How do you estimate range to target with radar?

[tchopz]

Hello,

I'm a total newbie and played the game for the first time yeasterday.
I played the last mission of the academy and found quite difficult getting exact bearing and range to the convoy. Ok, the crew is helping with the bearing (still you dont know which ship they are telling you about), but what about range?
When I set the radar range to 20000 and see the convoy at 3/4 of radar screen radius, is the range to target 3/4 times 20000. Still 3/4 is not an exact measurement...
Is there some way to get an exact range to a target with radar? Like with active sonar.
Without it it is difficult to estimate convoy's course and speed and getting in the possition for the attack.

Sorry for my English. I hope the text above is undestandable ;)

[Fincuan]

The only way to get precise bearing and range information with the radar is to uncheck "No map contact updates" in the options menu. That way radar contacts will be visible on the normal map, and you can see exactly where they are. There is no way to send range or bearing to TDC, like you can do with sonar, other than inputting them yourself. IIRC the radar screen has three main rings at equal intervals. When you set the range to for example 20000 meters, then the edge of the PPI screen, as you already guessed, is 20000, 3rd ring is 15000, 2nd 10000, and the inner ring 5000. With 8000 meter range that would be edge 8000, 3rd ring 6000, 2nd ring 4000 and inner ring 2000, etc... If you want anything decent out of the radar without using the map contact updates, then I'd recommend you to search the SH4 mods forum for "Small radar contacts", and another mod which gives you better range and bearing lines on the PPI screen. I don't remember the names, but I'm sure they can be found in the "1.3 list of modifications"-thread. The MoBo forum also has a great tutorial on using radar together with Mobo, I'd recommend you tp check it out.

edit: Some links:

PPI Circle range marks 1.22 + Small radar contacts(link at the end of the first post) (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=115207&highlight=small+radar+contacts)
Event though it says "SH4 1.2 compatible" in the first post, I used the mod without any ill effects with 1.3.

Lurker's MoBo tactical manuals (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=116575)

[tchopz]

Thank You.
That mod will help a lot.

[Powerthighs]

Thanks for the link to the mod, I hadn't heard about that one and have been frustrated about this.

However, since you can't input the range manually over 1100 yards, you can't use the PK to track targets and develop a solution with the radar. That sucks.

[-Pv-]

I'm not sure the early WWII radar was good enough to develop a target solution with radar alone anyway, but just a tracking solution for intercept (which can be done, though not precise.) If conditions allow exposing the radar in target range, you have better tools available anyway.
-Pv-

[Fincuan]

I don't know about the early WW2 radars, but the later models were definitely good enough to develop a firing solution with radar only. When the second Sealion(SS-315) sunk Kongo in november 1944, they aquired the target on the radar at 44,000 yards, and yet saw it the first time as they were already firing the salvo.

http://www.combinedfleet.com/eclipkong.html