Question about Datalink setup in ME

Hey guys,

I'm having a weird issue with a simple Hornet mission that I created (attached).

The issue is that I'm not seeing any symbology or contributions from the other Link-16 equipped aircraft in the mission. There are three allied aircraft in the mission aside from my flight - an E-3, two F-15Cs, and an S-3. The only symbology I see on the SA page, however, is from my own radar contacts.

I've turned on the D/L on the UFC, but I'm not seeing anything. I've checked a few of the ED-authored missions, and the SA page is working just fine, so I feel as though I'm failing to set something up correctly in the ME.

Any ideas?

:noexpression:

FA-18 Test32..miz

The issue is that I'm not seeing any symbology or contributions from the other Link-16 equipped aircraft in the mission.

I see the data link from your wing man but nothing for the E-3 or any radar contacts it calls out for "Bogey Dope", etc.

Change the E-3 onto another plane type, and then change it back onto an E-3 .. that should clear the bug.

Change the E-3 onto another plane type, and then change it back onto an E-3 .. that should clear the bug.

It didn't when I tried it.

The issue with Pizzicato's mission appears to be the S-3B tanker's TACAN on 7Y which must be jamming the data link.

Switching the S-3B's TACAN to 70Y fixes the E-3 data link and everything is working.

Thanks for taking the time to look into this and figure out what was going on, guys. Much appreciated.

How did you narrow it down to the Tacan frequency, Ramsay? Was it just a process of elimination, or did you already have a suspicion that that was causing the issue?

On a related note, is there a range of "good"/valid Tacan frequencies?

How did you narrow it down to the Tacan frequency, Ramsay? Was it just a process of elimination, or did you already have a suspicion that that was causing the issue?

It was a process of elimination (I don't remember the TACAN frequency pairs / recall the channels to avoid) and had tried "fixing" the AWACS first.

There were issues with some common/default TACAN channels when the F/A-18C data link was first introduced i.e. 1 X, etc. so ED changed the default D/L frequency to 1092.5 MHz.

The issue is still there if you are unlucky in your chosen TACAN channel/band.

On a related note, is there a range of "good"/valid Tacan frequencies?

There was a post with channels to avoid

but in testing, the conflicting TACAN Channels are

• 4 - 7 in the X and Y band

so it looks like the datalink frequency has changed.

Table of TACAN, etc. Frequencies https://www.tele.soumu.go.jp/resource/e/search/share/pdf/a2-2.pdf

I don't remember the channels to avoid, just a common set of "white list" channels, I know to be trouble free.

As it's perhaps a little hard to visualise the DCS datalink and TACAN channel relationship, here is a simple diagram to illustrate my understanding and help decide which channels are likely to conflict with the datalink and which are not.

Seems the datalink frequency has changed and now conflicts with TACAN channels 4 - 7 in the X and Y bands.

Updated TACAN/Datalink Diagram

Here's an updated diagram of my current understanding of the datalink frequency and TACAN channel relationship.

Detail

Using a S-3B tanker's TACAN to test a E-3 to F/A-18C datalink in DCS 2.5.5.35461, the conflicting TACAN Channels were

• 4 - 7 in the X and Y band

so it looks like the datalink frequency has changed since Wags April post.