need track replay F-16 Targeting Pod

[Viciam1]

Hi guys,

 

So say you are flying around with laser guided GBU 12 and a coupple of armoured vehicals/tanks show up somewhere on the map. You dont have waypoints set up for their location.

 

How would you use the targeting pod to attack these with laser guided bombs? I can't get the targeting pod marker on the HUD to be placed where I want. It just stays near the waypoint 1 which is the airbase I took off from but these tanks are just randomly placed hundreds of miles away.

Please help!

Edited February 5, 2021 by Victory_1

[kengou]

If you know where the vehicles are, add a steerpoint with the coordinates.

 

If you don't have coordinates but know the very rough vicinity, use snowplow mode on the targeting pod (SP button on the right hand side) and a FLIR view, and just fly around looking. Won't be very efficient though, and you better have a decent idea where to look first.

 

Or fly low and use your MK I Eyeball.

 

Right now our Viper doesn't have the air to ground radar to look for moving targets over a wide area, so this is about the best you can do.

[Viciam1]

Yes i've used the SP mode but its a struggle. Firstly the sp button doesn't show up all the time...I have to press TMS in random locations and then just randomly click the OSB's until it shows up its annoying. FLIR view you say? I use TV so far. Will FLIR make a difference?

What setting do I need to be in order for the SP button to show up? Point? Area? etc etc?

 

And then how do you actually place the marker down on the spot you want? Cursor button left/right/up/down?

 

 

[TOViper]

1 hour ago, Viciam1 said:

Yes i've used the SP mode but its a struggle. Firstly the sp button doesn't show up all the time...I have to press TMS in random locations and then just randomly click the OSB's until it shows up its annoying. FLIR view you say? I use TV so far. Will FLIR make a difference?

What setting do I need to be in order for the SP button to show up? Point? Area? etc etc?

 

And then how do you actually place the marker down on the spot you want? Cursor button left/right/up/down?

 

 

Hey Viciam1,

 

The pod works pretty fine now, so pressing anything randomly will lead to nowhere, except for unneccesary questions in the forum.

 

Using SP will help initially, but then you have to press TMS up one time to get control over the crosshair (I think TMS right would work as well). Then it should work in a way you would expect.

AREA is a good choice once you have control over the crosshair, because in case you overshoot the target the pod stays at that location even if the location gets masked (POINT might loose the location as Wags describes in his video).

 

But first I would advise you to watch Wag's videos on youtube, really!

He shows the functions of the TGP, and in parallel take a look into the manual, which is not that bad!

Edited February 5, 2021 by TOViper

[Viciam1]

5 minutes ago, TOViper said:

Hey Viciam1,

 

The pod works pretty fine now, so pressing anything randomly will lead to nowhere, except for unneccesary questions in the forum.

 

Using SP will help initially, but then you have to press TMS up one time to get control over the crosshair. Then it should work in a way you would expect.

AREA is a good once you have control over the crosshair at the beginning, because in case you overshoot the target the pod stays at that location (POINT might loose the location as Wags describes in his video).

 

But first I would advise you to watch Wag's videos on youtube, really!

He shows the functions of the TGP, and in parallel take a look into the manual, which is not that bad!

Hey, I have seens Wags video and all the other videos on youtube...I can get it to work...thats not the problem and I've bombed targets fine....its just SP mode I can't get it it work fluently..

 

And is it best to go into f10 map...get the coordinates...make a waypoint before takeoff for the flight and use it that way?

[TOViper]

28 minutes ago, Viciam1 said:

...And is it best to go into f10 map...get the coordinates...make a waypoint before takeoff for the flight and use it that way?

Yep, that's always a good choice in case the map is available! I do the same on BlueFlag, since the map is available.

[Machalot]

For me, SP shows up after I hit CZ, which you can do from an OSB or by hitting TMS aft (down) once or maybe several times, depending on whether it's in area, point, or INR mode. 

[Viciam1]

I'm having some real issues finding targets through this targeting pod in the f16. Is there suggestions guys?

[Machalot]

3 hours ago, Viciam1 said:

I'm having some real issues finding targets through this targeting pod in the f16. Is there suggestions guys?

Best option is to have a steer point near the target and use Cursor Zero (TMS Down or the OSB button called CZ) to slave the TGP to the steer point, then use TMS Right to switch to Area Track and take control of it and slew around.  (All with TGP as SOI of course.)

 

Your can also have somebody else illuminate the target with their laser, and you use Laser Spot Search (LSS) to find it.  Use the CAGE/UNCAGE button while TGP is SOI to initiate the search. Make sure the laser codes match.  Default as 1688 usually works unless an advanced user has changed things. You can set the LSS code on the TGP page writin the DED.

 

You can also use HUD as SOI to visually slew the cursor to the target area, then switch to TGP SOI for fine search. 

 

Make sure you utilize the FOV EXPAND button to switch between high and low power lenses, and the MAN RANGE knob to zoom in and out. 

 

Use TMS Left to swap between TV, White Hot, and Black Hot modes to find the best contrast for your type of target. 

[Viciam1]

Well I just created a simple mission with 6 tanks and it worked pretty well. So you need atleast 1 waypoint it doesn't have to be anywhere near the target area. It can be anywhere...then you can snowplow it and take targets out that way. It worked well, 6 out of 6 hits target destroyed.

