Question about slaving sensors to steerpoint

[dresoccer4]

hi all, quick question:

 

i want to be able to slave my TGP to a waypoint so i can find my targets. problem is, my waypoints are way up in the air, so when i press china hat forward long, the TGP just aims up into the wild blue yonder. how do i get the sensors to aim (not directly) at a waypoint but the actual ground below it?

 

thanks!

[eaglecash867]

I just usually go into the mission editor and change the altitude of the waypoints in the target area if they're too high. Sometimes, the way the default missions are set up is not what I would call optimal. I end up re-planning a lot of them.

[GTFreeFlyer]

Question about slaving sensors to steerpoint

 

You’ll need to know the elevation below it. Use the CDU to pull up the waypoint info and edit its elevation.

 

Another trick I do if I don’t know the elevation is I use the TAD to place the cursor over the waypoint, then create a markpoint on top of it. It will guess the elevation of the new markpoint based on the terrain’s elevation data loaded in the CDU. Then, slave to the new markpoint.

[dresoccer4]

You’ll need to know the elevation below it. Use the CDU to pull up the waypoint info and edit its elevation.

 

Another trick I do if I don’t know the elevation is I use the TAD to place the cursor over the waypoint, then create a markpoint on top of it. It will guess the elevation of the new markpoint based on the terrain’s elevation data loaded in the CDU. Then, slave to the new markpoint.

 

how do you do this magic trick?

[dresoccer4]

i've attempted to scroll the TAD pointer to a place and make it the SPI, but that doesn't seem to work...

[GTFreeFlyer]

i've attempted to scroll the TAD pointer to a place and make it the SPI, but that doesn't seem to work...

 

 

 

You can’t do that. You need to put the cursor over an already-existing symbol on the TAD, then hook it (TMS up short), then make it SPI (TMS up long). I can’t remember off the top of my head, but that might not work for all objects.

 

I would put the TAD cursor over the waypoint, then make a markpoint there (TMS right short). Now switch your selector dial from Flightplan to Mark Point and you can cycle through the mark points as if they were waypoints. Once the mark point is selected, china hat aft long will point your TGP at the mark point.

[dresoccer4]

You can’t do that. You need to put the cursor over an already-existing symbol on the TAD, then hook it (TMS up short), then make it SPI (TMS up long). I can’t remember off the top of my head, but that might not work for all objects.

 

I would put the TAD cursor over the waypoint, then make a markpoint there (TMS right short). Now switch your selector dial from Flightplan to Mark Point and you can cycle through the mark points as if they were waypoints. Once the mark point is selected, china hat aft long will point your TGP at the mark point.

 

sheesh what a crazy complicated solution! :helpsmilie:

thanks though.

 

i think i may just stick with editing all target waypoints in the mission editor to a 0 AGL elevation

 

edit: what does "hook it" mean?

Edited February 6, 2019 by dresoccer4

[GTFreeFlyer]

I think it means it’s time for you to open up that user’s manual or hop on YouTube

[dresoccer4]

I think it means it’s time for you to open up that user’s manual or hop on YouTube

 

true dat

[Yurgon]

sheesh what a crazy complicated solution! :helpsmilie:

thanks though.

 

The nice thing about the A-10C is that you often have multiple ways to achieve a goal, like in this case.

 

Once the switchology becomes more familiar and your fingers get better at working the controls without interrupting your brain, it gets a lot easier. ;)

 

In any case it's worth trying the different ways and approaches. First of all, this way you'll find which one works best for you. Plus, if a system fails, you might be able to work around it and not be forced to RTB with a full load of weapons. And finally, in some situations you might just be forced to punch in coords to a new waypoint, so if you relied purely on TAD and markpoints (or the other way around), you might just not be able to complete the mission. ;)

[Foss]

I just type Elevation 0 into the CDU WP info.

[Wrench]

PSA: if you go through the waypoint edit process with the same coordinates, and don't edit the altitude, it will "snap" to 0 AGL, and you will get a "CR" indication.

Details in spoiler box below for those who need it.

 

 

LSKs and data lines are from memory, so they might be off, but you should be able to follow.

 

On the CDU, select WP page

Select WAYPOINT

Navigate to waypoint to be edited

-Method 1

--Type in waypoint number, press LSK L1

-Method 2

--Begin typing waypoint name until name is autocompleted.

--Press LSK R1

-Method 3

--Use CDU +- rocker to step to waypoint

Ensure current coordinate display set to MGRS.

If not, press LSK R4

Enter coordinates from line 10 in to scratchpad exactly, but you can skip the spaces.

Press LSK L4 to input coordinates.

Verify "CR" displayed above coords.

 

 

 

This trick is super useful, especially if you tend to forget to set target waypoints to 0 AGL like I do. :joystick:

 

Note that the CDU uses the A-10's elevation map to calculate this.

In the A-10 actual, the map is only accurate to military standards. I.e. "meh, I mean it's generally within a few nautical miles."

In DCS, the A-10's elevation map is the game map, so it's (for all intents and purposes) 100% accurate.

[Wrench]

Foss,

Be aware that if you type 0, that's 0 MSL, so it won't work in the mountains on the Caucuses map or the PG, and won't work anywhere on NTTR.

[Foss]

Foss,

Be aware that if you type 0, that's 0 MSL, so it won't work in the mountains on the Caucuses map or the PG, and won't work anywhere on NTTR.

 

 

Got that, thanks.

[Deano87]

The easiest way of doing this is learning how to create and use markpoints, they are so useful, and you don’t need to futs around with altitudes etc.

[GTFreeFlyer]

The easiest way of doing this is learning how to create and use markpoints, they are so useful, and you don’t need to futs around with altitudes etc.

 

 

 

Absolutely, as stated above.

 

Everything became easier for me with markpoints especially keeping track of moving targets. I would drop a markpoint on the moving target every minute or two so that I could keep track of where they were and which way they were moving. I had to do this at the very beginning because I would always lose sight of them before I could release a weapon. I would either get gimbal locked, or switchology was incorrect, or forgot to turn on EO 3 minutes prior, etc. Slaving TGP to the last known location made it much quicker to re-engage the target. I’m just finally starting to get multiple weapons off in a single pass, but still haven’t perfected it.

 

Also, if you have to dive above and below the cloud layer, dropping a markpoint at a safe spot that is clear of terrain is very useful so you know where you can dive safely.

 

Anyone have other good tips for markpoints?