Ability to track a target with TGP that's locking you?

[Scing]

Is it possible? I know only certain AAA/AA use lasers to follow the target.

 

Can you use the search on the TGP to find them? Or should I just do it the old fashioned way?

 

Might be a easy I-Win button against certain targets and throw game balance off, however..

 

There's times I seriously struggle to find targets. Getting much better, I used to NEVER use the zoom to look for targets on the ground until I started using KA-50

[ENO]

You need to dial in the right channel to search for the laser. Quite sure the enemy won't be using 1866.

 

Many other threads and vids on helping you out on target acquisition though so don't give up!

[Scing]

Oh, I get way more kills than deaths. I prefer to fly high and keep it nice and neat. CBU's when set correctly can wreck a convoy after you hit the front and the back.

 

I think my best was when there was a enemy KA-50 following a convoy someone sent with CA

 

At angels 13 I hit him with guns and he was peeved.

[WildBillKelsoe]

You should think about the zoom strategy with the hog as well. You're in a suitable speed craft, use your mk1 eyeballs before going with TGP.

[RodBorza]

Well, it may be not exactly what you want, but a way to find the one who is locking you up is to use the RWR system and some dead reckoning.

Follow Eno's suggestion, look around for videos and threads about SEAD on the A-10. It can be done.

Also, join some multiplayer sessions. Eno's FireHouse and Hollo Pointe have a great community of people willing to help.

In some sessions, I was able to determine the position of two pesky SAMs in the area and send it to someone else to strike.

Very nice, real-time FAC/SEAD in an A-10. All it is need is a little bit of technical knowledge, bit of guts, and lot of luck, but can be done, and it is very satisfying.

[AhSoul]

I still really struggle to find any target that isn't clustered around a waypoint TBH. I've got zoom mapped to my headtracking but even so we're talking little tiny brown specs hidden among trees and buildings - it's difficult!! :)

[AhSoul]

Maybe learning to use JTAC will help, though it's not always available....

[ENO]

I think the biggest issue most guys have in the beginning is starting to look through the "soda straw" a little too early on. Scanning large areas with the TGP from 20 miles out at 15+ is a great way to start... Set your autopilot to "hold altitude" and set a 30 degree bank or less... You can stay there all day long. Mark targets with markpoints when you find them (tms right short if I remember correctly) and they will be marked in your TAD... You can then switch your Steerpoint dial on the aux avionics panel to MARK instead of FLT PLAN or MISSION... and that will allow you to cycle through them. Slave the TGP to your Marpoint using the china hat forward long command.

 

Alternatively what I've done in the past is if I know that there are vehicles in a certain location- or I get that "gut" feeling... then I can put a markpoint (or 5) down on the TAD in areas of interest on the map (with TAD as SOI) again by doing the TMS right short.

 

Other times you'll be flying with someone who has eyes on a target and they can broadcast a SPI to you. If you're on the same group ID (11 is default for the Firehouse and Hollo Pointe servers), then you can "hook" his SPI- he'll let you know that he is broadcasting SPI... then you'll see a little "wedding cake" style icon on the TAD with a purple line coming from his aircraft. That tells you that it's his SPI... you can hook it with a TMS up short command... then designate it as a SPI the way you would with your TGP (TMS UP LONG). Then you can slave your sensors to SPI with China Hat forward long. Then it helps to give verbal confirmation of what you're looking at so that he can verify you have capture and can then turn off his broadcast.

 

Anyway... maybe that's a bit much at this point but for the missions where the is no JTAC and you're left to your own devices... really evaluate how close you are to the target area when you're looking. If you're closer than 15 miles... try looking from a little further out. If that doesn't help, check your altitude. If you're too low, you can lose the silhouette of the vehicle against the cluttered background as opposed to being able to see it against the relatively flat contrast of the ground beneath.

 

Also, quite often you may get an advantage by looking at thermal- Generally one or the other (white hot or black hot) is going to be better hands down... but both have their moments. Check them both and see which gives you the best contrast in your environment...

 

Good luck!

[AhSoul]

Very informative post, thanks Eno. Going to try some of that later!

[Scing]

Yeah. I have zero issues orbiting. Plus, I started off scanning at about 25 and flipping between WHOT/BHOT. And looking for the black dots.

[Dagger71]

Eno, I haven't been using markpoints yet, so I have a few questions. When you mark a point will they be numbered sequentially (if you mark more than one area?).

 

If so how are you able to easily remove them once you dispatched the enemy in the area? (I don't use the CDU yet, but willing to try if its an easy way)

[ENO]

Eh Dagger.

 

Markpoints will be marked A-Y (corrected), but cannot be erased. They can be overwritten- but not erased.

 

So let's say in this hypothetical you want to mark a few different targets... Basically you can do this a few different ways.

 

1) See the target with mk1 eyeball, relate the position on the TAD (as SOI) and use TMS right short to put your letter A markpoint down.

