Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate This Thread
Hop To
#3609001 - 07/18/12 05:13 AM How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU  
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,674
EinsteinEP Offline
Just a Noob
EinsteinEP  Offline
Just a Noob
Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,674
Tucson, AZ
So you want to enter coordinates into your A-10C Central Data Unit (CDU)?

1) Turn the waypoint mode selector to Mission. This will ensure you can see the waypoint in your HUD and on your TAD once you've entered it.
2) Turn the CDU page to Waypoint.



3) Select the Waypoint option (Left LSK 2). You should now see the Waypoint Edit page below.



4) Press the +/- to select an existing waypoint to edit, enter the existing waypoint's number on the scratchpad then press Left LSK 1 to select it, or press Right LSK 3 to create and select a new waypoint with the number given after the question mark. In this example, I've created and then selected waypoint 7.



5) Press Right LSK 4 to cycle to the desired coordinate system: Lat/Long (Decimal minutes) or Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM).
6) For Lat Long, enter the North coordinate without dots or spaces in the scratchpad and press Left LSK 3, then enter the East coordinate into the scratchpad and press Left LSK 4. You have to enter any leading zeros but can omit trailing zeros.




7) For UTM (see note 1 below), enter the grid coordinates into the scratchpad and press Left LSK 3. You can enter up to 1m precision (10 digits). Entering the square ID is optional, and you can enter the square ID by itself. The easting and northing must be entered together.



8) The elevation of the waypoint (shown in feet MSL next to Left LSK 2) is automatically calculated at ground level. To enter a waypoint at a different elevation, enter the value in the scratchpad and press Left LSK 2.

There you go!



Optionally, after creating a waypoint, you can enter an alphanumeric label in the scratchpad and assign it to the waypoint by pressing Right LSK 1.



You can also set a desired time on target (DTOT), via Right LSK 2, and the navigation computer will calculate the required ground speed to reach the waypoint and the desired time and display it on the left side of your HUD preceded by the letter "R".
You can set additional options, such as VNAV mode, waypoint time, Desired Time To Go, etc., by pressing Page down to view the second page.


Note that all CDU functions can be completed via the UFC and the CDU repeater page on the MFCD. You just may need to be creative with the use of the Function and Letter keys.



1: Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) coordinates are based on the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) map system and look like this: 38T LM 36117 63595. The 38T is the grid zone designation, the LM is the square ID, and the numbers are the grid coordinates on that square ID. The number of digits can vary depending on the precision of the coordinate, e.g., 38T LM 361 635 is less precise than the coordinate given above but is fewer digits to communicate/memorize/enter. See Wikipedia's excellent introduction to MGRS at http://www.maptools.com/UsingUTM/quickUTM.html.


Shoot to Kill.
Play to Have Fun.
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#3609223 - 07/18/12 03:46 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 475
Lucky812 Offline
Member
Lucky812  Offline
Member

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 475
Corpus Christi, TX
Thanks for the instruction in last nights mission!


i7 2600K
ASUS GTX580
46' LED
Bose Speakers
TM Warthog (CH Products, Logitech G-940 and Cougar are gathering dust)
TrackIR 4 w/Vector
VAC
#3609737 - 07/19/12 01:32 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 232
Revelation78 Offline
Member
Revelation78  Offline
Member

Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 232
VA
You can also simply pan down to your CDU. Press the button next to ?8* for instance, number 8 being current max waypoint, this will now increase and number 9 becomes the point you are setting coords to.

You enter the coords as described above and I typically change the waypoint name to my target, i.e. TGT1/BRIDGE/TUNG/TOR, etc..., this makes it easy when you have to run through multiple points to find the one you seek.

You then select MISSION on the left dial(STEER PT) below your CDU and you can cycle through until you reach the point you just created.


For those that begin to end up with a lot of "points" during a mission you can land, power off your CDU and when you power it back on it will delete points that you have set. At least it has been for me, especially with Mark points.

#3613818 - 07/26/12 07:06 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
BeachAV8R Offline
Lifer
BeachAV8R  Offline
Lifer

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 24,314
KCLT
This is very useful. Thank God for an autopilot while I type.. biggrin



#3613931 - 07/26/12 12:41 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 161
OlafM Offline
Member
OlafM  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 161
Also, you can type in the name for the new waypoint first, then press the button next to ?X. That saves you one button press. smile

#3618587 - 08/02/12 04:33 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
Frederf Offline
Member
Frederf  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
I bound all keys A-Z, 0-9, Backspace to the CDU keyboard. It's much faster.

#3623351 - 08/09/12 07:18 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: Frederf]  
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 34
Flycats2 Offline
Junior Member
Flycats2  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 34
U.S.
Originally Posted By: Frederf
I bound all keys A-Z, 0-9, Backspace to the CDU keyboard. It's much faster.


How did you bind your keys plz?

Thx!

