Switcholgy question please

[John Galt]

I've been flying the Viper since its release but decided to try the A-10 with the release of the Afgan map. I have watched videos and read manuals but still have questions.

How do you change low altitude warning? How do you center the TGP {called cz in the viper}? I use the Orion 2 throttle with the F-15EX handle, the switch in the china hat spot is a 3 position switch which is not good for long and short movements, is this normal for a china switch or should I use something else? any help or advise would be greatly appreciated.

[Yurgon]

33 minutes ago, John Galt said:

How do you change low altitude warning?

On the UFC, hit the ALT ALRT button until AGL flashes, enter the new desired warning altitude via the numeric keypad or with the DATA rocker, and accept it with ENT. With repeated presses of the ALT ALRT you can also set the MSL Low Altitude Warning (5,000 ft by default) and an optional MSL Ceiling Warning.

33 minutes ago, John Galt said:

How do you center the TGP {called cz in the viper}?

To boresight it, hit OSB 5 labeled "B/S" on the right MFCD when it's showing the TGP. It defaults to -150 mils depression. You can enter any number between 0 and 999 into the UFC scratchpad (if memory serves) and just hit "B/S" to enter that as your new default depression, in case you'd like the TGP to point higher or lower when you hit "B/S".

Note, in the legacy A-10C module, China Hat Aft Short served the same function, but in the A-10C II module that now activates the Laser Spot Search.

33 minutes ago, John Galt said:

I use the Orion 2 throttle with the F-15EX handle, the switch in the china hat spot is a 3 position switch which is not good for long and short movements, is this normal for a china switch or should I use something else?

A 3-position-switch sounds good. On the TM Warthog throttle, the China Hat is spring-loaded to return to the center position. Is that not the case with the F-15EX? They should both be based on the F-15E throttle and should be near-identical in layout (though the speedbrake and radio switches appear to be swapped around between the right F-15E and A-10C throttles, AFAICT from real life images).

Either way, a 3-position-switch should be well suited. If you have a nearby spring-loaded 3-position-switch, maybe consider just swapping its function with the boat switch.

Edited August 2, 2024 by Yurgon
Typo

[jaylw314]

52 minutes ago, Yurgon said:

On the UFC, hit the ALT ALRT button until AGL flashes, enter the new desired warning altitude via the numeric keypad or with the DATA rocker, and accept it with ENT. With repeated presses of the ALT ALRT you can also set the MSL Low Altitude Warning (5,000 ft by default) and an optional MSL Ceiling Warning.

To boresight it, hit OSB 5 labeled "B/S" on the right MFCD when it's showing the TGP. It defaults to -150 mils depression. You can enter any number between 0 and 999 into the UFC scratchpad (if memory serves) and just hit "B/S" to enter that as your new default depression, in case you'd like the TGP to point higher or lower when you hit "B/S".

Note, in the legacy A-10C module, China Hat Aft Short served the same function, but in the A-10C II module that now activates the Laser Spot Search.

A 3-position-switch sounds good. On the TM Warthog throttle, the China Hat is spring-loaded to return to the center position. Is that not the case with the F-15EX? They should both be based on the F-15E throttle and should be near-identical in layout (though the speedbrake and radio switches appear to be swapped around between the right F-15E and A-10C throttles, AFAICT from real life images).

Either way, a 3-position-switch should be well suited. If you have a nearby spring-loaded 3-position-switch, maybe consider just swapping its function with the boat switch.

 

The Winwing Orion 2 F-15EX grip has a "boat" switch that is a typical 5-way hat switch and an unsprung 3-position China Hat switch.  If you use forward/aft on the 5-way hat that is in the "boat" position as the A-10C China Hat switch, and the unsprung 3-way switch as the A-10C Boat switch, it works fine without changing the positions too much from IRL.

