Sonar and Radar questions for RFB/RSRD

[I'm goin' down]

SH4--RFB +RSRD issues.

1. Hydrophones - Do they work on the surface, and if not, at what depth do they begin to operate?

2. Hydrophone Sweep -- What does it do? The one on my boat does not cause the hydrophone to sweep from what I can see, nor does it cause the sonar ping to operate.

3. Radar -- not operable on my boat in early 1942, except for the air antenna radar. What is that for? Airplanes? Ships? At what depth does the air antenna operate? Does it only work on the surface?

4. Other Radar -- When radar is working, does it work on the surface? If not, at what depth does it operate and at what depth does it cease to operate?

5. Sonarman - He loses sonar contact often. He has trouble following a contact when ordered to do so. What is up with that?

6. Sonarman - I thought the sonarman would follow a contact when ordered to so, and that he would continue to anounce a contact's position when the periscope was down. When I put the periscope down the sonarman stops announcing the contact's position contrary to orders. What is going on?

[LukeFF]

SH4--RFB +RSRD issues.

1. Hydrophones - Do they work on the surface, and if not, at what depth do they begin to operate?

2. Hydrophone Sweep -- What does it do? The one on my boat does not cause the hydrophone to sweep from what I can see, nor does it cause the sonar ping to operate.

3. Radar -- not operable on my boat in early 1942, except for the air antenna radar. What is that for? Airplanes? Ships? At what depth does the air antenna operate? Does it only work on the surface?

4. Other Radar -- When radar is working, does it work on the surface? If not, at what depth does it operate and at what depth does it cease to operate?

5. Sonarman - He loses sonar contact often. He has trouble following a contact when ordered to do so. What is up with that?

6. Sonarman - I thought the sonarman would follow a contact when ordered to so, and that he would continue to anounce a contact's position when the periscope was down. When I put the periscope down the sonarman stops announcing the contact's position contrary to orders. What is going on?
1. No, they do not work on the surface (more due to poor coding of the game than reality). In RFB they will start to work at about the time the decks become awash.

2. It just means the sonarman will conduct a normal, 360-degree sweep for sound contacts.

3. Aircraft contacts only. The 3D radar station is for the surface search radar only. Air search radar is manned by the AI only and cannot be shut on or off. The mast can be extended at shallow depths in order to search for aircraft contacts before surfacing (see the radar tab for the appropriate command).

4. Like air radar, surface search radar will also work so long as the antenna is above the surface of the water. Its mast, however, cannot be extended.

5. It's a mystery that goes back to SH3. ;)

6. See number 5. ;)

[I'm goin' down]

Thank you for the thorough reply.

[AVGWarhawk]

More on the sonar while surfaced...it was possible to use the sonar while surfaced. It could pick up supersonic sounds. However, the sub had to be stopped and or very slow revs on the props. If not, the sonarman could not pick sound. When the past patch came out, you could hear Honolulu radio no matter where you are and what speed you were going. Seemed a bit overboard really. So, Duci just removed it in TMO. Luke handled it a bit differently and I liked it. You can use that sonar when you hit about 30 feet(decks awash as Luke said). But it is kind of two fold because your sub will naturally slows down as it submerges having to push all that water. So, you slowed down(as it had to be in RL) but still can use the sonar while surfaced although you are not complete surfaced as it was in RL. IMO, I liked how Luke designed it and I do use it to my advantage when conducting night surface attacks because I come in decks awash. Also, you do not have to submerge all the way just to make a sweep of the area with sonar. But, this will not work with the S-class as the sonar head is on the deck and not under the chin as the fleets were set up.