Noob Assistance

[megs8888]

Hi guys been reading this forum and can't wait to get reading to learn the A10 it looks great just a few things, whilst not new to fsx I am to this stuff and DCS.

 

I bought the A10 from DCS and saw that iris sim sells it did I buy the correct one?

 

Where's the best place to start to learn about the aircraft?

 

What essentials should I have ? I have track IR so a profile would be good I heard there is a good one here somewhere?

 

I have an ipad what's the best app to use to display cockpit controls on same?

 

Is a touch screen worth it ? If I go touchscreen which is best for this and what application is best ie Helios or something I heard?

 

I am waiting for my HOTAS is there a joystick setup profile that you all use available to download? So as to set the correct controls from the start?

 

I have also downloaded DCS world 5.17GB is there anything else I need?

 

Any online communities that talk on Teamspeak I can peruse?

 

 

Many thanks for you help I do appreciate it.

Wayne Melbourne Australia. :)

[Jona33]

Iris A-10 is for FSX. Nothing to do with DCS yet.

 

You just need DCS world 1.2.2 and the A-10 module for 1.2.2.

[Dusan56]

Buying all modules you are interested in from DCS is absolutely correct. If you did not do that already, download please module for A-10C. Should be like 350 Mb. Install and start flying. Besides Track ir you need Hotas. Depends what type you are going to get, look for setup. It will take time and a lot of effort to set it up to your preferences anyway. I'd recommend to start with training missions. Make sure you have the newest versions, since those you had downloaded could be obsoleted. Should you feel comfortable with handling your aircraft, I'd recommend to download Qualification campaigns developed by user Sabre-TLA. These are not training missions, but rather qualification missions, so you need to be familiar with how to manage the plane. It really is worst to have a look.

So welcome and have a lot of happy hours behind Hotas. Last recommendation, don't hesitate to ask, but always search for answer first in older posts, since everything has had already happened to someone else. Good luck.

[Yurgon]

Where's the best place to start to learn about the aircraft?

 

The ED Wiki is a good place to start looking. The sticky threads on this forum are also worth a look. As Dusan said, the training mission in the current release 1.2.2 are broken, the instructor pilot will just stop talking to you. Updated training missions are available (I think they'll be included in the upcoming 1.2.3, but I don't know when that'll be released).

 

There are excellent tutorials on YouTube, but you won't need them to get started. But if you have specific question like "How to create a waypoint from MGRS coordinates provided by a JTAC", such tutorials will be tremendously helpful.

 

I am waiting for my HOTAS is there a joystick setup profile that you all use available to download? So as to set the correct controls from the start?

 

That really depends on your HOTAS. If I understand correctly, you've already ordered one, right? In that case, it would really help if you told us which one it is. :)

 

But you'll most certainly find profiles in the Input & Output sub-forum.

[megs8888]

Oh right I have just stopped my order pending your comment on which HOTAS is there more than 1 I thought they were all the same can you advise as to which one i should get please so I don't order the wrong one.

[megs8888]

Oh right I have just stopped my order pending your comment on which HOTAS is there more than 1 I thought they were all the same can you advise as to which one i should get please so I don't order the wrong one.

 

I have ordered Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog Flight Stick Controller Split Throttle System. Is this correct? From what I read this seems to be the best on the market ATM.

[acino]

I have ordered Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog Flight Stick Controller Split Throttle System. Is this correct? From what I read this seems to be the best on the market ATM.

 

The general consensus is it is the best HOTAS currently, especially for this sim.

[FreeFall]

Yes. Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog is the best choice for A-10C. If you want good rudder pedals as well, many ED Forum members and DCS A-10C pilots use Saitek pedals.

[FreeFall]

Is a touch screen worth it ? If I go touchscreen which is best for this and what application is best ie Helios or something I heard?

 

One thread of touch screens:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1546500#post1546500

 

I use touch screen with Helios. You can download nice profiles for Helios. For example:

http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/node/9

[Yurgon]

I have ordered Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog Flight Stick Controller Split Throttle System. Is this correct? From what I read this seems to be the best on the market ATM.

