Creating SPI

[Gavroche]

I am not able to do it, at all, using the TGP or TAD. TMS forward long. I also can not hook TAD objects using TMS forward short. It just doesn't work.

 

In TAD I slew the + curser over a symbol like a wingmans SPI or a JTAC target the arrows from my aircraft to the symbol appear, TMS fwd short. Nothing. TMS forward long nothing. I've tried LCTRL + Up, and my hotas. Nothing. Any ideas.

 

In TGP I find the targets and TMS fwd Long, nothing. Frustrating. It makes it so much harder to slew the mavs and mark targets. Any help would be awesome. Thanks.

[Frostiken]

You need to hold China Hat fwd long in order to slew everything to the SPI. Just setting something as the SPI does little more than change the little dangly-dinger-thinger on your HUD. If you have the HUD as SPI, and then hold China Fwd Long, the TPod and Mavs should follow where you direct the TDC on the HUD.

[Gavroche]

You need to hold China Hat fwd long in order to slew everything to the SPI. Just setting something as the SPI does little more than change the little dangly-dinger-thinger on your HUD. If you have the HUD as SPI, and then hold China Fwd Long, the TPod and Mavs should follow where you direct the TDC on the HUD.

 

Thanks for the help, but I think I am missing something. I know how to slew the sensors(Mavs and TGP) to an SPI. China hat fwd Long. It is creating an SPI that isn't working. With TAD as SOI using the curser +, I can not hook TAD symbols nor create an SPI. TMS forward short and TMS forward long. With TGP as SOI I can not create an SPI. TMS Forward Long should do it but it does not. What am I missing here, it should work, but it doesn't?

[strtok]

I have the same experience holding TMS forward long in the TAD. At this point I usually create a mark point instead.

 

I feel like there's very little feedback that the SPI has been created.

[Gavroche]

I have the same experience holding TMS forward long in the TAD. At this point I usually create a mark point instead.

 

I feel like there's very little feedback that the SPI has been created.

 

I reinstalled the game, still had the same problem. I just deleted the saved files under my User name and that solved the problem. I have to redo all the hotas settings and stuff, but atleast it works correctly. I knew I wasn't going nuts. Thanks for the help guys.

[Sinky]

I have the same experience holding TMS forward long in the TAD. At this point I usually create a mark point instead.

 

I feel like there's very little feedback that the SPI has been created.

 

There are a few indications, I like to look in the bottom left data block in the HUD. You should see STPT, TGP, TAD respectively, letting you know what is currently designating your SPI.

[Mirtma]

Are you trying this with HOTAS or keyboard?

[MTFDarkEagle]

Could you provide a track?

[Niggleworth]

Are you sure you have the controls you're trying to use properly mapped in the game or on your profile software? And have you tried cancelling the current SPI with TMS Down long? That's what I have to do between each JTAC target coord entry.

[macedk]

Also you have to have a valid point on the tad to make spi. Normally this is indicated with a ---- line from or to your aircraft in the tad.

[Jimmytime]

"There are a few indications, I like to look in the bottom left data block in the HUD. You should see STPT, TGP, TAD respectively, letting you know what is currently designating your SPI."

 

I am always able to create a SPI with HUD, how do you make it say TAD? Should the TAD be SOI or should the HUD be SOI when try to hook TAD red triangle? I've tried TMS down long to clear but I still can not hook it.

[RodBorza]

"There are a few indications, I like to look in the bottom left data block in the HUD. You should see STPT, TGP, TAD respectively, letting you know what is currently designating your SPI."

 

I am always able to create a SPI with HUD, how do you make it say TAD? Should the TAD be SOI or should the HUD be SOI when try to hook TAD red triangle? I've tried TMS down long to clear but I still can not hook it.

 

To create an SPI with any of the sensors (HUD, TAD or TGP), they must be the current SOI at the moment.

So, to create an SPI in the TAD, you'll have to:

1) Coolie Hat Left Long - chooses the TAD on the left MFCD as SOI;

2) Slew to the desired target;

3) TMS Up Short to hook;

4) TMS Up Long to create SPI.

[hassata]

I'm just getting to grips with this stuff, so take the following with a grain of salt:

 

With TAD, you can't simply designate any spot in space as SPI. So for non-waypoint and non-hookable items (which is to say random spots in the geography), you must first create a mark point, than cycle to that, then TMS up long to make it the SPI.

[Jinja]

Can i rephrase the ops question...

With TAD as soi, what is the most efficient way of creating a spi on a random piece of map, SPECIFICALLY where ther is no target?/symbol?

