Mod/fix: NTTR beacons and kneeboard for Mig-21bis

[Redglyph]

NOTE: now OBSOLETE, since included in version 2.0.5.3889 (update 4) and later, so no need to install this mod anymore.

 

 

 

Hello!

 

When trying to perform some basic navigation with the Mig-21bis in Nevada, I first saw that the Tonopah Test Range was not in the RSBN channel list. That was so shocking ;) Then when I did a little navigation mission I saw that another VORTAC had the wrong latitude (Beatty). And then of course, most of the beacons were missing...

 

As a remedy, here is a complete replacement for the Nevada beacons, and a simple kneeboard (I'm no artist).

 

Hope it's useful to someone :) No excuses to get lost anymore :D

 

 

Instructions

 

Download the files from the user file server.

 

The file to replace is here, under the DCS installation directory (as usual, keep a copy, at least to see what may have changed on each DCS update):

 

Mods\aircraft\MIG-21bis\Cockpit\Systems\R_NAV_data_Nevada.lua

 

You can put the kneeboard pages in missions, or in your user files:

 

%USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Kneeboard\MIG-21bis\*.png

 

This version has been done with DCS 2.0.4.59428.142, I'll try to keep it up-to-date with future changes, though I don't expect many incompatibilities there, maybe just new beacons now and then.

 

 

Details

 

I kept the original RSBN stations and added the missing VORTAC/ILS/VOR DME beacons at the end, so there is no particular order unfortunately, but I didn't want to change the file too much for the sake of the existing missions. I saw some of the locations of PRMG/RSBN were slightly off when compared to the ILS localizers in the Nevada beacon file, I haven't checked or fixed them in the Mig-21bis yet, perhaps it's a must for Groom Lake.

 

The few airfield homers are not in RSBN, since they give no distance information (Mercury, Meggi, Colorado City).

 

For the ARC stations, I moved the only existing channel (Mercury) and tried to keep some consistency. Sector 1 is North of Las Vegas, Sector 2 is South. Sub-sectors 1 are West, 2 are East. I've tested only a few, please let me know if you find any error and I'll fix it. In each sub-sector, the stations are enumerated left to right, with some exceptions to try and keep them grouped.

 

Most ARC stations have an RSBN equivalent, which allows to switch between two stations if convenient. That's why the 2nd kneeboard page shows the RSBN channels.

 

To be honest, I haven't verified the compatibility of frequency ranges with the original Fishbed equipment (not detailed in the manual), but I don't think the 4477th TES would have hesitated to upgrade theirs, so I wouldn't see it as a problem anyway.

 

I've noticed that the morse code was ... well, as bad as in the 1.5 version ;) Personally I can't recognize them most of the time, in this aircraft or any other, but I suppose it's WIP (or my hearing is particularly bad). In any case, the codes in the file should be correct.

 

Update

RSBN stations were sorted from N to S by slices of 1° latitude, then W to E within each slice. This should be much more practical than the default order, since the MiG is supposed to land mainly at TTR and Groom Lake.

 

The only ARK stations kept were Mercury, Meggi, Colorado City, since others provide more information than just non-directional beacon (LNS/Magnitude 3 LLC policy). The previous ARK stations that were actually RSBN were removed. I left them on the kneeboard for their coordinates and to have a single sheet with all stations.

 

The R_NAV_data_Nevada.lua file should be part of the next MiG-21bis patch, so you shouldn't have to replace that file in the future.

 

 

Updates

- v02: added North Las Vegas, fixed position of TTR RSBN, fixed ARC of Mc Carran

- v03: fixed Nellis L/R which were swapped in the original file, many thanks to Accipiter for pointing that out!

- v04: removed ARK stations that were not NDBs, sorted all RSBN geographically.

Edited April 8, 2017 by Redglyph
update

[Redglyph]

It seems I'll have to update the file with proper ILS information (affects horizontal guidance info on NPP and KPP in landing mode). Stay tuned ;)

[Redglyph]

There, a little update to fix some coordinates, and for the missing North Las Vegas - what would a Mig-21 do there, anyway? :D

 

I'm a little divided on a few issues. The file only contains one entry for both RSBN and PRMG stations, which is not a huge deal, so what I did was

- keep the first, already existing RSBN stations, even if their location seems a bit off (mainly the first channels around Las Vegas);

- for the new ones (TTR for ex), I used the VORTAC, VOR/DME, or homer location for the ARC station, and the ILS localizer for the RSBN, and of course the ILS path for the PRMG part of the entry. Doing a separate entry for the PRMG location would require extra channels, I'm not sure it's worth it;

- for North Las Vegas, where there is only an ILS, I used the coordinates of the localizer for the ARC station (again, it's no place for a Mig);

- I haven't added a PRMG part for the other airports without ILS. It seems that in the Caucasus map, all entries have runway information, but here I left the same information another type of aircraft would get.