 

Right, no need to stop your order in this case. :)

 

That's definitely a good choice, I have it myself and am very happy with it.

 

And here comes the fun part: You don't need any profiles at all. :thumbup:

 

The TM Warthog has Plug&Play compatibility with DCS A-10C, which means almost all buttons, hats and switches are already mapped exactly as in the real aircraft. The only exception is the trim hat (on top of the stick) which is bound to view commands by default, but you can easily map it to the trim functions (nose up/nose down/left wing down/right wing down) in the DCS interface since you wrote that you already have TrackIR.

 

You may wish to apply some axis tuning, also within the DCS interface. For X- and Y-axis, I have a curvature of 21. Others use 30 or more, and others use no curvature at all. It really depends on your taste.

 

It's also fairly common to map zoom to the (unused) friction slider on the right side of the throttle base (not to be confused with the friction wheel on the forward end of the throttle base which actually controls throttle friction and is not an axis visible by the sim).

[megs8888]

Right, no need to stop your order in this case. :)

 

That's definitely a good choice, I have it myself and am very happy with it.

 

And here comes the fun part: You don't need any profiles at all. :thumbup:

 

The TM Warthog has Plug&Play compatibility with DCS A-10C, which means almost all buttons, hats and switches are already mapped exactly as in the real aircraft. The only exception is the trim hat (on top of the stick) which is bound to view commands by default, but you can easily map it to the trim functions (nose up/nose down/left wing down/right wing down) in the DCS interface since you wrote that you already have TrackIR.

 

You may wish to apply some axis tuning, also within the DCS interface. For X- and Y-axis, I have a curvature of 21. Others use 30 or more, and others use no curvature at all. It really depends on your taste.

 

It's also fairly common to map zoom to the (unused) friction slider on the right side of the throttle base (not to be confused with the friction wheel on the forward end of the throttle base which actually controls throttle friction and is not an axis visible by the sim).

 

That's good news had me worried for a minute, great info thank you very much. Wayne.

[FreeFall]

The TM Warthog has Plug&Play compatibility with DCS A-10C

 

I additionally emphasize that installing Target software is unnecessary, because DCS A-10C is Plug'n'Play without Target. You can of course install Target if you want to adjust the LED brightness of Throttle and perhaps if you want to make some profiles for other sims or games.

[megs8888]

I additionally emphasize that installing Target software is unnecessary, because DCS A-10C is Plug'n'Play without Target. You can of course install Target if you want to adjust the LED brightness of Throttle and perhaps if you want to make some profiles for other sims or games.

 

So as per previous post if I want to change hat switch from views to pitch do I install target to do that? Thanks Wayne.

 

Great forum to heaps of friendly responses and advice is invaluable.

[Luzifer]

So as per previous post if I want to change hat switch from views to pitch do I install target to do that?

 

No, you simply change the assignment in DCS options. If you have the options for key assignments open and can't find the right line (there's lots...) just press the button and it will jump to the line that this button is currently assigned to.

[FreeFall]

I personally haven't ever installed Target software. Mainly because

 

a) I only fly with A-10C, which is PnP with my TM HOTAS Warthog

b) I'm content with the default LED brightness of Throttle

c) I want to keep things simple (KISS Principle), and I have heard that installing Target may complicate things (and even ruin PnP?)

[dburne]

The Warthog is an excellent and best imho choice for DCS-A10C. I have had mine for several months now, and absolutely love it.

The only things I changed in the default pnp settings, were the POV hat to trim ( by default mine assigned shift-POV movement as trim, I simply removed the shift modifier and deleted the viewmovements from the POV hat).

 

As for Target software, I definitely use it for my other flight sims. It is a very powerful scripting program for writing joystick profiles, and there really is a lot one can do with it. Probably because I came from previous TM setups ( Cougar, and FLCS before that), and was used to using the previous Foxy software.

Of course, I would not use Target for DCS-A10C though.

