Small mod to add UTM grid zone (such as 37T or 38T) to JTAC comms

[Speed]

EDIT: This mod is for DCS A-10C version 1.1.1.1, but it can be manually installed into Black Shark 2 (a Ka-50 cannot call JTAC, but it can listen in) as well. This mod may or may not work with future patches. Sorry for not noting this in the title.

 

I'm finally making good on a something I had said earlier, about adding the UTM zone to all the JTAC communications (both from player to JTAC and from JTAC to player).

 

This mod comes in two minor varieties, see below:

 

Variety 1:

Adds a space only after UTM grid zone:

 

Variety 2:

Adds a space after UTM grid zone, MGRS digraph, and easting:

 

I'm not sure which is more correct (please give me your thoughts).

 

In addition to having the spaces in the text on the screen, the speaking voice will pause when it hits the space. I was thinking of making the speaking voice say "break" where there are spaces, as I think that is the proper radio procedure (see this link for example), but it started taking too much of my time sound editing. Oh, it was working, the voice would say "break" (in the correct voice too), but it just didn't sound good, and it raised other issues such as perhaps I should add a "break" between each nine-line briefing line? Anyway, the short story is that adding more into this mod was taking up too much time for too little benefit, I think.

 

Anyway, install instructions included below:

 

MANUAL INSTALLATION:

1) Download the one of two the MANUAL varieties (whichever variety you prefer).

2) Unzip

3) In <A-10C main directory>\Sounds\Speech, rename NATO.lua to NATO_original.lua

4) Place the extracted NATO.lua here.

5) Copy the two sound files "delimeter-begin.wav" and "delimeter-continue.wav" and paste them both into the folder <A-10C main directory>\Sounds\Speech\Sound\ENG\Common\JTAC\Alphabet AND into the folder <A-10C main directory>\Sounds\Speech\Sound\ENG\DCS A-10C\Player\Alphabet

 

MODMAN INSTALLATION:

Just select which variety you want, download, and install as normal :)

MANUAL var 1 JTAC UTM zone mod.zip

MANUAL var 2 JTAC UTM zone mod.zip

MODMAN var 1 JTAC UTM zone mod.zip

MODMAN var 2 JTAC UTM zone mod.zip

Edited April 6, 2012 by Speed

[Snoopy]

Nice...thanks for another great one Speed!!

[_Heater_]

Thanks Speed, nice mod

[winz]

Fantastic mod

+Rep

[Speed]

Is there any public documentation on the proper radio procedure/terms to use, specifically for a TAC/FAC? I would like to make more small improvements. For is example, when the JTAC speaks, there often isn't any indication when he switches to a different line of the nine-line. Should he say something like "break" between each line? Seems like, if we couldn't see the JTAC message on our screen as text, it would be easy to get confused as to what line the JTAC was on. Should they speak the line number ever besides when it is just "N/A"? It's just that if there is anything that could be improved upon, I would be interested in doing it. Some public domain info would be highly useful.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Speed

[Spetz]

Nice mod! The term "break" is really only used by US forces, which for this sim is fine, but from personal experience, I find it rather annoying when doing exercises/combat (in RL) and they are talking to me and all of a sudden "break" comes on the net, and then they keep talking right away..What's the point? What the Canadian military does is either say the term "Serial", such as "Serial Alpha, Grid 234 088, Serial Bravo, exgress north..etc". The term "serial" just means line. We also use "Line" (either one, doesn't matter), such as "Line Alpha, Grid 3423.....Line Bravo...."

 

If we are pausing because we have a long message we use the phrase "More to follow.." which is what I believe "break" is to mean. This is usually done after about 3 lines of info so that the recipient can read back the info if needed and verifiy it is correct before the sender continues. I don't think this is easily implemented in the game though..

 

Bonedust was working an a replacement voice pack for JTAC, etc as well, but it has not been touched for awhile.. I'll PM him for more info.

[tflash]

Great Mod, super!

[Speed]

Nice mod! The term "break" is really only used by US forces, which for this sim is fine, but from personal experience, I find it rather annoying when doing exercises/combat (in RL) and they are talking to me and all of a sudden "break" comes on the net, and then they keep talking right away..What's the point? What the Canadian military does is either say the term "Serial", such as "Serial Alpha, Grid 234 088, Serial Bravo, exgress north..etc". The term "serial" just means line. We also use "Line" (either one, doesn't matter), such as "Line Alpha, Grid 3423.....Line Bravo...."

 

If we are pausing because we have a long message we use the phrase "More to follow.." which is what I believe "break" is to mean. This is usually done after about 3 lines of info so that the recipient can read back the info if needed and verifiy it is correct before the sender continues. I don't think this is easily implemented in the game though..

 

Bonedust was working an a replacement voice pack for JTAC, etc as well, but it has not been touched for awhile.. I'll PM him for more info.

Thanks for your thoughts. Quite likely, it's already good enough. I just get the feeling, that, when hearing this message over the radio, people could get a little confused sometimes because there is no indication of where each line of the nine-line brief begins/ends. Do you agree with this assessment?

 

According to this document:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/call/call_03-15.pdf, "break" is "I now separate the text from other parts of the message".

Edited January 20, 2012 by Speed

[Spetz]

You get used to the layout of the messages after hearng them for awhile in all honesty. You just take what you need from it and ignore the rest. And there is always the written text in the pop-up window anyway if you miss the verbal indication.

[Ells228]

The following is taken from the book Joint Force Harrier based on Harrier combat ops in Helmand based at Bastian written by Commander Ade Orchard.

 

Recoil 45, this is Crowbar. TIC Charlie declared. Position 87 Charlie Quebec, keypad 5.

