JESTER LANTIRN Feedback thread

[VIXEN413]

Hey all, 

Love the jester pod so far but indeed, we would benefit from another additional slewing method. 

most of us have a TDC cursor on our throttles or sticks when we fly other jets. Those TDC are not used in the tomcat but we should make it usable to slew the pod, that could be awesome and easier then moving your head to hover an out of plan dot in a ring in your VR kit.... 

just an opinion... 

 

 

[draconus]

2 hours ago, VIXEN413 said:

Those TDC are not used in the tomcat but we should make it usable to slew the pod, that could be awesome and easier then moving your head to hover an out of plan dot in a ring in your VR kit.... 

Both are not realistic.

I'd prefer "Jester, a bit right" kind of binds, then Jester does it after 1-2 seconds.

[Digitalvole]

I’d humbly ask that we get the option for jester to adjust the zoom level. Sometimes I use the pod for recon purposes whist carrying dumb bombs, at which point a tight zoom on a single unit is not what I’m after. Same goes for FAC(A) stuff (if I had friends to fly with).

We can ask Jester to do things with the radar that a real rio would be doing of there own accord and I feel the same principle applies here. Jester is great but at the end of the day he is some lines of code (very clever code mind you) not a highly trained human.

Also while I’m at it, the Qhead mode can get very tricky. Though I have no idea what a better solution would be. I find the current method requires too much ‘head down’ time.

All that being said I’m totally smitten by the Tomcat, thank you for such a fantastic module.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Digitalvole

[DSplayer]

Was having a problem when there was a hostile aircraft nearby, Jester would switch from LANTIRN to TCS all on his own. Was pretty annoying when trying to get some GBUs on target.

Edited February 4, 2022 by DSplayer

[F1GHTS-ON]

What does Jester mean by "Barnacle"? I am convinced it is his only comment during LGB attacks?

Edited February 4, 2022 by F1GHTS-ON

[RGBPhoenixU]

Just played the instant action LANTIRN practice mission. Bravo to Heatblur and Jester for the best mission I have experienced in DCS World. Excellent voice acting and Jester worked the pod like a pro.

[Snappy]

I haven’t checked in a while and have no access to DCS at the moment, but is Jester now able to spot and lase custom-placed static objects? I don’t mean default stuff that’s already in the terrain, I understood that is a limitation, but last time I tried he simply wouldn’t even spot static objects placed in the ME, like warehouses etc. even it’s directly in the pods pov.

regards

Snappy

Edited February 24, 2022 by Snappy

[draconus]

14 minutes ago, Snappy said:

I haven’t checked in a while and have no access to DCS at the moment, but is Jester now able to spot and lase custom-placed static objects? I don’t mean default stuff that’s already in the terrain, I understood that is a limitation, but last time I tried he simply wouldn’t even spot static objects placed in the ME, like warehouses etc. even it’s directly in the pods pov.

I heaven't heard of a fix for some static object tracking but there is no limitation - you can designate any point on the ground manually with Qeyeball and direct head control.

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by draconus

[Snappy]

5 hours ago, draconus said:

I heaven't heard of a fix for some static object tracking but there is no limitation - you can designate any point on the ground manually with Qeyeball and direct head control.

 

 

It’s about Jester spotting and targeting static objects, I know can manually designate anything.

Thats not the point.When they published the Jester Lantirn capability patch Heatblur mentioned the limitation that Jester would be unable to spot&track static objects that are in the map by default. 
However the way I understood it, he should be able to spot&track static objects that are placed manually in the ME.

Last time I checked, he was still unable to do that, hence my question.

@IronMikedid I understand that wrong?

kind regards,

 Snappy 

Edited February 24, 2022 by Snappy

[Gun Jam]

when playing online (im assuming its an offline problem as well) ill use "eyeballs" to ask jester to slew the pod to that point. It works but the range needs to be increased. For example playing TTI I can see red smoke put the small circle on the smoke and jester never seems to be able to slew the pod to the smoke. I have to wait until im nearly over the smoke then it works great but now I only have a few seconds to line up.

