GWX Hydrophone Station Volume

[HEMISENT]

Prior to installing GWX (NYGM, RUB, Vanilla) I could hear ship contacts relatively easy out to maybe 20km then they gradually fade, if really trying hard faint contacts can be heard out to 30 -34 km. This has been discussed in the past.

At the GWX Hydrophone station my SO who is usually deaf and dumb can pick up a merchant 10 - 15 km distant but listening myself that same ship is not audible until maybe 8km. I was attacked by a DD yesterday and the damn thing faded out at 8km. I don't get it. The sound volume is turned up by the way. Even with my speakers cranked up there simply is no ship there past 8km under 8 it's louder than hell.

Anyone else running into this. forget about listening for convoys approaching from the distance. Anyone else run into this?

[Gildor]

I play GWX. I have been keeping an eye on the range of the contacts when my SO reports one. The maximum he has reported is 29.7kms.(measured with the range tool) This is using the upgrade listening device. The name escapes me at the moment. (The one on the upper deck).

With the previous listening device, the maximum was around 9-10 kms.

As the SO goes up in experience he seems to be getting better; so much so that i prefer to travel submerged due to the increased range of detection.:lol:

[AVGWarhawk]

Same as Gildor, I added the better hydrophone set up and use a blue crewman rated at 35/50 renown. He is quite good. What set up are you using. When I first started with the standard phones my blue crewman really sucked badly:nope:

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

I think you're missing HEMISENT's point. If I'm reading it correctly, he's not talking about his AI's sonarman's ability to 'hear'. He's referring to if you try listening to the hydrophone yourself, manually.

[Mush Martin]

I think you're missing HEMISENT's point. If I'm reading it correctly, he's not talking about his AI's sonarman's ability to 'hear'. He's referring to if you try listening to the hydrophone yourself, manually.

Agreed prior to upgrade to GWX were you using same hydrophone type as this time????
:|\\

[Gildor]

Ah. Well, I can hear what my SO reports on the hydrophone. Still, when I manually do a sweep during a routine check, I can hear a contact before my SO. However, because he is so good, he usually reports it before I can man the station to check.

Both my radioman and sound man are petty officers and both have the radioroom qualification. The green bar in the sound/radio room is full so they are elite.

[HEMISENT]

I think you're missing HEMISENT's point. If I'm reading it correctly, he's not talking about his AI's sonarman's ability to 'hear'. He's referring to if you try listening to the hydrophone yourself, manually.

Correct-My SO can hear same as always. No problem there. Right now as I turn the dial doing a sweep the notepad will pop up with a contact but I am unable to "Hear" that contact until I get really close - in other words the game is registering the contact but the "volume" that I can hear it at is greatly diminished or non existent "until" 8km from the contact then its audible-not loud but audible.

[irish1958]

Hemisent, I have noted exactly the same thing, and it must have something to do with the sensor changes in GWX. I am not sure who did these, but he is probably the only one who can answer this. I do not use the 16Km atmosphere mod. Incidentally, I set the hydrophone volume with set keys on a key and have noted the volume has about six or seven steps when I use the key, and only one step when I use the knob at the station.

[AVGWarhawk]

Perhaps ths 16K mod has something to do with it???? If you are using the 16K mod it allows you to hear that far also????

[HEMISENT]

Perhaps ths 16K mod has something to do with it???? If you are using the 16K mod it allows you to hear that far also????

I'm using the 16km mod supplied with the GWX DL.
At least I'm not the only one here-thought I was going crazy-I may try to reinstall the whole thing to see what happens.

Maybe Kpt Lehman will see this and check it out.

[moosenoodles]

Irish1958...

where does one set this key for selection of hydro volume... if it does have more preset scaling, then id like to know to test it out please..

cheers,

moose.

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

Irish1958...

where does one set this key for selection of hydro volume... if it does have more preset scaling, then id like to know to test it out please..

cheers,

moose.

Same here! :)

[HEMISENT]

Ditto that!

Also, regarding my problem, I am on my first WAW patrol using GWX along with the LRT Lite mod. My boat got the crap DC'd out of it early on, ALL major systems rcvd damage at that time. Everything's fixed now (after about 60 hours) but some systems now say "Functional" vs Normal. Could it be that my hydrophones are functioning but due to earlier damage aren't working 100%? This seems a bit far fetched to me but....

I think I'll wrap this patrol up then run some sound tests before I gut everything and reinstall.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

I can look into this issue tomorrow. However, I must say that regarding the listening range of the GHG hydrophone (the early default hydrophone) during my current patrol... using the 8 km mod... I've been able to detect contacts manually at more than 20 km.

