I agree. I’ve watched a lot of videos, read big sections of manuals and guides but it’s all falling into place after this one. I’m looking forward to an FA18 series! (Not really - seriously, I’m sticking with the F16 for now as these guides are really helping and the FA18 is just a little too much for a starter - too many options).

Totally agree!

Yes, very straightforward explanation of the modes for a new player. Thanks!

yea now i finally understand what i was always doing with my f18 lol

Glad it was helpful.

Thanks for your support!

Yes can confirm no lock indication on the targets RWR. Bugging a target you see doesn't change anything about the amount of radar energy reaching your target. It's simply a prioritisation mode which ensures that the track predictions are kept up to date for that track. To the target there is no difference between this and the radar scanning over them during normal scan operation. Now of course if they have missile approach warning system it may pickup the missile launch and once the missile goes pitbull they will get an RWR indication from the missiles radar but that will be much later.

@@deephack It was meant as a joke because DCS AI doesn't follow the rules. They crank the instant you fire in TWS from BVR because of their magic eye. This is well known and documented but par the course for AI stuff.

Ah I see! That I don't know anything about.

This is actually confirmed although now fixed as of yesterday's patch. Check the patch notes.

@@deephack Yeah I was pretty pumped to see that in the patch.

Thanks! You're quite right, it might not be immediately apparent that the radar stuff is covered in a previous video. I'l add a note to the video to that effect.

Glad the video was helpful. There may be some small details but this is pretty much the entirety of how RWS and TWS work. They don't seem to be simplified.

I might do so eventually. I do like the F-14 but I would have to study it's systems a bit.

@@deephack that would be cool, there is a lot to get your head into with that radar.

I don't think they are anything too special. See here imgur.com/a/erJKxLL

I fly both, great aircraft!

Hard to say in my case as I started out with Falcon 4 back in about '99 which had quite a lot of this stuff simulated already. It's all just practice and of course flying with an online squadron probably helps too.

Glad it helped. This is the RDR Cursor Switch axis in the controls. I have it bound to my HOTAS. If you don't have a free axis to bind it to then you can use a hat or similar also.

I end up just using Fox 2 lmao

You're welcome. The main thing between RWS and TWS is the processing of the radar returns and the cost that implies. RWS will update the scope more regularly and display a contact at much greater range than TWS will. If you need pure range then go RWS. If you would prefer situational awareness with reduced range and refresh rate then go TWS.

@@deephack Thank you very much for your reply, that is interesting. I would have a last question please : If i am flying online against a modern jet, does his RWS go crazy in alert as soon as the missile is fired from my airplane or does it happen only when the Aim120 goes mad dog on him? I ask because i want to know if it is really useful to only bug the target for stealth/surprise effect instead of just using a full STT lock before firing my missile in RWS mode. Thank you once again.

Just noticed your message. Just launching an AIM120 without STT will not give your target a launch warning unless they have MAWS or similar (JF-17, M2000C). When the AIM120 goes active they will then of course get RWR indications. Bugging is very useful for this reason and the ability to launch against multiple targets all at once.

@@deephack Thank you very much once again for having taken the time to reply, much appreciated, wishing you the best :)

In the controls you should find it listed as the target management switch.

@@deephack TY TY yes, it's under the HOTAS section. Finally I can lock a target lol

I think it's called weapon release in the F-16.

Is this in stable or open beta as the radar just got some improvements in open beta which should improve it's performance.

@@deephack I am playing on open beta. How recent was the update?

@Redox Thank you for your explanation.

Press escape and choose "Adjust controls" from the popup menu while in sim. From there choose the hotas category and you should find you controls for all the hats.

That's interesting, I really don't know. Could they have been in the notch? Travelling away from you at low speed or flanking enough that they were beaming you?

@@deephack directly in front of me. I was attempting to intercept them.

You would need to check your control bindings and see what you have them set to. In the HOTAS category it will be called TMS or target management switch.

You're looking for RDR CURSOR.

I've not flown the F-16 recently but I'll check it out and see what I find.

Sounds like you have your radar in RWS instead of TWS mode. Check the mode selection at the top of the screen.

@@deephack Cheers for the response dude. That's the thing - I am in TWS. Doing exactly as you're doing in the vid. What I have also tried to do that isn't in your vid but Wags's is; TMS RIGHT in TWS mode when there are multiple Target Track files (solid white) to make all of them System Track targets. This is demonstrated in Wags in vid which I can link if you're interested in investigating this with me. But I cannot get a System track target for the life of me - with either method. Yours or Wags's.

@@MrWillathon I do demonstrate TMS Right at about the 22:56 minute mark. Are you getting track targets before you try to do this? Those are the large filled squares. If your radar is struggling to generate a track and predict target position then it will display small filled squares called search targets which cannot become system targets. Your radar could be struggling for a variety of reasons. Aircraft which are flying away from you at close to your own airspeed are very hard to track. Very small targets at long range, aircraft flanking and aircraft in ground clutter can all be a challenge for the radar to build a track file for. In these circumstances you need to drop into RWS as this mode will do less processing and be better able to provide usable returns.

@@deephack It's all good. It is working - I'm running the most recent open beta and the Target track files no longer change to hollow white boxes when they're made into System track files.

@@MrWillathon hey i was having the same issue as you. So when i try and select a target for a systems track, they turn yellow. is this the new indicator other then the white box? Cheers

I think I cover that in the radar symbology update video here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ZrmdpdSm2pilXXU.html

Listed as RDR cursor in the controls.

@@deephack thanks man, I actually just found it

I'm not sure exactly what it is called in the controls as I'm not at my sim pc right now but TMS stands for target management switch. If you go to the HOTAS category in controls it should be easy enough to find. What you are describing with SOI and not SOI is the action of the DMS or display management switch so you are pressing the wrong control it seems. I don't list what the key is as it may well be different for different people with varying keyboard layouts and HOTAS setups. You need to configure this kind of stuff before starting the tutorials. Check out Chuck's guide on the F-16 for a really good run down on what controls you should map.

@@deephack Thanks for the response. I watched a video by Waggs after this and even he said the same thing lol TMS forward and it locked it up. I even went back and confirmed its programmed right, I am hitting it right, and same thing happens again NO SOI when I hit up (and was SOI before I hit up). It might even be a bugged binding. Going to try and sort it out later today after family is gone it's hard to concentrate on this stuff when there are distractions lol. I just so need to get past this so I can enjoy and do more learning, I have spent easily over an hour on this and same problem ;) Cheers!