 

 

On a slightly off-topic note, it would be nice to be able to change/add locations during a mission, or at least statically for a mission, to reflect the mobile nature of those stations. That is, after all, what caused a great deal of fear during cold war, all of a sudden those aircraft could strike from old / restored airstrips.

 

 

Anyway, don't hesitate to post any discrepancy you may find, there's quite a few different files and numbers to get through, I may have slipped somewhere. :)

[Xxx]

There, a little update to fix some coordinates, and for the missing North Las Vegas - what would a Mig-21 do there, anyway? :D

 

I'm a little divided on a few issues. The file only contains one entry for both RSBN and PRMG stations, which is not a huge deal, so what I did was

- keep the first, already existing RSBN stations, even if their location seems a bit off (mainly the first channels around Las Vegas);

- for the new ones (TTR for ex), I used the VORTAC, VOR/DME, or homer location for the ARC station, and the ILS localizer for the RSBN, and of course the ILS path for the PRMG part of the entry. Doing a separate entry for the PRMG location would require extra channels, I'm not sure it's worth it;

- for North Las Vegas, where there is only an ILS, I used the coordinates of the localizer for the ARC station (again, it's no place for a Mig);

- I haven't added a PRMG part for the other airports without ILS. It seems that in the Caucasus map, all entries have runway information, but here I left the same information another type of aircraft would get.

 

 

On a slightly off-topic note, it would be nice to be able to change/add locations during a mission, or at least statically for a mission, to reflect the mobile nature of those stations. That is, after all, what caused a great deal of fear during cold war, all of a sudden those aircraft could strike from old / restored airstrips.

 

 

Anyway, don't hesitate to post any discrepancy you may find, there's quite a few different files and numbers to get through, I may have slipped somewhere. :)

 

 

A superb mod. Thank you for this.

 

 

Only one thing so far (little testing). I think Nellis 220L is Ch 6 and Nellis 220R is Ch 5.

 

 

Many thanks again.

 

 

Agree re the mobile RSBN. If someone could make a mission object that had RSBN coordinates...?

 

 

Best regards

David

Edited March 9, 2017 by Accipiter

[Redglyph]

A superb mod. Thank you for this.

 

 

Only one thing so far (little testing). I think Nellis 220L is Ch 6 and Nellis 220R is Ch 5.

 

 

Many thanks again.

 

 

Agree re the mobile RSBN. If someone could make a mission object that had RSBN coordinates...?

 

 

Best regards

David

 

Thanks!

 

You must be right about Nellis, well spotted! Just looking at the coordinates confirms it, those are from the original file and its comments, and I haven't checked all of them. I'll simply make an update of the kneeboard I suppose.

 

Having Tonopah Test Range on RSBN 27 is really bugging me sometimes, because TTR and GRL should be the two most frequently used stations for a MiG (historically at least), yet the user has to click many, many times to switch from one to the other :/ Perhaps when I figure out how to simply pre-configure this knob in missions it will be less stressing for my mouse ;) But I was tempted to simply swap it with another, less frequently used station, or sort them all out from North to South. Wouldn't be nice to change everything, though, and since this was also in the original settings it's probably best to keep it.

 

Another solution would be a mouse-friendly knob. Hmm. Anyway, sorry for my ramblings :D

[Xxx]

There, a little update to fix some coordinates, and for the missing North Las Vegas - what would a Mig-21 do there, anyway? :D

 

I'm a little divided on a few issues. The file only contains one entry for both RSBN and PRMG stations, which is not a huge deal, so what I did was

- keep the first, already existing RSBN stations, even if their location seems a bit off (mainly the first channels around Las Vegas);

- for the new ones (TTR for ex), I used the VORTAC, VOR/DME, or homer location for the ARC station, and the ILS localizer for the RSBN, and of course the ILS path for the PRMG part of the entry. Doing a separate entry for the PRMG location would require extra channels, I'm not sure it's worth it;

- for North Las Vegas, where there is only an ILS, I used the coordinates of the localizer for the ARC station (again, it's no place for a Mig);

- I haven't added a PRMG part for the other airports without ILS. It seems that in the Caucasus map, all entries have runway information, but here I left the same information another type of aircraft would get.

