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hey guys first of all let me congratulate you on this great project. im a relatively rookie skipper and this has shone light on many areas of the game i simply didnt understand. i would like to aask you guys to add something that i find to be unpredictable: THE SENSORS. the radar is a little better but the sonar is a no go can anyone help. thanks.
Senior Member
Member
Senior Member
Those are some odd conditions, but maybe this information can help you work through it.
What we call sonar (on both the sub and the escorts) actually has two components. The first is the hydrophones. These are completely passive, it's a listening device, looking for a sound to "hang on to". When you are using the hydrophones, when your operator finds a "target" all he gets is a bearing from your ship. Depending on the volume generated, the operator will offer a guess-timate of its range (long, short), but it's no where near exact.
Sonar is much more precise, it gives the bearing and the range to the target by sending out that dreaded ping. The down side for a sub is as soon as you transmit that ping, everyone else who is listening knows where you are. Unless you are ranging on an unescorted merchant, don't use the active sonar.
I honestly can't address the range limitations you've come up against, although if I remember correctly, in real life the effective range of a US destroyer's sonar was about 2000 yards. I have no idea what is modeled into the game.
I've gotten target bearings from my hydrophones on targets over 10K yards away in the game. Next time you are at the game options menu, see if you have realistic sensors active.
Let me know if any of this helps
Senior Member
Senior Member
In the game you have three different sensors available to you, visual, radar and sonar. The game engine can only use one sensor at a time, so it has a hierarchy. The best sensor is visual, followed by radar and the sonar. If you have visual contact your radar and sonar do not work. If you lose visual contact and have your radar on you then "see" the target with radar. No visual or radar contact and you "see" the sonar line. If you only want to use only sonar, go to periscope depth and keep both your scopes down. Then you will only "see" the sonar contact. Raise either scope and the sonar line vanishes as soon as you regain visual contact. Drop the scope and you are back to sonar.Originally posted by reddeath267:
well my main problem is that the sonar doesnt work unless i dive below periscope depth or im about 1000 yards from a ship (not very helpful). it kinda just works when it feels like it. any ideas? thanks
"Like the jitterbug, it was so simple it plumb evaded me."
Dave
Senior Member
What is your speed? If I'm not mistaken, your speed can affect the range of your passive sonar. The faster you are going, the less effective it'll be.....hard to hear over your own fast screws.Originally posted by reddeath267:
well my main problem is that the sonar doesnt work unless i dive below periscope depth or im about 1000 yards from a ship (not very helpful). it kinda just works when it feels like it. any ideas? thanks
Member
Great guide folks, really helpful seeings Im a noob.
Just wondered if there was any chance that someone could so one about navigation. I get the messages saying, fleet spotted at Longitude 123 52degrees east, Latitude 43degrees north or whatever but I for the life of me cant figure out how to pinpoint it on the map?, and head their to sink some metal!
?
Like you say the manual is useless!...thanks
Capt Sinky McShippy
Senior Member
If you look on the outer edge of the navigation map you will see the latitude and longitude numbers displayed. The next step is to figure out where those lines would cross, that's where the target is.
Seems simple, but it's not. Remember, the target is moving, they are not going to be at the reported spot when you get there. Your job is to figure out where they will be at a future point in time.
The contact reports usually contain the target's rough course and speed. So as an example if they tell you the target is running South at medium speed, they are going to move about 10 miles every hour.
If you are 50 miles away to the East and you head for the exact spot of the report at 10 knots, you are going to miss them by 50 miles.
You have to figure an intercept point somewhere down the line. I'm not going to go into the math, but the general rules are, you have to be able to go faster than they can so you actually gain ground on them. Use your map tool and draw a line on the map that approximates the target's course. Then figure out a course for you to intercept that first line. If possible, get well ahead of the target, that way you know you have to back track up the line to intercept them.
Member
Right thanks, Ill see if I can wangle my head round it. Ive just installed some mods, namely:
Trigger Maru (TM)
Run Silent, Run Deep: The Campaing (RSRD)
Reflections on Water (ROW)
And noted the map has been improved so that should help yes?!
Also I guess these mods dont work properly with the new U-Boat Missions expansion pack?, my German campaign text on the main screen has changed to --- and when I went to start one, it crashed
Chock full of info for someone like me who's relatively new to sub sims. Thank you everyone who contributed - you guys rock! 
