) is used, the correct tanker frequency is set and the corresponding box is selected automatically. All succeeding steps work as usual.
  
• In case of an existing mission, the Mission editor (at least in my case) does not store a changed tanker frequency. It defaults all the time to the old frequency. But the contact procedure is always successful.
  
• I tested different situations with automatic frequency setting and explicit box selection and even with a UHF tanker frequency. Only if I select the UHF box for contact, the tanker does not respond.
  
• In all the tests, Aries Radio was active. And, as soon as Box 1 was selected, I got contact, regardless what frequency was set.
  

Aries shows only the actual frequency in the corresponding box. It is not involved in the tanker procedure at all. But to stay honest, error free software does not exist on this world. If someone has more helpful information, please post it and attach the MIZ file which was used.

Thanks for the responses, I will conduct additional testing and provide additional info. And to be clear Towsim, I'm not being critical of your software for not being error free. We genuinely want this to work, we just instructed ~30 members to update.

We can live with errors, we're just trying to understand what/why something might not be working. As I wrote, this issue also appears to affect AWACS (and since I wrote this, someone has reported problems with AI Tower now as well).

Of note, our missions have multiple (and always have) had multiple tankers, so it's not always ...F6 -> F1. Also, we do not use "simple" communications. i.e. we must tune the particular radio to the frequency of the tanker. (let's say UHF 365.45 in one mission) and then contact the tanker on that freq.

When I do this, I confirm in the Aries radio panel and in game radio are both showing UHF 365.45, however the tanker does not respond with Aries enabled.

I will do more testing today and reply. Including tests with a single tanker.

The problem with the intercom rotary switching with each press of the mic button is that if you are talking with your wingman in FM and the tanker is for instance in VHF AM, you can't contact with the tanker because you are broadcasting in a different radio. So at the end, you and your wingman are forced to push tanker frequency if you want to talk during refulling. As snoopy says, the position of the intercom rotary should not move with each press of the mic button.

Sniped by Astiles5470 :) That's what we suspect. Going to try to prove it.

The problem with the intercom rotary switching with each press of the mic button is that if you are talking with your wingman in FM and the tanker is for instance in VHF AM, you can't contact with the tanker because you are broadcasting in a different radio. So at the end, you and your wingman are forced to push tanker frequency if you want to talk during refulling. As snoopy says, the position of the intercom rotary should not move with each press of the mic button.

Why do you say that?

In any aircraft, and with just one mouth, you can only talk in one place at a time.

You can however listen to all 3 radios at once, so if you need to talk to the tanker, and the coolie hat selects the relevant radio and allows you to talk, you just do that. Then if you want to talk to your wingman, you press the coolie hat in the relevant direction for that radio, and talk.

In both situations, you will still hear everything broadcast on both nets. You don't need to use the press to talk button at all.

What exactly is the issue?

@EVERYBODY

This keeps going in circles. To try to put this issue to bed for once and for all, I will try to say this as simply as possible:

1. In Aries, Towsim added the functionality to ROTATE the rotary selector switch when a particular radio is pushed. This may be correct for the Huey. It is definitely not correct for the A-10C. That is, the A-10C should always be on VHF on the rotary dial on your left panel. REGARDLESS of whether you're pushing the UHF PTT.

2. We suspect this might be the cause of the tanker problems. I'm attempting to troubleshoot and provide Towsim more info now.

I just tested this out.If the tanker is available on VHF AM and you speak to other players onbox 2 or box 3, the keyboard command for "ready precontact"is not sent to the tanker. If you switch back to box 1 with mic forward, the command is passed through and all works normal. The wrong logic of the rotary switch does not prevent the message relay. With mic forward it is switched to VHF AM again. In so far it matches the different descriptions of the issue. Some can contact the tanker initially but get no response on 'ready pre contact'. They obviously talked to other players on the other boxes after the initial contact. If Aries is deactivated , I assume they do not change to another box if the players talk to each other. Therefore it seems, that Aries is the cause, because it suddenly works. A visual feedback is the color of the menu entries. If they appear in black then the wrong box was selected. So the solution should be to push mic to activate the corresponding box before you send the keyboard command. But keep an eye on the menu, Mic is a toggle switch for DCS. It let the menu appear on the first switch and disapper on the second.

I believe you are describing a situation with Easy Communications. However, I don't believe it's relevant. I just tested by separating the rotary selector switch, with Easy Communication on and off. Same issue.

Again, please know that I'm trying to be helpful. I'll try to be very clear as to what's happening:

1. This was just tested on two multiplayer dedicated servers, two different missions. I am happy to share those with you, BUT... see point two.

2. I also just tested by creating a new single player mission, EXTREMELY simple: One A10C at Batumi sitting at runway, One Tanker. With Aries enabled, the tanker does not respond at all (forget about pre-contact... he never responds).

3. With Aries disabled, the tanker responds 100% of the time. In this single player miz (attached below), the tanker's frequency is UHF 251.--

I agree that the rotary switch functionality does not *appear* to be causing the issue, but I can reproduce the issue 100% of the time with Aries enabled, and I can never produce it with Aries disabled.

Also, I want to be clear, I am not including other wingman, because I am trying to isolate the issue.

Please let me know if I can do anything else to assist your t-shooting.

Here's the simple single player miz I created:

(when you click the link, there will be a down pointing arrow at the top to download the complete miz)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1sITGjSP1KeLWllRk9mWUZFTmc/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for your effort.

Also be advised all 476 vFG testing is the latest version in 1.2.11 (release) not open beta or steam.

I tried the mission Dojo sent. I can confirm the issue. But it seems to be an UHF issue. VHF AM frequencies work normal. I have a rough direction now...

Ok, I got it to run even on UHF. I will publish a new LUAC file tomorrow which should solve the issue.

Thanks to all for your help

TOWSIM

Thanks for your work, Towsim. Admittedly, I am having the same issue with the tanker on VHF/AM as well, but I'll wait for your fix before testing anymore.

I did not test the VHF/AM radio as exhaustively as I did the UHF based Tanker, so I don't want to waste your time.