Entering Lat Long

[Topgun505]

I'm familiar with entering coord data given via JTAC but I have never done it in L/L format. I don't have Black Shark 2 as of yet but one of the members in my squadron has it and he says that he could feed me coords for targets he spots while beating around in the weeds ... but it is in L/L format.

 

I booted up a training mission and tried entering location data in L/L format and used a procedure similar to the other format (just kept the type as L/L) ... but every time I enter it I get an error. I'm sure the procedure is fine ... I'm just not inputting the data in the correct format the CDU will understand as L/L. Does anyone know the format it wants?

[Evil.Bonsai]

for east west (longitude) you have to enter xxx xx xx (7 numbers) and for latitude it's xx xx xx (six numbers). No spaces.

 

Here's one post: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1129615&postcount=3

 

search for 'cdu latitude' I found several threads. Read through them for a better understanding, as they have slightly different explanations.

 

I think the first time I flew 'smerch hunt' I was able to enter L/L because I remembered reading the post where longitude is THREE numbers (need the leading 0)

Edited November 18, 2011 by Evil.Bonsai

[Topgun505]

Ok will give that a try tomorrow. Will post here the results.

[Evil.Bonsai]

Ok will give that a try tomorrow. Will post here the results.

 

also note, depending on circumstances, if you're given 42deg 34.278mins, you'll have to convert that .278 into seconds. .278 is ALMOST 1/3 so if you use 42 34 20 (20 being 1/3 of 60), you'll get pretty close to your target, and can then use optics to adjust as needed.

 

I mention this 'cause the CAOC guy in Smerch Hunt (just finished flying it again), I guess, is just passing along what's given him and gives you MGRS for your first target then uses L/L, with decimals, for a later target. :/

[Topgun505]

Are there spaces in each set of numbers or is it just entered as a solid string of numbers?

[july865]

a solid string of numbers

[Topgun505]

In warrior X's instructions it states both lat and long are going to be 7 digit numbers and it states that for the E set you sometimes have to put in a leading zero. Does that mean the N set is ALWAYS going to be a set if 7 given to you, or will you sometimes need a leading zero there as well?

[Speed]

for east west (longitude) you have to enter xxx xx xx (7 numbers) and for latitude it's xx xx xx (six numbers). No spaces.

 

Here's one post: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1129615&postcount=3

 

search for 'cdu latitude' I found several threads. Read through them for a better understanding, as they have slightly different explanations.

 

I think the first time I flew 'smerch hunt' I was able to enter L/L because I remembered reading the post where longitude is THREE numbers (need the leading 0)

 

also note, depending on circumstances, if you're given 42deg 34.278mins, you'll have to convert that .278 into seconds. .278 is ALMOST 1/3 so if you use 42 34 20 (20 being 1/3 of 60), you'll get pretty close to your target, and can then use optics to adjust as needed.

 

I mention this 'cause the CAOC guy in Smerch Hunt (just finished flying it again), I guess, is just passing along what's given him and gives you MGRS for your first target then uses L/L, with decimals, for a later target. :/

 

Incorrect. The A-10C CDU and Ka-50 PVI-800 both give and accept latitude and longitude ONLY in degrees and minutes. So if the A-10C gives you a lat/long coordinate of like:

 

42 01.827'N

043 15.325'E

Then the Ka-50 needs to enter a positive:

 

+42 01.8'

and a positive:

+043 15.3'

into the PVI-800 (since the northern and eastern hemispheres are considered positive). This is entered on the PVI-800 keypad when in Edit mode, with a NAV/TGT point selected. The keypad entry once int he proper mode is:

042018

0043153

 

where the extra zero in front indicates the positive sign (this zero is not shown on the PVI-800 display, of course- it makes the +/- field empty, which means positive).

 

If the Ka-50 is giving coordinates obtained through the PVI-800 to an A-10, then the Ka-50, then the A-10 can simply enter:

42018

into the latitude field and

043153 into the the longitude field. The CDU automatically adds the trailing two zeros to each coordinate, and parses it into degrees and minutes.

 

The Ka-50 is also able to obtain coordinates from the Abris. Abris coordinates can in fact be in degress, minutes and seconds, but under one of the option pages, you can change the units display to degrees and minutes, with two significant digits after the minutes decimal place. This is highly recommended, as not only does it allow you to avoid having to convert the seconds into minutes if you want to give a coordinate to an A-10, it also makes the Abris significantly more accurate, as dividing something by 100 yields a smaller step size than dividing by 60. This will be pretty significant if you ever say, need to call in a JDAM strike to an overhead AI aircraft with your Ka-50 ;)

Edited November 18, 2011 by Speed

[metalnwood]

I thought it was only degrees and minutes as well but I am used to putting in the minutes with a decimal point for the minute where needed so I guess it doesn't mind that either. Thats on the a10.

[Evil.Bonsai]

My bad. I guess seconds aren't THAT far off. I've always used a 'converted' number (as I posted above. I guess if you were going to program a JDAM with a specific L/L then it WOULD matter, but I've only used them the one time (in Smerch Hunt; JTAC pretty much always uses MGRS, that I've experienced so far anyway), and it was close enough to point the tgp at the target.

 

Now to find a converter to see how far .27 minutes is versus 20 seconds. :)

 

Thanks for the correction!

Edited November 19, 2011 by Evil.Bonsai

[Speed]

My bad. I guess seconds aren't THAT far off. I've always used a 'converted' number (as I posted above. I guess if you were going to program a JDAM with a specific L/L then it WOULD matter, but I've only used them the one time (in Smerch Hunt; JTAC pretty much always uses MGRS, that I've experienced so far anyway), and it was close enough to point the tgp at the target.

 

Now to find a converter to see how far .27 minutes is versus 20 seconds. :)

 

Thanks for the correction!

 

Yea, you got how to convert it correct, but you were incorrect as to when the conversion is necessary... thankfully no conversions are necessary between PVI-800 and A-10 CDU :)