Tank spotting tips?

I've been playing for 3 weeks now and finally have the systems down enough to truly enjoy the sim, but I'm having a heck of a time spotting tanks/SAMs/AAA with the Mav seeker head (and the IR pod for that matter). Seems by the time I spot one I'm right on top of them and too late to get a lock. Also, based on actual footage I've seen on youtube, the IR pod in the game doesn't seem to be IR much at all. All I see is black and white TV view, heat signatures don't seem to register at all with the IR pod, which should make tanks and such much easier to spot. Same for the AGM-65D. Is IR not modeled properly or am i missing something?

Another quick question while I'm thinking of it. Is it possible to pass a target designated by the IR pod direct to the Mav seeker?

Regarding spotting, it's mainly training training and training. I usually start with TGP and find them with that if I have one, but it is indeed difficult and takes time.

On the IR, yes, it's not a perfect simulation of how an IR works. Technically speaking it is, as you say, mostly a black/white rendering but with a few extra tweaks to help get the desired effect.

As for how to pass targets from pod to mav, track target on TGP (TMS forward short) set the target as SPI in the TGP (TMS forward long), then switch over to Mav and use Slave To SPI (China Aft Long). Pages 87 and 92 in your flight manual.

You know I never spotted a tank visually until I Started running 1920 x1080 on the main screen, although I suspect the 27" screen also helped. In terms of the TGP I find shuffling between BHOT & WHOT helps pick up possible targets.

Thanks for the tips. I knew there had to be an easy way to pass target. It was the CH AFT LONG that I wasn't getting.

I guess I'm going to have to look for a good used 1080p TV to replace my monitor if I want to see those tanks.

I sure hope ED addresses the non-IR IR pod :(

They're aware of it, but I don't know what's planned.

One thing though is that I find 512 for cockpit displays helps compared to 256, using a 24-inch 1080p monitor. Combined with the BHOT/WHOT "shuffle" it helps - but it's still difficult.

Another valuable trick is to not "scan" too much, if you have reason to suspect your target(s) are moving. This way you can get a stationary view and anything that moves will stand out as if they had a beacon on them. So you can then watch a spot for five second, slew over slightly and watch another spot and so on. This obviously doesn't help for stationary lone tanks, but very useful when you have tanks moving over terrain.

then switch over to Mav and use Slave To SPI (China Aft Long). Pages 87 and 92 in your flight manual.

I believe you meant to say CHINA FWD LONG to slave Mav to SPI, not AFT.

I believe you meant to say CHINA FWD LONG to slave Mav to SPI, not AFT.

Ooops, yes, correct.

Lol... I was just getting back on here to say the same thing about china fwd long. Beat me to it

IF you play on high settings change lod in graphics.cfg to 1.5 or 2.0 and you will see tanks ;)

I've been playing for 3 weeks now and finally have the systems down enough to truly enjoy the sim, but I'm having a heck of a time spotting tanks/SAMs/AAA with the Mav seeker head (and the IR pod for that matter). Seems by the time I spot one I'm right on top of them and too late to get a lock. Also, based on actual footage I've seen on youtube, the IR pod in the game doesn't seem to be IR much at all. All I see is black and white TV view, heat signatures don't seem to register at all with the IR pod, which should make tanks and such much easier to spot. Same for the AGM-65D. Is IR not modeled properly or am i missing something?

 

Another quick question while I'm thinking of it. Is it possible to pass a target designated by the IR pod direct to the Mav seeker?

Do you know how to operate both zooms on the TGP? There are two ways to zoom it, you know. The first is to set the TGP to SOI and hit china hat forward short. That switches between WFOV and NFOV. The other way is to use DMS up and down with the TGP SOI. This will continuously zoom in or out. This is an E-zoom (electronic zoom) so it doens't actually magnify, it just makes the image bigger. Possibly it's a little too good in this sim, but that doesn't matter for this discussion.

Finally, if you don't have zoom view (* and / on the numpad, can be assigned to HOTAS buttons or a HOTAS axis) bound to your HOTAS, then you are majorly @$%#ing up. You've gotta zoom in, as unless you are zoomed in, you have much worse virtual visual acuity than a real life pilot.

Furthermore, real life pilots are known to carry binoculars often, so if you want to modify the View.lua file to let you zoom in even further, don't feel bad. It's arguably more realisitic that way. There are some threads up about that if you feel like doing a search.

Cut throttle to 50% depending on your loadout and fly in a large clockwise circle around the target area.

