Can talk to tower in Taxi and Runway but not Ramp - not Data Cartridge issue

[EncryptedToast]

Hi all, got a head scratcher here.

Been practicing ramp start using the Takeoff TE that comes with BMS. All works fine except I never have any communication with the tower. So I can’t even have the chocks removed. I have verified:

My Data cartridge is set up as required, in fact I verify this by starting the same TE in either Taxi or Runway and it works fine. It seems I am missing something in the ramp start process but bugger if I know what it is - I even compared my UHF settings. In Taxi and Runway it shows what I expect:

UHF BOTH
15
353.10 (which is I believe Seosan AF, the one used in the Takeoff training mission)

I see the exact same thing after my ramp start.

All comm channels look the same to me in each instance, yet no matter what I do I cannot communicate with the tower after a ramp start. Been over this about ten times and I cannot spot any one procedure I am missing ….

headscratch

[WeakLink]

If you do the ramp start all switches are off check your radio panel (lower Left) that radio’s are set to both volume up that’s three knobs. You must switch to UFC to use the set channels otherwise you are in backup and must set the channels in the ICP panel. You must load the DTE in order to get the radio to tune to preset channels. If you try the tower and can’t hear your voice (T) then radio is either on wrong channel or off

WeakLink

[Dee-Jay]

Hi!

First of all : DO NOT USE THOSE “FUNKING” PRESETS!

Keep it simple stupid (KISS) => Enter directly the freq in ICP… and check if it works.

[EncryptedToast]

@Dee-Jay:

Hi!

First of all : DO NOT USE THOSE “FUNKING” PRESETS!

Keep it simple stupid (KISS) => Enter directly the freq in ICP… and check if it works.

But thats the thing, when I look at the ICP the frequency that I need is actually there. Are you saying to take it out, then put it back in?

Still confused why it works with a Taxi or Runway start but not ramp since they all use the same data cartridge. Obviously I am missing a step but I don’t know what it could be.

[Agave_Blue]

@EncryptedToast:

….

Still confused why it works with a Taxi or Runway start but not ramp since they all use the same data cartridge. Obviously I am missing a step but I don’t know what it could be.

One difference is in Taxi and Runway the data cartridge is already loaded. In Ramp, you have to load the data cartridge yourself. Weaklink mentioned it including some other differences, like switching to up front controls yourself when starting from Ramp.

Are you using Red Dog’s Startup checklist/procedure (or some personalized version of it)?

[Stubbies2003]

Another thing that hasn’t been mentioned here yet is that the timing of when you load the DTC versus other switch positions is critical for if the load happens for the radios at all. If you load the DTC prior to turning on your radios or when they are still controlled in backup mode (CNI switch backup/UFC) then the radios will not be loaded. Even that isn’t totally critical because if you notice the goof you just turn on the radios and set them to UFC on the CNI switch and re-load the DTC and it will work fine.

Another question that hasn’t been asked is if you are setting channel 15 on UHF to the tower prior to committing and saving your DTC. If not then channel 15 isn’t necessarily going to be on any bases tower freq.

[Frederf]

@EncryptedToast:

But thats the thing, when I look at the ICP the frequency that I need is actually there. Are you saying to take it out, then put it back in?

Still confused why it works with a Taxi or Runway start but not ramp since they all use the same data cartridge. Obviously I am missing a step but I don’t know what it could be.

DeeJay is approaching this as a programmer diagnosing a problem. The usual rule is cut out any unnecessary potential issues.

[Arty]

Stubbies2003 man this is not how it works.
In my Squad we use pressets we load first the dtc then we power on the radios. Never ever in those BMS years had any problems as u described it. Not just me, the whole squad.

[Dee-Jay]

@EncryptedToast:

But thats the thing, when I look at the ICP the frequency that I need is actually there. Are you saying to take it out, then put it back in?

Still confused why it works with a Taxi or Runway start but not ramp since they all use the same data cartridge. Obviously I am missing a step but I don’t know what it could be.

If you enter directly the freq :

“ICP COM1”

“3” “5” “3” “1” “0”

“ENTER”

… is it working?

[Stubbies2003]

@Arty:

Stubbies2003 man this is not how it works.
In my Squad we use pressets we load first the dtc then we power on the radios. Never ever in those BMS years had any problems as u described it. Not just me, the whole squad.

Don’t know what to say there as I’ve done this backwards a few times and the changed VHF default channel will NOT be tuned if I do it backwards (CNI and radios on) whereas I’ve never seen the problem the other way around.

Perhaps it is that one little thing of which channel the radio tunes to versus the channels themselves but say I am in flight 3 and we are tuning to VHF 3 for our own flight comms. If I forget to do CNI/radio power and load DTC it will NOT tune to VHF 3 even though I set 3 as the default for VHF in the DTC prior to commit. I’ll catch the screw up, switch CNI and/or power the radios and reload DTC then it will tune to VHF 3 as it should.

[Red Dog]

@Arty:

Stubbies2003 man this is not how it works.
In my Squad we use pressets we load first the dtc then we power on the radios. Never ever in those BMS years had any problems as u described it. Not just me, the whole squad.

Stubbies is correct nevertheless
if you set your radios in UFC and then load the dtc, the dtc will override your radio settings (if different of course)
that’s the reason why the checklist state to load dtc before setting radio (if needed)

the best way (imho) to do it is to load the DTC, right after having switched to UFC. that’s usually the first thing i do in UFC
Although it does work fine while being in backup as well (sometime i have guys doing the DTC load just before switching to UFC, which works equally fine

[EncryptedToast]

@Agave_Blue:

One difference is in Taxi and Runway the data cartridge is already loaded. In Ramp, you have to load the data cartridge yourself. Weaklink mentioned it including some other differences, like switching to up front controls yourself when starting from Ramp.

Are you using Red Dog’s Startup checklist/procedure (or some personalized version of it)?

I have been following the tutorial “Falcon BMS 4.32 - Install to Combat Ready in 1 Hour (Tutorial)” at

[WolfKeeper]

Um, yeah, someone else followed that video and was ticked off he couldn’t do anything. Maybe something labeled “1 hour tutorial” and “BMS” shouldn’t be taken seriously

If you’re going to ramp start, learn the correct way to do it. Get Red Dog’s checklist. I’ve never had a problem with communicating with the tower from day one. Make sure all the radio switches are correctly set (and volume knobs turned up) because ramp start doesn’t set these.

If still in doubt, get into the 3D pit from a taxi or runway, and screenshot the radio panel. Then go to a ramp start and compare.

[Dee-Jay]

@WolfKeeper:

Um, yeah, someone else followed that video and was ticked off he couldn’t do anything. Maybe something labeled “1 hour tutorial” and “BMS” shouldn’t be taken seriously

Can be nothing but a brief overview (nicely made).

Useful? yes. Enough? Certainly not.

[EncryptedToast]

Ok I got it, turns out that loading the data cartridge too soon (as was mentioned here) was causing this. All good now - thanks everyone!