Share your Tricks on using the Radar

Hey,

im working on my Skills in flying this nice little Jet during Combat Operations.

So ive setup a Training Mission.

I used a Tu-138 as Enemy Plane and placed it way up in the North with direct course to Batumi.

My Plane starts in Batumi and tries to find that Enemy Bomber, which should be an easy Task since a Bomber is a very large Plane.

But i have no luck. I double Check the Position using F-10 and everytime the Bomber passes me without getting noticed.

And it passes me relative close. Sometimes i could catch him visually but no joy on Radar.

Do you Guys have any Tactics/Tricks on how to pick something up with the Radar?

With that little information it's difficult to say what you're doing wrong. What mode are you using? What's your and your target's altitude? If you're in MSL mode, are you actively searching in elevation (using your antenna tilt control)? Is ground clutter a factor?

Im using the Standard Scanning Mode.

Nothing Fancy, im starting at 40 Miles and im at the same height as the target 25.000 feet.

So Ground Clutter is no factor.

I did using the tilt control to actively search different heights. Even if i knew the target is on the same height i was experimenting to find some kind of tactic for Air Patrol when i dont know anything about the Enemy.

But it seems that playing with Antenna Elevation is my fault. When i dont touch it and just scan at 0 degrees i can catch the target at roughly 40 Miles.

Dont know what im doing wrong with the Elevation, how many sweeps should i wait before changing the elevation?

Is it appropriate to switch in 10 degree jumps or should i do 5 degree instead?

The vertical scan zone seems to be fairly small. I’ve noticed even a degree or 2 making a difference, so 10 degrees could be way too much (depending on range of course)

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The mode you're using is MSL. In it the radar scans +-4 degrees in elevation when the range is set to 40nm or +-5.5 degrees when the range is set to anything else. So the scanning "box" is 8 or 11 degrees tall. If you use 10 degrees intervals, you should cover most of the airspace, but something might slip between the cracks (esp. in the 40nm submode). Another problem you might run in to in this mode is that in the acquisition phase that vertical scan area shrinks to just +-1.5 degrees. If your target is for example 2.5 degrees above your antenna tilt setting, you will pick it up in the search phase but won't be able to acquire it and start tracking. Generally if the target is blinking, it's probably not in the middle of the scan pattern and you should try to fiddle with the tilt until it stays constantly "lit" on the screen. For that reason I mostly use the MSL mode as a rather crude situational awareness mode and rely on the DM and DG modes for actually engaging anything.

Also, a lot of the time not using the radar at all is the right tactic. It is generally much better at letting others know where you are than it is at letting you know where others are.

Thanks Guys, i will experiment with that Feedback id get.

So it seems like its good enough to scan with MSL 10 degrees up and down.

Of course if i get something i will need to fiddle that down but before i have this problems i need to find any targets at all ;)

Oh and yes, no Radar at all seems logical to me but its kinda impossible to spot something in the simulator. But i dont want to use Labels.. Is there a way to scale the 3D Models?

can you post this mission here?

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Oh and yes, no Radar at all seems logical to me but its kinda impossible to spot something in the simulator. But i dont want to use Labels.. Is there a way to scale the 3D Models?

There's no way to scale the 3D models AFAIK.

I included an AWACS for vectors to target(s) and/or give me a direction and altitude to search with the F5 radar in my training missions.

They play similar to flying the F-86/MiG-15 but with the ability to use the radar for added SA and help spot/close on targets.

I've also used the F10 map to vector other players but in SP, it felt like a 'cheat' (but is valid/needed until I get 'gud' ?), hence my preference to include AWACS support.

I don't think using the map is a cheat. With all of the battlefield tech I'm sure you can see on a display where your peeps are in real life. In the world if mariners a program called AIS displays every ship on my gps, and you can click on the contact and see info like name, what cargo, where they are headed, etc.....I would be shocked if a tablet isn't used by infantry to track Blufor

Don't forget, the ACQ switch is momentary. Push it once and do not hold. According to the manual, if you hold the button, you won't get a lock.

Don't forget, the ACQ switch is momentary. Push it once and do not hold. According to the manual, if you hold the button, you won't get a lock.

you mean the other way around?

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PG 147-148 DIGITAL COMBAT SIMULATOR F-5E

Acquisition (ACQ) Button

Press (Momentary) – locks on to target or breaks lock-on.

In MSL Mode:

Compresses B-sweep at the target bracketed by acquisition symbol and moves to 20-degree left azimuth after radar lock-on to facilitate aiming.

If locked on, pressing button breaks target lock-on and the acquisition symbol automatically reappears at last known azimuth and range position of target to commence the acquisition process.

In GUN Mode:

stows B-sweep 20 degrees left in azimuth. Aligns antenna 0 degrees azimuth and 4.7 degrees below ARL. Range gate slews from 500 feet to 5600 feet and locks on to target after its acquisition.

In DG и DM modes:

If locked on, breaks target lock-on. Range gate resumes slewing from rejected target to lock on to the first target that is at least 450 feet or greater in range.

Holding the button pressed stows the range gate at minimum range.

NOTE: Holding button pressed will prevent radar lock- on.

Acquisition (ACQ) Button

 

Press (Momentary) – locks on to target or breaks lock-on.

In MSL Mode:

 

Compresses B-sweep at the target bracketed by acquisition symbol and moves to 20-degree left azimuth after radar lock-on to facilitate aiming.

 

If locked on, pressing button breaks target lock-on and the acquisition symbol automatically reappears at last known azimuth and range position of target to commence the acquisition process.

 

 

In GUN Mode:

 

stows B-sweep 20 degrees left in azimuth. Aligns antenna 0 degrees azimuth and 4.7 degrees below ARL. Range gate slews from 500 feet to 5600 feet and locks on to target after its acquisition.

 

In DG и DM modes:

 

If locked on, breaks target lock-on. Range gate resumes slewing from rejected target to lock on to the first target that is at least 450 feet or greater in range.

 

Holding the button pressed stows the range gate at minimum range.

 

NOTE: Holding button pressed will prevent radar lock- on.

Ok I got this but I slew the brackets to target at 20 miles then drop halfway to 10 mile range setting and finally the targets can be locked at say 15 miles, with keeping brackets on target then holding the acq. I'll post a video.