Flight Question Frustrating "Time To Node" value after manual launch with IMFD

[unknown_orbiter]

Hey everyone! I've picked orbiter Sim back up and am trying to learn IMFD. I started yesterday and I've managed to complete a trip to Mars based on the tutorial provided in "Go Play in Space" manual. The issue is that I have to start my flights in LEO off the bat, because if I do a manual launch, in the correct heading as provided by the IMFD, with a decent resulting orbit completely round the Earth's atmosphere, the "Time to Node" value in the Orbital Eject IMFD screen is a negative number when I am in my stable orbit! Like, -800 and it keeps going into the negatives, unless I complete some orbits and let it go back down at which time my martian transfer window has closed. In the tutorial, they are getting TtN values of positive 700-800 that go down normally and correctly... anyone want to try to help me on this?

 

[unknown_orbiter]

Don't everyone talk at once now...

 

[Donamy]

launch earlier ?

 

[Tommy]

You should launch when the heading is as close to 90 degrees as possible, but at least one orbital period before TEj in target intercept. So, double the period for an orbit (forget exactly how many seconds that is - not at my home PC), and when TEj reaches that launch the next time the launch heading is 90 degrees (or as close as it gets to 90). Also, make sure Orbit Eject is set to Plan, not Higher Orbit.