Spotting (finding) vehicles/targets with the targeting pod - why so hard?!

[72hundred]

Hi all,

 

I cannot seem to get to grips with the targeting pod to state that I could say I'm proficient with it. I can work it fine, and eventually find the targets but it takes ages and the burns fuel/loiter time! Most other things are OK with the sim in terms of learning curve at this point like air to air refueling etc.

 

I read another thread somewhere saying we're getting a newer version of the targeting pod in the future, and for the moment I'm putting down my lack of quick acquisitions to the blurry screen (maybe shifting the blame from me!). Compared to the A10C I flew a bit years ago, the F/A-18C seems like looking through a lens with vaseline at the end of it ala that Simpons joke!

 

Is it just me? Is it the targeting pod? Are there any tips?

 

Also it seems I have very little time to search, so I set-up the ATC at 220-250kt, and around 20,000ft - and still only can search for short time.

 

I've played around with FLIR and CCD, Narrow/Wide, low and high zoom, also creating waypoints from MGRS to slave the pod to and search from there.

 

I'm debating if this a PC issue too with draw distances etc (specs below), but I can still see vehicles at 35nm - which seems a good range.

 

 

 

 

Opinions welcome!

[Fri13]

We have unrealistically high resolution TPOD at this moment. So you see far better than should.

Our FLIR is getting redone, so hopefully we see more challenges to find ground units as it is now unrealistically easy.

 

We don't either have any ground clutter, so every vehicle sticks out like a emergency beacon at night. Maybe sometime in future we see a ground clutter that hides even tanks and such, leaves track marks when multiple moves on same route etc.

[72hundred]

I’ll try see if I can find that thread from NineLine (I think it was); could have sworn it was mention a whole new pod was due. Something to with using Spanish documentation at the moment and a DOD contract.

 

Thanks though for your constructive tips.

[72hundred]

Good news! Found it, Matt had a post instead. Couldn't find (?)NineLine's - https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3742659&postcount=104

 

So it would seem that from the pod's perspective things will be improving as, the current AN/AAQ-28 has a resolution of "subsequently replaced the "320x256" FLIR with a latest technology "640x512" FLIR." ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litening ). I suspect we have the non-ER version in game with the 320x256 resolution, not sure though.

 

I can't readily find the resolution of the AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR, but one could be optimistic that with the prefix of "Advanced" the abilities will be better!

 

 

 

In any case, and back to point, I would appreciate tips of any given pod's implementation. Tips, tricks and the such!

[Ramsay]

I suspect we have the non-ER version in game with the 320x256 resolution, not sure though.

 

DCS's cockpit display's have resolutions up to 1024x1024

 

DCS's F/A-18C Litening II is modelled using data from the Spanish EF-18CM version.

 

 

Which *might* be the Litening AT version if the same as used with Spain's AV-8B+

 

LITENING AT features a plug-and-play bay configured to accept a wide variety of data-links and recorders. Plug and Play II data-link capability offers warfighters increased range, digital data recording and an option to incorporate secure, two-way communications over ultra-high frequency (UHF) radios. LITENING's Plug and Play I, introduced in 2003, was the first data-link to be incorporated in a third generation targeting pod.

 

Spanish Air Force/Navy

AV-8B+ Harrier(Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-28(V)2 LITENING II upgraded to Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-28(V)4 LITENING AT Block 0)

Edited May 31, 2020 by Ramsay

[Bunny Clark]

Are you searching for vehicles in TV mode? I typically find that for detecting vehicles, using a FLIR mode is far easier, as vehicles glow hot in that mode. In TV mode you have better resolution, but you're also trying to find a camouflaged military vehicle that's not meant to be easily seen.

[72hundred]

DCS's cockpit display's have resolutions up to 1024x1024

 

 

 

I was referring to the resolution coming from the pod, not the display's resolution. As I believe the pod is the bottle neck.

[Vanguard]

Well it appear the sentiment here is, and I agree, targets are super easy to find using the TPOD, too much so. 20nm, 25k ft, point the camera using FLIR and the entire enemy platoon shows up like a Christmas tree.

 

Albeit it, sometimes I get my father to stream and I watch him glaze over what looks like a minefield and he doesn't see a thing. Perhaps your monitor contrast/brightness, or more than likely your in-game gamma setting needs tweaking, especially after all the lighting changes.

 

Do this... once you've found a target, hit pause, bring up your options menu and play with the gamma with your TGP still in view in the bottom right and see if you can make them pop and then tone it down a bit for immersion. And as stated earlier, definitely don't use CCD to spotting, use CCD to help identify after you've found it if needed.

 

I will say this though, for whatever reason, the TGP required a pinch of zoom. At max zoom out almost nothing appears. Little juice on the zoom in and everything lights up well.

[Meyomyx]

A good tip is to make sure you are using SA page on your MPCD. The current designated TGP point is shown as a small square so if you know that your target will be at a certain point on the map (or more likely at or near a waypoint), you can point the FLIR at more or less the exact point, way before you can see your target on the FLIR. This gives you time to zoom in and tune the exact target as it becomes visible. It transformed locating targets for me.

 

Please note that (at the time of writing) there is a bug when you de-centre the SA view in that the cursor moves in the opposite sense to that which it should .... but in centred view, it works perfectly.

[72hundred]

A good tip is to make sure you are using SA page on your MPCD. The current designated TGP point is shown as a small square so if you know that your target will be at a certain point on the map (or more likely at or near a waypoint), you can point the FLIR at more or less the exact point, way before you can see your target on the FLIR. This gives you time to zoom in and tune the exact target as it becomes visible. It transformed locating targets for me.

 

Please note that (at the time of writing) there is a bug when you de-centre the SA view in that the cursor moves in the opposite sense to that which it should .... but in centred view, it works perfectly.

 

Thanks for this. Interestingly recently I haven't found it too bad, I changed some of the graphic settings for DCS and I think this might have helped. The other huge thing is now that the FLIR is projected to the HUD!! This alone made it really handy to find targets.

[Thunderbird]

On your HSI use precise to program your waypoint, when 40nm out from Target use waypoint designate on your FLIR Pod will make it easy to find target

[Harker]

Thanks for this. Interestingly recently I haven't found it too bad, I changed some of the graphic settings for DCS and I think this might have helped. The other huge thing is now that the FLIR is projected to the HUD!! This alone made it really handy to find targets.

The FLIR LOS isn't projected on the HUD, the A/G target designation is. It just happens that if you designate through the TPOD, slewing it around will update the designation.