Noob Sonar and Radar Questions

[Breeze]

I wanted to ask a few Questions here I have gone through all of the video tutorials I can find and looked for severla posts here on this subject.

1) Is it correct that the Radar doesnt work unless your on the surface?

2)Sonar only works on one vessel at a time? So if I search out a ship its possible to have a destroyer come up from behind me and never see it when using sonar?

3) Sonar have any depth limitations?

4) When trying to adjust the angle on Bow in noob settings it doesnt seem to work I have to go to manual settings and then the adjustment does work

5) My biggest problem is not fully understanding the angles while in beginner mode and the headings themselves I see in the direction the dot moves in but thats all

I need to be able to draw up a plan better understanding how to line myself up at 90 degrees from my target.


Any light on these things would be great

[Quillan]

1) Radar only works when your antenna is out of the water. Without mods, this basically means your keel depth has to be less than 40 feet for radar to work. With some mods, you can extend the SD (air search) radar mast above the water from periscope depth.

2) Sonar, or specifically the hydrophones (passive sonar), is only looking one direction at a time. If you're manning the station, then if you don't rotate the dial something can easily sneak up behind you. The same can happen if you aren't manning the station but have ordered the operator to concentrate on the closest target. He'll pick up whatever is within a couple of degrees of bearing of the current facing of the receivers.

3) Sonar isn't supposed to work at less than periscope depth. In the stock game it still works on the surface, but some mods correct this. Also, depending on various factors, there are thermal layers in the water at different depths. Sound is attenuated going from one side of the layer to the other.

4) AOB is part of the targeting system. None are adjustable when you have manual targeting off.

5) Not sure I understand that one.

[kylesplanet]

I wanted to ask a few Questions here I have gone through all of the video tutorials I can find and looked for severla posts here on this subject.

1) Is it correct that the Radar doesnt work unless your on the surface?

2)Sonar only works on one vessel at a time? So if I search out a ship its possible to have a destroyer come up from behind me and never see it when using sonar?

3) Sonar have any depth limitations?

4) When trying to adjust the angle on Bow in noob settings it doesnt seem to work I have to go to manual settings and then the adjustment does work

5) My biggest problem is not fully understanding the angles while in beginner mode and the headings themselves I see in the direction the dot moves in but thats all

I need to be able to draw up a plan better understanding how to line myself up at 90 degrees from my target.


Any light on these things would be great

1) Yes, you must be on the surface for your radar to work. There is a "radar depth", you get that by pressing the ; but part of your sub will be exposed.

2) Sonar is a listening device and can hear everything that is around it as long as it is under power and not just sitting still. Your sonar man will tell you the contacts.

3) No. In real life, sonar performs better when deeper but I dont think it is modeled in the game. It will also work on the surface but it works to good in the game if your playing vanilla.

4) If your playing auto-targeting, it sets the angle of the bow. If your playing manual, the videos can explain that better than I can.

5) I don't know if you watched Legions noob guide but it is really helpful to a new player about setting up your shot. It is here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111445

[Breeze]

The Aob when in the noob settings arent changeable? but the question of angles is in the tutorials I have read they say to try and be at a 90 degree broadside shot I cant seem to set this up ahead of time without realizing my own angle??

I can be in noob settings but still need a decent solution yes? I still need to be lined up or it doesnt work.

I was hoping to find out how to line myself up better understanding the angles of my boat and their boat while they are still at a distance so I can set up properly I can only see their heading not really line up at 90 degrees? I hope I am being clear here do you understand now???


I did see the noob guide but as boats get close to me I try to spin my boat for a good solution and I dont know how I am not able to just spin it to get a good angle.\


Do you guys reccomend any mods for better understanding of sonar and radar and overall game experience???

[difool2]

I wanted to ask a few Questions here I have gone through all of the video tutorials I can find and looked for severla posts here on this subject.

1) Is it correct that the Radar doesnt work unless your on the surface?
SJ radar (detects surface ships) will work if the boat is submerged to c. 45 feet (depending on sea state-waves will cause it to shut off, and you have to go into the radar room to turn it on manually at depth). SD radar (sees planes) will work down to periscope depth IF you raise its radar mast. This is for the Trigger Maru mod and may not apply to vanilla.


2)Sonar only works on one vessel at a time? So if I search out a ship its possible to have a destroyer come up from behind me and never see it when using sonar?
Kind of. If you are relying on the sonar guy, he has some quirky limitations; anything that he has classified as "unknown" he won't track. There is a button to choose to track closest warship, so if you are in doubt click on that from time to time. Enemy ships WILL get lost in your baffles (dead astern).

3) Sonar have any depth limitations?
There are thermal layers modeled in the game (tho we don't have the bathythermograph, just a psychic crewmember who will tell you that you are passing a layer as you descend), below which enemy sonar does have certain limitations. It will also limit YOUR sonar range somewhat.

5) My biggest problem is not fully understanding the angles while in beginner mode and the headings themselves I see in the direction the dot moves in but thats all

I need to be able to draw up a plan better understanding how to line myself up at 90 degrees from my target.
Not sure what you mean here; most all bearings in the game are given as relative to your boat, not relative to true N. Hence if you are on a course of 90 degrees (E) and you detect a contact at 30 degrees relative, he actually lies 120 degrees true.

There are tutorials here for interceptions (search the SH3 forums too).

[kylesplanet]

If your using auto-targeting just get the ship in your field of view and press the L key and the position keeper will lock on.

You do need to have a decent angle though. Plot the assumed course of the oncoming ship by drawing a line through the current tail. Get yourself 90 degrees to that line and let him have it when he gets across your bow.

[philios]

Watch Legions Noob guide it's brilliant for helping you understand the game. Also try Werner Sobel's guides, they're more advanced and some of the stuff might go over your head if your just starting, however they'll show you how to use sonar, plot courses and explain what all of the targeting information means. Look around for the other 'I'm a noob' type threads, they've got alot of information in them. People here are always ready to help so keep asking questions and you'll soon figure it out.