Is There Any Explaination For This?

[Seminole]

"This" being the failure of the hydrophones sometimes to pick up ships bearing down on my position.


I've suffered no damage. At periscope depth. My sensor guys rated and qualified. I can see a couple of ships through the 'scope approacing at 3000 yds or so. I drop down to 100 feet still no contact...no thermal layers involved..Phonograph is off. Engines barely turning over. I tell the sonar guy to track the target but no soap.


Not only can't I detect the approaching merchants..I can't even hear my own enigines when I scan at 180 degrees. Dead silence at all 360 degrees.

This doesn't happen often but it does crop up with some regularity and it can be maddening. Like when I want to keep the scope out of sight but still keep track of the target's approach.


Is there some kind of on-off switch I'm missing?...'cause I have looked all over that screen and can find one.

[Digital_Trucker]

This is a total guess, but since you said it doesn't happen often, I wonder if it happens with any particular type of ship. What I'm wondering is (and I don't have a clue if this has any bearing) is if the ship doesn't have a sound associated with its engines or props and the game doesn't model sound caused by the passing of the hull through water. It's probably a lame-brain idea, but, when it happens (if you have it enabled) go to the free camera or the next/previous unit camera, navigate the camera as close to the stern as possible and see if you can hear anything.

My only other thought would be a quote from Rod Serling.:hmm:

[Fearless]

Just to throw my 2 cents worth and may sound silly but were the merchants moving? I just haven't come across it except from Junks.

Also, any mods installed?

[Seminole]

navigate the camera as close to the stern as possible and see if you can hear anything.

ah...now there is an idea I haven't thought of.

But if I don't hear any sound I'm still I'm the same old boat....so to speak.

Truth is I don't think this is a "missing sound" issue but an hydrophone error of some sort.

It has occurred with the 1.4 version unmodded and with TMO installed. What ever it is is in my game.

[SteamWake]

Its supposed to simulate the surface boundry 'noise' layer.

From what I understand while near the surface there is a boundry layer populated with warm water, bubbles, shrimp making love, rubber life rafts with naked island girls, and little fishys swimming about.

All of which 'scatter' sound making detection more difficult.

It should work at periscope depth though, still try dipping down 20 feet or so and see if they dont pop up.

edit{I really should read the OP a little more carefully} ;)

[vespernz]

"This" being the failure of the hydrophones sometimes to pick up ships bearing down on my position.


I've suffered no damage. At periscope depth. My sensor guys rated and qualified. I can see a couple of ships through the 'scope approacing at 3000 yds or so. I drop down to 100 feet still no contact...no thermal layers involved..Phonograph is off. Engines barely turning over. I tell the sonar guy to track the target but no soap.


Not only can't I detect the approaching merchants..I can't even hear my own enigines when I scan at 180 degrees. Dead silence at all 360 degrees.

This doesn't happen often but it does crop up with some regularity and it can be maddening. Like when I want to keep the scope out of sight but still keep track of the target's approach.


Is there some kind of on-off switch I'm missing?...'cause I have looked all over that screen and can find one.

i've noticed this problem also, However as Steamwake mentioned, ive not tested extensively if its a surface problem or not. Will have to check from scope depth or otherwise.

[Seminole]

i've noticed this problem also


:up: Good man...and I'm betting more would have too if only they made more extensive used their hydrophones. :yep: For some reason IV doesn't require such extensive use of sound as III ...probably because of the good radar available early on. I never really focused on the problem either ...though I was aware of it..until I became interested in learning to make sonar attacks.


As I said, I go down to 100 feet and it doesn't resolve. I don't believe going any deeper would help. Probably just the opposite as I most likely would encounter a thermal.

There is just no rhyme or rythum to this. It simply comes and goes.

I'm going to assign it to the sim not wanting me to persue a sonar only shot...preferring I use another mode of attack.

The Gold edition SHIV is out in only a few days. I'll be interested to see if it occurs there too.

[SteamWake]

The Gold edition SHIV is out in only a few days. I'll be interested to see if it occurs there too.

:o What?

[Seminole]

The Gold edition SHIV is out in only a few days. I'll be interested to see if it occurs there too.

:o What?


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SDHx%2BB42L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[Seminole]

I'm beginning to convince myself that this is an undocumented feature that is intended to represent mechanical failure. :shifty: or at least my imagination lets me deal with it like that. Seems though that the radar would be more apt to konk out than the hydrophones.

But I have to say that when the hydrophones are working they really work well. Just today I was able to pick a single target out of a small convoy of two merchants and 3 escorts, moving fast. Using only the hydrophones to establish all the data needed to set up a solution I was able to put 4 out of 6 torpedoes into a 18,000 ton troop transport from 1800 yds. I was down at 90 feet 'cause topside there were 15 meter winds, heavy fog, and heavy precipitation. Never even caught sight of the target..only found out what I had sunk from the message log.

[SteamWake]

I was able to put 4 out of 6 torpedoes into a 18,000 ton troop transport from 1800 yds. I was down at 90 feet 'cause topside there were 15 meter winds, heavy fog, and heavy precipitation. Never even caught sight of the target..only found out what I had sunk from the message log.

Nice job, dident it use to be you had to have 'visual' conforrmation on the kill?