Problem with the TGP

Hi,

I recently started learning the TGP, I have an issue where the TGP just get stuck at some point in the mission and I can no longer slew it. once it gets stuck, designating a target to waypoint also doesn't do anything. I don't know if its something I do wrong or if its a bug of some sort. Any help will be appreciated.

If the TGP is in Area Track or Point Track modes, it can no longer be slewed. Press SCS toward the DDI with the TGP open in it to designate it as the SOI. Press the SCS further in the same direction to toggle through the targeting modes until your reach stabilized targeting mode, which you can slew.

Alternatively, press and hold TDC-Depress to activate the offset cross and slew that to your new target. If you are happy with your new target, designate it by pressing TDC-Depress, although the mode will then jump to the next (stabilized -> area -> point ->).

Personally, I think the whole thing is wrong. Only being able to slew in stabilized targeting mode seems silly to me. Why would anyone do that? It's pointless and makes everything twice as complicated and take more than twice as long to use. It worked fine for years before someone decided to screw with it. Now, to me, it feels like the TGP has been sabotaged.

The Harrier with the same Litening Pod can slew when in both area and point track modes, but if in point track and you slew away from a vehicle, it will revert to area track, but if you point to a vehicle again, it will automatically switch back to point track mode. So easy to use, so simple, no BS, just functionality.

If the TGP is in Area Track or Point Track modes, it can no longer be slewed. Press SCS toward the DDI with the TGP open in it to designate it as the SOI. Press the SCS further in the same direction to toggle through the targeting modes until your reach stabilized targeting mode, which you can slew.

 

Alternatively, press and hold TDC-Depress to activate the offset cross and slew that to your new target. If you are happy with your new target, designate it by pressing TDC-Depress, although the mode will then jump to the next (stabilized -> area -> point ->).

 

Personally, I think the whole thing is wrong. Only being able to slew in stabilized targeting mode seems silly to me. Why would anyone do that? It's pointless and makes everything twice as complicated and take more than twice as long to use. It worked fine for years before someone decided to screw with it. Now, to me, it feels like the TGP has been sabotaged.

 

The Harrier with the same Litening Pod can slew when in both area and point track modes, but if in point track and you slew away from a vehicle, it will revert to area track, but if you point to a vehicle again, it will automatically switch back to point track mode. So easy to use, so simple, no BS, just functionality.

Thanks for the advice. This stabilized targeting mode is annoying. I tried to use mavricks on moving targets and it was quite frustrating. I find it interesting that the module everybody say is the most complicated one, the A-10C , feels like EZmode when it comes to weapons deployment relative to the f-18.

Thanks for the advice. This stabilized targeting mode is annoying. I tried to use mavricks on moving targets and it was quite frustrating. I find it interesting that the module everybody say is the most complicated one, the A-10C , feels like EZmode when it comes to weapons deployment relative to the f-18.

The A-10C is the most complex module, but not the most complicated. It has such well designed HOTAS controls, that give the pilot such incredible control that it is lightyears ahead of the Hornet in terms of usuability (when you learned the HOTAS that is :D).

Stabilized targeting mode doesn't follow moving targets. For that you must use Point Tracking. Of course since your target is already moving and 'the game' -- that's what I'm going to start calling it -- doesn't allow you to slew in Point Tracking mode, you must first go to stabilized tracking mode, position your pointer to in front of where the vehicle is moving, and when the vehicle arrives at the pointer press the SCS twice in the direction of the TGP DDI to switch to Point Tracking mode. The TGP should then latch on to the moving target and follow it for as long as the TGP is looking at it.

Stabilized targeting mode doesn't follow moving targets. For that you must use Point Tracking. Of course since your target is already moving and 'the game' -- that's what I'm going to start calling it -- doesn't allow you to slew in Point Tracking mode, you must first go to stabilized tracking mode, position your pointer to in front of where the vehicle is moving, and when the vehicle arrives at the pointer press the SCS twice in the direction of the TGP DDI to switch to Point Tracking mode. The TGP should then latch on to the moving target and follow it for as long as the TGP is looking at it.