#3623383 - 08/09/12 08:22 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
Frederf Offline
Member
Frederf  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
Settings, Controls, "A-10C Real", "CDU Panel"

Double click on keyboard column for entry, press desired new keyboard key. Repeat for all letters and numbers, backspace, etc.

#3623614 - 08/10/12 03:47 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 34
Flycats2 Offline
Junior Member
Flycats2  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 34
U.S.
Oh of course. Awesome! Thx Frederf!

Last edited by Flycats2; 08/10/12 03:56 AM.
#3623797 - 08/10/12 01:10 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 875
Fridge Offline
Member
Fridge  Offline
Member

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 875
Fredericton, NB, Canada
Thanks! I was just wondering how I could create a waypoint! Last flight I muddled through it but it was not pretty :-)


Fridge
----------
Things which do you no good in aviation:
1) Altitude above you;
2) Runway behind you;
3) Fuel in the truck;
4) The airspeed you don't have.
#3886548 - 12/31/13 12:16 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 280
Razor18 Offline
Member
Razor18  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 280
Hungary
If I put in all the northing, easting, elevation and DTOT data for a new waypoint, put them in all the appropriate lines with the LSK's, and press LSK R3 ("?X") to save it as a new (next available number) waypoint, it creates the new waypoint but doesn't seem to save the DTOT, I'm ending up having a new waypoint saved but asterikses in the DTOT line. I have to enter DTOT in the scratchpad and press LSK R2 AGAIN. Is it normal, or am I doing something wrong?

#3886573 - 12/31/13 01:50 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
Frederf Offline
Member
Frederf  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
I think DTOT is a flight plan attribute and thus can't be saved to a waypoint. For example a flight plan can use the same WP twice with different DTOTs.

#3887742 - 01/02/14 06:33 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: Frederf]  
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 280
Razor18 Offline
Member
Razor18  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 280
Hungary
Thanks, but how can I save DTOT for a specific waypoint permanently then?

Last edited by Razor18; 01/02/14 06:35 AM.
#3887765 - 01/02/14 07:23 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
Frederf Offline
Member
Frederf  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
Don't believe you do. You'd have to edit the flight plan.

#3888287 - 01/02/14 10:55 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: Frederf]  
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 280
Razor18 Offline
Member
Razor18  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 280
Hungary
OK, but if you receive a new coordinate as a waypoint to reach, being in a bit of hurry, should I fiddle around with editing FPL, inserting waypoint, saving FPL and so on? Or I can only save coordinates and elevation, but not DTOT, to insert it afterwards into any FPL?

#3888404 - 01/03/14 02:06 AM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
Frederf Offline
Member
Frederf  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,599
It depends on how much of a hurry a hurry is. DTOT is usually for package missions where timing coordination is vital or otherwise being in a certain place at a certain time is desired. For CAS for example I usually make a "dummy" 2 or 3 point flight plan with IP/TGT/EGRESS and then move the points around as I get 9-lines.

For short sorties you can arrive on time with the ETE display on the HUD. In the majority of DCS operations TOT can be ignored entirely. In the case I did need the DTOT caret I would point the airplane at the waypoint first and then do my heads down work on autopilot while traveling toward the destination time permitting.

#4048252 - 12/09/14 07:55 PM Re: How to Enter Coordinates into your CDU [Re: EinsteinEP]  
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,971
EricJ Offline
Me, just me.
EricJ  Offline
Me, just me.
Member

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,971
Baltimore, MD
Cool stuff, will try it out later on, been looking for something like this.


|My Books | Home Page | http://562.combatace.com/ |
- 'Nearly everyone felt the need to express their views on all wars to me, starting with mine. I found myself thinking, “I ate the crap sandwich, you didn’t, so please don’t tell me how it tastes.”' - CPT Cole, US Army
- "...parade ground soldiers always felt that way (contempt) about killers in uniform." -Counting The Cost, Hammer's Slammers

Moderated by  Force10, RacerGT 

Quick Search
Recent Articles
Support SimHQ

If you shop on Amazon use this Amazon link to support SimHQ
.
Social


Recent Topics
Grown ups joke time
by NoFlyBoy. 03/18/24 10:34 PM
Anyone Heard from Nimits?
by F4UDash4. 03/18/24 10:01 PM
RIP Gemini/Apollo astronaut Tom Stafford
by semmern. 03/18/24 02:14 PM
10 years after 3/8/2014
by NoFlyBoy. 03/17/24 10:25 AM
Hans Zimmer North American concert tour 2024
by NoFlyBoy. 03/16/24 10:54 PM
Steam Spring Sale.
by RedToo. 03/15/24 09:09 PM
Starship Attempt Three
by F4UDash4. 03/14/24 12:06 PM
This is one cool turbofan model
by Zamzow. 03/14/24 02:41 AM
Map Errors
by F4UDash4. 03/13/24 11:25 AM
Copyright 1997-2016, SimHQ Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.0