AWACS comms
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Hello Forum.
May I ask some Noobie questions please?
I understand that Channel 15 is for the tower and I input this in the data cartridge.
What are the frequencies for the AWACS, tanker, wingman etc?
Are they among the #1 to #14 presets and do I just change the channel number in the DED?
I have the chart showing the “mission specific” frequencies #1 through #14.Or, do I have to manually enter a frequency using Comm 1or 2?
If so, what are they please?I have studied all the manuals, but just can’t seem to find what I need.
Also,could you tell me what is meant by GUARD #13, PROXIMITY #12 and BROADCAST #14.
Thank you.
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Guard refers to a couple things. If your radio is set correctly, you are always listening to TWO different frequencies on UHF - the one you have selected by channel number or frequency, and also GUARD of 243.00 Mhz.
Channel 13 by default is set to 307.30 Mhz, and this frequency is broadcast on by basically all the AI flights. Most online co op and pvp servers require you to monitor 307.3 whilst flying so that everyone on one side is ‘on the same frequency’, literally.
GUARD 13 refers to the channel 13, 307.3 - whereas just GUARD refers to 243.0 - usually.
Proximity refers to the behavior of channel 12 - if you tune your radio to channel 12, it should pick up the transmissions of all nearby aircraft - though this is not very realistic, it is how it works at the moment. Hints have been dropped IIRC that this may change in 4.33 (we can only hope it does).
Broadcast, I have no idea. I actually thought this was all in the BMS manual, to be entirely honest.
If AWACS is available, usually the briefing will give you a frequency you can use. However, on channel 13 you will be able to hear AWACS anyway. Same can be said of the tanker.
When flying solo, just myself and the AI, I monitor tower until established on the departure, and switch over to channel 13 once out of the airspace - and stay on that until Im ready to practice my Arrivals procedures to land.
When flying with humans, more complex comms plans can be used, typically to keep unrelated radio chatter to a minimum.
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I always have UHF on preset 6 and VHF on preset 1 while single player campaigning. AWACS seems to be available on all channels and frequencies regardless.
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Hello Blu3wolf.
If I may pursue the point, so I’ll understand.
The briefing may give me an AWACS frequency which I can manually input to Comm 1
OR
I can select channel 13 in the DED……and I’ll hear AWACS and tanker…am I correct?
You say if guard is set up correctly, I’ll hear two channels. Could you please elaborate on correct set up and which two channels I’ll pick up.I don’t use multiplayer (yet)…it seems way beyond me at my stage.
I appreciate your help, thank you. -
Hello Blu3wolf.
If I may pursue the point, so I’ll understand.
The briefing may give me an AWACS frequency which I can manually input to Comm 1
OR
I can select channel 13 in the DED……and I’ll hear AWACS and tanker…am I correct?
You say if guard is set up correctly, I’ll hear two channels. Could you please elaborate on correct set up and which two channels I’ll pick up.I don’t use multiplayer (yet)…it seems way beyond me at my stage.
I appreciate your help, thank you.Hi Bayonet,
You can select any UHF preset, e.g. UHF 1 to 13. All these presets will allow you to receive and transmit radio commands (QWERTY stuff) with tanker and AWACS. See it as that the AI “magically” tuned to which UHF you have set.
Behind every UFH preset, is a frequency. So you may also use the frequencies for radio commands with tanker and AWACS.
The exception here are ATC, because each airbase has its own UHF frequency. i.e. you need the correct UHF tower frequency first to start radio commands with a tower.
Now the UHF presets 12 and 13 are “special”, because they also allow you to hear non-commanded radio communication from the AI. This means you may hear all sorts of flight radio communications in the world around you.
Preset 12 (Proximity) allows you to hear AI comms nearby.
Preset 13 (Team) allows you to hear AI comms from the entire team.Preset 13 is sometimes mistakenly called GUARD. It is not! The BMS manual makes different references to GUARD… best is to remember that preset 13 is really TEAM channel. Preset 13 is even more special, because it is the only preset/frequency which allows you to chat between 3D world and 2D world (people looking at the map).
GUARD has no preset, but does have a fixed frequency, which is 243.000.