Hydrophone receptors should be easily damaged by DC's... as these receptors are unprotected.

[HEMISENT]

I can look into this issue tomorrow. However, I must say that regarding the listening range of the GHG hydrophone (the early default hydrophone) during my current patrol... using the 8 km mod... I've been able to detect contacts manually at more than 20 km.

Hydrophone receptors should be easily damaged by DC's... as these receptors are unprotected.

Thanks for getting involved Kpt.
As for normally hearing sounds at that distance -no problem for me either but, like i said this is the first real patrol I've gone on actually putting everything to the test-UNBELIEVABLY happy with pretty much the whole GWX package. This is just something I'm running across now. Don't recall this to be an issue in my prelim test patrols, hence the thought that perhaps the damage suffered somehow degraded the performance(even tho it was all "repaired").

[Kpt. Lehmann]

I can look into this issue tomorrow. However, I must say that regarding the listening range of the GHG hydrophone (the early default hydrophone) during my current patrol... using the 8 km mod... I've been able to detect contacts manually at more than 20 km.

Hydrophone receptors should be easily damaged by DC's... as these receptors are unprotected.

Thanks for getting involved Kpt.
As for normally hearing sounds at that distance -no problem for me either but, like i said this is the first real patrol I've gone on actually putting everything to the test-UNBELIEVABLY happy with pretty much the whole GWX package. This is just something I'm running across now. Don't recall this to be an issue in my prelim test patrols, hence the thought that perhaps the damage suffered somehow degraded the performance(even tho it was all "repaired").

It could be as simple as undamaged = Normal, and/or fully repaired after sustaining damage = Functional as happens in game.

[d@rk51d3]

Correct-My SO can hear same as always. No problem there. Right now as I turn the dial doing a sweep the notepad will pop up with a contact but I am unable to "Hear" that contact until I get really close - in other words the game is registering the contact but the "volume" that I can hear it at is greatly diminished or non existent "until" 8km from the contact then its audible-not loud but audible.


Strange, I can hear contacts long before they show anything on the notepad, or external view.

[irish1958]

As far as set keys, use setkeys1.3 which is available on Terrappins site, and the download site of Subsim. When you open the command.en (or other language), search for Hydrophone volume and assign a key to it. (I used ";" and reset snorkel depth to ctrl+;) When I go to the sonar station, I find the level is set to as low as possible. By repeatedly hitting the ";" key I can increase the volume of the hydrophone. I have noted that when my sonar man hears a contact at

[Kpt. Lehmann]

@Hemisent.

Can you tell me what U-boat you are using, the date, and home player port you are sailing from?

I want to recreate the same situation as best as I can tomorrow.

[HEMISENT]

@Hemisent.

Can you tell me what U-boat you are using, the date, and home player port you are sailing from?

I want to recreate the same situation as best as I can tomorrow.

December 1942, St Nazaire, VIIC.
I'll be wrapping this patrol this am and I'll do some further tests also.

Thanks Kpt.

[LeafsFan]

Pardon the newb question. How do you listen to the hydrophones?

HB

[danlisa]

Pardon the newb question. How do you listen to the hydrophones?

HB

Press 'H'.:up:

[Rubini]

Hemisent,

I'm in early war (1939-1940) with type II and Type YIIB with a yet bit green crew and always can listen far way from my sonarman what means about ~22km. But I also noticed a decrease on my Hydrophones performance after suffer some damage what I think makes sense and is good thing.

OT: Just for curiosity, did someone here already listened a dolphin on Hydrophones?;)
It's very cool!

Cheers,

Rubini.

[HEMISENT]

Hi Rubini-How's it going?
I think something is funky with my current mission as I just fired up a saved career in the Indian Ocean, 1944 TypeIXC hydrophones worked as always-was able to track a warship out to around 28km-as expected.
I'm beginning to think that my earlier thoughts were correct about the hydrophones sustaining damage and now operating at less than peak efficiency. Won't know for sure until I start a VIIC patrol tho-curiouser and curiouser.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

@HEMISENT,

LOL... Looks like we were sailing out of St. Nazaire at about the same time! Kewl!
(April 1942 here... patrol ended May 2nd.)

Now regarding the Hydrophones question: It does indeed appear that some users are suffering hydrophone sensitivity degradation after being damaged. This is something I feel to be reasonable.

Using a qualified crewman, I'm able to consistently detect contacts outside 20 km distance in fair weather conditions. (Using GHG undamaged default hydrophone... also note in game coding for KDB detection capability is nearly identical.... the chief difference between the two is absence of zero bearing deadzone in KDB hydros.)