 

 

On a slightly off-topic note, it would be nice to be able to change/add locations during a mission, or at least statically for a mission, to reflect the mobile nature of those stations. That is, after all, what caused a great deal of fear during cold war, all of a sudden those aircraft could strike from old / restored airstrips.

 

 

Anyway, don't hesitate to post any discrepancy you may find, there's quite a few different files and numbers to get through, I may have slipped somewhere. :)

 

Thanks!

 

You must be right about Nellis, well spotted! Just looking at the coordinates confirms it, those are from the original file and its comments, and I haven't checked all of them. I'll simply make an update of the kneeboard I suppose.

 

Having Tonopah Test Range on RSBN 27 is really bugging me sometimes, because TTR and GRL should be the two most frequently used stations for a MiG (historically at least), yet the user has to click many, many times to switch from one to the other :/ Perhaps when I figure out how to simply pre-configure this knob in missions it will be less stressing for my mouse ;) But I was tempted to simply swap it with another, less frequently used station, or sort them all out from North to South. Wouldn't be nice to change everything, though, and since this was also in the original settings it's probably best to keep it.

 

Another solution would be a mouse-friendly knob. Hmm. Anyway, sorry for my ramblings :D

 

This is all fascinating! I picked up your mod after reading the L39 thread on the Caucuses RSBN navigation issue. Hawk has now done the entire 1.5 map for RSBN in the L39. Interestingly, I had no idea the Mig21 uses its own, aircraft specific, code for its RSBN/PRMG navigation.

 

I picked up both the Mig21 and L39 in the recent sale, so I am type rating on both at the moment!:-)

 

I will spend some time this weekend with both maps and both aircraft....great fun!

 

Looks like the implementation of a mobile RSBN can not really be done for the Mig 21, since its the aircraft itself that has the navigation code built in? But the L39 perhaps could use a map based mobile RSBN system. But that precludes the use of the Mig 21 in an historic "cold war" type mission, where the Russians would deploy their mobile PRNG units to captured airfields, as they advanced! The RSBN is also essential for locating "targets". Without a range and bearing its like looking for a needle in a desert!:-)

 

My coding skills are poor, but the concepts are fascinating. Thanks to community members, the sim becomes alive!

 

Thanks for your work!:-)

 

Regards

 

David

[Dolphin887]

Implement

 

Hey Redglyph,

 

thank you for testing and taking care of MiG Nevada NAVs database!

 

Please PM me when you have some time, let's see if we can put updated NAV data into the next MiG patch with your permission.

[Xxx]

Hey Redglyph,

 

thank you for testing and taking care of MiG Nevada NAVs database!

 

Please PM me when you have some time, let's see if we can put updated NAV data into the next MiG patch with your permission.

 

Perhaps you could look at the possibility of a mobile RSBN unit? That would not only be realistic but would add more options to the mission planner!

 

As territory is captured, mobile RSBN are used at captured airfields:-)

 

Regards

 

David.

[Redglyph]

Updated to v4.

[slicker55]

I had no idea the Mig21 uses its own, aircraft specific, code for its RSBN/PRMG navigation

 

I am trying to prepare quick reference charts for all the DCS maps and have collated information from various sources which include RSBN channels

 

I just thought the RSBN channels were generic for use with any aircraft equipped with RSBN navigation.

 

My favourite aircraft at the moment is the MiG-21 so where can I find the correct MiG21/RSBN channels for each of the maps?

[Redglyph]

I am trying to prepare quick reference charts for all the DCS maps and have collated information from various sources which include RSBN channels

 

I just thought the RSBN channels were generic for use with any aircraft equipped with RSBN navigation.

 

My favourite aircraft at the moment is the MiG-21 so where can I find the correct MiG21/RSBN channels for each of the maps?

