Recluse

As one who has also experienced this intermittently, I have also observed a corollary behavior that I regard as a BUG... - Even when I can correctly obtain a lock with TDC in the MAV page, it occurs at about 8 miles. Fine - IF however, I leave/change the TDC to the FLIR page, lock occurs immediately when MAV shows IN RANGE, about 10 miles. - IN RANGE, LOCKED, FIRE! MAVERICK often falls short.. so things are BUGGED with regard to Range indicator and/or LASER firing time. 1st TRK: All good at 8 nm, with TDC in MAV page but also notice that earlier there is a short "flash" of the lock in the MAV DDI that reverts back to the X 2nd TRK: (Sorry, my TRACKIR was not behaving, so view is distorted): Immediately switch to FLIR. FIRE at about 9-10 miles. MAV falls short AND laser seems to stop firing before impact. (Didn't quite capture that here as I was following the Missile, but I've seen it in the past). I did a POINT TRACK just to show the TDC designation with Offset Cursor marked. I didn't have my TrackIR on for the first track and noticed that when I played it back with TIR active, it only showed the HUD. I could use the keyboard commands that I used originally to unlock the view and then TRACKIR could pan around during REPLAY (without taking control) F18_MAVE.trk F18_MAVE_Short.trk

I am seeing this too (Reverse slew at High Rate). Seems intermittent so I thought it was just my system or axes, but under the same conditions, the TPOD is fine. Still it doesn't happen to me all the time.

Ahh ok.. thanks!

From today's newsletter: Not sure what bug this was. I know I have had issues getting the MavF to successfully lock even when everything looks good, but I don't recall it being specifically when the first one is fired. I have also noticed that the first Mav automatically uncages when the TDC is moved to the MAV DDI, and subsequent missiles need to be manually uncaged. Maybe that is it?

I haven't messed with movers as much as I should, but here are some thoughts: 1 - As in the GAZACE video, the MAVERICK seeker is very prone to locking on to other high contrast targets when it tries to slew over to the Tracked vehicles. 2 - When you get a POINT TRACK, do a TDC DEPRESS so you see the little offset cross in the POINT TRACK. This shows the Point TRK is DESIGNATED. As other posters have said, you may need to update the DESIGNATION throughout the attack run. In one picture it is not there, but I cannot tell in the other.

Hmmm what seems to be the issue? The MAV defaults to 1111 and this is NOT a valid Laser code for the TGP. Here's a short TRK (Caucasus) that shows changing BOTH the MAV code and the TGP code in flight. Successfully firing it. It took awhile to find the laser. As others have posted, if the TDC were in the FLIR DDI it would have been instantaneous, but it works for me (eventually with most targets). F18_MAVE.trk

You have to set the code on the MAV separately from the TPOD using the UFC button on the STORES page. You can set the code on the Mavericks on the ground, but you cannot set the CODE on the TGP until you are in the air (AG Master Mode needed). The LTD/R switch needs to be on as well so you can enter the code on the UFC next the LTDC. If you leave the default on the TPOD, you only need to change the MAV code.

I see you have TRIG boxed in the FLIR. This is no longer necessary and the LASER will no longer keep firing unless the TRIG is kept depressed. Unbox TRIG and just use the PICKLE button as described above to automatically fire the laser. When LTD/R is flashing, the laser is firing.

You need to put the FLIR into POINT TRACK mode so it follows the Moving Target. Position the FLIR crosshairs just a ahead of the target and do Sensor Control Switch in the direction of the FLIR DDI twice to get the "Captains Bars" to catch the mover. If you successfully achieved the Point Track, the cursor will follow the target. Do a TDC DEPRESS to designate the new point track. You might have to do this several times to get it just right. If you miss the point track, you need to start over. You then need to get OUT of point track to once again slew the cursor by SCS in direction of DDI twice to get back to a slewable mode. Here's a nice video..

I don't recall... if you convert the LST to get a POINT TRACK and DESIGNATE, does the HUD follow the mover as well as the FLIR? Hard to do all those mechanics when rolling in for a guns pass, but it makes sense that the initial ground designation wouldn't follow the movers where a POINT TRACK should.

Yes. As the previous poster said, Hit the PICKLE button once to fire the laser, or hold down the pickle to fire the laser and fire the Maverick. The L ARM in the HUD will switch to flashing LTD/R to indicate that the laser is firing and the MAV x will turn into a solid box. IF LTD/R is flashing and the MAV is not locking, switch TDC to the FLIR page and it should lock. This is an "issue" that affects some people but which has not been reproduced by the ED team. Usually, under MOST conditions, it should work OK as is once a Target is DESIGNATED correctly, the MAV is uncaged and LTD/R is flashing See these threads: https://forums.eagle.ru/forum/english/digital-combat-simulator/dcs-f-a-18c-hornet/291865-laser-maverick-tgp-switchology https://forums.eagle.ru/forum/english/digital-combat-simulator/dcs-f-a-18c-hornet/291822-laser-problem-with-tp

Once you create the Mark Points (outside the Target zone, or Mark and fly away) you can feed them to the JDAMs one at a time, but once all 8 are programmed into all the TOO targets on the stations, then just PICKLE them off..

Yeah. I did a little forum searching and apparently if the targets are thin skinned vehicles (e.g. trucks) the JTAC will ask for GUNS so as not to waste expensive GBU. For TANKS and such, AUTO should still request GBU. Setting to GUIDED forces them to call for GUIDED weapons. Gripes had Trucks, my test had some APC vehicles, similarly thin skinned, I guess.

Hey Gripes, I had the same issue when making my TRK in this thread with the Drone as AFAC/JTAC always asking for guns. It doesn't preclude the use of GBU but it annoyed me :). I found that in the Mission Editor, switching the JTAC/AFAC weapons requirement from AUTO to GUIDED caused the AFAC/JTAC to correctly request GBU. Didn't try to see what happened if I had NO guided weapons onboard.

Hi, MAKE SURE you are hitting TDC DEPRESS After getting the Point Track. You will see the little offset cursor cross in the middle of the target box. THEN it seems to work. I was omitting this step. It still seems like a bug to me for stationary targets since you have ALREADY designated the point, and then just refined the track as Point track, but I will accept the extra press as necessary for MOVERS and just accept it for Stationary targets as well. It similarly doesn't make sense that switching TDC to the other page makes such a difference (even with a STATIONARY) target to the distance for a lock, but it seems that it is AS DESIGNED, so I stopped fighting about it, and just did the extra TDC depress. Try the extra TDC depress after POINT TRACKING the mover and see what happens Actually the other night I had the same issue AGAIN even with the additional TDC depress on a stationary target (oil rig structure)..but it seems to work for all other types of target. I swore I was done with this, but here is one more TRK: - Running in. VVSLV target Oil Rig. First, no point TRK just Designation (I did an additional TDC Depress after slewing the TPOD). Uncage Mave, Pickle.. no lock other than one intermittent flash. Move TDC to FLIR page. IMMEDIATE LOCK. -Go to POINT TRACK and TDC DEPRESS to see the OFFSET CURSOR CROSS. Go to MAV page. NO LOCK... Move to FLIR page IMMEDIATE LOCK. Back to MAV page. NO LOCK.. but finally at about 3 miles, the MAV seeker locks with the TDC there. Until this Oil Rig object, I did not have this issue with any other (usually vehicle or ship) targets when assuring either a DESIGNATION without POINT TRACK or a POINT TRACK with TDC depress. Recluse_MAVE_TDC3.trk

I could be mistaken and missing something critical, but I believe you are describing procedure in the A-10C. F/A-18 doesn't have this capability as far as I am aware (at least not YET in DCS). Without the MOD that allows the JTAC to send coordinates in the right format for the F/A-18, or the ability of the F/A-18 to directly enter MGRS coordinates you cannot yet do this without some effort.

You are using the TPOD in LST mode right? Toggle Switch on for LST is on and CODE set for LSTC for the tracker vs. the Designator? In my experience, you really need to help out the LST to get it to find the spot by designating a point VERY close to the expected targets (or put FLIR in VVSLAVE and point the velocity vector toward the targets) so that the TPOD and tracker has a better chance of finding the spot. Once the LST picks up the SPOT, use TDC depress to designate it so you have an AUTO release cue. Make sure your own laser designator is off. Here is a TRK using the VVSLV method. Since I actually know where the targets are at WP4, I put the VV on the approx location. I could have Designated the WP and gotten even closer. In 'real' life you might need to do what Frederf suggests in making a WP with the coordinates. I think the piece you were missing was the TDC depress to set a designation after the LST picks up the spot. Note: the second track, I switched the LST from the default NSRC (NARROW search) to WSRC (WIDE search) in the second TRK, the laser spot got picked up a lot easier.. forgot about that the first time through. Recluse_JTAC_GBU.trk Recluse_JTAC_GBU_WSRC..trk

OK.. so after a lot of back and forth, in the BUG thread it seemed to be Operator Error on my part. It now works reliably for me (TDC in MAV DDI). I always tend to POINT TRACK the target (though it is not necessary for stationary objects). Once in POINT TRACK, you must do a TDC Depress again to DESIGNATE the point tracked target (the little offset cursor appears). SImilarly, even without Point Track, you need to always Designate with TDC depress whenever slewing the FLIR to a new position. I was pretty sure I was doing that all the time, but when reviewing my TRK files, I found that often after POINT TRACK I was not doing the extra TDC depress. Lately, WHENEVER I do a simple TDC DEPRESS or TDC depress after POINT TRACK (even if I have done it once already) I can reliably lock with the TDC on the MAV page. Sometimes it seems that using WP Designate doesn't work the first time and I see this behavior. Repeating it or doing a TDC Depress (shouldn't be necessary) fixes it. ALWAYS TDC Depress if moving to POINT Track. I still think it is ODD that the MAV seeker is still looking RIGHT AT the target but doesn't pick up the laser unless TDC is in the FLIR DDI if the second TDC depress isn't done.

Hi, Mea Culpa! I just re-watched my TRK and Took control before seeing your post and I noted exactly what you described above. When I watched it, I thought "Hey I didn't do a TDC depress!". I did, however do a TDC depress INITIALLY on the target before going to Point Track, so I thought that the Designation, as far as the LASER spot (and hence the MAV-E seeker) should still be workable (for a stationary target). Obviously not, Just now I went back and tried it with either a second TDC depress on POINT Track or NO point track and just an initial TDC depress and it does seem to work. Interestingly, when NOT doing a TDC Depress on a POINT TRACK , the MAV does find the laser when the TDC is in the FLIR page. I still wonder why, conceptually, if the Maverick Seeker seems to lock on just fine to the pre-point track designated point, as indicated by the triangle superimposed on the diamond for a stationary target, I'm not sure why it isn't finding the laser based on what sensor has the TDC on it. Nonetheless, problem solved...

OK. That makes sense. No bug then just confusion over TDC following Sensor vs. DDI. Thanks!

I had the same question and the answer that made sense was if you had MULTIPLE JDAMS with different target points that weren't in the same field of view, you could just drop all the JDAM's and not worry about switching WP's to view each impact. For a single target or if all the PP targets were in one spot, you could probably just create a WP for one of them and watch all the fireworks. Less work programming multiple PP JDAMS than programming multiple WP's and using TOO to Desginate each one for each bomb.

Didn't know if you were replying to me or to Marc-T-NL, but there are several threads referencing this issue. I have TRKs in them. It is intermittent, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Check the TRK below which I also posted in the thread below. Near the end of the TRK you can see me running in with a target locked and laser firing. Switching between DDI's (MAV and FLIR) causes the laser lock (SOLID BOX) to appear and disappear based on the position of the TDC, only reliably locked when in the FLIR DDI. If it makes a difference, these were done with the current STABLE version not OB. I have tried to isolate the issue but can't quite pin it down. Some of my MP buddies have seen the same thing. By no means is this completely solid, BUT I have observed it to happen MORE on the PG map than the Caucasus and MORE with Missions that were created or edited AFTER the current STABLE patch was put in. It worked PERFECTLY fine for me on an old mission in the Caucasus reliably. https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=4527701 https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=289113 Recluse_MAVE_PG2.trk

Not sure about the premise of the TDC attached to sensor vs. DDI, since the SCS is in the direction of the DDI, but I can see that it might be true.. Your second statement was not borne out by my experience (and the TRK). Each time I changed sensors I had to reset the TDC. EDIT: OH wait, I see what you meant. Change sensors but DON'T put the TDC on the NEW sensor and see if the TDC is still on the original Sensor. I didn't try that, but sounds like a good idea to test. Doesn't help when you need to manipulate both sensors like the case I showed, but I understand why it might operate in that fashion and not be a BUG

Not sure if this is a BUG or the way it works. When switching sensors in a DDI, should the TDC diamond REMAIN in the DDI?? It does not seem to. - Put TDC diamond in AG Radar Page - Make a map, designate a target -Change right DDI to TPOD (FLIR) -TDC diamond no longer in right DDI.. SCS Right needed. Refine aim, re-designate -Return to AG Radar Page - TDC Diamond no longer in RIGHT DDI SCS RIGHT needed -Return to FLIR - TDC diamond no longer in RIGHT DDI SCS Right needed. Recluse_RadarFLIR_TDC.trk

I had the same question for the same reasons here: https://forums.eagle.ru/forum/english/digital-combat-simulator/dcs-f-a-18c-hornet/291493-question-on-jdam-pp-targeting-and-tpod Pretty much the same answer :) Definite advantages to Fire and Forget with multiple PP targets vs. WP/MarkPoint targetting. You don't get to see the fireworks as well, though