Question: range?

[danmir]

Hey guys,

I have a basic question, and I'll also list my experiences.

Question: how do you guys get accurate range?

My experiences:
- First, I bought this game with the idea I'd try it and see what it was like for a real uboat captain. So I'm running 100% realism. I'll freely admit though, so far I've only hit with about 1/20 of the torps I've fired since setting it to max :rotfl:

- I've noticed the watch gives an extremely accurate range out to about 16 kilometers. Is this really possible? I am thinking no, with the statometer, daylight, calm seas, I seem to only get a range estimate out to 6 km max. So what I'm asking here is using the watchman cheating, or did they really have some technique to do this?

- I've used the periscope/stadometer. I really only start getting good estimates in good conditions (daylight, calmer) at about 2-3 km. Maybe I need more practice?

- I've tried the 3 degree variance on the hydrophone technique (but without the rotary slide rule tool). I think I understand it. If you have a constant 90 degree angle to the target at some speed, you have setup a collision course, and because your tearget bearing is a constant 90 degrees, it has 0 radial velocity. Because of this, you can change your speed by 3 knots, giving your target 3 knots relative radial velocity. At 3 degrees change over a time span, you can estimate the horizontal radial distance they will have traveled from the time taken and 3 knots velocity. Then, knowing this radial distance at 3 degrees, you can estimate range. But in practice I have not had it work well. I played with it in a spreadsheet as well, and found with some slight errors, (like guessing target going 6 knots but its going 7, and the 90 degree collision course off a tiny bit, but still less than a degree after 2 minutes), I get errors from -50% to +100%. Eg., at 12km I'll get numbers from ~7km to 24 km depending on the conditions in my spreadsheet. This is so far off I must be doing something wrong!

- So, as a result of the above, and trying not to use the watchman since it seems like cheating, I have to align on a 90 degree bearing collision course and wait until the target is about 2km or so to get a good range estimate. By then, they are so close I'm panicking to get a shot setup in time since I can just now begin to estimate the target's course. In a type IIA sub, they'll blow right by me if I take too long.

Do you guys think if the target is going say 5 knots, I'm in a typeIIA sub, and its starting range is about 2-2.5 km, will I have time to get a good course estimate and get a shot setup with a bit more practice? Or do I really need the course setup much sooner?

[Puster Bill]

The farther you are from a target, the less accurate your range will be. This is true in the game, and it was also true in real life.

Quite frankly, if you are tracking a target that far out, it doesn't really matter if your ranges are spot on, as you couldn't hit it that far away anyway.

What I do is I get a preliminary solution as soon as possible, and use that to figure my intercept course. When I get closer, I refine the solution until I am confident.

It doesn't always work that way, of course. There is always the target that pops out of the fog at 500 meters, and you have to make a quick snap-shot. But generally I try and run the numbers on them several times before I shoot.

[joegrundman]

Hi there,

if you are new to the game, I'd probably not start at 100% realism. I'd start much lower and gradually increase the realism, while studying targeting techniques like Fast 90 manual targetting which will quickly get you used to how the TDC works. Consider it your course at submarine school.

The best and most accurate way of obtaining a range is by stadimeter,unless you can use active sonar or radar. With practice this becomes much easier.

As for the 3degree variance method of establishing long ranges, this is for situations where you are underwater and cannot make visual observations due to weather conditions. The whole purpose of that system is to provide estimates for speed, aob and range that are inherently unreliable. However these estimates are very helpful in that they greatly narrow the area in which you expect to find the target when visual contact is made, and also provide you with a limited range of likely AOB's with which you can plan your firing course.

If you have planned your firing course in advance then it is much simpler. once visual contact has been made to swing rapidly onto it and be ready to fire than if you are not in this way prepared.

However the range obained using this 3degree technique is in no way adequate for a firing solution, you must have more accurate periscope ranges before firing.

Finally, I can recommend you build yourself the SACF or the german version, both downloadable from Hitman's filefront account. Also the manual for the SACF is extremely helpful