Targeting Pod, looking at ground with A-A loadout

[Jyge]

I am playing Arctic Thunder campaign from Reflected with F-16C. I had a mission where you end up providing cover after a A-A sortie. The POD was in loadout. What I fleetingly noticed, but had no time to put any effort on this was. That somehow, for example, the Snow Plow option was missing. So I could not really have a look at the ground targets in vicinity.

I might have put a mark on the ground with fly-over (if I could remember how to do it) and maybe then get the TPOD to point at the mark point and then work my way through from there, but frankly that would suck.

I also noticed that, since I only had couple of Sidewinders and my empty gun, I could not use the Helmet to target anything on ground.

Am I missing something here?

 

[Grodin]

19 minutes ago, Jyge said:

I am playing Arctic Thunder campaign from Reflected with F-16C. I had a mission where you end up providing cover after a A-A sortie. The POD was in loadout. What I fleetingly noticed, but had no time to put any effort on this was. That somehow, for example, the Snow Plow option was missing. So I could not really have a look at the ground targets in vicinity.

I might have put a mark on the ground with fly-over (if I could remember how to do it) and maybe then get the TPOD to point at the mark point and then work my way through from there, but frankly that would suck.

I also noticed that, since I only had couple of Sidewinders and my empty gun, I could not use the Helmet to target anything on ground.

Am I missing something here?

 

Can't helmet designate with F-16 unless you have a VIS mode capable A-G weapon loaded. Other functions like snowplow should work even without A-G weapons afaik as long as you are in A-G master mode.

[Jyge]

I was - I think I need to test it in mission editor once more.

I know that with VIS mode and frankly it truly sucks. Most of the time, for example, with Maverick, I actually want PRE, but first in order to point something with TPOD I need to switch to VIS, then use helmet to point roughly at target. Use TPOD to fine tune and in the meantime switch to PRE on the Maverick. Frankly, I think that if that is the real procedure and human machine interface and a real pilot has to do it that way, when the bullets are flying, he will scream a bloody murder if he makes it back home...

It is funny how Hornet all the sudden feel rather gamey in comparison to F-16C, but somewhere there, F-16C feels very quirky when it comes down to things like this...

[Tenkom]

1 hour ago, Jyge said:

I am playing Arctic Thunder campaign from Reflected with F-16C. I had a mission where you end up providing cover after a A-A sortie. The POD was in loadout. What I fleetingly noticed, but had no time to put any effort on this was. That somehow, for example, the Snow Plow option was missing. So I could not really have a look at the ground targets in vicinity.

I might have put a mark on the ground with fly-over (if I could remember how to do it) and maybe then get the TPOD to point at the mark point and then work my way through from there, but frankly that would suck.

I also noticed that, since I only had couple of Sidewinders and my empty gun, I could not use the Helmet to target anything on ground.

Am I missing something here?

 

I believe you can use the markpoint function. Click the mark button on the ICP(7 IIRC). Seq button and choos HUD. Now you can do TMS up long to activate the HMD. Look at your target, tms up twice and you've created a markpoint.

[Furiz]

You can slew TGP in Nav mode, and you'll see SPI move, that is where the TGP is looking.

[Jyge]

I think that slewing is not the problem. The trouble I am having is to get it pointed in the first place. For some reason I did not have the snowplow available

to get it pointed somewhere in the first place - so in that case it was probably targeted at the active waypoint, which in this case was somewhere miles and miles away.

I hazard a guess here, but I think the snowplow should really be available at all times and frankly I find it truly odd that you do not get to point the TPOD with helmet if not carrying the A-G weapons (with VIS option). Particularly in real life I am positive that F-16 does quite a lot of all kinds of search missions without carrying ground ordnance and stuff like that where you really want to use the TPOD for looking around. Search and Rescue kind of stuff...

[Tenkom]

17 hours ago, Jyge said:

I think that slewing is not the problem. The trouble I am having is to get it pointed in the first place. For some reason I did not have the snowplow available

to get it pointed somewhere in the first place - so in that case it was probably targeted at the active waypoint, which in this case was somewhere miles and miles away.

I hazard a guess here, but I think the snowplow should really be available at all times and frankly I find it truly odd that you do not get to point the TPOD with helmet if not carrying the A-G weapons (with VIS option). Particularly in real life I am positive that F-16 does quite a lot of all kinds of search missions without carrying ground ordnance and stuff like that where you really want to use the TPOD for looking around. Search and Rescue kind of stuff...

Read my post above. You can create markpoints with the helmet that you can then slew the TGP to. It's a few extra clicks compared to VIS mode but it's not difficult. This works in NAV mode.

[Gilligan]

Yes you can use the TGP to look at the ground with no AG Weapons loaded.

 

In NAV or AG master mode, set the desired MFD as the TGP display. Hit the STBY OSButton and select AG

You can slew the SPI from here, or create a new Markpoint/Steerpoint with the JHMCS on the ground and the TGP will focus there.

 

To create a Markpoint (Steerpoints 26-30) with the JHMCS, in NAV or AG master mode press "7" on the ICP to enter Markpoint Mode.

 

Use the Dobber (Right)  to cycle the first field in the DED until it shows HUD. If it says HUD already, leave it there

 

Hold TMS up long and you will see a large circle appear in you JHMS display.

 

Look at where you want to create a new Markpoint/Steerpoint and hit TMS up Short once. This will "Drop" the SPI indicator on the ground where you are looking. You can slew the SPI box from here to refine the location if desired. When you are satisfied with the location of the marker, hit TMS Up Short again and it will save the coordinates at that point, you will see the coordinates update in the DED display. Hit "0" on the ICP to set this markpoint as the current steerpoint. Dobber left to exit Markpoint mode.

 

If you do not have a JHMSC installed you can put the intended location in the HUD and slew the circle to where you want it and follow the steps from there.

Edited January 31 by Gilligan