If you have the selector switch on your UHF panel set to “BOTH” (see left of your left knee), this means that a second radio in your F16 is monitoring/receiving radio transmissions made on the GUARD frequency.
If you would like to transmit back on GUARD, there are a couple of ways. To not get to technical, I’d advise you here to just set your UHF to 243.000 and start your comms. If you would like to know more, I’d advise you to read the manual about the backup UHF panel.
GUARD can be handy communications by humans, and AFAIK never used by AI.Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Scuby -
And what is the difference between UHF and VHF?
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You should know molni, but presumably VHF is shorter in range than UHF and is used for inter flight comms. UHF is longer range so used for awacs and the like.
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I simply do not understand the radio comms modeling of BMS4 comparing to AF and FF way…
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And what is the difference between UHF and VHF?
Molni,
I think your question is related to the “special” part? To be honest, I never have tested Victor 12 and 13 in conjunction with AI, so I wouldn’t be able to say with certainty how the Victor behaves with regards to proximity/team.
Cheers
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that’s because it’s way more advanced and closer to reality.
the only thing that is still a problem is the way the Ai use those presets (broadcasts, team, proximity etc etc)
as long as that remains coded so it will be confusing to some ppl -
In AF/FF I always understand what I will hear and what I can reach via radio with certain settings. I simply cannot find any summarize tabl which clearly explains to me what I can hear and what I can reach with ceratin UHF/VHF settings.
I have learned at least 3 time how should I set comms in case I wish to talk an airbase but I’m always forgets and also do not know what happens in case my AC are damaged and ICP + DED are not available… -
Thank you Scuby……I like the concept of "magically"tuned.
I’ll switch to preset #14 and hopefully AWACS and tankers etc will respond when I press the appropriate key.Thanks again.
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Thank you Scuby……I like the concept of "magically"tuned.
I’ll switch to preset #14 and hopefully AWACS and tankers etc will respond when I press the appropriate key.Thanks again.
If no luck on channel 14, channel 13 will have better luck.
If nothing responds even though you are on channel 13, then nothing is on station - or your radio is busted.
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Thank you Scuby……I like the concept of "magically"tuned.
I’ll switch to preset #14 and hopefully AWACS and tankers etc will respond when I press the appropriate key.Thanks again.
Boyonet,
For good practice, rather use preset 6 in-flight and for your commands to/from tanker and AWACS.
Preset 14 might give some issues in some cases with tankers (so at least use anything between 1 - 13)
Have fun.
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And what is the difference between UHF and VHF?
One is Ultra High Frequency, and the other is only Very High Frequency (i.e. not as high)
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It seems petty but I have a growing dislike of tower frequency as “channel 15.” It’s a common habit but there’s nothing special about that specific channel number or using a channel preset at all. What matters is the frequency. I’m doing my best to refer to it as “Uniform tower” instead because at the end of the day that’s all that matters. If my wingman is using channel 19 or 15 or dialing it in manually, I don’t care and I don’t want to care. We’ve all seen people with a weak understanding get confused when the convention isn’t followed (DTC troubles, change of airbase, etc.). A change of terminology to emphasize what’s critical and de-emphasize what is incidental fosters a clearer and more accurate understanding of the situation. That’s unrelated to the main point though.
All AI comm traffic falls into filter groups, again based on frequency. It’s always frequency that matters, never channel preset number. The reason we often talk in channel numbers is because there is a consistent default and it saves having to refer to specific frequencies. It’s shorthand. When someone says “channel 6” they really mean “tune to the frequency that is normally associated with channel 6.” If you want to hear flight-only comms it is VHF138.05, 138.10, 138.20, 126.2, 134.25. It doesn’t matter if you make this VHF preset 1 or 19 or dialed in manually. As an aside I had a flight recently that human players changed a channel’s preset frequency, not understanding that both being on channel X is meaningless if those are different frequencies. Problems happened, people were shot down. Enough digression.
There are 6-7 significant filter groups with regards to AI comms:
1. Flight
2A. Package
2B. From Package
3. Proximity
4. Tower*
5. Team
6. AI Valid
7. AI Invalid
*Each tower is separate.The system is pretty simple. A communication happens. What filter group(s) is(are) the player monitoring? Who is the sender? Who is the recipient?