 

I think the only way Target might confict with DC-A10-C, was if one was to run a profile script, and launch A-10C whilst the script was running. When running a Target script, it combines the two individual controllers into one virtual controller, hence many axis/button names would change.

 

A note on the LED lights: Be aware there is a bug in the firmware, whereas if you run the LED lights at anything other than max brightness, or off, it creates a jitter on the grey throttle slider axis. So if one has that axis assigned to an action, in my case zoom, and have LED's on with anything other than max brightness or off, when moving my zoom view will jitter.

[PhoenixBvo]

Although indeed the HOTAS Warthog will work out-of-the-box with DCS A-10C, there are reasons why it may be useful to use a TARGET script. Of course, any sensible script would have the base configuration mapped to the actual functions on the real controller. However, using a script you'll have access to advanced functionality like:

• controlling external apps like TrackIR & Teamspeak
  
• in-flight control sensitivity curve selection
  
• applying rotation to the stick axes, to ergonomically use it as a centerstick
  
• LED control (5 indicator lights which are otherwise unusable)
  
• Adding up to 6 layers for additional functions (modifiers can be programmed in the DCS control setup as well, but TARGET is more powerful)
  
• Advanced macros to combine commands into sequences (e.g. shortcuts to items in the radio menu or configuring the aircraft for landing, FENCE check, AAR, etc.)
  

 

So don't dismiss the use of TARGET with this sim altogether. But I'd advise you to start learning the sim without it.

 

A note on the LED lights: Be aware there is a bug in the firmware, whereas if you run the LED lights at anything other than max brightness, or off, it creates a jitter on the grey throttle slider axis. So if one has that axis assigned to an action, in my case zoom, and have LED's on with anything other than max brightness or off, when moving my zoom view will jitter.

 

Thanks for that! Didn't know that yet. And the jittering has annoyed me for quite a while. I'll leave the brightness at full again.

Edited February 4, 2013 by PhoenixBvo

[megs8888]

Although indeed the HOTAS Warthog will work out-of-the-box with DCS A-10C, there are reasons why it may be useful to use a TARGET script. Of course, any sensible script would have the base configuration mapped to the actual functions on the real controller. However, using a script you'll have access to advanced functionality like:

• controlling external apps like TrackIR & Teamspeak
  
• in-flight control sensitivity curve selection
  
• applying rotation to the stick axes, to ergonomically use it as a centerstick
  
• LED control (5 indicator lights which are otherwise unusable)
  
• Adding up to 6 layers for additional functions (modifiers can be programmed in the DCS control setup as well, but TARGET is more powerful)
  
• Advanced macros to combine commands into sequences (e.g. shortcuts to items in the radio menu or configuring the aircraft for landing, FENCE check, AAR, etc.)
  

 

So don't dismiss the use of TARGET with this sim altogether. But I'd advise you to start learning the sim without it.

 

 

 

Thanks for that! Didn't know that yet. And the jittering has annoyed me for quite a while. I'll leave the brightness at full again.

 

That's good info, I will use it PNP first and learn the sim before using target I think, do the LED come at full brightness standard? is this changed inTARGET?

[dburne]

That's good info, I will use it PNP first and learn the sim before using target I think, do the LED come at full brightness standard? is this changed inTARGET?

 

Yes the LED's are controlled in the Target software - you can go ahead and install the Target software to have it for conrol of the LED's, you just won't need to create a script and have it running for A-10C. Just open Target after installed, click on the LED's button, and set it there, then close Target and you are done.

 

I have gotten to where I leave my LED's off pretty much most of the time, if I am going to be flying A-10C for a while, I may go ahead and turn them on just for effect.

[megs8888]

Yes the LED's are controlled in the Target software - you can go ahead and install the Target software to have it for conrol of the LED's, you just won't need to create a script and have it running for A-10C. Just open Target after installed, click on the LED's button, and set it there, then close Target and you are done.

 

I have gotten to where I leave my LED's off pretty much most of the time, if I am going to be flying A-10C for a while, I may go ahead and turn them on just for effect.

 

Cheers Don .