how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

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Luk
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how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Luk » 2010-12-19 23:25:34

how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4 (AF) - especially for communication and landing procedures?
Is it possible to influence descent profiles or other flight "shapes"? Or is it all "hardcoded" relatively to selected Airbase type?
It is always better to have a sample, than to speak about generic situation.
So I choosed two airbases, I placed in the dramatic Swizz landscape.

The first one is Alpnach and it is an "easier" one I think.
It is 20_02 airbase Rvr ( Rvr airbases are ok in AF - PT points setted properly)
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This airbase is the new one, it has no definition in the "stations.dat" file.
But AI planes can handle it without any problems.

I bailed out from my plane, but stay in 3D world to observe AI mirage starting the cap mission.
start ok
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direction to the CAP area
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after the time compressed mission - turned back to the home plate (Reichenbach AB in the background)
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going home (Meiringen AB on the right side - again in the bottom of the walley...)
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finally Alpnach in front of AI nose
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Emmen on the left side, there is also Buochs airstrip in the picture, but bad visible due to the low resolution..
AI is turning left, (preparing for final)
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So the basic is OK, even for AI.
But what about communication?
What is the recomended settings in the dat file?

Wiki info:

Code: Select all

TACAN - Tactical Air Navigation

This information comes from the stations.dat file located in the campaign directory.

# Kimpo - ex Kimpo (Gimpo) 
276 083 X 14 25 1 109.9 
--------------------------- 
-#: Name of the airbase 
-276: CampID of the airbase (into Tacedit objectlist view) 
-083 X: TACAN channel 
-14:It is a sequential no. that you choose for each airbase and that is linked to the CampID via this stations.dat file. 
-25: TACAN Range (Nm) 
-1: Emmitter Type (always 1) 
-109.9: ILS frequency

Due to the way that the voice system works and there are three speech frags for excat airbase (“Kimpo”, “Kimpo Tower” and “Kimpo Approach”), this sequential no. must be allocated in bands:

0 - 45
92 - 137
184 - 229

These are the Approach frags, and to get the corresponding Tower frag, Falcon adds 46 to the Approach no., which is why they must be allocated in these bands. (There were originally 46 bases in the game and then they added Kadena pretty late on).

Just posting this here for easy reference later.

Eval: 087 - eAPPROACH
Sample commIDs: 36, 38, 39
Korea: Indices 0 - 28: Approach (frags 2463 -
(94 entries)
Tacan Stations are numbered 1 - 126 and are grouped in two sets X and Y band.
Band can only be type X or Y
Channel must be between 1 - 126 inclusive
Dynamically assigned Tanker/Carrier list - all band Y, channels 126 - 70

Channel minimum changed to 26 via F4Patch - i.e. 0-25 dynamic (Y band - Tankers/Carriers), 26-126 fixed (X band - Airbases/Airstrips).
part of the european stations.dat file(notice zero tacan widely used):

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# Rijeka 
16466 125 X 461 100 1 108.5
# Udbina 
16476 0 X 462 0 1 0
# Varazdin 
16459 0 X 463 0 1 0
# Zadar 
16478 023 X 464 70 1 0
# Zagreb 
16462 084 X 465 100 1 109.5
# Cerklje 
16461 0 X 466 0 1 0
# Ljubljana 
16460 074 X 467 100 1 110.5
# Maribor 
16457 0 X 468 0 1 110.1
# Portoroz 
16464 0 X 469 0 1 0
# Slovenj Gradec 
16458 0 X 470 0 1 0
# Arad 
16226 027 X 489 175 1 0
# Timisoara - Giarmata 
16229 0 X 490 0 1 0
part of Izrael stations.dat file(it uses different band for some reason...?):

Code: Select all

# Damasuc INT
1738 107 X 19 150 1 109.9
# Dumyar
1740 0 Y 20 0 1 0
# Kalhalhak
1736 0 Y 40 0 1 0
# Marj Ruhayyil
1737 0 Y 94 0 1 0
# Mezze
1739 0 Y 95 0 1 0
# Palmyr
1746 0 Y 100 25 1 0
# Sayqal
1741 0 Y 114 0 1 0
# Shayrat
1743 0 Y 118 0 1 0
# Tiyas
1745 0 Y 121 0 1 0
So I guess I can add just a little into the dat file:
# Alpnach
14349 0 X 491 25 1 0
Is it OK?
Can I do it better?
What is a limitation of such a simple setting?