EX#1
Comm message Pusan Tower to Cowboy12. Player is monitoring flight frequency group. Sender is Pusan Tower. Recipient is Cowboy12.
Is sender or recipient part of group flight? Yes. Comm is allowed past filter.EX#2
Comm message Chalis11 to Eagle11. Player is monitoring flight frequency group. Sender is Chalis11. Recipient is Eagle11.
Is sender or recipient part of group flight? No. Comm is blocked by filter.Then there are magical comms that nearly always work. AFAC, AWACS, Tanker… any valid AI frequency will work. That means the 1-14 preset freqs, any tower (ROK? DPRK?) valid frequency. U359.3 is the default U-CH17. Is U359.3 MHz a valid AI frequency? No. It is said that AWACS “follows you” no matter which (valid) frequency you use. This is why people who spam AWACS messages in MP are evil since it is a scarce shared resource.
What’s screwy about the filtering system is that you can hear stuff when you shouldn’t. For example you can hear your flight receiving ATC instruction even though you’re only listening to flight comms. The filter only cares about the sender, recipient, and your “filter status.” It doesn’t care what frequency the comm should naturally be associated with. What frequency you have tuned affects your filter status. Your filter status determines which comms you hear. It’s an indirect system: Frequency -> Filter Status -> Filter Results.
Another important thing is that certain facilities care about UHF vs VHF. You cannot command your AI wingman with VHF turned off. You cannot call AWACS with UHF turned off. However certain logical checks are done globally for both radios interchangeably. For example U-OFF, can’t contact AWACS. This is no big surprise, AWACS requires UHF, understandable. U-292.3 can call AWACS. Why? Because this is Kunsan Tower and it’s a valid AI frequency. It’s weird that AWACS monitors every tower but OK. U-292.4 doesn’t work. Why? It’s not a valid AI frequency. OK I guess this is acceptable too. But here is the strange part. U-232.4/V-OFF doesn’t work because invalid frequency. U-OFF/V-CH1 doesn’t work because invalid radio. However U-232.4/V-CH1 does work for AWACS. Why? Because you are on valid AI frequency (V-CH1) and you have UHF on (U-292.4). Of course UHF is not on valid frequency and it is the “radio in use” but the logic doesn’t care. It combines the valid check from VHF with the UHFisOn check and concludes AWACS comms are OK. Weird stuff.
If you go looking for strange behavior you will find it. For example you contact Kunsan Tower for QNH. You dial in V126.5 but UHF is off. No response because tower demands UHF is on. You turn on UHF to anything to try again and you get a response even though UHF frequency is wrong for tower. Most times you can use VHF for tower and never notice an issue because UHF is also on to some/any frequency. But if you don’t go looking for trouble you are OK. VHF for flight, UHF for everything else, both radios on all the time, no problem. 99.99% of time VHF is left on CH1-5 for AI flight control. If you are in MP flight with more than 5 flights maybe this is a problem. The workaround is use a “made up” VHF frequency, just make sure to be on an “AI friendly” UHF and you’re OK. If you go “AI unfriendly” with both radios together then AI comms break. So the only chance of this is more than 5 packages at once which runs out of “package” channels to be separated. So only in extreme cases is this a problem.
The difference between CH13 and CH14 is IVC. The default “F1” key press in 2D transmits and receives on 13. All AI is heard the same on both. If you talk on CH14 then 2D IVC is deaf and mute to this traffic. CH13/14 are unfiltered for AI. You hear even intraflight comms like planned formation changes.
VHF-Guard and UHF-Guard are 121.5 and 243.0 (notice exactly multiplied by 2) and are not valid AI frequencies.’
For interesting purposes I set the following in the falcon bms.cfg file
set g_sRadioTowerCol “0xFF993333” // Sets radio tower comm subtitles to bright red
set g_sRadioStandardCol “0xFFFFFFFF”
set g_sRadioflightCol “0xFF00FF66”
set g_sRadiotoPackageCol “0xFFFF0000”
set g_sRadioToFromPackageCol “0xFF3333FF”
set g_sRadioTeamCol “0xFFFF00FF”The colors are stupid and the list is incomplete but I notice that different comms have different colored subtitles (option enabled) and I think it helps me tell apart different kinds of AI comm traffic.