ALE-47 countermeasure programming help?

I wanted to learn how to use the advanced countermeasure and EW page programming. I can't get anything to function. I have followed the manual, I have followed along with tutorial videos. Still when I select the EW page in my display, ALE-47 is crossed out. I have tried with and without master arm on, I have tried in flight and on the deck, I have tried with sensor to ON and BYPASS.

Anyone have any suggestions?

To create a countermeasure program:

a) Press the OSB next to ARM

b) Configure Chaff by pressing the OSB next to CHAF, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

c) Configure Flares by pressing the OSB next to FLAR, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

d) Configure the number of repetitions by pressing the OSB next to RPT, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

e) Configure the interval time (sec) by pressing the OSB next to INT, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

f) Press the OSB next to SAVE to save countermeasure program 1

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To create a countermeasure program:

a) Press the OSB next to ARM

b) Configure Chaff by pressing the OSB next to CHAF, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

c) Configure Flares by pressing the OSB next to FLAR, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

d) Configure the number of repetitions by pressing the OSB next to RPT, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

e) Configure the interval time (sec) by pressing the OSB next to INT, then use the Increment/Decrement OSBs to set the desired number

f) Press the OSB next to SAVE to save countermeasure program 1

 

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It doesn't get that far, once I select the EW page, that's it, ALE-47 OFF is crossed out. It never changes, I can't select anything else on the screen, except to return to other menus. There is an ASPJ option, ALR-67 option but they do nothing when I select the corresponding OSB.

It doesn't get that far, once I select the EW page, that's it, ALE-47 OFF is crossed out. It never changes, I can't select anything else on the screen, except to return to other menus. There is an ASPJ option, ALR-67 option but they do nothing when I select the corresponding OSB.

That means you are most likely in ByPass mode and you need to fix that.

Thanx for the help Revelation, I went ahead and took off and tried to do it while airborne one more time and it worked that time. I double checked for bypass mode this time and it was definitely in ON position when it worked, so I probably unknowingly kept putting back in bypass. Thanks for the quick replies. :thumbup:

You have to be airborne with gear up to turn it on

Not being able to set countermeasures on the ground appears to be a bug. See also this thread: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=212876

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You have to be airborne with gear up to turn it on

Well yes and no. Not sure if this is how it is *supposed* to work but you can turn the switch to on ehile on the ground still and when you take off and gear up it will turn itself on automatically albeit to standby only. Likewise it will turn itself off when you land.

In this regard the F-16 has it better as you can turn it on and set it up on the ground just fine. Definitely a peculiar choice they made with the F/A-18. Guessing it was thought of as a default safety feature to prevent inadvertent flares on the carrier deck.

Well yes and no. Not sure if this is how it is *supposed* to work but you can turn the switch to on ehile on the ground still and when you take off and gear up it will turn itself on automatically albeit to standby only. Likewise it will turn itself off when you land.

 

In this regard the F-16 has it better as you can turn it on and set it up on the ground just fine. Definitely a peculiar choice they made with the F/A-18. Guessing it was thought of as a default safety feature to prevent inadvertent flares on the carrier deck.

Yeah, the possibility of dispensing flares near personnel and fuel supply is something that is best avoided. WOW / landing gear deployed are triggers to disable the system, although it is best practice to also disable master arm and the countermeasure system on approach as well.

Cheers,

Don

Yeah, the possibility of dispensing flares near personnel and fuel supply is something that is best avoided. WOW / landing gear deployed are triggers to disable the system, although it is best practice to also disable master arm and the countermeasure system on approach as well.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Don

Yeah just more so than the F-16 world. Even the F-16 had WoW interlocks to prevent dispense on the ground unless you also had ground jett enabled as well.

I am a little under a year in the DCS FA-18 and have been working my way through the Mission Qualification and the Weapons Qualifications missions. All has been fine using chaff and flares til today I thought to try some of the Caucasus Combat Missions. So I go to the DDI and click EW and the next screen has ALE-47 X'd out. Go to Chucks guide and read about Master Arm on and Dispense switch ON. I click MA to ON but Dispense is OFF and will not move. So I go back to one of the other missions and find Dispense is preset to ON and, BTW, if I click it, it will only move to OFF and will not move back to ON. I check the other Combat missions ( 5 or6) and they are all the same. Dispense switch is OFF and will not move. Pretty much makes these Combat Missions worthless. What am I missing?

I am a little under a year in the DCS FA-18 and have been working my way through the Mission Qualification and the Weapons Qualifications missions. All has been fine using chaff and flares til today I thought to try some of the Caucasus Combat Missions. So I go to the DDI and click EW and the next screen has ALE-47 X'd out. Go to Chucks guide and read about Master Arm on and Dispense switch ON. I click MA to ON but Dispense is OFF and will not move. So I go back to one of the other missions and find Dispense is preset to ON and, BTW, if I click it, it will only move to OFF and will not move back to ON. I check the other Combat missions ( 5 or6) and they are all the same. Dispense switch is OFF and will not move. Pretty much makes these Combat Missions worthless. What am I missing?

Are you using the right mouse button to toggle the switch forward/up? Left click moves a switch aft in the Hornet, right click moves a switch forward/up. Kinda sounds like it.

If you are trying to do this WoW (on the ground) - it will not work. You have to be airborne.

Cheers,

Don

I’d also note if doing this EVERY time is a pain, you can edit a lua file in notepad++ to have it set to a personal default (while we wait for ED to finish the Aircraft set up options - remember them?)

Iirc it’s in the dcs folder/mods/aircraft/f18/cockpit/scripts/tews/ale47.lua

You’ll need to edit it or keep a copy to copy/paste in post update

Darseth, thankyou so much. Yep right click does it. I haven't run into that before but now I will know if I have it again.

Has the "auto" been activated? I don't believe it has as it's never worked correctly for me, but that could be user error.

Has the "auto" been activated? I don't believe it has as it's never worked correctly for me, but that could be user error.

Not that I know of. I wouldn't use it anyway, auto CM releases tend to be very wasteful and it's not like the Hornet has CM to spare.

I always use manual (Override).

In RL I think I read somewhere auto is switched on only in ferrying when enjoying the scenery and in case of an ambush. Entering an active theater on Auto would be wasting c.measures.

Darseth, thankyou so much. Yep right click does it. I haven't run into that before but now I will know if I have it again.

Happy to hear it helped! In the Hornet (unlike the A10C), right click moves a switch forward and left click moves a switch aft. Also, left clicking will move a horizontal switch to the left and right clicking will move the switch to the right (or rotary switch). You will discover the necessity to have the same actions with the mouse clicking for all toggle switches within the aircraft (i.e FLIR, LTD/R, LST, etc).

Cheers,

Don