Having a hard time with the radar

Hi guys, I'm having a really hard time trying to spot, lock and shoot down targets in the F-18 right now.

I confess I haven't dug deeply into the natops, but given the basic AA radar functions we have now, I think it's pretty straightforward and I should be able to fight much better than this.

The main issue is, it seems, the radar is just losing targets and losing lock very easily.

For example, I have 2 F-15's flying a constant heading/speed/altitude in front of me, I see the two blips on the scope, then after another scan, the targets disappear and the radar doesn't "see" them anymore. Yet, they are still exactly where they were before.

If I manage to lock one up, a slight bank on my side makes me loose the lock.

Another example is a dogfight: I am close in behind a MiG-15, have the radar in vertical acquisition mode, the MiG-15 right in the middle of the hud, yet my radar has an incredibly hard time getting a lock, something on the F-15 I would have instantly...

Same with the other ACM modes.

I don't know, is it just me, the F-18 has a crappy radar, or is the radar heavily WIP and I should just keep away from AA for a while??

Thanks

Hi guys, I'm having a really hard time trying to spot, lock and shoot down targets in the F-18 right now.

 

I confess I haven't dug deeply into the natops, but given the basic AA radar functions we have now, I think it's pretty straightforward and I should be able to fight much better than this.

 

The main issue is, it seems, the radar is just losing targets and losing lock very easily.

For example, I have 2 F-15's flying a constant heading/speed/altitude in front of me, I see the two blips on the scope, then after another scan, the targets disappear and the radar doesn't "see" them anymore. Yet, they are still exactly where they were before.

If I manage to lock one up, a slight bank on my side makes me loose the lock.

 

Another example is a dogfight: I am close in behind a MiG-15, have the radar in vertical acquisition mode, the MiG-15 right in the middle of the hud, yet my radar has an incredibly hard time getting a lock, something on the F-15 I would have instantly...

Same with the other ACM modes.

 

 

I don't know, is it just me, the F-18 has a crappy radar, or is the radar heavily WIP and I should just keep away from AA for a while??

 

 

Thanks

Hi BKthunder,

You are not alone. I have the same issues as well. Hoping someone could shed some light on this will be appreciated.

dont compare the lock time in acm mode with fc aircrafts or even other "full real modules" like the mirage, because it seems that the f18 radar is the only one simulating the up abd down movement while in vertical mode....so you have to wait until the antenna finds the target...and you cannot use the vertical mode for quick 60° scans while rolling the plane like in the other modules....the hornets locking mechanism is the most realistic one in dcs but this comes with disadvantages against all other planes...

Confirm Badlego words. This is how a real 90s radar is supposed to perform. With the Dcs Hornet out, now U can consider the other modules' radar "arcadish", meaning that they are a step back in realism.

Fixed this for you.

... This is how a WIP radar is supposed to perform. ...

dont compare the lock time in acm mode with fc aircrafts or even other "full real modules" like the mirage, because it seems that the f18 radar is the only one simulating the up abd down movement while in vertical mode....so you have to wait until the antenna finds the target...and you cannot use the vertical mode for quick 60° scans while rolling the plane like in the other modules....the hornets locking mechanism is the most realistic one in dcs but this comes with disadvantages against all other planes...

I see your point, but if it was just related to the antenna moving up and down, this wouldn't happen in boresight mode (forgot what it's called in the F-18). But it happens even when the radar is pointing straight ahead. It just takes a very long time to lock, and sometimes doesn't lock at all.

I have a feeling the real one performs a little better than this, but I'm happy to see I'm not the only with such difficulties.

OT/ I'm sure they will sort it out and we will finally have a properly simulated radar in DCS, something I've been waiting for years and years. I also hope they will somehow make the FC3 radars a little less of an all-seeing laser beam :) /OT

the hornets locking mechanism is the most realistic one in dcs but this comes with disadvantages against all other planes...

OT/ I'm sure they will sort it out and we will finally have a properly simulated radar in DCS, something I've been waiting for years and years. I also hope they will somehow make the FC3 radars a little less of an all-seeing laser beam :) /OT

That is exactly what worries me currently! :cry: I have no problem with a "realistic" radar on the F/A-18C, but, and that is a big but, if any other FC3 plane or DCS level module has it "unrealistic" as in "superior lock time, better lock in general and perfect acquisition modes" what would be the result?

Everybody flying F-15C and Su-27 again? Or "Hornet only"-servers?

If that current performance is how it is IRL and not related to WIP, we definitely need to reduce the accuracy of the "arcade" FC3 radars... which on the other hand will leave a lot(!) of FC3 players very unhappy.

I had the assumption, that with a realistic radar you should be capable to stand your ground against a MiG-29 or Su-27... :(

That is exactly what worries me currently! :cry: I have no problem with a "realistic" radar on the F/A-18C, but, and that is a big but, if any other FC3 plane or DCS level module has it "unrealistic" as in "superior lock time, better lock in general and perfect acquisition modes" what would be the result?

 

Everybody flying F-15C and Su-27 again? Or "Hornet only"-servers?

 

If that current performance is how it is IRL and not related to WIP, we definitely need to reduce the accuracy of the "arcade" FC3 radars... which on the other hand will leave a lot(!) of FC3 players very unhappy.

 

I had the assumption, that with a realistic radar you should be capable to stand your ground against a MiG-29 or Su-27... :(

Yeah I agree - and if the F-14 comes out with a radar closer in in-game performance to the Mirage's than the F/A-18C's (and the 18 doesn't get improvements), then I have a feeling the Hornet is going to be the red-headed step-child of PVP. It could end up just being used as a faster A-10C, rather than a true multi-role plane.

