JDAMS and Undesignate functions, HMD Targeting

[Recluse]

Thought I would post this here before logging it as a bug, since it might be "CORRECT AS IS".

One of my buddies was going nuts the other night not being able to RE-DESIGNATE with the HMD, not able to UNDESIGNATE a target.  Last night I came across the same thing trying to head back to the Carrier and engage TACAN, but I couldn't get rid of my System Designation target diamond.

Here is what we found:

- If you have a JDAM on board in TOO mode with target coordinates plugged in, it will provide steering cues.  If you want to CHANGE the target, you can do so with WP Desg or FLIR TDC, and feed new COORDINATES to the JDAM. You cannot, however get the Targeting reticle back up on the HMD as long as the JDAM is holding a target. Similarly, you cannot use the UNDESIGNATE to lose the System Designation.

UNSELECTING the JDAM will fix it.

Changing the JDAM from TOO to PP (without entering any PP coordinates) will fix it

Expending all JDAMs will Fix it.

(I don't recall if merely STEPPING to an un targeted JDAM will fix it... have to try that, but, you would be SOL with only one left).

 

It doesn't seem like this behavior arose until a recent OB Patch, but I don't recall anything in the PATCH NOTES specifically.

 

IF it seems like a BUG, I'll create a TRK and post over on the BUG FORUM, but, meanwhile, to reproduce, Feed some TOO coordinates to a JDAM, then TRY to UNDESIGNATE or use the HMD to desginate a new target.

 

Thanks!

[Tholozor]

Give this a read, it might be related: 

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Tholozor

[Recluse]

Thanks!!! I don't know why I failed to find that in my initial search!!

[maxTRX]

@OP,  you mentioned landing on a carrier and having TD box visible on HUD/HMD. Was the weapon still powered up?  In case you had it powered down and the box still visible, select TOO2 for that JDAM, if available, then power it down again.  I haven't checked it recently, but with the JDAM's power off and no tgt designations in MC, you shouldn't see any target symbology on HUD/HMD. 

Now, here we go again...   If I designed this system, all JDAM designations (already in bomb's memory) would have a symbol with a label  (J84-1, J84-2, etc.) over the spot on the ground, when looking at it with HMD.  The TDC cursor, after pressing TD to designate should be able to move and re-designate if you want to use eyeballs for this.  Actually, from what I remember, we can slew and re-designate now  .  It's just this weird "undesignate then use the cross" thing... while MC is already free of any designations.  As I mentioned above, switching to a free TOO will bring the the HMD circle back.  Oh well, it's still workable I guess.

[Recluse]

1 hour ago, oldcrusty said:

@OP,  you mentioned landing on a carrier and having TD box visible on HUD/HMD. Was the weapon still powered up?  In case you had it powered down and the box still visible, select TOO2 for that JDAM, if available, then power it down again.  I haven't checked it recently, but with the JDAM's power off and no tgt designations in MC, you shouldn't see any target symbology on HUD/HMD. 

Now, here we go again...   If I designed this system, all JDAM designations (already in bomb's memory) would have a symbol with a label  (J84-1, J84-2, etc.) over the spot on the ground, when looking at it with HMD.  The TDC cursor, after pressing TD to designate should be able to move and re-designate if you want to use eyeballs for this.  Actually, from what I remember, we can slew and re-designate now  .  It's just this weird "undesignate then use the cross" thing... while MC is already free of any designations.  As I mentioned above, switching to a free TOO will bring the the HMD circle back.  Oh well, it's still workable I guess.

So I was turning away from the target area to go back to the carrier. I noticed that even out of AG mode, TCN mode on, I couldn't get rid of the DIamond pointing to the target, and I can't recall if I even saw the TACAN steering pointer. I did indeed power down the weapon at which point I could UNDESIGNATE and get the usual TACAN steering symbology.

I think this might have happened when they fixed the issue of Coordinates Over-writing the JDAMS all the time, so in exchange for that, I will gladly power down my weapon on egress.  I guess I hadn't noticed it because usually all the JDAMS were off the rails by the time I turned for home.

As long as there is a workaround, I'm OK with it.  Moving from TOO to PP (empty) also frees up the UNDESIGNATE and I think returns the HMD symbology as well but I don't recall  100%.