I keep losing my SPI with the TGP

I've tried looking for info in the manual and in this forum, but I wasn't able to find what I was looking for... Maybe I used poor keywords, or something... Anyway

I'm having issues with the A10C and the TGP. Whenever I scan an area, 99% of the time I'll spot something, but it'll be too late to have a good lock, or too late to shoot. Or for example, it'll be a transport truck that I see, yet I know there is SAM near and I want to find the SAM in my next pass.

So, that being said, what I would like to do, is create a SPI on the Transport (for example) and lock the TGP onto it. So, I push the TWS up short once, and again up long, to both lock the TGP on the Transport and create the SPI onto it.

What I have as a problem is that as I go away and come back for another pass, ,my TGP will have completely lost my target. I guess this would be normal... as I know the TGP can't turn in any possible direction... is does have its limit I assume.

But then, if I push China forward long to send all sensors onto the SPI, it won't even be where it was (on the transport truck)... It will be in the middle of nowhere.

I'm sure there is something I don't understand, but I thought creating an SPI was marking it "indefinitely" or something... or at least until I reset the SPI to the steering point, or create a new SPI.

Because of this, I'm very inefficient at getting ground kills... I basically have to be able to find what I want in one pass, else I have to re-do everything all over again. So, if everything is behaving normally, this would mean the method I was hoping on using is shit. Would you have other recommendations? Because, for example, if I want to drop a GBU12 using my TGP, often you might not have enough time, after your TGP lock, to drop the bomb, and you'll need another pass. If you lose the lock, as so happens to me, you basically have to manage to lock and bomb in one pass... but I'm sure something can be done right?

The SPI is not "created", it is "generated", continuously.

What you see in the lower left corner of the HUD is the so called "SPI Generator", and with TGP as SPI Generator, where ever it looks, that's your SPI.

However, you can easily create a markpoint on your SPI with TMS Right Short. Then set your STEER PT dial to the MARK database, and you can cycle all markpoints like you would normally cycle waypoints. Slaving TGP to steerpoint will then slew it onto your currently selected markpoint (which IS your steerpoint at that moment).

Gimbal limits are also simulated, and the TGP has the nasty habit of slewing off target with a "GIMBAL LIMITS" error message just as I'm rolling in, so it's always a good idea to create a markpoint on anything interesting, and take a quick note which target or object a markpoint refers to.

Markpoints are automatically called "A", "B", "C" and so on.

Mark "Z" is reserved for the calculated impact point of the last released weapon.

Once all 25 mark points are created, the next one will overwrite "A", then the next one will overwrite "B" and so on.

The SPI is not "created", it is "generated", continuously.

 

What you see in the lower left corner of the HUD is the so called "SPI Generator", and with TGP as SPI Generator, where ever it looks, that's your SPI.

 

However, you can easily create a markpoint on your SPI with TMS Right Short. Then set your STEER PT dial to the MARK database, and you can cycle all markpoints like you would normally cycle waypoints. Slaving TGP to steerpoint will then slew it onto your currently selected markpoint (which IS your steerpoint at that moment).

 

Gimbal limits are also simulated, and the TGP has the nasty habit of slewing off target with a "GIMBAL LIMITS" error message just as I'm rolling in, so it's always a good idea to create a markpoint on anything interesting, and take a quick note which target or object a markpoint refers to.

 

Markpoints are automatically called "A", "B", "C" and so on.

 

Mark "Z" is reserved for the calculated impact point of the last released weapon.

 

Once all 25 mark points are created, the next one will overwrite "A", then the next one will overwrite "B" and so on.

Thanks a lot Yurgon.

What I understand of your explanation is that my "intent" was correct, however I was not using the proper tools.

To kind of "save" my last point of interest, it's a markpoint that I must create, and not a SPI, since it'll most likely move due to the TGP gimball limit.

I'll definetely try this... It should help a lot finishing that damn Hammerfall Part 3 mission and kill that damn SA-9!!! :pilotfly::thumbup:

To kind of "save" my last point of interest, it's a markpoint that I must create, and not a SPI, since it'll most likely move due to the TGP gimball limit.

Almost. :)

The Gimbal Limit isn't the real problem. The "problem" is that, with TGP as SPI Generator, when you slew the TGP, you move the SPI along with it.

When you push TMS Up Long to "Designate SPI", it doesn't mean "this point in space will be the SPI until another one is designated". It means "from now on, the TGP Generates the SPI, until another SPI Generator is designated".

The exact same principle is true with all sensors, whether it's TAD, Mav, TGP, STPT - they're all continuously generating the SPI when set as SPI Generator.

In order to "save" a SPI, markpoints are the way to go. :thumbup:

Good luck with Hammerfall 3, I love that mission. ;)

AAhhhhh....

Now it's perfectly clear. Wow ok...I never understood the concept of SPI like that. Quite an important thing to know!!!

One more thing to consider is that, if my understanding is correct, there is a gyro involved, and if you have a SPI being generated on a truck via the TGP, and you pull a tight turn, the gyro can't physically keep up with the turning of the plane. So when you come about and are unmasked again, you will find your SPI some distance to the left or right of where you had it. It's a physical limitation of the gyro and it's modeled in the sim.

As others have said, see a target, make a markpoint.

What you are experiencing is definitely because of the gimbal limits of the TGP.

You can either create markpoints for multiple targets or go TMS Down Short to go in INR mode. This will always look at the point(coordinates) you were looking at no matter if lost sight because of gimbal or a mountain has covered your target.

I always use INR when doing gun runs