f18 + tgp + tgt steerpoint + mav F = panning issues

[pchRage]

I must be doing something wrong with this setup.

 

 

Both online and offline this same issue occurs where I cannot use the tgt waypoint cleanly....

 

 

 

Use Case:

1. Setup F18 with TGP and 4 MavFs

2. Setup a steerpoint at the target area (say Khasab)

3. Enter AG Mode and select first Mav F on left DDI

 

4. Select FLIR on right DDI, switch from CCD mode

 

5. Select steerpoint on MPCD on HSI/SA page

6. Select "Target" on the MPCD

7. Watch FLIR auto pan to selected steerpoint (GOOD!)

8. Make right DDI/Flir SOI and refine target crosshairs/zoom, etc

9. Click TDC depress.... flir picture (crosshairs) does NOT change (BAD)

10. Select left DDI and uncage Mav F, watch it auto pan to steerpoint (BAD)

 

11. Note it did not plan to where FLIP is looking (BAD)

.......

 

12. Undesignate on TGP, watch it jump to snowplow/forward (SUPER BAD)

 

13. Slew manually all the way back to intended target area (SLOW/BAD)

 

14. Click TDC depress... flir crosshairs NOW correctly are locked onto target

15. Select left DDI and uncage Mav F, watch it auto pan to tgp focus (GOOD)

 

11. Fire MavF and win the internet!

 

 

 

 

It seems I can never get the TGP to select new target if i do not first undesignate from the steerpoint..which can be really bad if the caged position of tgp is well away from where it was previous looking at the steerpoint, effectively making the steerpoint useless due to having to re-acquire the area.

 

 

I must be missing a step to get the tg-pod to be able to move OFF the steerpoint and still designate a target WITHOUT having it undesignate/reset itself...???

[silverdevil]

https://youtu.be/6Yt-43Cy9SU

 

this helped me

[pchRage]

Thanks @silverdevil. I didn’t see anywhere in the video where they were using a steerpoint to slew the tgp to though... just manual slewing.

[Tholozor]

Works fine for me, with a small caveat: MAV seekers won't go UNCAGED unless TDC priority has been given to the page at least once after power-up.

 

Here's my workflow:

1. Create manual waypoint.

2. Set Master Mode to A/G.

3. Select MAVF on STORES page and pull up IMAV DISPLAY on left DDI.

4. Assign TDC priority and set MAV seeker FOV to narrow.

5. Pull up FLIR page on right DDI and assign TDC priority.

6. Designate waypoint as TGT with WPDSG (MAV seeker should be UNCAGED and slew to TGT position along with TGP seeker).

7. Slew TGP seeker onto target and depress TDC to re-designate TGT position (MAV seeker automatically slews to new TGT position).

8. Close range and fire once MAV acquires solid lock.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until ordnance expended.

 

So here's a little more on the caveat: If I select MAVF on the STORES page and pull up the IMAV DISPLAY and set seeker FOV to narrow without assigning TDC priority at any point, the seeker stays CAGED when the TGT position is created. The moment I assign TDC priority to the IMAV DISPLAY, the seeker immediately uncages and tracks to the current TGT position, regardless if it's the waypoint or designated by the TGP, there can be only one TGT position. Not sure if that's a bug or not.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Tholozor

[pchRage]

Thanks @Tholozor.

 

 

I found that the ptrack with tdc depress was enough to ensure the mav centered on the specific point after first starting on the tgt wpt.

 

 

I also found, that after each pass, I need to undesignate and then re-click the tgt-wpt each time. Its like the hills or the >50deg turn away from target would lose the original saved location for the tpod. Every pass and turn away i could see the little tpod marker on the SA page suddenly jump away from where it had last been pointing.

 

 

That seems wrong, but at least I have a sequence to reacquire the tgt wpt more consistently, just depends then on how far off the final targets are from that point.

 

 

I do not get this behavior when up 20k+ dropping jdams... so it must be something about the lower level and hills that are causing the tpod to go dumb with its last know position.

[Tholozor]

Part of that has to do with the pod's tracking modes. When the pod is commanded to a point in space (e.g. WPDSG to a TGT position, Snowplow mode, VVSL), the pod will automatically enter Inertial Track mode, and disable all other tracking modes until the seeker is moved. While in Inertial mode, the pod ignores what it sees through the seeker for tracking, and solely focuses on obtaining direct LOS to that point in space. In Area or Point modes, the seeker takes priority, and what it sees becomes what it tracks, therefore if the pod becomes masked while performing maneuvers (either by terrain or the gimbal limits), when it becomes unmasked, it'll start tracking the first thing it sees.

 

Inertial Track mode can be toggled to just like the other modes (SCS in the direction of the DDI the FLIR page is on), but does not have an indication in the top-left corner of the FLIR page where you would see the indication for Area Track (ATRK) or Point Track (PTRK). If the corner is blank, you're in Inertial mode. So ideally, when coming off of a target, switch the pod to Inertial mode, and it should maintain that desired position while masked, through terrain or maneuvers.

 

All of the above is just what I've gleaned from my own personal experience with the pod in the latest OB as-of writing, I have no direct sourcing on any of this information.

[pchRage]

I will try that out!

 

Maybe I don’t even need ptrac/atrak for mavF to lock either.

[LastRifleRound]

I don't know if it's a bug or not, but you cannot manually slew MAVF with an active designation.

 

Also, if you select MAVF before FLIR you will run into the bug where TDC depress won't work on FLIR until undesignate, like the MAVF logic crosses over or something.

 

Bottom line: always open FLIR page first and designate target, THEN open MAVF and uncage. From then on you should be able to refine using TPOD if you wish. If you want to slew the MAVF at this point, you need to make MAVF SOI then hit undesignate. MAVF should stay where it is and you can slew it now by holding TDC depress.

 

PS note RAID/FOV button will not control the FLIR no matter what is SOI if the MAVF page is open. This is intended behavior.