 

 

[F1GHTS-ON]

Like most users, I remain hugely impressed with the improvements and useability of Jester and control of the LANTRIN. I assume these discussions on these posts are helpful in refining how they intend to get the A-6 BN "Jester" to work for us in the future. In addition to the chin mounted Targeting Pod, he'll need to"target"?? those fixed objects such as bridges, buildings etc from radar. So I guess find a solution to what is being discussed here is on that path?

[draconus]

On 2/24/2022 at 2:16 PM, Snappy said:

However the way I understood it, he should be able to spot&track static objects that are placed manually in the ME.

Last time I checked, he was still unable to do that, hence my question.

He does it pretty well - static aircraft, heli, armed barracks, cows, personell - all found and tracked. Please be specific - what was not working for you?

@Gun Jam Works for me for a few miles. Enough to find the target and set for a bomb run.

[Gun Jam]

yes it works but i sometimes get frustrated that I can see something and clearly mark it but he wont slew to it. It appears that he moves the pod but it will never find the location I asked for so i have to try again... maybe several times. Seems like 8 miles might be near the outer limit. at 35k elevation its nearly under the plane.

Using the old mod I could slew the pod myself to the same location 20 to 25 miles away no problem. I can get a human RIO to do the same.

It works great up close but something is goofy with it much beyond 8 miles.

Thanks!

-Gun

[Snappy]

On 3/1/2022 at 12:58 AM, draconus said:

He does it pretty well - static aircraft, heli, armed barracks, cows, personell - all found and tracked. Please be specific - what was not working for you?

@Gun Jam Works for me for a few miles. Enough to find the target and set for a bomb run.

Back when I tested it I think I had used warehouses , hangars or outposts that I placed via the ME.Definitely buildings.

I will try again when I find time for DCS. Itˋs been quite a while since I tested it, maybe it got improved in the meantime with one of the patches.

Thank you for your answers and checking it!
 

Regards, Snappy

Edited March 2, 2022 by Snappy

[Zaphael]

Anybody encountered Jester dropping the AG and going AA while the tapes are on AG from the front pit?

Happened on a multiplayer flight and was having Jester look for some tanks.

Some threat aircraft came up, and the next thing I knew, the screen was back on TCS, and the TID was back on. 

I cycled the AG tape switch again, but still stuck on AA. It took a while for Jester to switch back to AG... Never knew he could do that.

[draconus]

55 minutes ago, Zaphael said:

I cycled the AG tape switch again, but still stuck on AA.

How do you tell? RIO does not control pilot modes. That he switches from LANTIRN to TCS - yes, he does - but pilot mode does not change. Also pilot changes his HSD to either nav info or TID repeater.

[Zaphael]

On 3/31/2022 at 2:46 AM, draconus said:

How do you tell? RIO does not control pilot modes. That he switches from LANTIRN to TCS - yes, he does - but pilot mode does not change. Also pilot changes his HSD to either nav info or TID repeater.

I think that's precisely the problem. Jester was somehow able to override the AG mode and was calling up my Phoenixes and TID. Mode switch was still on AG in my front seat.

[near_blind]

Did you perhaps put your weapon selector into SW or SP/PH?

[draconus]

3 hours ago, Zaphael said:

Jester was somehow able to override the AG mode and was calling up my Phoenixes and TID. Mode switch was still on AG in my front seat.

Make screenshot or video next time.

Edited April 1, 2022 by draconus

[Zaphael]

4 hours ago, near_blind said:

Did you perhaps put your weapon selector into SW or SP/PH?

In AG mode. So I was cycling between gun and ORD. Jester was already told to select Paveways prior.

Was not aware I can cycle to SW, SP/PH ... 