You haven't mentioned trying WHOT/BHOT modes (Boat Switch forward/aft) - flipping around between modes can sometimes help you discern the little specks that might turn out to be armor. Also, when in either WHOT/BHOT, you can adjust the gain using OBS 19/20 on whichever MFCD you have the TGP displayed. I generally gain them both up 2-3 clicks - it really makes an enormous difference.

If the terrain and front line allows, I usually fly a holding pattern at around 10 to 15 miles (be sure to be over SAM-save terrain) at 6-10k Feet. Then I simply use the tactics others described earlier. WHOT/BHOT and zooming in and out for details. Best is to use some sort of search pattern. And take your time.

A good tip is to use markpoints once you've spotted something. I've lost countless of potential targets due to sudden evasive maneuvers and my laziness.

Still I mainly count on the JTAC's on the ground to guide me towards my targets. Or a good mission briefing.

~Malexa

IF you play on high settings change lod in graphics.cfg to 1.5 or 2.0 and you will see tanks ;)

What does this do?

I too am having difficulty locating targets. I have to keep refering to the map for their approximate position. It takes ages to find anything on the TGP :(

I usually send my buddy down in the weeds to take a look & spot where the tracer fire or SAM launch appears at. He's good like that.

The things is, finding ground units from the air is hard, things like targetting pods help but it's still not easy if you don't know where to look. It's the whole reason JTAC/AFACs are in existance.

Read the briefings, take notes of known enemy positions/directions of advance etc where possible. And if you have to scan large areas using the pod/mk1 eyeball do it in a methodical way, making use of the alt hold autopilot mode.

Remember you have an insane endurance in the hog, you can stay in the air for hours looking for targets, take your time mark targets as you find them and when you have located your primary objective plan your attack and go kill 'em.

I have regularly flow for 2 or more hours and only killed a handful (less than 10) targets, and when compared to real world missions that's still a lot.

What does this do?

It increases the range where lod sets in. Tanks are no more little dots at 2 miles but boxes with turrets.

Sorry to be thick, but could you be a bit more specific about the line in the graphics.cfg that needs changing? There's a few LOD lines in there.

Thanks

Sorry to be thick, but could you be a bit more specific about the line in the graphics.cfg that needs changing? There's a few LOD lines in there.

Thanks

High

{

near_clip = 0.2;

middle_clip = 4;

far_clip = 150000;

structures = {60, 20000};

trees = {1000, 12000};

dynamic = {300, 20000};

dynamic2 = {300, 20000,0.5};

objects = {5000, 80000};

mirage = {3000, 20000};

surface = {20000, 80000};

lights = {200, 80000};

districtobjects = {400, 400};

districts = {12000, 12000};

lodMult = 2.0;

lodAdd = 0;

}

Also a big, high contrast TV as display makes spotting the dots a lot more easier.

I always find it helps to read the Briefing, so you no what your looking for. Check TAD for friendly locations, look in the direction that there looking. Look for weapons fire and verfiy Friend or Fow, by the color of tracer or TGP. Look for movement on roads and off ( Dust Trails). Are they moving torwads the Friends or away? Puffs of smoke from Artillary and Tank Fire.

Long smoke trails on the ground or in the air are Missiles. Check and know your RWR symbols. The RWR can show direction and distance of AAA and other contacts, like the L for laze from a tank or infantry vehicle.

The Encyclopedia has lost of info. on the vehicles look at there out line. Like the log on the back of Russian Tank is a Dead Give away and so on. I call it Training your eyes nothing like the Mark 1 eyeball.

The RWR can show direction and distance of AAA and other contacts, like the L for laze from a tank or infantry vehicle.

That is somewhat inaccurate. If i remember correctly, the RWR can indicate the general direction yes, but it does not indicate distance at all. The RWR organizes symbols according to threat priority. For Example, an SA-3 site could appear in the inner RWR circle and be 12 miles away, while a ZSU-34 appears in the outer RWR circle but is actually only 6 miles away.

That is somewhat inaccurate. If i remember correctly, the RWR can indicate the general direction yes, but it does not indicate distance at all. The RWR organizes symbols according to threat priority. For Example, an SA-3 site could appear in the inner RWR circle and be 12 miles away, while a ZSU-34 appears in the outer RWR circle but is actually only 6 miles away.

You got it and now you know where to look.:smilewink:

As i said, you would know the general direction. I just wanted to point out that you should not assume that any AD platform 'paints' you with radar the second you enter its envelope (and thus, you cannot assume that every time you have an SA-3 indication, its 12 miles away). Perhaps an A2A reference would have been better to illustrate what i meant, but it sounds like you know what Im trying to say :)