New to SH/sub sims - radar question

[bcarter3]

I've been playing the career mode and I seem to be doing really well (granted its on easy mode right now). I have been running with SD (air) radar and sonar installed, but surface radar was just made available to me and I installed it on my boat. Now, having searched the forums I can't find the answer to this question (I did look honest) ...

If you surface, having gone to periscope depth first and checked that nothing is around, and then you activate your surface radar who or what could detect me and at what range. I realize radar is an active and not passive device so there is a risk in using it - I just dont know how big that risk is. If the radar picks something up, should I shut it down immeadiately? Or is there a set distance that I'm safe? (I realize you wouldnt steam headlong into a task force with it blipping and doing it's thing).

Basically just want to know when to use it and what to watch out for.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

I've been playing the career mode and I seem to be doing really well (granted its on easy mode right now). I have been running with SD (air) radar and sonar installed, but surface radar was just made available to me and I installed it on my boat. Now, having searched the forums I can't find the answer to this question (I did look honest) ...

If you surface, having gone to periscope depth first and checked that nothing is around, and then you activate your surface radar who or what could detect me and at what range. I realize radar is an active and not passive device so there is a risk in using it - I just dont know how big that risk is. If the radar picks something up, should I shut it down immeadiately? Or is there a set distance that I'm safe? (I realize you wouldnt steam headlong into a task force with it blipping and doing it's thing).

Basically just want to know when to use it and what to watch out for.


The way I think of it, I think of "If I can see them, they can see me". Your air radar for example, picks up the radar signals of patrolling aircraft. So the more time you spend beaming someone with your radar, the more likely they are to go "Hey, wait a minute.."

My advice, is to get what you can from your radar, then disengage it and go deep. That way, the likelihood that aircraft will be able to find you is minimised :D

[Rockin Robbins]

Your radar is your advantage, which you do no give up lightly. The most they could know is that there is somebody they don't like around here somewhere, but you know exactly where they are. Who is better off?

Now if you turn off your radar, the advantage is exactly even. Through most of the war there is no Japanese radar detection whatever. I'm in late September 1944 and still have not seen evidence of ships or planes homing in on my radar. I use it 100% of the time.

Real life example, CDR "Hobo Joe" Enright of the Archerfish when stalking the Shinano, left his radar on in spite of the near certainty of detection. In fact, the radar was central to the bad decisions made by the Japanese captain, resulting in the final jig toward the Archerfish which resulted in six hits by the American torpedoes.

This is war. Your mission is to attack, not dive deep and put your head in the sand. Stay on the surface whenever possible, with radar on to extend your search area to the maximum number of square miles. If the enemy detects you and comes to you they have spared you the effort of going to them.:arrgh!: If you must dive stay at periscope depth as long as possible. Retain the initiative. Attack. Kill. Live.:up:

[bcarter3]

That's great thank you. I guess playing around with it and observing what the enemy does with it on would be the best course of action. I do feel a little less aprehensive on using it now though :)

Even though its war I prefer not to attract attention to my little boat. Seeing 4 destroyers charging at me with pings going off left right and center isnt my idea of a good party :)

[seafarer]

SD Radar did not pick up aircraft radar signals. It was a long wavelength emitting radar that, like any radar, detected it's own signal being reflected off an aircraft. The only way the aircraft could know you were scanning it with SD radar was if the aircraft was equipped with a radar detection set.

The same thing for SJ radar - a ship would have to have a radar detection device onboard to know it was being scanned. While it became known after the war that a lot of IJN ships had radar detection systems (at least starting in 1942 onward), only a very few Japanese aircraft ever did, and most of those were 1944 or later.

[Rockin Robbins]

Seeing 4 destroyers charging at me with pings going off left right and center isnt my idea of a good party :) But such is the price of victory. Bring 'em on!:arrgh!:

Welcome to SUBSIM and the Pacific war.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Welcome to SUBSIM :up: bcarter3
If you have not had a chance aleady, a nice thread regarding the Pacific Theatre:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=128185
Some nice info in there :roll:


RDP