If you don't like putting 2 functions on a 5-way hat, you can use the buttons on one of the two sprung roller switches on the F-15EX grip for the A-10C China Hat functions.  Also, remember you have a bunch of extra buttons and hats compared to the A-10C anyways, so no harm wasting switches  

Edited August 2, 2024 by jaylw314

[John Galt]

Thank you jaylw314 and Yurgon, I should have known that b/s is boresite duh. The info for the alow was terrific and the Winwing has a 3 position toggle, not a push button, so I just reversed them, I will use the toggle as the boat switch. Thanks again.

[jaylw314]

2 hours ago, John Galt said:

Thank you jaylw314 and Yurgon, I should have known that b/s is boresite duh. The info for the alow was terrific and the Winwing has a 3 position toggle, not a push button, so I just reversed them, I will use the toggle as the boat switch. Thanks again.

Hope you're enjoying the F-15EX grip, it's the first time I've had too many buttons   FWIW I bind the UFC SELECT rocker to the antenna roller to scroll weapon profiles in any SOI, and the pinky switch to the AAP Steer switch to scroll steerpoints as well, those are two handy functions to have in addition (I use the index finger roller as my VR zoom buttons)

[BuzzU]

I just bought the WW HOTAS and got it with the 15EX throttle grip. I wish I hadn't now. They added too many switches and changed a few too. I should have bought the 15E throttle gri if I was going to fly the HOG. The WW 15E is just like the HOG and 15E. It has the proper radio, boat, and speed brake switches. The 15EX doesn't.

Since WW sold the HOTAS as a Warthog. It should have come with the 15E throttle with no other options.

[jaylw314]

3 hours ago, BuzzU said:

I just bought the WW HOTAS and got it with the 15EX throttle grip....

Since WW sold the HOTAS as a Warthog. It should have come with the 15E throttle with no other options.

Wow.  Just wow 

[BuzzU]

You could say that.

[ASAP]

On 8/2/2024 at 12:49 PM, John Galt said:

Thank you jaylw314 and Yurgon, I should have known that b/s is boresite duh. The info for the alow was terrific and the Winwing has a 3 position toggle, not a push button, so I just reversed them, I will use the toggle as the boat switch. Thanks again.

Word of caution. The TGP B/S button does boresight the TGP to whatever mil setting you enter, but the A-10's systems and TGP DO NOT behave the same way as the F-16 CZ. My understanding is that when you slew around the TGP in the F-16 you are also moving all the steer points along with it and it is a very important habit pattern to CZ the TGP lest your bombs go who knows where. In the A-10 that is not the case. Your SPI and steer points are 100% independent of your TGP (unless your TGP line of sight SPI obviously, then wherever the TGP is pointed is your current SPI). In practicality, there is no real reason to need to boresight your TGP in the A-10. That is a different habit pattern, with different HOTAS, from a different jet, which was designed to function differently, for a different mission.

The typical work flow in the A-10 is you get a target grid, dump it into a steer point on the CDU, and slave the TGP to steer point with CHINA HAT AFT LONG. Then you can slew the TGP around, find your target and either take a mark which you can make SPI, or use the mark to update a new steer point/overwrite your original steer point. OR (my personal least favorite option for a lot of reasons) you can make TGP line of sight SPI with TMS FORWARD LONG and then the dead center of the crosshairs is your SPI. The default state of the TGP is generally slaved to your steerpoint (Which should in all cases be at 0 AGL not floating uselessly in the sky somewhere like most mission designers like to make it). Typically if you need to move your SPI around rapidly the best way to do it is with HMCS and DMS RIGHT HOLD while looking over the rail at the area you want to get your pod into.

Please note, new people very often confuse TGP line of sight SPI with taking a mark. When you hit TMS forward long you are not "making a SPI" of what your targeting pod is looking at when you hit the button, you do that by making a mark point. When you make TGP line of sight SPI, the center of the crosshairs is your SPI, so when you move the crosshairs around, or your pod is drifting in INR for instance, your SPI is moving around as well.  If you want to capture the think you are looking and make it an enduring SPI, you want to take a mark.

[John Galt]

Thank you ASAP, very good advice. There is definitely a big difference between the F-16 and the A-10 TGP, so far, I like the A-10 better. The switch action in the A-10 is the thing to learn, but it gives an old man something to do lol.