Hi all

Sorry for yet another question, but this is not covered in one of Krause's excellent tutorials or somewhere else I could find it. A main problem with BMS also seems to be that there is no 100% total manual, only legacy manuals and a ton of "interim" changes that makes it hard to tell what the current status of a system behaviour is.

That said:

I understand that BMS models two radios in the jet, one UHF, one VHF. I know I can set frequency presets in the Data Cartridge. I also think I know how to switch to a preset in flight, although it's a bit weird (I end up with UHF 1 written on the top right display instead of an actual frequency, but it's working).

But what does it actually mean for my communication between wingmen, tower and me? Obviously military traffic would usually use UHF, so does that mean if I switch to Tower, I'm not gonna hear my wingies? Or that I have to tune in AWACS each time separatly?

Besides, where does one actually find a list of frequencys to use during a mission? The Data Cartridge allows me to "set tower" frequencys but I haven't grasped the other stuff.

Thanks for any help

RS

"Set Tower" to preset #0 or #15 (or both like I do) for UHF
Leave everything else as is (unless force-on-force PvP)

You should now start in cockpit on UHF 123.45 (preset #0 with tower freq. else than example) and VHF 6 meaning you are able to talk to tower (UHF) and your package (VHF).
After TO switch UHF to 1 (or 2 if you're flight #2 in package) to be able to talk to your wingmen only not disturbing your package flights with silly talk (oh, maybe thats only me )

In PvP server we usually talk over UHF 13 to announce intentions but for SP or multiplayer Coop, package and flight channels are all you need.

In SP you will ofcourse pick your wingmen up on flight or package channels, stay on UHF Tower and switch VHF to 9 or so and you'll notice wingmen will not respond to your orders.

Below is the default radioplan which is good to picture/remember:

1 - Flight 1
2 - Flight 2
3 - Flight 3
4 - Flight 4
5 - Flight 5

6 - Package 1
7 - Package 2
8 - Package 3
9 - Package 4
10 - Package 5

11 - From Package
12 - Proximity
13 - Guard
14 - Broadcast
15 - Tower

Feel free to adjust preset 15 to 20 as needed such as alternate etc - nothing I ever do but thats the basic idea.

As you see one rarely edit the actual frequencies.

Ah, familiar faces here, even if a different sim!

Thanks for the explanation.

So basically VHF remains unchanged most of the time for communicating with the entire strike package and I guess AWACS/Tanker also use that frequency? And UHF I use only for my own flight?

Sounds a tad easier that way, thanks!

In case you are interested, IRL UHF is used for comms outside the flight, while VHF is used for intra-flight comms. Normally after takeoff you will use VHF to communicate with your flight and UHF to communicate with your package (not everyone). Basically comms relevant to the flight are on VHF, like fuel checks formations etc as not everyone needs to hear those, and mission relative comms are on UHF (again, among the package). Guard is not normally used as comms get too cluttered. AWACS can monitor many freqs IRL and as far as I can tell, every freq in F4.

So unless the situation demands it, it would go like this during a flight:

UHF: tower, then package (also called the strike freq), tanker if necessary, then tower again for landing.
VHF: flight freq the whole time.

Familiar face indeed, I just got unbanned at bananforums after telling off a moderator - still can't stand his behaviour though, he's quite juvenile IMO.

Anyhow, yes as Kosmo says (and many others, I honestly have no idea) UHF should go tower and package but as default VHF been 6 since 1.08us (?) I didn't want to go too confusing

(actually, one should be able to set victor 1 via datacartridge nowadays I guess?)

Yep, check "set default" and save, I have VHF 1 and UHF 15 (tower) saved for startup.

Noh, it means that you will hear only those that are transmitting on the frequencys you have assigned to each UHF and VHF preset channel.
Preset channels are just a way to assign frequency (which are long and hard to remember numbers) to a small and easy to remember number.
On your documents folder inside BMS folder, there is a "Avionic Checklist.pdf". On page 5 of that pdf (page 4 of the document) you have the list of the default preset channels and the UHF and VHF frequencys assigned to each channel.
I will post some of them here to explain:

Channel - UHF - VHF
1 - 297.50 – 138.05
2 - 381.30 – 138.10
6 - 349.00 – 133.15
13 - 307.30 – 119 .50
14 - 377.20 – 121.10
15 - Is blank, but for example purposes using the datacartridge inside f4 we assign it 240.9 - 118.05, which is Kimpo airbase.