Yes, I figured it out from your earlier advice. What I meant by frustrating is that if I miss by a millimeter with the point tracking, I can't just correct it, I need to recycle to stabilize mode, chase the target with the tgp, put it in front of the target then cycle again. I need to practice this, so far by the time I manage to finaly lock the target I usually already passing over the area and need to reposition myself.

The A-10C is the most complex module, but not the most complicated. It has such well designed HOTAS controls, that give the pilot such incredible control that it is lightyears ahead of the Hornet in terms of usuability (when you learned the HOTAS that is :D).

Couldn't agree more. the A-10c was a pleasure to learn. Once I rememberd the hotas system, attacking targets while changing to different weapons was very easy and smooth. I was extremly surprised that the f-18 was a step backwards. I really thought that it will be improvment over the A-10c. Now, if a F-16c will turn out like the f-18 that will be a dissapointment. I am still in shock that the F-16c doesn't have MWS for heat seeking missiles, those Manpads are butchering me :)

That was exactly my point. Until a couple weeks ago, the TDC-slew worked. Only now is it borked.

... I need to practice this, so far by the time I manage to finaly lock the target I usually already passing over the area and need to reposition myself.

A handy hint for practicing (in single player): use active pause in range of the target. you will get enough time to lock, unlock, shoot, BDA and stuff. nice advantage of a sim over RL.

The A-10C is the most complex module, but not the most complicated. It has such well designed HOTAS controls, that give the pilot such incredible control that it is lightyears ahead of the Hornet in terms of usuability

A handy hint for practicing (in single player): use active pause in range of the target. you will get enough time to lock, unlock, shoot, BDA and stuff. nice advantage of a sim over RL.

A handy hint for practicing (in single player): use active pause in range of the target. you will get enough time to lock, unlock, shoot, BDA and stuff. nice advantage of a sim over RL.

Thanks, Its a good idea when you just starting and want to learn the buttons and switches, but at this point for me its about improving the speed at which I operate, so I got to practice on moving targets.

Thanks, Its a good idea when you just starting and want to learn the buttons and switches, but at this point for me its about improving the speed at which I operate, so I got to practice on moving targets.

the targets are moving in active pause. guess you meant moving aircaft? i only use it for getting familiar with procedures and with the limits of systems. practice while flying is still needed for sure.

(it was very helpful whith practicing multi-JADAMs and the changes in TGP behavior. and to avoid breaking the immersion with the use of active pause, i pretend that i take off my pilot suit and use a simulator. works like a charm. ;))

Better to get in the habit of orbitting target area and using AP to hold orbit so you're hands free to findi targets and set up weapons and approach target when ready.

Better to get in the habit of orbitting target area and using AP to hold orbit so you're hands free to findi targets and set up weapons and approach target when ready.

Right. I always forget about that, what is the optimal bank angle and distance from the area to do this?

Right. I always forget about that, what is the optimal bank angle and distance from the area to do this?

As soon as you are satisfied with what you see in the TGP page turn to (let's say) the left till the target is 90° to the right of you. You then want to hold the little number (indicator of angle towards designated target) on the TGP display at about 90° with the bank you need. You can observe the distance to the designated target as well. If it gets more then you have to bank more. If it gets less you have to bank less. Just hold the angle indicator of the TGP at (close to) 90° and keep the distance to the target this way.

As soon as you are satisfied with what you see in the TGP page turn to (let's say) the left till the target is 90° to the right of you. You then want to hold the little number (indicator of angle towards designated target) on the TGP display at about 90° with the bank you need. You can observe the distance to the designated target as well. If it gets more then you have to bank more. If it gets less you have to bank less. Just hold the angle indicator of the TGP at (close to) 90° and keep the distance to the target this way.