The second sample AB is more difficult I think:
It is Ambri airbase(again it is fresh in the EU theater).
It is 30_12airbase Rvr.
Like most swizz airbases, it is situated in the deep walley.
But the walley is curved a lot.

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it is good visible, how the terrain falls in front of the base:
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I am sliding besides "big wall"
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it is easy for human
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unfortunally I must end (did not tested AI landing yet)
again the date for Ambri:
# Ambri
14345 0 X 492 25 1 0

In case of Ambri, I am interrested in possible ingress/egress routes editing. I am not sure, but expect the AI problems.
Is it possible to do such edits?

OK, of course the swizz ABs is not a core of my work for Europe. But could be a good sample to learn, how to setup things as good as possible...
Of course I can share this work with somebody experienced - want to release at least L2 + tacfile in next few days(perhaps also some version of cam, but is is db dependent a little). So you can extract it from tac file and use some auto method already discovered. I guess RedDog is the master and has some auto method.
But anyway, there is no easy understandable info about it, so sugesstions might be interresting for all.

Thanks
Luk

Malc
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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Malc » 2010-12-21 13:43:26

For the fourth number, use 32766 and the Tower doesn't speak its name, useful for avoiding "Kimpo being announced in Europe Theater" type moans...

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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Luk » 2010-12-22 16:42:16

For the fourth number, use 32766 and the Tower doesn't speak its name, useful for avoiding "Kimpo being announced in Europe Theater" type moans...
Thank you for nice tip Malc.
I am not sure, what you mean by the fourth number.
I guess you mean a sequential no. - that you choose for each airbase and that is linked to the CampID via this stations.dat file.
The next one is emitter distance in miles.
Did you mean it this way? :
# Alpnach
14349 106 X 32766 25 1 110.0
Does it mean all the EU bases would have the same sequential no. then?

I did it this way for my yesterday test (without 32766 string) and the tower did not spell any Korean/default names. Strange.
# Alpnach
14349 106 X 491 25 1 110.0
# Ambri
14345 107 X 492 25 1 110.2

The test forced me to study F4 avionics a little. I tried to tune frequencies, switched AA/TW TACAN, comm filters, played with DED and ICP.
But it looks, It has no sense in F4AF. The only thing makes sense IMHO - the TACAN channel. It must be different than zero, otherwise the tower is not responding.
During the tests I tried to take off from Alpnach (comunicated with tower during the takeoff channel 106X), then flied to Ambri - I just changed the TACAN to "no 107" 20 miles in front of Ambri. The Ambri tower guided me howto land on runway 12 then. So it was ok - just change the TACAN channel. BTW I tried ILS landing finally.
Image
I know the AF avionic is a little bit stylized sometimes - no problem for me.
But there are also another versions, where the radio frequncies are used I think.

So this is my proposal, how to fix the bases in Eu for tower communication:
There are TACAN/freq ranges for particular countries. There is a "reserve" for future CAM/tac updates.