 

You'll find them in Mods\aircraft\MIG-21bis\Cockpit\Systems:

• R_NAV_data_Caucasus.lua
  
• R_NAV_data_Nevada.lua
  
• R_NAV_data_Normandy.lua
  
• R_NAV_data_PersianGulf.lua
  

[slicker55]

@Redglyph

 

Thanks for the advice - `I will take a look at those and correct any discrepancies in the charts I'm making.

 

I have been away for a while with other work and just trying to take up the slack which has inevitably occurred during my absence - age/memory LOL

 

The MiG21 has a certain appeal tho me (not sure why) and despite owning an 'almost full' hangar, I haven't spent too much time learning other aircrafts.

 

Out of interest, which of the available aircraft in DCS is also equipped with RSBN navigation equipment?

[Rudel_chw]

Out of interest, which of the available aircraft in DCS is also equipped with RSBN navigation equipment?

 

 

The L-39 .. tough unfortunately it is implemented differently, as it uses DCS standard RSBN stations, while the MiG-21 cames with its own (much more complete) database of RSBN stations ... that is private to the MiG-21 and thus cant be used by the L-39 :(

[slicker55]

... right, so just to clarify...

 

Only MiG21 and L39 utilise RSBN

 

MiG21 RSBN's as per .lua's (Post #11 above)

 

L39 utilises DCS (Standard) RSBN stations - where can I find these?

 

No other aircraft in DCS utilise RSBN?

 

Learning by the minute!

[Rudel_chw]

... right, so just to clarify...

 

Only MiG21 and L39 utilise RSBN

 

MiG21 RSBN's as per .lua's (Post #11 above)

 

L39 utilises DCS (Standard) RSBN stations - where can I find these?

 

 

That is correct, the Map of Lino show up the standard RSBN stations:

 

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-uSpZROuEd3YWJBUmZTazBGajQ/view

 

 

 

No other aircraft in DCS utilise RSBN?

 

 

No, the MiG-15 only has NDB homing. Maybe the upcomings MiG-19 and/or MiG-23 will have RSBN, not sure about that.

 

 

The Mi-8 has NDB and a special system for rescue operations.

 

 

Best regards

[slicker55]

@Rudel_chw

 

Thank you for your help

 

I have already downloaded Lino's Map

 

You may interested to know there is a newer version (1.49):

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16NI3o2jvQ5TlXtqXqgVp3IwyYorJ1eJ7/view?usp=sharing

 

Ideally, would like the 'Standard' DCS RSBN information in list form

[Redglyph]

@Redglyph

 

Thanks for the advice - `I will take a look at those and correct any discrepancies in the charts I'm making.

 

I have been away for a while with other work and just trying to take up the slack which has inevitably occurred during my absence - age/memory LOL

 

The MiG21 has a certain appeal tho me (not sure why) and despite owning an 'almost full' hangar, I haven't spent too much time learning other aircrafts.

 

Out of interest, which of the available aircraft in DCS is also equipped with RSBN navigation equipment?

 

You're right, the MiG-21 definitely has something about it. Perhaps a mix of several things, it's a bit mystical, linked to the Cold War, to the Constant Peg programme. It's a mix of interesting technologies, quite old and still analogue but with a radar, good navigation tools, and nuclear capability. You can even find alcohol in it ;)

 

It first looked ugly and ridiculous to me, until I finally got curious and bought the module, and I've been almost obsessed with it right away :D Well, once I got past my disappointment at the poor training missions and the lack of campaign. I just discarded that part and learned from the Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions available on Avialogs, which instructs quite a different start-up procedure.

 

It's a wonderful machine, and a great implementation of it in DCS :)

[Redglyph]

By the way, perhaps you can check out this (long) thread about RSBN stations on the Albatros, there were discussions on how to add the missing stations, for ex. on Nevada. Perhaps it's not relevant anymore, and/or perhaps it's the same as the link given by Rudel above (thanks!), I can't verify that right now.

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=184072

 

Who knows, maybe one day we'll be able to create that in specific missions, as those little trucks are supposed to be mobile. That'd be fun.

[Rudel_chw]

You may interested to know there is a newer version (1.49):

 

 

Thanks :)

 

 

Ideally, would like the 'Standard' DCS RSBN information in list form

 

 

This is a bit old, but I like the fact that Excel lets you filter by station type:

 

 

https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ai6cuX3YQI26gfhL1FplqW6uLYDwaw