not a bug DCS F-16 steerpoints becoming corrupted during mission

[scotth6]

Playing the F-16 Arctic Thunder mission 2.  I am aligning my jet correctly.  The steerpoints are correct when I start the mission, but at some point they become corrupted.  I'm not sure if it's when I input a manual steerpoint, or when I use the TGP.  Last time I flew it, I entered the manual waypoint from JTAC into an empty slot (SP19), and it all seemed correct.  The TGP slewed to the correct area when I entered the waypoint.  Then I am orbiting, and find the targets, but at some stage my TGP loses focus on the targets, and then it never aligns itself back on that point.  After flying around a bit trying to get my TGP to slew back to the steerpoint, I realise all the steerpoints coordinates and altitudes are moving as I fly.  EVERY steerpoint, not just the manually entered one.  They stay in place on the HSD, but a steerpoint that should be 15NM from me according to the HSD now reads 32NM away from me.  Basically everything is corrupted.  It's happened twice now, but didn't happen the first two times I  flew this mission.  I read somewhere that the TGP can mess up the steerpoints in the F-16.  Is that still an issue?

Edited January 13 by scotth6

[MAXsenna]

Playing the F-16 Arctic Thunder mission 2.  I am aligning my jet correctly.  The steerpoints are correct when I start the mission, but at some point they become corrupted.  I'm not sure if it's when I input a manual steerpoint, or when I use the TGP.  Last time I flew it, I entered the manual waypoint from JTAC into an empty slot (SP19), and it all seemed correct.  The TGP slewed to the correct area when I entered the waypoint.  Then I am orbiting, and find the targets, but at some stage my TGP loses focus on the targets, and then it never aligns itself back on that point.  After flying around a bit trying to get my TGP to slew back to the steerpoint, I realise all the steerpoints coordinates and altitudes are moving as I fly.  EVERY steerpoint, not just the manually entered one.  They stay in place on the HSD, but a steerpoint that should be 15NM from me according to the HSD now reads 32NM away from me.  Basically everything is corrupted.  It's happened twice now, but didn't happen the first two times I  flew this mission.  I read somewhere that the TGP can mess up the steerpoints in the F-16.  Is that still an issue?

There have been several discussions about this the past few weeks. You need to "Cursor Zero" or something to get things "back on track", and it's working as intended.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[speed-of-heat]

2 hours ago, MAXsenna said:

There have been several discussions about this the past few weeks. You need to "Cursor Zero" or something to get things "back on track", and it's working as intended.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

@MAXsenna ... what is cursor zero ? 

[scotth6]

14 minutes ago, speed-of-heat said:

@MAXsenna ... what is cursor zero ? 

On the TGP screen, press CZ if it is visible (one of the buttons on the right).  I guess it shows up once you have slewed the targeting pod off the default steerpoint location.  I cannot tell you it's purpose, but pressing the CZ button will correct the error it produces when you slew the TGP off a steerpoint.  Apparently TMS down short will also activate cursor zero, although I have not tested this.

[speed-of-heat]

1 hour ago, scotth6 said:

On the TGP screen, press CZ if it is visible (one of the buttons on the right).  I guess it shows up once you have slewed the targeting pod off the default steerpoint location.  I cannot tell you it's purpose, but pressing the CZ button will correct the error it produces when you slew the TGP off a steerpoint.  Apparently TMS down short will also activate cursor zero, although I have not tested this.

ah ok, that's very ... odd... i must admit when @MAXsenna said CZ the only thing i could think off was CZ on the targeting pod... and assumed it was something else ... thanks for the clarification 

[Tenkom]

I have found a purpose for this "feature".

If you are going to attack preprogrammed targets. Say you enter the coordinates for 4 targets from the F10 map. When you get within range and select the steerpoints they will likely be off by a certain offset. You can see this on your TGP. If you then slew the tgp so that it's pointing at the first target this will create a offset that will make it so that the next 3 targets are correct. So you only need to correct for the first one. Then you can ripple of your JDAMS quickly.

[DD_fruitbat]

2 hours ago, scotth6 said:

On the TGP screen, press CZ if it is visible (one of the buttons on the right).  I guess it shows up once you have slewed the targeting pod off the default steerpoint location.  I cannot tell you it's purpose, but pressing the CZ button will correct the error it produces when you slew the TGP off a steerpoint.  Apparently TMS down short will also activate cursor zero, although I have not tested this.

Its TMS down twice (A HOTAS shortcut to CZ) if your have created a track in the TGP. First press comes out of point/area track to IN, second press CZ's, if no track, just one press and yes it works, has done for years.

As soon as you start slewing off a steerpoint with either the HUD or TGP you will have to CZ to get rid of that offset you have just created to your steerpoints. 

Edited January 13 by DD_fruitbat

[Gilligan]

This could also be a result of the modeled "INS Drift" feature, which accumulates error over time in the mission. More aggressive maneuvering tends to accumulate drift faster.

I have found that over longer missions, the SPI indicated location for steerpoints tends to drift by a couple hundred meters one way or another, especially if I've had to do some hard maneuvering. CZ'ing does not reset the SPI to the "correct" location.

 

Hard to believe this is true-to-life behavior (post GPS and with GPS Correction) as it renders pre-planned JDAM strikes (without TGP correction) basically impossible, however this is supposedly modeled correctly. 

Edited January 14 by Gilligan