So you enter the cockpit, with ICP you press COM1 and assign preset channel 15. Voila, by just entering a two digits number you just assigned the UHF frequency of 240.9 (Kimpo Airbase), and now you will here Kimpo airbase and anybody who is transmitting on the 240.9 frequency. Also when you transmit on UHF, you will be transmiting on the 240.9 frequency.
Now again with the ICP you press COM2 and set channel 2. Now you just assigned the VHF frequency 138.10, and you will hear ALSO anybody who is transmiting on the 138.10 frequency. And when you transmit on the VHF channel, you will be transmiting on the 138.10 frequency only.
The problem with VHF is that haves shorter range, so maybe somebody with the same vhf frequency set, that is very far away, you will not hear him.
So in resume, you will hear only those transmitting on the frequencys assigned to the preset channels that you have set on the ICP. And you will always hear transmission of both frequencys (the UHF and VHF frequency) but you can transmit only at one frequency at the time, by using the UHF and VHF transmit buttons of the HOTAS.

Hope this answer and clarify what you were asking, and apollogies for my spelling.

Nop, since VHF have shorter range, you use VHF for your own flight. For that reason, on a multiplayer mission, on briefing, that must be an agreement on which VHF preset channel each flight will use, and people of the same flight should talk to each other using only the VHF transmit switch of the HOTAS. That way each flight will hear only those that belong to the same flight.
And the leaders of each flight should set the same UHF channel so they can talk to each other and coordinate the flights by using the UHF transmit comm swith of the HOTAS. Wingmans and elements could also have the same UHF channel set, but still they should only transmit using the VHF comm switch.
Also on brefing, an agreement must be made to which UHF will be used for intraflights camunications, and this UHF channel should be diferent that the tower channel. That way, each flight on the ground set the tower channel and can talk to tower, and once they are in the air, they change the UHF channel and can talk to the other flights, agains using the UHF transmit comm switch of the hotas.

Oh, I'm getting old!

I flew falcon 4 when it first came out and i used to fly ground missions - TEs - I even made my own, bombing airfields and nuclear plants and such.
I left it and then came back, did the "dance " a few times and got BMS 3 efficient- still ground missions- nothing too spectacular, i enjoyed zapping the tanks best!

Then i left it some while ago. I've just loaded BMS 4.32. And even after reading this thread, i feel like the guy in the load up movie ,Remember him? He kept getting told "Lock him up - lock him up " As the man said, " OH JESUS!"

I'm only on the "Take off" mission in TEs, trying to come back to this sim and i feel just like him. -lol

Having followed the steerpoints around I used to be able to say ( on Game Commander, anyone remember THAT!- and it still works )
"Inbound for landing " and the ATC talked back to me and guided me in.

Now I can't hear a darned thing. I obviously am not transmitting. So, at this early stage. how do i get into this Data cartridge thingy, or set the radio in the cockpit? Pleease-

As I say, having read the thread, I'm still not too confident I'll get this. I'll try the ramp start mission but this is going to be a long road.
The BMS boys have done well, no doubt, and being unpaid etc one shouldn't moan, but I find the manual situation a bit daunting.
Stuff seems written to be understood by them as knows - It's not easy putting yourself in the mindset of those who don't know, I suppose.

But I wish they would.

cheers

C

No worries Cas141, very common

Prior to commiting the mission while in map view look down right for a "data cartridge" (above a button with a sun) and select the Comms "tab" and click "Set Tower" and the "Save" and you're good to go.

Thats the minimum steps needed.
(if never been there before take the opportunity to click "reset" on each "tab", will keep you from empty MFD's and not having any chaff/flares released when due needed - and that usually hurts )