Recoil 45, roger

Crowbar, Recoil 45, requesting airspace 87CQ 220 to the deck and 86CQ, keypads 369

Recoil 45, Crowbar approved. Contact is Jaguar 01 on Olive 12

 

JTAC Comms

Jaguar 01, Recoil 45

Recoil 45, Jaguar 01 ready for fighter check in

Jaguar 01, Recoil 45. Flight of two UK Harriers, playtime is 90 minutes. Recoil 45 had thirty eight rockets and two 540lb bombs, one impact and one air burst. Recoil 46 has two 1000kb laser guided and GP guided bombs. All aborts will be in the clear. Estimate 90 seconds to your overhead position and we'revapproaching from the south.

Recoil 45 roger. Stand by for sitrep. We're a combined Afghan national army and US patrol, andcwe've been out for three days. We're on the high ground east of the river and taking ire from the western side. The nearest friendlies are east of the river.

Recoil 45 copied

 

No indication of breaks whatsoever in his text for JTAC comms throughout the book, but of course he could have left it out but he explains every call so maybe not.

[Headspace]

In the land/infantry universe "break break" seems to be used in order to clear the channel so that important info can be transmitted. In the air universe, a single "break" would indicate an immediate, max performance turn. I suppose here it's meant to refer to a break to go to the next line in the briefing.

[Heli Shed]

"Break" is a proword used in standard NATO Voice procedure in accordance with VP Pam No2. It is an additional proword to the 'Long Message' procedure.

 

When transmitting a message on a radio, if the transmitting station transmits for longer than 30 seconds his ending prowords should be 'Roger so-far'. The receiving station then say's "Roger" - meaning he understands what has been sent. There is then a pause for 20 seconds to allow other stations on the net to interrupt and send information or messages of more more importance than that which is being transmitted by the long message procedure.

 

In essence, long message procedure is used for 'Routine' messages.

 

Where messages of significance is in the free speech stylist method (ie not formalised by a sequence such as 9 liner, 10 liner or other R2), such as a commander giving a set of orders via the radio, he may use the proword 'Break' to signify to all stations that what is being sent is of significant importance and unless you're in contact and about to send a contact report (or in the Joint Operations Theatre a SALTAU), you better stay the 'F***' off of the net.

 

In summary.

 

The proword 'Break' is used by commanders to free up the net for a very short period of time (sometimes only 2 or 3 seconds) so that there is a gap for stations to interrupt with messages of importance; usually a contact or to report TiC. The message being sent by the commander may go on for a significant period of time - 10 minutes or more of 'hogging' the net.

 

'T'

 

PS: before the days of 'instant' DF'ing due to modern day technology, DF'ing by interception, so that deception or analysis could take place used to take 30 seconds with old analogue technology by triangulation, of the post war era (50-90's) - hence the reason for the long message procedure breaking off before the 30 second mark and then a 20 second break once the receiving unit acknowledged. Long message procedure is pretty much defunct for this reason now due to the instantaneous nature of DF'ing. However, as explained it is used for Routine less impoirtant message traffic. The 'Break' proword is used during important messages and these messages are fairly long.

 

PPS: So....great Mod speed. No need to enter Break after each line. It is a formalised message and anyone on the net hearing it would know that, would know what is coming next and how long to wait until they could transmit something. a 9 liner, or a 10 liner (IED Find) is a Class one R2 messaage, as is a Contact report, TiC, Sghting or SALTAU, so consequently should not be interrupted.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Tyger

[Speed]

...

 

Ok, thanks for the info. Sounds like ED's done such a good job that there's really not much more to improve. Who would have thunk it? :D

[Booger]

 

After installing your mod, this is what I get after talking to the JTAC.

 

I installed MODMAN var 2 JTAC UTM zone mod

 

I can talk and get initial 9-line data fine. I can also readback fine as well. This error only happens on being given further remarks.

 

Error found while playing Single Player/Campaign.

[Speed]

 

After installing your mod, this is what I get after talking to the JTAC.

 

I installed MODMAN var 2 JTAC UTM zone mod

 

I can talk and get initial 9-line data fine. I can also readback fine as well. This error only happens on being given further remarks.

 

Error found while playing Single Player/Campaign.

 

This problem has nothing to do with the mod, it's the same problem as reported here:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1376482&postcount=5

 

I know how to fix this issue. Hopefully sometime soon, I will be creating a radio bug fixes mod, and this one is one of the bug fixes I intend to make.

[Booger]

I JUST came here to say your mod worked in follow-on missions. It's only limited to the "interdiction HQ" mission in the campaign (that I've seen thus far).

 

Still, ty for the heads up & fix!

[Speed]

I JUST came here to say your mod worked in follow-on missions. It's only limited to the "interdiction HQ" mission in the campaign (that I've seen thus far).

 

Still, ty for the heads up & fix!

 

Right, well, like I said, you will have this problem regardless of whether my mod is installed or not. The code that has the error is ED's code, not mine. This mod makes only very minimal changes to NATO.lua. What I had to do was to define a new radio sound that could be played ("delimiter", a pause), and tell the alphanumeric phrase constructor to play a pause in speech ("delimiter.wav") when it sees a space in an alphanumeric phrase. This really only required the addition of a single line of Lua IIRC. The code that is having the problem deals with creating the threats briefing in the nine line remarks.... in other words, this error is on ED. I think it may be caused by specific ground unit type, but I honestly haven't investigated it fully.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Speed

[blackpulpit]

Which of the 2 are people using the most I would like to trythis mod out, many thanks.

[Speed]

Which of the 2 are people using the most I would like to trythis mod out, many thanks.

 

I'd recommend the Radio Patch mod: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=86787

 

It includes the JTAC UTM zone mod, the entirety of this mod, PLUS a couple of other fixes.