Code: Select all

            TACAN code         radio
Austria		0-50		100.0 - 104.9
Belgium		50-100		105.0 - 109.9
Switzerland	100-150		110.0 - 114.9
Czech Republic	150-200		115.0 - 119.9
Denmark		200-250
Finland		250-300
France		300-350
Germany	W	350-400
	E	400-430
Hungary		430-450(+)
Italy		450-500(-)
Ireland		500-525
Latvia		525-550
Lithuania	550-575
Estonia		575-600
Netherlands	600-650
Norway		650-700
Poland		700-750

Romania+(surr.)	750-800
Moldova
form. Yugoslavia :
Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republic Srpska
Slovenia

Russia+(Ukr.)	800-850
RESERVE	(Ic,Bu)	850-875
Slovakia	875-900
Sweden		900-950		190.0 - 194.9
United Kingdom	950-999		195.0 - 199.9
I also tried to land the AI in Ambri airbase.
I took of my F5, made the circle and landed as first. Then I gave the order "return to base" to my wingman.
Wingman is landing:
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it looked bad in the beginning :mrgreen:
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but the AI pulled the stick a little and flied over the hill! Inteligent guy!
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So there is no urgent need to edit ingress/egress paths. The AI is clever!

Luk

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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by ccc » 2010-12-22 17:02:04

wow! cool AI landing!

Malc
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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Malc » 2010-12-25 10:24:57

Luk wrote:
For the fourth number, use 32766 and the Tower doesn't speak its name, useful for avoiding "Kimpo being announced in Europe Theater" type moans...
Thank you for nice tip Malc.
I am not sure, what you mean by the fourth number.
I guess you mean a sequential no. - that you choose for each airbase and that is linked to the CampID via this stations.dat file.
The next one is emitter distance in miles.
Did you mean it this way? :
# Alpnach
14349 106 X 32766 25 1 110.0
Does it mean all the EU bases would have the same sequential no. then?
That's correct, your example is spot on. Use 32766 for every AB you create and you'll get no radio names spoken.

The "sequential" number mentioned earlier is not strictly correct, it is actually a pointer for the soundbite to be used for announcing the Airbase name, depending on which name you would want to call out, you would use the relevant pointer (F4talkview shows which name versus number), and 32766 refers to a null soundbite. Check the original "stations.dat" and you'll notice every airstrip (36/18 or 09/27 uses it, and they have no names announced on the radio.

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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Luk » 2010-12-26 11:25:32

Ok, I see.
Thanks.

May I ask some happy owner of "F4talkview" program to upload it? I think SnakeMan would put it in the download site then.
I tried to google it, but no effect.

Luk

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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by demer928 » 2010-12-26 22:44:56

Luk wrote:Ok, I see.
Thanks.

May I ask some happy owner of "F4talkview" program to upload it? I think SnakeMan would put it in the download site then.
I tried to google it, but no effect.

Luk
Sighhhhhhhh.................http://www.mediafire.com/?e558mb1qvdm241l..... :(
Me think's you have more to worry about in your Theater,but anyway's, here you go!!!!

READ THE README!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Holiday's,
demer

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Luk
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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Luk » 2010-12-27 08:30:45

Me think's you have more to worry about in your Theater,but anyway's, here you go!!!!
Thank you demer. Don't worry - just painting Norwegian lakes and fjords. :wink:

Luk

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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Snake Man » 2010-12-27 21:54:32

Luk wrote:May I ask some happy owner of "F4talkview" program to upload it? I think SnakeMan would put it in the download site then.
I have downloaded the zip, what is the status now, should it be added to PMC Tactical downloads and PMC Editing Wiki?
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Luk
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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by Luk » 2010-12-27 22:16:50

I downloaded it too. So I dont need it in download section for now. But the tools are lost periodicaly I think :mrgreen:.
It is up to you SnakeMan.

Luk

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Re: how to setup a fully featured airbase in F4

Post by demer928 » 2010-12-27 22:17:35

Snake Man wrote:
Luk wrote:May I ask some happy owner of "F4talkview" program to upload it? I think SnakeMan would put it in the download site then.
I have downloaded the zip, what is the status now, should it be added to PMC Tactical downloads and PMC Editing Wiki?
Go 'head.Credit due to the Author of course.README added to the Wiki for sure.........This was Freeware, back in the day......I do not foresee any problem's.
Also,we need to remember that some version's have externalized Data that goe's along with this, can't remember if it made a difference to the tool however.

Regard's
Demer

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