Surface wave action, player speed, and noise are also factors influencing total detection values.

I measured the hydrophone contact distance of every contact made via the same in game during the second half of my 32 day patrol... shortest contact range in rotten weather was 12.5 km.

Methods used were first AI crew detection followed by manual detection by me.

No hydrophone damage was sustained by me during the patrol. I'm basing the assumption of performance degradation due to damage based on other patrol reports.

I'm sorry Hemisent... I'm unable to replicate your problem in-game... or find mistakes in the code.

The evidence is telling me that all is working properly in regards to detection of enemies by hydrophone in GWX.

[dertien]

Worse problem here. Here's a screenshot I took during my second patrol. I did not upgrade my boat yet, exept for electric torpedoes.

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/6604/deafsoundmanoj0.jpg

As you can judge for yourselves, I am at periscope depth, going 3 knots, and a Munitionsfreighter in my sights that is not further away than 3000 meters. And in the message window you distinguish: Kein Horchkontakt, which is pretty obvious what that means !!! I tried It several times to give the opportunity to my SO to pick up the ship. As you can see, he's utterly deaf. This is annoying, because I compute the speed of the ship manually from about 1500 meters and I use the SO to set up the TDC angle, and I don't need to raise my periscope again too close to the contact. This way, I won't give away my position.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Worse problem here. Here's a screenshot I took during my second patrol. I did not upgrade my boat yet, exept for electric torpedoes.

As you can judge for yourselves, I am at periscope depth, going 3 knots, and a Munitionsfreighter in my sights that is not further away than 3000 meters. And in the message window you distinguish: Kein Horchkontakt, which is pretty obvious what that means !. I tried It several times to give the opportunity to my SO to pick up the ship. As you can see, he's utterly deaf.

What year/U-boat type/etc?

Are you using a crewman with S.O. qualification?

As I stated to Hemisent... I've been unable to replicate this problem. On my machine, having DL'd the same files as everyone else... I'm not having any problems detecting ships unless they are in the forward or rear GHG hydrophone deadzones... as is historically accurate.

[dertien]

What year/U-boat type/etc?

Are you using a crewman with S.O. qualification?

As I stated to Hemisent... I've been unable to replicate this problem. On my machine, having DL'd the same files as everyone else... I'm not having any problems detecting ships unless they are in the forward or rear GHG hydrophone deadzones... as is historically accurate.
Date: November 1939 - Local Time 09.18 (second patrol out of Kiel)
U-boat Type (GWX start of campaign boat) VIIB no upgrades so far.
SO qualification (as far as I know; No) should this make a difference ?
All other data can be read from the screenshot.
Hope this helps

[HEMISENT]

Kpt Lehman
Thanks for responding. I ran some tests and pretty much have to agree with you. Sea state, damaged vs undamaged-I guess because I took damage PLUS the weather was horrible that caused my degredation.

Also, in the test I found that by setting my speaker volume where it normally is I cannot hear the contacts beyond 8-10km (clear weather, no damage) However if I crank my speaker volume up to the maximum(unbearable) the same contacts are audible out to almost 30km. Keep in mind that my heavily qualified SO can pick them up so they are registering in the game.

So, in conclusion I'm thinking that something odd is going on with the "volume" of the contacts.

No clue what this means, but it's a pain in the butt to have to manually crank the speaker each time I visit the hydrophone station. Not to mention my dog goes absolutely berzerko if I don't turn it down fast enough. How do we increase the volume of the contact sound files so everything is on a level playing field?

[Rubini]

Worse problem here. Here's a screenshot I took during my second patrol. I did not upgrade my boat yet, exept for electric torpedoes.



As you can judge for yourselves, I am at periscope depth, going 3 knots, and a Munitionsfreighter in my sights that is not further away than 3000 meters. And in the message window you distinguish: Kein Horchkontakt, which is pretty obvious what that means !!! I tried It several times to give the opportunity to my SO to pick up the ship. As you can see, he's utterly deaf. This is annoying, because I compute the speed of the ship manually from about 1500 meters and I use the SO to set up the TDC angle, and I don't need to raise my periscope again too close to the contact. This way, I won't give away my position.

I think that this is a stock problem no? IIRC sometimes when you are at PC the SO "lose" the sound contact. Can someone confirm this on stock game too?

[ref]

Regarding visual/hydrophone sensors only one is active at a time in SH3, if you're at visual range with the periscope up (the ship icon is visible in F5 map) then the hydrophone operator can't pick the target, although you can hear it if you man the hydrophone yourself, if you lower the periscope then your hydro operator should start working again.