Thanks a lot, will try that.

So this is another issue with the F/A-18C that 'used to work'? Was just starting to learn to use the pod, thanks for the info here. I thought it was something i was doing wrong. It's about as bad as slewing MAV's with the TDC with the TM Warhog. Moved the TDC depress to another HOTAS button.

As a fairly new user of DCS and my only module, the F/A-18. It's getting pretty damn old that this particular aircraft is constantly being broken by updates. I have seen 3 different MPCD, DDI readability fixes, something that should have worked since pre-release and it is still not right. The MPCD brightness and day/night modes no longer function. DDI's are much better now.

Seems that I spend more time trying to figure out if there is a bug somewhere here and there and looking for answers... than I do actually trying to really learn this aircraft anymore. Sometimes I walk away for a while then come back.

Again, thanks for the info.

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Yeah , the mulltiple TGP iterations with different control functionalities have been a recurring source of frustration for me as well . Re-learning how to use it after an update , i still find myself with the same problems i had months ago - loitering over an AO for far too long while i figure out what Hotas switch does what NOW . And passes made without a weapons release for the same reason , as well as new bugs .

When i think back to how excited i was to first get the TGP , i feel like slapping myself .

Couldn't agree more. the A-10c was a pleasure to learn. Once I rememberd the hotas system, attacking targets while changing to different weapons was very easy and smooth.

Everyone always says this, and I've always had the opposite experience. Long press to change SOI always gets me and I sometimes change MFD pages when I don't want to. And changing weapons requires 4 MFD buttons presses at a minimum, or changing SOI, which leads right back to accidentally changing pages when I want to change SOI. It frustrates me.

I much prefer being able to swap weapons with a single MFD button press on the Hornet, and the Viper's HOTAS setup is great, especially the DMS where I can change SOI and MFD pages all with a single short press. But I also learned the Viper playing Falcon long before I ever flew the A-10C in DCS, so I might just be biased by the first way I learned to do things.

But on point: of the three different iterations of the Lightening pod we now have in DCS, it's curious that the Hornet is the only one with a slew limitation in area or point track. Obviously different jet's avionics interact with the same pod differently, but I wonder if there's some subtlety in the way it's supposed to work that ED either missed or simply hasn't modeled yet. Or it doesn't matter because once ATFLIR is done no one will use Lightning anymore anyway.

GazAce has some awesome Mav and tpod videos and DCS users file missions on moving targets and how to nail them. I owe him big time ! His Mav missions has got me using the TPOD and Mavs like peanut butter and jelly and nailing 4 moving targets with the MavF’s in 1 pass. I highly recommend his Mav/TPOD tutorials and DCS user file missions.

. It's about as bad as slewing MAV's with the TDC with the TM Warhog. Moved the TDC depress to another HOTAS button.

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In fairness, the inability to slew with the TDC while depressing the TDC is a Warthog limitation, not a DCS limitation. Nothing ED can do about it.

Oops I think I meant using the Flir and Mavs together.

In fairness, the inability to slew with the TDC while depressing the TDC is a Warthog limitation, not a DCS limitation. Nothing ED can do about it.

I kind of figured that out when I moved the TDC press to another PB, works better after that for sure.

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In fairness, the inability to slew with the TDC while depressing the TDC is a Warthog limitation, not a DCS limitation. Nothing ED can do about it.

Pro tip: put a dab of hot-glue on the tip of the slew button. It gives you excelt grip and makes it easier to press for button1.

In fairness, the inability to slew with the TDC while depressing the TDC is a Warthog limitation, not a DCS limitation. Nothing ED can do about it.

Here is what I found only recently in another post. I hope it will make TDC easier to use:

https://deltasimelectronics.com/products/thumbstick-slew-sensor-adapter

Also, isn't there and option under special-settings to turn off realistic TDC so you do not have to hold down TDC while slewing?