[EntropySG]

mmh I just gave it a spin today for the first time. we had a viper trying to give me coordinates and talk on for a ground target. 

first, the coordinates are (of course) way too inprecise, not being able to enter 2 digit seconds so Nxx xx.x  only makes it hard for a talk-on via sensors in CAS, so your starting point for the talk-on might already be quite off. Then, there is (as far as I can see) no manual zoom control. That makes a talk-on very hard, as you need to be able to manually zoom out and in and switch back and forth. 

then, when I slow the lantirn to the steerpoint I just manually punched in, and read back the coordinates from the lantirn display, they are totally not even close to the coordinates of the waypoint. It probably is me just making a mistake with the format or something, but we totally didnt get it to work. 

 

also giving Jester the option to slew to lates missile coordinates etc makes it very arcady, being a good solution for many, but not all. 

 

maybe it would be feasable to have a menu option in DCS for the tomcat to enable a system like the old lantirn mod (where you simply give the pilot control of the pod, all you need is zoom, move, and slew to coordinates I guess) or the arcady jester implementation. 

Either way I will love this module forever, with all its pros and cons, but maybe this feedback is helpful. oh and if someone coudl point me to why my steerpoint coordinates totally differ from the lantirn coordinates after slewing, Id be very grateful. 

[DSplayer]

I am still having the problem where Jester decides to switch to the TCS from the LANTIRN pod after detecting an enemy aircraft within visual range. 

[bonesvf103]

I would like to voice some concerns with Jester and LANTIRN.  Maybe someone knows a fix to this but here are the issues.

First, to further the post above about Jester switching to the TCS on a bomb run, whenever I am on a bomb run and then there is an air to air threat nearby--even if it's far enough away to still get the bomb off then defend myself, Jester always seems to abandon the LANTIRN duty and switch to the TCS camera and start looking for bandits.  Even if my HUD mode is still in A/G, he will do this.  It has ruined alot of bomb runs and it's very annoying especially when he does it when the bandit is still far enough away for me to get the bomb off.  After he does this, I have tried to jump into the RIO seat to switch it back to LANTIRN and hope I can get back in the front seat in time to make the drop.  But even when I do, he automatically goes back to TCS and screw up the run.  He didn't used to do this before.  Is there any way he can just stick with LANTIRN unless I go to A/A mode?

Next, Jester annoyingly switches to what he thinks is the target.  Here's the scenario:  I call eyeballs, I place the cursor where I want him to have LANTIRN look, then I hit "A".  He slews the LANTIRN over there.  Then I jump in the backseat to fine tune the LANTIRN and I hit designate on my HOTAS and get the countdown to drop symbology, etc.

I switch back to the front cockpit to make the drop--and Jester has switched the LANTIRN back to where I had hit "A" when I used eyeballs, losing the target that I designated from the back seat.

Even if I did eyeballs>A>head control>A then went in the backseat to fine tune then designate, as soon as I go to the front pit he switches back to the "A" designation.

It seems the only way I can keep my designation is if I run the LANTIRN completely without him.  Then when I switch to the front seat he will keep my designation as he should.

So anyway to fix this?

Thanks!

v6,

boNes

 

[Spurts]

For the second part you can tell him to go QDES I think.  Then he should slew to what you designated.

[bonesvf103]

6 hours ago, Spurts said:

For the second part you can tell him to go QDES I think.  Then he should slew to what you designated.

Yup, I was just about to come back here to update you all on that when I saw your reply, thanks.

So yes if you tell him QDES (or, in my case with AIRIO, "track designation"), he will bring it back.  Thing is, I wish he didn't switch to begin with.  If in the thick of things he switches and I can't get him to go back to designation on time, then the run was needlessly trashed.  I don't know why he would need to switch to begin with.

As for the TCS thing, still a problem.  Even if you have wingmen nearby to take out the bandit so you can do your run, Jester still switches to the TCS.  The only thing I can say further on this is that I noticed that if you drop even though he switched to the TCS and stayed within drop parameters, as long as the target is designated in the LANTIRN the bomb will still hit.  You just can't monitor it from the front to make sure you aren't masking.  But, it's still annoying that he switches

v6,

boNes