Help with some tactic and game play questions

[Gun Jam]

Hello

 

Im running patch 1111 which I think is the latest.

 

First of all my main issue is locating an enemy. For example the mission "defend yankee" The best way I found is to listen to the report from yankee base and simply look that direction until you see the muzzle blast from the mortars then mark that location with the HUD then fine tune it with the TGP.

 

This works pretty good So I thought I had it figured out.

 

I then went to play CSAR mission with the down f16 pilot. I get to the fence in WP and my wingman reports Armor 12 OC for 13. Its not making any dust its not shooting and its a mobile SAM. There is a huge amount of space to cover if you try to look for it using the TGP alone and you have to zoom in a bit because its not that huge of a target.

 

When I reach fence in how should I go about locating the targets my wingman "sees" How he manages to find them so well is beyond me. What aerial maneuvers should I execute at the fence in to help prevent getting too close to the sams as i try to locate them/

 

Further more Im having trouble communicating with my wingman (and all others) ill tell "flight" or wingman to engage air defenses but they dont seem to comply I think my radios are set...but it appears not.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

-Gun

[Speed]

Hello

 

Im running patch 1111 which I think is the latest.

 

First of all my main issue is locating an enemy. For example the mission "defend yankee" The best way I found is to listen to the report from yankee base and simply look that direction until you see the muzzle blast from the mortars then mark that location with the HUD then fine tune it with the TGP.

 

This works pretty good So I thought I had it figured out.

 

I then went to play CSAR mission with the down f16 pilot. I get to the fence in WP and my wingman reports Armor 12 OC for 13. Its not making any dust its not shooting and its a mobile SAM. There is a huge amount of space to cover if you try to look for it using the TGP alone and you have to zoom in a bit because its not that huge of a target.

 

When I reach fence in how should I go about locating the targets my wingman "sees" How he manages to find them so well is beyond me. What aerial maneuvers should I execute at the fence in to help prevent getting too close to the sams as i try to locate them/

 

Further more Im having trouble communicating with my wingman (and all others) ill tell "flight" or wingman to engage air defenses but they dont seem to comply I think my radios are set...but it appears not.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

-Gun

 

Locating targets: utilize zoom. If you only ever work at the default zoom level, you're going to be a very ineffective pilot in single player, and only be able to attack targets found by other pilots (who use zoom) in multiplayer. There are a lot of factors at play, but zoomed all the way in at the default minimum zoom field of view of 20 degrees, then it can be said that your vision roughly approximates someone with very good vision sitting in the real cockpit. So, zoom all the way in, and look for little "dots". You can also modify View.lua (its in ./Config/View I THINK) and set the minimum zoom field size from 20 degrees to 5 degrees. This roughly simulates having a set a binoculars. Real A-10 pilots frequently fly with binoculars, but we don't have them in the sim, so I think that this is a fair and realistic modification.

 

Also, having a Track IR to help you look around is tremendously helpful.

 

What kind of manuevers to help you find targets? Well, don't fly at them, for one. If your TGP is on the right hand side of the plane, then put the area you want to search at your 3 o-clock. Zoom the targeting pod most of the way out, and use WHOT or BHOT. Pan it around, you'd be surprised at how well vehicles will pop out as you pan over them. It may help to zoom in on your TGP's MFD as well, make it fill a significant portion of your monitor. Often, it helps to be 10-25 nm away, as at that range, your TGP's widest FOV encompasses a lot of area, and you can rapidly scan large areas, while still being able to switch to NFOV and zoom in with e-zoom to classify targets.

 

Oh and you're probably having trouble communicating with your wingman because you aren't using the mic switch. YOU MUST USE THE MIC SWITCH TO USE THE RADIOS IN REALISTIC RADIOS MODE.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Speed

[Frogisis]

The IR modes on the TGP also work much, much better if you set the gain (arrows in upper left corner of display) to something like 6 and the level (switch by pressing the button next to "gain") to 2 or 3. It washes out the landscape and makes vehicles really pop out as contrasting dots. It was much harder for me to find targets before I started doing this.

[Gun Jam]

Speed...Do you usually attempt to find the target using the zoom alone then switch to the tgp after its been visually located?

 

About the radio using "easy communications" eliminates the use of the mic switch? is that it?

 

Frogisis thanks for the tip on the contrast ill try that out.

