[WORKS] Does the Tacan work or is broken in the F18?

I'm new to the F18, but I seem to have a problem with the Tacan and didn't know if it's a bug or something I'm doing wrong? I click on the left DDi, select Hsi and then highlight Tacan. I then press TCN on the the function keys, clear the current number 1 and input the Tacan of the airfield I want. After that I press enter and the DDi shows the Tacan symbol, miles to go etc. But then suddenly the Tacan symbol on the DDI is no longer there and neither is the miles to go etc. All that remains is a spinning arrow on the DDi?

I then try the same procedure to get it all back to how it was, but it doesn't work? What am I doing wrong? Anyone any idea's why it should work at first then suddenly not?

Could it be that you simply lost contact to the station due to terrain or distance?

Or a too low altitude?

Well the distance was 120 miles but it picked it up at first. I then climbed to 320000ft, to see if I could pick it up again, but I'm guessing it's probably due to the distance then, correct? One other question though if it is due to the distance. Say I select my destination and the Tacan picks it up at first and then losses it. Would it then automatically pick it back up again if I flew in that direction and got closer, or would I have to clear the tacan and set it back up again when I was closer? Cheers!

I have seen this same behavior when I am fairly far away, flying low, etc.

Well the distance was 120 miles but it picked it up at first. I then climbed to 320000ft, to see if I could pick it up again, but I'm guessing it's probably due to the distance then, correct? One other question though if it is due to the distance. Say I select my destination and the Tacan picks it up at first and then losses it. Would it then automatically pick it back up again if I flew in that direction and got closer, or would I have to clear the tacan and set it back up again when I was closer? Cheers!

Yes, it should pick it up again.

Another way you can do this is to pick a closer tacan, airport etc and capture then follow that bearing radial to your destination. Once closer change switch.

You can also cross reference range and bearing to tacan's for checking a position.

See this old thread if your interested.

Regarding tacan in general.

Be aware that if there are large mountains near the airport, the tacan signal can be obstructed. ( or if you fly low )

Example last night in the F16 on persian map i was trying to track kasab airforce bace. I was about 60nm away from the airport flying from west to east at that point in 30.000ft height

But i could not get a signal until i was like 8nm away and to the north west of the airport then it worked fine.

( ps i could see a tanker and other tacan more than 99nm away, but could not see kasab before i was within visual range. ).

But yes the tacan in the F18 also work.

I'm new to the F18, but I seem to have a problem with the Tacan and didn't know if it's a bug or something I'm doing wrong? I click on the left DDi, select Hsi and then highlight Tacan. I then press TCN on the the function keys, clear the current number 1 and input the Tacan of the airfield I want. After that I press enter and the DDi shows the Tacan symbol, miles to go etc. But then suddenly the Tacan symbol on the DDI is no longer there and neither is the miles to go etc. All that remains is a spinning arrow on the DDi?

 

I then try the same procedure to get it all back to how it was, but it doesn't work? What am I doing wrong? Anyone any idea's why it should work at first then suddenly not?

I miss one essential step when looking at your description:

Did you activate TCN on your UFC? (press the "ON" button on your UFC after you entered the TCN code)

We had funky TACAN last week chasing a tanker for refuel in MP, initially worked fine and then all of a sudden stopped updating its position unless you turned off WPDSG on the tacan and then reselected it.

Tanker and ourselves were over the ocean at 25k ......so line of sight was not an issue.

My experience in MP with the 18 TACAN is very intermittent. I've dialed in a carrier and had all the data and start moving in to position for landing just to have it stop working at all when I was 2 miles trail to the carrier.

Multiplayer is a totally different pair of boots, I'd say. All kinds of beacons have a known habit of cutting out now and then; it's a hard to diagnose problem because seemingly they all work for a while on a 'fresh' mission, at least in my experience.