Isn't the FA-18's radar on par with the F-16's, and thus inferior to the radar of the F-15 or F-14? Bigger radome, bigger, more powerful radar?

Having the same problems and not believing it all to be fully realistic but rather not yet honed out WIP.

What kills it most for me is the inability of current STT to keep lock while maneuvering:

F-Pole jousting is impossible, even when trying to maneuver smoothly, the lock (and Sparrow) will always be lost way prior to reaching gimbal limits.

I see your point, but if it was just related to the antenna moving up and down, this wouldn't happen in boresight mode (forgot what it's called in the F-18). But it happens even when the radar is pointing straight ahead. It just takes a very long time to lock, and sometimes doesn't lock at all

the lock process takes about 1~2 seconds for all acm modes abd in bvr for my experience...qualitatively this is realisitc but i dont know the real amount of time...notching targets are hard ir impossible to lock even in biresight mode...some tests would be usefull for that...

one advantage of the f18 radar compared to others is the ability to slew the radar in lock mode and it will find and lock any target within the beam and up to the max radar range...

Seriously FFS can we stop this crap of comparing to FC3 etc when the module and especially the radar are all WIP.. :doh::doh::doh::huh::huh::megalol: !!!

Seriously FFS can we stop this crap of comparing to FC3 etc when the module and especially the radar are all WIP.. !!!

This above for now....:D

That is exactly what worries me currently! :cry: I have no problem with a "realistic" radar on the F/A-18C, but, and that is a big but, if any other FC3 plane or DCS level module has it "unrealistic" as in "superior lock time, better lock in general and perfect acquisition modes" what would be the result?

 

Everybody flying F-15C and Su-27 again? Or "Hornet only"-servers?

 

If that current performance is how it is IRL and not related to WIP, we definitely need to reduce the accuracy of the "arcade" FC3 radars... which on the other hand will leave a lot(!) of FC3 players very unhappy.

 

I had the assumption, that with a realistic radar you should be capable to stand your ground against a MiG-29 or Su-27... :(

We might see eventually....? A big bump with the tech in many areas of all the aircraft to bring them inline.

People will still scream about amraam this and amraam that:D

Continue...;)

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Continue...;)

 

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:D

Seriously FFS can we stop this crap of comparing to FC3 etc when the module and especially the radar are all WIP.. :doh::doh::doh::huh::huh::megalol: !!!

the basic new mechanics in the lock mechanism will not change IMO...i guess some W will be IP to improve the lock stability, and slave antenna to tdc angle in tws and hopefully also in rws....

Update: It needs to be/will be fixed, check the videos.

Couple of things to aide in the radar usage....

Click on the horizontal azimuth OSB and set it to 60 degrees.

Click on the OSB and set the scan rate to 4 bars.

Next you want to click on the OSB for DATA and then in the top right change the number to 16 or 32. That is how long the memory will keep a target in the "system" before dropping it.

This is how I fly most flights and I generally don't have any issues picking up aircraft and staying locked. I will change the vertical and horizontal scan rate depending on what I am looking for and if I know a close approximation as to where a target is.

For instance if I am looking for an SU-27 flying low, and I got a recent BRA call, I will set the scan rate to 20 degrees with 1-2 bar vertical scan.

Since this is a more modeled radar system you have to get into the habit of operating the radar itself. You now also know why so many aircraft have dedicated radar operators in the back seat....

dont compare the lock time in acm mode with fc aircrafts or even other "full real modules" like the mirage, because it seems that the f18 radar is the only one simulating the up abd down movement while in vertical mode....so you have to wait until the antenna finds the target...and you cannot use the vertical mode for quick 60° scans while rolling the plane like in the other modules....the hornets locking mechanism is the most realistic one in dcs but this comes with disadvantages against all other planes...

Sorry, but that´s wrong. In real life this radar (APG-65) achieves lock-on in ACM-modes VERY quickly. The currently used time is way too high and will be fixed. See the bug section.

Is anyone else randomly having the big X across the radar sometimes, despite it still being active and working?

Do we have a member or two who has acually flown or worked with this aircraft? Maybe they could chip in here.

Do we have a member or two who has acually flown or worked with this aircraft? Maybe they could chip in here.

If I am not mistaken, a member who has flown IRL a plane with the APG-65 radar has already replied.

If I am not mistaken, a member who has flown IRL a plane with the APG-65 radar has already replied.

who?

Having the same problems and not believing it all to be fully realistic but rather not yet honed out WIP.

What kills it most for me is the inability of current STT to keep lock while maneuvering:

F-Pole jousting is impossible, even when trying to maneuver smoothly, the lock (and Sparrow) will always be lost way prior to reaching gimbal limits.

The M-2000C has been there during development.

Guys, you bought an early access module, don't expect it to be at the top of its game from the start :music_whistling:

I have targets at the same level as I am, who disappear suddenly and not come back until I am hit by their missile (I am not moving or banking at all!). I thought that I was doing something wrong, but this is happening time after time even after I read the radar chapter in the quick manual twice.. There is no way a real F-18 can act like this. Dropping targets that are coming level and head on to you is not acceptable. I think there is a bug somewhere with something but I cannot put my finger on it..

I have targets at the same level as I am, who disappear suddenly and not come back until I am hit by their missile (I am not moving or banking at all!). I thought that I was doing something wrong, but this is happening time after time even after I read the radar chapter in the quick manual twice.. There is no way a real F-18 can act like this. Dropping targets that are coming level and head on to you is not acceptable. I think there is a bug somewhere with something but I cannot put my finger on it..

Post a trackfile, there are many things you could be doing wrong, unknowingly, that is leading to the issue you are seeing.

Also reference my previous post, I do not experience the issues you are seeing when operating the radar.