"BCN" Pushbutton on the UFC

Hello.

Can someone explain to me what this button is, and what its used for?

I know its not implemented in DCS, but im still curious.

I cant find anything in the manuels.

It's for the transponder beacon. Setting squawk code and such. I don't know if it'll get implemented in DCS purely because it wouldn't serve any purpose. Maybe they will if they plan for squawk codes and the like to be a thing with the eventual ATC overhaul.

Thx alot Jak525.

It seems to me that the "BCN" is almost the same as the "I/P" (identification of position) pushbutton located further up on the UFC.

Can someone give an example of when the "I/P" pushbutton could be used?

Thx alot Jak525.

 

It seems to me that the "BCN" is almost the same as the "I/P" (identification of position) pushbutton located further up on the UFC.

 

 

Can someone give an example of when the "I/P" pushbutton could be used?

This is called "IDENT"-ing (on most transponders it's marked as this and the ATC terminology is "Callsign, ident") and pops up a thingy on the ATC's radar screen. It's usually just to confirm they know who they're talking to relative to the planes theh see on radar. Basically just there to be pressed on request of ATC.

This is called "IDENT"-ing (on most transponders it's marked as this and the ATC terminology is "Callsign, ident") and pops up a thingy on the ATC's radar screen. It's usually just to confirm they know who they're talking to relative to the planes theh see on radar. Basically just there to be pressed on request of ATC.

Thanks Jak, pretty interesting. I know the IDENT functionality from the civil transponders which - at least over here in central Europe - is used very very rarly in day-to-day line operations. But I was completely unaware that the military uses a similar system. Question: Is the fact that the designers placed the I/P button so prominently on the UFC an indication that this is frequently used in fighter jets (or at least more frequent than in the civil world)?

Thanks Jak, pretty interesting. I know the IDENT functionality from the civil transponders which - at least over here in central Europe - is used very very rarly in day-to-day line operations. But I was completely unaware that the military uses a similar system. Question: Is the fact that the designers placed the I/P button so prominently on the UFC an indication that this is frequently used in fighter jets (or at least more frequent than in the civil world)?

It is not that prominent on the UFC. The military uses that as frequently as the civilian aircraft do. And it sounds like it’s used more in the US than it is in Europe...because it is not very rare to use it here.

Also, transponder codes are entered at the IFF button, not the BCN button.

It is not that prominent on the UFC. The military uses that as frequently as the civilian aircraft do. And it sounds like it’s used more in the US than it is in Europe...because it is not very rare to use it here.

Thank you G B. Well, I‘d say the fact that the button is just part of the UFC makes it very prominent. Compare that to an airliner cockpit where it is located completely outside of the forward field of view and down in the center console where the transponder panel is usually mounted.

We had a BCN in the Westland Lynx HAS Mk3. I seem to remember we could set codes up to 7. Basically a radar (that could receive the BCN - and my H175 has such a radar) would see a number of "eyebrows" going away from the radar contact that equated to the binary of the code, I think...

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The above would equate to Code 5

It was a simplified ID system but not IFF. We also had a Transponder and I think all that did was make the radar return stronger. Dumb thing was it was moved from the front to the back of the aircraft when we went to the Lynx HMA Mk8 to make room for the Passive Identification Device (FLIR)) and so the ship's Helicopter Controller (HC) could see you right up until you turned final to the ship at which point the transponder was obscured by the rest of the airframe and the HC lost you in the clutter!!!