Ref

[Rubini]

Regarding visual/hydrophone sensors only one is active at a time in SH3, if you're at visual range with the periscope up (the ship icon is visible in F5 map) then the hydrophone operator can't pick the target, although you can hear it if you man the hydrophone yourself, if you lower the periscope then your hydro operator should start working again.

Ref

Thanks Ref!
Then a stock problem! Another bad implemented routine by the devs that I think is hard coded.

[Woof1701]

Another thing I noticed with the hydrophone is that the ambient noise from the boat (people talking quietly, stuff being shuffled around, clock ticking) is interfering with using the hydrophone. After all the sonarman wears a headset, and is sitting in a seperate small room (without a door). So he should hear far less ambient sounds than in the officers room or in the control room. Is there a way to decrease the ambient volume on so that the contacts can be heard better?

Thanks

[Mav87th]

Regarding visual/hydrophone sensors only one is active at a time in SH3, if you're at visual range with the periscope up (the ship icon is visible in F5 map) then the hydrophone operator can't pick the target, although you can hear it if you man the hydrophone yourself, if you lower the periscope then your hydro operator should start working again.

Ref

Hmmmmm i could swear that my SO called out the nearest DD in my last periscope depth attack on a convoy. I had him continuesly calling out the nearest warship while concentrating on sinking the merchents....

It must be a miracle i got away:rotfl:

[ref]

If you ask him to track a target and then raise the scope (or even surface the boat) sometimes it continues to call the target bearing...


Ref

[Samwolf]

If you ask him to track a target and then raise the scope (or even surface the boat) sometimes it continues to call the target bearing...


Ref

I've seen that happen more than once.

[Rubini]

If you ask him to track a target and then raise the scope (or even surface the boat) sometimes it continues to call the target bearing...


Ref

I've seen that happen more than once.
Yes, it`s true. I also already noticed this behaviour. Probably someone could make some tests and find the pattern that control this behaviour, then the players will have a better "known" control over this issue in game.;)
It`s really a stock game behaviour.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

I need to write about "the commanding sensor in SH3."

I think it will explain much of what is going on here... and the limitations of what can / cannot be done modding-wise for the moment.

Hopefully I can do that today... If not... I can in the morning.

[HEMISENT]

I need to write about "the commanding sensor in SH3."

I think it will explain much of what is going on here... and the limitations of what can / cannot be done modding-wise for the moment.

Hopefully I can do that today... If not... I can in the morning.

You'll have plenty of time to catch up on your sleep when SHVII comes out.

[dertien]

Thank you all for pointing this info out to me. Will man the station myself now in the future :up:

[Kpt. Lehmann]

I need to write about "the commanding sensor in SH3."

I think it will explain much of what is going on here... and the limitations of what can / cannot be done modding-wise for the moment.

Hopefully I can do that today... If not... I can in the morning.

You'll have plenty of time to catch up on your sleep when SHVII comes out.

Didn't do anyt sleeping here... 12 hour shift and we are covered in ice and continuous freezing rain here.

We ran all friggin' night :dead: ...and I'm frozen stiff. The rig felt like a boat the whole time. Slip-slide-skid to the call... at about 10 mph.

(People really really really drive like idiots on ice... Oh well, as long as there are stupid people I've got job security.)

[mr chris]

(Oh well, as long as there are stupid people I've got job security.)

A job for life Sir the world is full of such people:doh: ;)

[Kpt. Lehmann]

(Oh well, as long as there are stupid people I've got job security.)

A job for life Sir the world is full of such people:doh: ;)

Rgr that... It is a planetary constant... like gravity.:88)

[Hartmann]

I need to write about "the commanding sensor in SH3."

I think it will explain much of what is going on here... and the limitations of what can / cannot be done modding-wise for the moment.

Hopefully I can do that today... If not... I can in the morning.

You'll have plenty of time to catch up on your sleep when SHVII comes out.

Didn't do anyt sleeping here... 12 hour shift and we are covered in ice and continuous freezing rain here.

We ran all friggin' night :dead: ...and I'm frozen stiff. The rig felt like a boat the whole time. Slip-slide-skid to the call... at about 10 mph.

(People really really really drive like idiots on ice... Oh well, as long as there are stupid people I've got job security.)


like an artic u-boat patrol :doh: , cold water and ice


Here the weather is excepcional ,and too hot for winter, 18-19 º celsius at midday , and the sea water is 2 degrees more than normal.:hmm: