Mav targeting - is there a way to.....

When following the training and the threads here I always seem to have the same issue and I was wondering if its a bug / I'm doing something wrong / the function is not available on the A10

So I would like to use the mav camera, and in the training mission I slew to the target area (China right long I think), ground stabilise (TMS down) then as soon as I move the camera again the ground stabilise comes off. Meanwhile I'm moving the stick a little to correct for my rubbish flying and the mav then moves off the target area.

I would have thought once ground stabilised there must be a way to keep it like that (stabilised) while I try to get a lock on the target (moving it around a bit with the U/D/L/R) - is this possible and if so how do you do it

Many thanks in advance and apologies if I've missed it in another thread

Cheers

JP

Ground stab is supposed to be that way, no bug.

Either find targets with TGP and slave Mav to it (btw china is either fwd or aft, no right/left, not sure what was meant anyway) with China Hat Fwd Long or slew the Mav seeker.

But without stable flight it's nigh impossible to get the seeker to look at what you want. So try autopilot so you can concentrate on the MFCD.

Thanks for the quick reply - I'll try the TGP method

What would a real pilot use - depends on the situation I guess ??

Strange there is not that functionality in the jet / seeker given it can ground stabilise - would have thought it would be very useful

JP

When I'm beginning my Maverick attack run, I generally turn on autopilot first. That makes a big difference. I've already locked something up with the targeting pod and made it the SPI. Once you slew to the target area (your first target should already by under the crosshairs) you can use TMS Up Short to lock on to it without moving the seeker at all.

just waiting for StrongHarm's response... :music_whistling:

Thank you Garfieldo.. I'm humbled.

Although the MAV can be used like the TGP, it wasn't designed for that use. Ground stabilize in your TGP uses your EGI to find a point on the ground and maintain it. MAV only has a cone of view forward of the aircraft, and uses visual recognition rather than EGI.

If your MAV camera zooms away from the target quickly and you can't seem to slew where you want, that means your traversal velocity is too high. In other words, as the nose of your aircraft (and the mavs) moves in a line across the line of the target, your camera is unstable. The Mav doesn't have the stabilization abilities of the TGP. Try this, it works extremely well for me, and take note: you only have to manually track on the first Mav, because this one is coming off TGP slave. The next mavs just slew, autolock, rifle:

*13-15k ft, 10nm separation from target area

*TGP lock and SPI target, slave all SOI to SPI

*Line up with target

*neg 8-10 on the pitch and path autopilot

*throttles all the way back

*Let the aircraft stabilize

*Switch to Mav camera and TMS FWD Short for track (first target only)

*Fire, acquire, fire, acquire... etc.

The mav camera is much more stable. You'll still be more than 5nm away at 10k or higher and you'll have up to 6 mavs in the air.

NOW.. you don't have to use the TGP to get your target on. I've actually used the MAV head to seek a target when I didn't have a TGP loaded. Once again just give the MAV head camera a stable platform. Use the above method minus the TGP in step 2, and it will not be necessary to TMS FWD Short for track, since you aren't slaved to TGP. Don't forget to use the FOV feature of the MAV head to zoom in and out on the area to facilitate faster or slower slewing.

Biggest help for me outside of using TGP and slaving all to SPI, switching to mav and locking had to be reducing the degrees the seeker flicks about to 2 degrees as per the instructional video. The default 5 without using TGP is like herding cats.

What StrongHarm said plus what Pikey said. Trying to find AND identifying them with the MAV seeker is very difficult. Carry the TGP at all times. It is the... aham... "radar" of the A-10.

For good instructions on TGP use, see this nice video from ExcessiveHeadspace on You Tube:

I always use the TGP for finding my first target as it enables me to make sure they are the enemy. Then I use it to point the Mav in the correct direction and after im running in and fire the first one I then start using the Mav to try and get a second launch on the same run.

I know some people can get 4 mavs in 1 pass hehe.

I´m still struggling to shoot more than a couple mavs in 1 pass.

Sometimes, I mark my targets, then name each one of them on my CDU, switch it to "Mark", HUD SOI, and...urgh...it doesnt cycle between Markpoints, staying stuck at 0-Initial Pos.

What am I doing wrong?

I´m still struggling to shoot more than a couple mavs in 1 pass.

 

Sometimes, I mark my targets, then name each one of them on my CDU, switch it to "Mark", HUD SOI, and...urgh...it doesnt cycle between Markpoints, staying stuck at 0-Initial Pos.

 

What am I doing wrong?

Make sure you set SPI to Steerpoint, by TMS Aft long. You'll then see "STPT" in the lower left corner of the HUD. Then you can do China Hat Forward long to slave all sensors to the SPI (which will now be the steerpoint). And as you cycle steerpoints, your Mavericks and Targeting Pod will both automatically slave to each markpoint as you cycle through them.*

The steps you can follow are this:

1. Mark your potential targets with markpoints using the TGP, as you've been doing. Name the markpoints if you want. Otherwise you can just use the default "A", "B", etc.

2. Set the CDU switch to "Mark", like you did.

3. Set SPI to Steerpoint by TMS Aft long. Verify you see "STPT" in the lower left of the HUD.

4. Slave all sensors to SPI by China Hat Forward long. Your Mav should slew to the currently selected Markpoint.

5. Step through markpoints with the rocker switch on the left of the Up Front Controls (UFC), and watch as the Mav slews to each new markpoint.

6. With Mav as the Sensor of Interest, press TMS forward short to lock, and fire! :D

--NoJoe

*This is because the airplane automatically sets the currently selected markpoint as the steerpoint.

I checked the videos and read, print and re-checked the tutorials, but sometimes, specially flying the campaing, after marking my points, and renaming the markpoints, there arent new waypoints I can cycle. Only the 0-Initial Pos waypoint.

I verified my CDU, and its switch is at Mark, and Other.

If I type in the Coordinates which were given by a JTAC, I switch the CDU to Mission and it works fine, the new waypoints are there. But not using TGP mark points.

wierd

I checked the videos and read, print and re-checked the tutorials, but sometimes, specially flying the campaing, after marking my points, and renaming the markpoints, there arent new waypoints I can cycle. Only the 0-Initial Pos waypoint.

 

I verified my CDU, and its switch is at Mark, and Other.

If I type in the Coordinates which were given by a JTAC, I switch the CDU to Mission and it works fine, the new waypoints are there. But not using TGP mark points.

wierd

Oh, I just realized: if you're renaming the markpoints, you'll have to add them to a flight plan. I think? It doesn't make sense to me that the above procedures I listed aren't working for you... Hmm... I'll go check in the sim right now and see if I can figure out what's going on.

Also, got a track? :D

--NoJoe

[EDIT] Okay well, I tried messing around with it, and the steps I listed in my last post work for me, at least. Maybe the trouble has something to do with renaming the Mark Points. That might be putting them into a flight plan. Or something. I don't know; I got confused when I tried renaming mine, so I just leave my markpoints with the default "A", "B", etc. :P

Hope this helps... Somehow. :)

Slightly OT, but while the Mav wasn't designed as a target-acquisition device, it has been used in that capacity in combat. Read Smallwood's "Warthog: Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War" and you will have a new appreciation for the C model upgrades. They were scud-hunting (among other things) for months with only the Maverick to search the desert expanses.

Viewing right console and left in cockpit

I am using TrackIR 5 and would like to view both the CDU console and the left radio setup console clearly. I have seen quite a few videos on You Tube where the author is switching to the CDU (able to hover and look down), view the console and the buttons, assigning names to marks and then able to concentrate on targets. How does one do this? :surrender:

To quote someone I once heard in a DCS A10 youtube training video " The TGP is the most powerful weapon in the simulation".

I laughed at the time, being a newbie, but the more I learned the more I KNEW he was right.

It might not actually fire anything but it damn sure is worth it's weight in gold.

Learn to use the TGP for the love of God learn to use the TGP lol.

I´m still struggling to shoot more than a couple mavs in 1 pass.

 

Sometimes, I mark my targets, then name each one of them on my CDU, switch it to "Mark", HUD SOI, and...urgh...it doesnt cycle between Markpoints, staying stuck at 0-Initial Pos.

 

What am I doing wrong?

I had that problem too, if the targets are close enough together and you have enough range to them you, can simply lock up, fire, then slew the Mav seaker head, lock again, and fire again. This is a heck of a lot harder then it sounds and normally has to be done while flying strait and level while in auto-pilot, with lots of range to the targets.

The way I do it now is to lock the first target at least 20 miles out with the TGP and make it a SPI. Then I slave the Mav seeker to the TGP and then make the mav seeker SOI. Then as I get into range with the Mav I "bump" the Mav crosshairs and normally it locks right up. Then rifle.

Now comes the tricky part. I quickly switch the TGP back to SOI pick a new tgt make it a SPI, slave the Mav . . . rinse and repeat.

Most I have ever been able to hit on a single pass this way was 3 tanks only cause the 4th started moving when I killed the third and wasn't where I expected it to be.

It takes practice, LOTS of practice. The Thrustmaster MFD controllers made this so much easier for me BTW, I would suggest you look into getting a couple.

You have to make HUD soi.

I am using TrackIR 5 and would like to view both the CDU console and the left radio setup console clearly. I have seen quite a few videos on You Tube where the author is switching to the CDU (able to hover and look down), view the console and the buttons, assigning names to marks and then able to concentrate on targets. How does one do this? :surrender:

They're referred to as snap views, but I don't use them enough to have memorised the keystrokes.

I think it's by default, RightCtrl+Num0 and then one of the numpad numbers/directions to select the view. I'm guessing the CDU view will probably be numpad 3 or similar, but try experimenting...

The manual says that china hat forward short press while the hud is SOI makes the MAV SOI. I can't get this to work.

I stepped across this as well - not working...

They're referred to as snap views, but I don't use them enough to have memorised the keystrokes.

 

I think it's by default, RightCtrl+Num0 and then one of the numpad numbers/directions to select the view. I'm guessing the CDU view will probably be numpad 3 or similar, but try experimenting...

I use the snap view for the CDU input. I have reassigned it to the c-key and press it with the left hand and use the mouse with the right. Works very well for me, much better than looking at the CDU panel with Track-IR.

I stepped across this as well - not working...

Page number? It sounds odd.

Page number? It sounds odd.

Whoa, good guess, the page number is odd. That's a pretty freaky ability!

It's listed in the tables showing the function of the various HOTAS controls with different SOIs. The china hat listings start on page 91, and it does indeed say "Set MAV as SOI" under the 'HUD' column for 'Forward short'.

Page number? It sounds odd.

Indeed, page 91, china hat fw short... see screen (BTW It is also in the 1.0.0.8 manual!)

Whoa, good guess, the page number is odd. That's a pretty freaky ability!

...maybe I DID understand where "odd" related to in the wrong way ;)

Thanks, tried it out now and you're right. I'll investigate.