[Speed]

Speed...Do you usually attempt to find the target using the zoom alone then switch to the tgp after its been visually located?

 

About the radio using "easy communications" eliminates the use of the mic switch? is that it?

 

Frogisis thanks for the tip on the contrast ill try that out.

 

Sorry for not specifying. I use both the Mk1 eyeball and the TGP for spotting targets. The TGP is a lot better for spotting targets far away (and at night, obviously); the eyeball is usually better for spotting targets close at hand. Using a combination of both is your best bet to stay situationally aware and find targets the quickest.

[Gun Jam]

Okay thanks a bunch.

 

I opened the view.ula but was unable to locate that zoom field. Any ideas where it might be?

[rweaves6]

Further to that, when you change the minimum to 5 from 20, should it read 05.0 or 5.0 or no difference?

[rweaves6]

I believe they are the limits under "Camera view angle limits"

[Gun Jam]

it should look like this

 

CameraViewAngleLimits[A_10A] = {5.0, 140.0}

 

Works great.

 

Is this okay for online play or is it independent as in it doesnt work online?

 

 

Another question: Whats the deal with the ECM pod....You press - key activate it but it only runs for 15 seconds or so. Is this because it generates a bunch of heat...but I can reinitialize it directly then its out again in 15 sec.

 

When should it be activated and whats the basic theory of operation?

 

Thanks

 

-Gun

[Gun Jam]

Also what about Bulleye calls are they accurate? During the CSAR mission ill sometimes get a call for SAM or AAA at for example bulls 63 for 140.

 

so I go to the CDU on the MFCD and enter the offset page and then using the scratch pad enter 063140 hit the button to enter that data and then hit the button to make it a new WP. I then call up that WP and slave the TGP to that location but I rarely if ever (im not sure it actually ever worked) find the item mentioned.

 

Are bullseye calls not functional? how far off are they typically? I am entering the data right correct? always 3 digits right?

 

Thanks again

 

-Gun

[baltic_dragon]

 

 

Another question: Whats the deal with the ECM pod....You press - key activate it but it only runs for 15 seconds or so. Is this because it generates a bunch of heat...but I can reinitialize it directly then its out again in 15 sec.

 

When should it be activated and whats the basic theory of operation?

 

Thanks

 

-Gun

 

The jammer starts operating when the enemy is trying to acquire a lock on you. You are right, it generates lots of heat and you would not be able to juse it constantly for a long time. Apart from that having it on makes you much more visible to radars in search mode. The theory has been explained in another post: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=84506&page=2

 

As for the bullseye, I know that the calls by the recon planes are bugged...

Edited February 10, 2012 by baltic_dragon

[Speed]

it should look like this

 

CameraViewAngleLimits[A_10A] = {5.0, 140.0}

 

Works great.

 

Is this okay for online play or is it independent as in it doesnt work online?

 

Depends on the mission- sometimes a mission will be set to temporarily over-ride your local settings- and if the game host put View.lua under the eye of the integrity checker. The majority of the time, this modification will work just fine in MP.

[Gun Jam]

Awesome thanks for your help.

 

One thing I figured out is I forgot to set the offset page to bullseye. That should help. But you are saying bulls from say AWACS is incorrect?

 

 

Im still having a bit of trouble with the radio. I have my mic switch setup now, I use ALT + hat switch to select the three different radios. So I select the UHF radio which sense the mission starts in the air and there is no given frequency for "wingman" I can only assume its right. I then use the Fkeys to pick what I want to say and then press enter. I get no reply.

 

Ive watched a few tutorials but I dont see what im doing wrong yet.

[Tucano_uy]

I might be wrong, but I believe that bullseye calls reports the position of the reporting aircraft and not the position of the reported target. I came to this conclussion with a simple mission with AI aircraft engaging eachother BVR and myself just fooling around in an A10 and spectating the combat. IIRC it was quite clear that the buullseye positions were the ones of the reporting acft, at least in AA combat.

[Jona33]

I might be wrong, but I believe that bullseye calls reports the position of the reporting aircraft and not the position of the reported target. I came to this conclussion with a simple mission with AI aircraft engaging eachother BVR and myself just fooling around in an A10 and spectating the combat. IIRC it was quite clear that the buullseye positions were the ones of the reporting acft, at least in AA combat.

 

What would be the use of that unless they're reporting they're defensive or doing a mayday call. Are you quite sure?