I'm yet to try the hud as SOI to find and lock a target. I will try this.

 

It takes a while though...like you fly out from the target, turn around come back in...lock him up with the TGP, drop the bomb...go around again and repeat. Takes a while still

 

[Viciam1]

Quick question...how does targeting pod in the f18 or a10 differ from the f16? Is it easier to do ground attack with f18 and a10 than the f16?

Also @Machalot you just said the below:
 

Your can also have somebody else illuminate the target with their laser, and you use Laser Spot Search (LSS) to find it.  Use the CAGE/UNCAGE button while TGP is SOI to initiate the search. Make sure the laser codes match.  Default as 1688 usually works unless an advanced user has changed things. You can set the LSS code on the TGP page writin the DED.

Would that be JTAC in multiplayer servers?

Edited February 7, 2021 by Viciam1

[Machalot]

12 hours ago, Viciam1 said:

Would that be JTAC in multiplayer servers?

Some multiplayer servers have a JTAC, but you can also set up a JTAC for yourself in the mission editor.

[VampireNZ]

On 2/8/2021 at 2:12 AM, Viciam1 said:

I'm having some real issues finding targets through this targeting pod in the f16. Is there suggestions guys?

TMS left to cycle through the different modes TV, WHOT, and BHOT to see what is working best for the current situation. I generally find Black Hot to work best in highlighting vehicles etc. Just today was in the freefly instant mission with some Mavs and used this to locate an ammo and fuel truck hiding in some trees. Very visible in BHOT mode. Don't forget all your zoom options either. General zoom level for search, then EXP to get close for a good look.

 

But generally a TPOD is THE worst thing to use to actually search for targets as such - we always equated it to looking trough a toilet roll to search an area - so not very efficient. But by leveraging the FLIR capabilities this gives you and advantage if you have a general idea of location.

 

Oh and just quickly - golden rule of the TPOD - just TMS down-down-down-down lots to get right back to 'baseline', then hit CZ and you should be good to carry on. Standard moves after any TPOD usage etc.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited February 14, 2021 by VampireNZ

[Backdraft]

Not to Hijack thread but have a question since all the Litenings are the same. can you IR Mark in the 16 with Pod i can seem to see it. I know 18 and 10 you can.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Backdraft

[McGraw]

On 2/7/2021 at 1:12 PM, Viciam1 said:

I'm having some real issues finding targets through this targeting pod in the f16. Is there suggestions guys?

You’re SOL without the ground radar or steer points in the general location of targets.

[VampireNZ]

Not THAT SOL, remember you can just Snowplow mode it (SP) and then use the HUD to roughly position the TPOD box where you want to search, then move to heads-down in the MFD to have a closer look. Just browse back to the HUD now and then to make sure you haven't slewed off into oblivion miles away from where you want to be searching!

[Machalot]

24 minutes ago, VampireNZ said:

Just browse back to the HUD now and then to make sure you haven't slewed off into oblivion miles away from where you want to be searching!

I have lost count of how many times I had MFD fixation and augered in.

[VampireNZ]

17 minutes ago, Machalot said:

I have lost count of how many times I had MFD fixation and augered in.

ALT HOLD is your friend when using the pod! 

 

Don't feel like using the AP is cheating or anything, it is there for the sole purpose of making your life easier - use it! It is easily overridden with the stick if anything goes wrong.

[Machalot]

32 minutes ago, VampireNZ said:

ALT HOLD is your friend when using the pod! 

 

Don't feel like using the AP is cheating or anything, it is there for the sole purpose of making your life easier - use it! It is easily overridden with the stick if anything goes wrong.

My problem goes beyond altitude hold.  When I exceed the FOR of the Mav I need to start pitching the nose down -- just a few more seconds and I'll get a lock, oops, wrong target, quick reset it and lock again, ok launch, pull up!  Crash.

[VampireNZ]

15 minutes ago, Machalot said:

My problem goes beyond altitude hold.  When I exceed the FOR of the Mav I need to start pitching the nose down -- just a few more seconds and I'll get a lock, oops, wrong target, quick reset it and lock again, ok launch, pull up!  Crash.

 

Always think of ways the aircraft can help you - in your case you need the aircraft monitoring your altitude and alerting you when you are too low while you are busy with your Maverick. Set your CARA ALOW to say 1500' - and when you hear the alert, pull up - weapon away or not, bottom line you missed your window to employ the weapon and need to be better. Just have the discipline to immediately react to the warning, reposition and try again.

 

Eventually you will have the capacity to not get saturated with just trying to launch a Maverick, and have the capacity to monitor the aircraft as well, but not everyone gets to that point (we had lots of guys flunk out of aircrew training half-way through for this reason) - so use what you have available to you to make your life easier.

[Machalot]

1 hour ago, VampireNZ said:

Set your CARA ALOW to say 1500'

I really appreciate the advice.  My original comment was tongue in cheek.  I am a lot better about this than I used to be.  Still, I was not aware of the CARA ALOW feature.  I'll have to look into that.

[McGraw]

22 hours ago, VampireNZ said:

Not THAT SOL, remember you can just Snowplow mode it (SP) and then use the HUD to roughly position the TPOD box where you want to search, then move to heads-down in the MFD to have a closer look. Just browse back to the HUD now and then to make sure you haven't slewed off into oblivion miles away from where you want to be searching!

Yes but the FCR finds ground movers so much quicker