Bug: Training mission 01 INS does not work

[iuiz]

Hi, I just started with the Mirage M2000c and when I click the buttons on the INS number pad nothing happens.

I found this post where it states that "The “INS is always aligned” checkbox in the special option menu of the mirage have been replaced by a “Fast alignment (ALCM) ready” checkbox.

 

I wanted to use this as a workaround, however I cannot find the setting under the special tab in the options, so something seems to be broken really broken here.

I am running the beta client right now, as there are more multiplayer servers.

 

[Ramsay]

TL;DR:

Re: Title "Bug: Training mission 01 INS does not work", AFAIK some of the training missions need to be updated.

Training Mission 1, "Start up from cold and dark" is one of them.

• PREP 00 cannot be edited (that is why you are stuck) and SOP is to use WPT (BUT) 20 instead, therefore you'll need to select PREP 20 prior to carrying out the alignment as instructed in the training mission.

• There's also no longer the need to enter leading zeros when entering a waypoint's altitude i.e. entering 37 is as good as 00037 now.

• As the Mirage now spawns with wheel chocks, at the end of the session, you'll want to ask the ground crew to remove the chocks, prior to releasing the handbrake and getting ready to taxi.

With these missing pieces of information, I completed Training Mission 1 in the current Open Beta without issue.

Details

8 hours ago, iuiz said:

I found this post where it states that "The “INS is always aligned” checkbox in the special option menu of the mirage have been replaced by a “Fast alignment (ALCM) ready” checkbox.

I wanted to use this as a workaround, however I cannot find the setting under the special tab in the options, so something seems to be broken really broken here.

IIRC the Options>Special>M2000C "INS is always aligned" checkbox was removed and STH (ALCM) is now always available - i.e. allowing 1:30 minute Class 4 (3nm/h drift rate) fast memory alignments for scramble alerts, etc.

The STH (ALCM) Fast Alignment procedure (once the engine is started, etc.) is :

1. Set BUT 00 in PREP (if not already set), check the coordinates and altitude are correct to the aircraft's current position, if req'ed.

2. Set the PSM Mode knob to the STH (ALCM) position. When in this mode, the following will happen:
 • The ALN light will flash.
 • The VAL key will light up.

3. Click on the VAL key to start the alignment process.
 • The ALN light will become steady, indicating the INS is aligning.

4. You can check the status by turning the PSM Operational Mode knob to STS. The right window will display the status, going from 100 to 0. The right window will stay blank. After a short period of time the status will count down to zero, at which point the right window will display "4" [presumably for a class 4 alignment].

The ALN light will turn off and the PRET light will flash showing it is now coarsely/roughly aligned.

5. Turn the PSM mode selector to NAV to bring the INS "online" and make the HSI, ADI, HUD heading tap, etc. "live", showing attitude and direction.

6. Turn the PSM Operational Mode knob back to N Normal.

Tested in DCS Open Beta 2.7.8.16140

Edited December 11, 2021 by Ramsay

[iuiz]

Thank you very much for this. I got back to the module today and had some success. I was afraid that the fast alignment is gone and did not want to play a module where I need to wait 8 min every time I want to get into the air :D. Even more so, as I want to take this bird into multiplayer and I am sure that I will just get shot down constantly at first.

 

You even did a video to help. Thank you so much! This community is great :).

[CH4Pz]

Just bought the module, same issue, in the training session, it tells us to change the prep to WP1 by double clicking. Also it says set knob to L/G (it already is) and press 1 or 7 to edit the co-ordinates and when i do nothing happens?! For a training module it sure does leave a lot of info out, assuming people are already familiar! Thanks for info @Ramsay

[Ramsay]

4 hours ago, CH4Pz said:

For a training module it sure does leave a lot of info out, assuming people are already familiar!

The training missions and campaign were originally designed (2017) to be used in conjunction with the manual and in many cases reinforced or expanded on it's contents. Originally 90-95% of the missions/systems worked as designed/described.

However both DCS and the Mirage has evolved, with A/G radar added to the SDK and AdA feedback/support used to turn the DCS Mirage M-2000C "game" into a RL "training aid", etc., etc.

Some of these changes actually make the Mirage easier to learn i.e. ILS, as the new behaviours make more sense or are logical extensions of similar systems. Unfortunately these changes have also made the "old" missions less than ideal i.e. by changing parking sizes cause the AI to reposition larger aircraft and block taxiways, cockpit switch numbers change for checking player input, etc.

AFAIK updates are planned for the Mirage's campaign and training missions, once the "rework" is stable, but unfortunately Baltic Dragon's "day" job takes him away from his "gaming rig" and is a limiting factor.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Ramsay

[StrikeTrigger]

I am also noticing that the MIP light in the PCN which is not supposed to be functional (data cartridge inserted) is permanently illuminated. Maybe due to this now no data entry at all is possible? All missions of M-2000C now manual entry of coordinates is impossible for alignment, not just the training.

 

Anyhow thanks for the workaround, with Waypoint 20 it's working.

Also I'm now noticing that the PCN only accepts data in XX degrees YY.Y minutes format and not XX degrees YY minutes ZZ seconds. So I put seconds in fraction of 1 minute, right? So 41 deg 36 mins 45 secs will mean 41 deg 36.8 mins to be entered?

Because BUT 00 is auto-set at 41 deg 36.4 mins.

Edited January 8, 2022 by StrikeTrigger

[CH4Pz]

On 1/8/2022 at 8:15 AM, StrikeTrigger said:

Anyhow thanks for the workaround, with Waypoint 20 it's working.

 

I Think thats the intention of how its meant to be, seen it in one of the reapers "mirage updated" videos, its just the they havent updated the training missions since launch. There was other info missing in the next 2 training missions too, so ive just been using youtube instead. With such complex modules, updating these missions should be crucial imo

with the co-ordinates, i think you just put the whole number in thats in the kneeboard, even though it goes off the screen and press insert, then the whole number comes up at the top of your screen... unless i misread what u mean?

[Ramsay]

On 1/8/2022 at 8:15 AM, StrikeTrigger said:

Also I'm now noticing that the PCN only accepts data in XX degrees YY.Y minutes format and not XX degrees YY minutes ZZ seconds.

Not quite, the PCN accepts data in XX degrees YY.YYY minutes format (3 decimal places) but only displays the first 5 digits (one decimal place) i.e. XX degrees YY.Y minutes, the last digit(s) are used for a "hidden" level of internal precision.

On 1/8/2022 at 8:15 AM, StrikeTrigger said:

So 41 deg 36 mins 45 secs will mean 41 deg 36.8 mins to be entered?

In your example, the co-ordinates are in degrees, minutes and seconds ? so you'd enter 41 deg 36.75 min (last digit (5) is stored internally but not displayed on the PCA).

On 1/8/2022 at 8:15 AM, StrikeTrigger said:

Because BUT 00 is auto-set at 41 deg 36.4 mins.

The kneeboard's initial position displays co-ordinates in degrees and minutes to three decimal places i.e. N 41° 36.450', but the PCN can only display one decimal place, so this will be displayed as  N 41° 36.4' (even though internally it is storing N 41° 36.450')

This "hidden" precision is true to the RL unit, so when performing a full alignment, the last digit(s) (50) should be entered even though they will not be displayed.

In DCS, when the PCA's INS key is pressed confirming the data entry, the co-ordinate is displayed at the top right of the screen and will confirm it's full precision i.e. N 41° 36.450'