 

So i slew the cursor to where i want the spi created.... Then what??

 

I've always wanted a way of doing this...

[Jinja]

...doh, im typing the question at the same time that youre answering it in advance hassata!

[Jimmytime]

I think I've been trying to create a SPI (TMS UP LONG) over the red triangle with out hooking it (TMS UP SHORT) on the TAD.

 

Hastas, what do you mean by "cycling to that". Is there an additional command or something else I need to do?

[hassata]

As an example, if you set three mark points (TMS right short), you can cycle through them as you would with waypoints by turning the knob on the AAP to Mark (or by pressing Function, 8 on the UFC), then using the Steer Up and Down Buttons on the left side of the UFC, or (with HUD as the SOI) with DMS Up/Down, or with the Steer switch below the CDU.

[Baggy MacDouche]

If you own a hotas, I highly recommend mapping the UFC Steer Up/Down rocker to somewhere on your stick. I have it as a shifted(w/modifier) DMS U/D. One of the best things I ever did. This has helped me when making run-ins on multiple targets. I've gotten quite good at launching up to 6 mavs on a single run. With the steer rocker mapped directly, you can easily cycle mark points without having to make the HUD the SOI, or having to use the mouse to click on the rocker.

[Jimmytime]

Thanks, can't wait to try it!

[shadowmind]

I have the same problem. I keep thinking I am doing something wrong. But in the first campaign mission, I've hooked and then made the red triangle the SPI. Now I slave all sensors to the SPI, go to the TGP and look for the target. I find the column of tanks and try to change the TGP to point follow the lead tank. This doesn't work. So I go back to the TAD and try to hook a different location or mark something as the SPI and I can't.

 

It seemed that if I went to the HUD and tried to mark something as a SPI it "reset" the system and allowed me to change the SPI on the TAD and TGP. This looks like a bug to me.

[BlackRazor]

Another thing to remember is that you can't go to point mode if you are too far from the target; point mode requires the target to be clearly distinguishable from the background so don't expect to be able to track a tank 25 miles out.

[shadowmind]

Another thing to remember is that you can't go to point mode if you are too far from the target; point mode requires the target to be clearly distinguishable from the background so don't expect to be able to track a tank 25 miles out.

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, so I tried again last night and wanted to track a building. The TGP was set to NARO and I was fully zoomed in. It still wouldn't spot lock on a target. Even with tanks I have to zoom out a bit and it still won't track. I suspect there is a hard coded number for the minimum distance before the TGP will go into point track mode. Seems a little odd to me. But from a coding standpoint I can see it would be hard to automatically determine if the object is too far away to successfully track.

[Melcar]

Now you switch to TGP and try TMS up short to go area or point but it doesn't. This is because TGP is still slaved from before with long crosshairs. Wiggle the TGP with slew and the crosshairs shorten as slave breaks. Now you can use area point

 

Do you have to do this with a Maverick too?

 

Last night I was trying out the "Sitting Ducks" mission -- active pause, located the Shilka with the TGP set the point as SPI, slaved the Maverick to it, but the Maverick wouldn't fire I don't remember exactly what it said, but something to the effect of:- Launch Inhibit no lock.

[Zenra]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, so I tried again last night and wanted to track a building. The TGP was set to NARO and I was fully zoomed in. It still wouldn't spot lock on a target. Even with tanks I have to zoom out a bit and it still won't track. I suspect there is a hard coded number for the minimum distance before the TGP will go into point track mode. Seems a little odd to me. But from a coding standpoint I can see it would be hard to automatically determine if the object is too far away to successfully track.

 

The TGP needs a sufficient level of contrast to resolve an image to lock on to. In DCS A-10C I am able to lock on to tanks at great distances by setting the Level appropriately and switching to WHOT or BHOT imaging depending on the circumstances. I've seen no evidence of a "hard coded minimum distance" or anything of the sort.

 

Try adjusting the Gain and Level settings on the TGP and try the different IR modes and you will have better success tracking from longer distances.

[Zenra]

Do you have to do this with a Maverick too?

 

Last night I was trying out the "Sitting Ducks" mission -- active pause, located the Shilka with the TGP set the point as SPI, slaved the Maverick to it, but the Maverick wouldn't fire I don't remember exactly what it said, but something to the effect of:- Launch Inhibit no lock.

 

Make sure the Maverick has achieved a lock before trying to fire - the crosshairs will meet at the point of the target when locked, otherwise there will be a gap. You can try to force a lock with TMS UP short with the MAV as SOI. If you still have trouble try searching here - there are several very good and detailed threads on Maverick employment.