2) You are scanning the ground with the TGP and find a suitable target. TMS Right short (with TGP as SOI) will put letter A markpoint down.

3) With HUD as SOI, you can maneuver your little box icon around and use IT to drop a markpoint...

4) With MAV as SOI you can use its seeker to put down a markpoint (in the absence of a TGP, for example.)

 

When you drop 1 (or 5) markpoints, they will as you said be lettered sequentially...

 

The trick is in being able to use those later on- as I described before there are two dials by your right thigh... if you look at the inner dial you will see it says "FLT PLANT / MARK (or MARKPOINT- can't recall) / MISSION." If you click that to MARK, then your systems will track markpoints instead of waypoints. As you would cycle through your waypoints, so too can you cycle through your markpoints. Once you get to the one you want, CHINA HAT forward long command will slave your sensors to that markpoint. From there you can fine tune your target solution with the TGP, MAV or whatever your flavour.

 

I don't rapid fire that often but seems to me you can actually slave your MAV to a markpoint, lock it up with TMS up short- fire... cycle markpoint with DMS up or down... slave mav to second markpoint, lock it... fire... etc- pretty much through your compliment of mavs provided markpoints are within gimble limits.

 

It takes some getting used to doing the process in quick succession- but certainly a valuable skill!

Edited October 9, 2013 by ENO
Corrected as per ptako

[Dagger71]

Thanks Eno! Makes sense and not a complicated process. I'll give it a try tomorrow.

[ptako]

Eh Dagger.

 

Markpoints will be marked 1-99 (if memory serves- someone who knows can correct me if not), but cannot be erased. They can be overwritten- but not erased.

 

They'll be named with letters of alphabet from A to Y (Z is reserverd for marking last ordnance release point). And they'll be overwritten - when you reach Y letter next markpoint will be named A.

[AhSoul]

Interesting point about using the Mavs in that way Eno. My problem with that though is that I set a SPI on a target and slew the Mav to that. So the Mav crosshairs are right over the target.

 

But then I can't fire it until I touch the slew to make it 'recognise' there's a target there. Often if the A/C is not straight and level though as soon as I touch slew the Mav seeker moves off and doesn't catch the target it was pointing at. I then have to fight to slew back again.

 

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong though. Is there button to lock the Mav on once it's slewed to SPI or something?

[ENO]

They'll be named with letters of alphabet from A to Y (Z is reserverd for marking last ordnance release point). And they'll be overwritten - when you reach Y letter next markpoint will be named A.

 

 

Yes you're right... mixed that up! Thanks for the correction and will edit. I knew there was something I was messing up.

 

Sorry guys. I only get in the air a few times a month anymore so I screw up some of the finer details.

Edited October 9, 2013 by ENO

[ENO]

Interesting point about using the Mavs in that way Eno. My problem with that though is that I set a SPI on a target and slew the Mav to that. So the Mav crosshairs are right over the target.

 

But then I can't fire it until I touch the slew to make it 'recognise' there's a target there. Often if the A/C is not straight and level though as soon as I touch slew the Mav seeker moves off and doesn't catch the target it was pointing at. I then have to fight to slew back again.

 

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong though. Is there button to lock the Mav on once it's slewed to SPI or something?

 

Eh Soul.

 

No, you're doing it right- but keep in mind when you are slaving sensors (or MAVs in this case) to SPI you're fixing it on a coordinate on the ground- not to the target. You have, as they say, told the missile to "look here," which it does... however you need to give it further input to tell it to "lock onto this."

 

So yes, to lock it I believe it's TMS up short.

[AhSoul]

Oh so instead of using the slew control to jiggle it into locking to the target (having slaved it to SPI) I should actually just 'TMS up short' to achieve the same effect?

[ENO]

Yes... but I lol'd a bit because your technique is what I used to do (until about 2 weeks ago regularly, actually).

 

TMS up short is MUCH more reliable as I quickly learned- don't have to worry about "over stimulating" the slew control anymore.

[AhSoul]

Yes my slew nipple definitely gets over stimulated at times!!!

[AhSoul]

Ahh TMS up short on Mavs works a treat! So much easier :)

[AhSoul]

I don't rapid fire that often but seems to me you can actually slave your MAV to a markpoint, lock it up with TMS up short- fire... cycle markpoint with DMS up or down... slave mav to second markpoint, lock it... fire... etc- pretty much through your compliment of mavs provided markpoints are within gimble limits.

 

This works nicely as well. However you have to switch back to HUD as SOI to use DMS to move to the next mark point?

[RodBorza]

This works nicely as well. However you have to switch back to HUD as SOI to use DMS to move to the next mark point?

 

Yes, you have to if you use the HOTAS commands to swich waypoints. However, if you want to switch markpoints without chaneging the SOI from MAV, you can click on the STEER rocker. It takes some practice tough.

[AhSoul]

Ah ok good to have another option thanks :)