[Gun Jam]

I think I got the radio figured out...seems that the wing man will ignore a call rather than say unable or something along those lines... I guess this adds to the confusion.

 

A new question...if Awacs reports popup group how would I enter that information so I can use it? Can it be entered into the offset page?

[KLR Rico]

A new question...if Awacs reports popup group how would I enter that information so I can use it? Can it be entered into the offset page?

 

I'm still pretty new with this too, but I think you'd be pretty damn busy if you tried to do that. I usually just make a mental note, and call in CAP (if available) when they start to get close.

[Gun Jam]

BRAA is for air targets...As I see it they call the range and heading, altitude and Hot or Cold (inbound or flying away). You point the nose of your aircraft to that heading and they'll probably shoot you down first I think its that simple.

 

I think pop up groups are for ground targets but I don't know how to effectively utilize the information. Do you simply point the nose to that heading, take a guess at how far the range given is (for example 2000) and setup a new SPI in what you believe is the right location, slave the TGP to the SPI and try to find the target?

 

My main problem is I am still unable to locate high threat targets...I should just say targets.

 

Bulls calls don't do me any good yet. I'm pretty sure I'm setting the offset up correctly yet the new SPI isn't close to anything and is often behind the fight??? I saw a youtube tutorial on Offset / Bulls and it worked great in the example I saw...

That got the SPI to a few 100 yds of the target. Im doing most of the steps shown in the video...nothing that would screw things up enough to have the SPI behind me.

 

any ideas?

[Tucano_uy]

What would be the use of that unless they're reporting they're defensive or doing a mayday call. Are you quite sure?

 

I will try to do it again and post a track or mission, I might be wrong. I also find it not very useful.

 

Thinking about it, how would a pilot report a radar contact in reference to a bullseye? In the warthog one would hook an element in the TAD and reference it to the BE, maybe in an advanced fighter you can do the same with a radar contact?

[Tucano_uy]

Ok, tested. I was right and wrong at the same time. When a fighter reports engaging, it reports its own position, but when reports a tally it reports the enemy units position.

 

Mission attached, simple and boring, just start the mission and wait, the F15 reports engaging. It will report bulls 178/80 approx, and the targets are a few miles north of bullseye. When it gets closer, reports tally, with target position.

Bullseye test.miz

[Gun Jam]

Thanks Tucano!

 

I tried the mission out, Entered the data into the CDU and the first time it took about 1 min to find the tank he wasnt very far from the SPI that was created. The second time he was nearly dead in the center of the TGP sight when it was slaved to the SPI.

 

So why is it working so well here and not at all in the CSAR mission? Im getting bulls calls that end up behind the battle zone and none of the other bulls calls are close enough to find anything.

 

Is this because the bullseye was set right by the tank? "bulls 064 for 1" (or whatever it was) The f15 reported the bandit at about (178 for 80) but reported the tank at 1 mile. IF the bullseye was 100 or 150 miles from the tank then how close would the SPI end up to the tank would it be off by an impossible distance like it is in the CSAR mission?

 

At a 150 miles isnt the distance between any two degrees that radiate out from a center point say 087 and 088 terribly huge as in it would take hrs to search that area with the TGP?

[Gun Jam]

Okay so using the mission that Tucano posted I simply moved the Bulls marker to the west (off the coast) of the runway where the tank is driving around. I first moved the marker about 150 miles off the coast this is about the distance the marker is from the targets in the CSAR mission. Now when the f15 calls the armor he spots it was something like bulls 084 for 150. Enter that and it puts the marker about 13 miles and 160 deg off course of the tank (13 miles behind the fight) Just like in the CSAR mission.

 

So I moved the bulls marker only 20 mi off the coast and this put the SPI marker about a 1/4 mile off the coast of the runway, a pretty big distance off from the target on the runway maybe a few miles. If you had no idea where the target was and you tired to find it with the TGP using this SPI it would take a very long time to find the tank.

 

What is going on? It seems if the bulls marker is more than 2 or 3 miles from the target its worthless... the info is totally crap due to huge error amounts.

 

Isnt a bulls call a pretty important piece of mission intel when it comes to finding a target??

[LazerPotatoe]

bullseye calls could be a known issue:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=84982

[Gun Jam]

Yeah I see Speed is looking into that maybe ill send him a PM later on and see whats new...