Is the SH3 radar unusable?

[Gabucino]

I'm using FuMO-30 on VIIC (GWX). The only radar contact I get is at the home dock at game start, then never again (yes I turn it on). Couldn't get any results with focused target scanning either.

[GREY WOLF 3]

UBOAT 47 GET OFF MY BOAT:o:o:o

[psykopatsak]

very occationally can you get a radar contact, shortly before your watch crew spots them...

[Snestorm]

The main reason I get radar is that I can remain on the surface and keep rolling in foggy weather, without worrying about getting run over. To this end, it's always worked satisfactorialy.

[Gilbou]

I have never used it yet. I do let the crewman handle it on subs it is installed but when I move to the station, nothing seems to work :/

[CptCrunch]

I was experimenting with the radar today in a 1944 generated mission- knew a big convoy was coming, how close, and where and still couldn't get any joy from the radar. The escort vessels of course picked me up no problem - I know German radar was relatively primitive compared to the allies but it really seems completely useless!:)

[Gilbou]

That's because it's not installed that I am not getting the green lines in the radar like in the SH4 ?

[timwatson]

I'm with you on this. I've lost two boats due to accidental collisions in low visiblity conditions.

Something worth mentioning about May 42 radar: In high seas it seems to automatically diengage whenever a wave contacts the anntenna array, which if you think about it, makes sense.

Kaleun Rolfe Hass in U129


The main reason I get radar is that I can remain on the surface and keep rolling in foggy weather, without worrying about getting run over. To this end, it's always worked satisfactorialy.

[Jimbuna]

It works fine...simply leave it on automatic sweep but be sure to turn it off if it detects something or they will come racing down your bearing.

[IanC]

It works fine...simply leave it on automatic sweep but be sure to turn it off if it detects something or they will come racing down your bearing.

Cooool! :ping:

[timwatson]

very occationally can you get a radar contact, shortly before your watch crew spots them...

Unfortunately the radar array is actually mounted on the con at lower than the watch crew eye level. One has to assume at best it is capable of detecting enemy upper mast arrays too small to be seen by eye on the far horizon.

I try to limit use of radar partly because the early FUMO array was designed to only scan a very limited arc of horizon centered beyond the bows of the boat. It's main benefit seems to be detection when navigating a straight course in very low visiblity conditions - thereby reducing the hazard of a career-ending accidental collision.

Rolfe Hass U129

[maillemaker]

I find radar to be useless. It almost never detects anything. First of all, you want radar the most in low visibility, which usually means rough seas. But if you have your radar set to continuous sweep and a wave crests your tower, it turns off the radar. Which means at any kind of time compression the radar is turning itself off every 3 seconds. Waste. Of. Time.

Secondly, it broadcasts your position. People are able to detect radar signals well before the person using the radar can detect the people detecting them.

So Radar is a fantastic beacon for enemy aircraft and task forces to come find you.

Radar detectors, on the other hand, are priceless.

[timwatson]

Because of the fixed and narrow beam spread, I have to agree with the hazards of using the FUMO at all.
One consideration: when operating in low visiblity (fog and rain) conditions no aircraft will be operating.

Good hunting.

U129

[Snestorm]

One consideration: when operating in low visiblity (fog and rain) conditions no aircraft will be operating.

In the real world yes, but they have attacked me in Heavy Fog, in SH3.

[timwatson]

In the real world yes, but they have attacked me in Heavy Fog, in SH3.


Kaleun,

Thanks for the heads up on this! You may have saved me from a nasty surprize! I'm using the GWX 3 mod.

Next time I leave Lorient, I hope to have Metrox to keep a better eye on things.

Meanwhile we're headed towards New York area on our crew's 11th mission. So far 3 sinkings under our belt totaling 20,000 tons more or less. One was a transport and one a T3.
At this rate maybe we'll be lucky enough to reach the majic 30k renoun at the end of this voyage.

Good Hunting!

U129

[GlassTrain]

Using Silent Editor, it would seem the radar detector ranges in the stock game are laughable. You can see farther than they can pick up contacts in most conditions.

After reading Iron Coffins and how they would get contacts as low impulses that grow in intensity beyond visual range, even with the Metox, I've altered them to be a bit more "realistic". :D

Stock:

Metox 4000m
Borkum 5000m
Naxos 7500m
Tunis 10000m

Moded:


Metox 9000m
Borkum 10000m
Naxos 25000m
Tunis 30000m

I altered the later radar set ranges, too. But, like maillemaker said, you sweep a destroyer, or worse, a task force with radar, chances are your boat is minced meat. The only thing radar is good for is getting a fix on the lone merchant speeding through the fog, as long as the waves aren't breaking over the tower however.

[Snestorm]

The main reason I get radar is that I can remain on the surface and keep rolling in foggy weather, without worrying about getting run over. To this end, it's always worked satisfactorialy.

Belay my last!

With my new installation (The Encore Version), Radar has been transformed from a priceless lifesaver, to a useless piece of garbage.

With my new install (which for the most part is superior to the original), if my depth reaches 7 meters the Radar is turned off, PERMANENTLY.
In SH3 Heavy Fog & Rough Seas go hand in hand.
In clear weather my lookouts outperform the Radar, and I don't use it.
So what good is having Radar at all?

They changed the default setting from ON to OFF.

This is one thing I'd realy like to uncorrect, because they "fixed" something that wasn't broken, but can't find a way to do it.

Any advice, suggestions, instructions from the experts?

(If they "fixed" my Radar Detector the same way, I'm in alot of trouble.)

[Reinhard Dietz]

(If they "fixed" my Radar Detector the same way, I'm in alot of trouble.)

I'm counting on a realistic Metox to save my butt once it's available, and radar would be nice as well, so do share whatever comes along. I got jumped by a Clemson earlier tonight (in Q3 1940, nonetheless) that appeared from nowhere, so working radar would be nice.

[Snestorm]

I'm counting on a realistic Metox to save my butt once it's available, and radar would be nice as well, so do share whatever comes along. I got jumped by a Clemson earlier tonight (in Q3 1940, nonetheless) that appeared from nowhere, so working radar would be nice.

I think those Clemson DDs must come from the USN, to the RN, with radar already installed. That's the escorts that always get the jump on me (and my lookouts) very early on. They always come straight at me, bow on, with a big bone in their mouths. They had to have gotten us on radar. It happened too many times to be a coinsidence.

(In reality their top speed was under-reported by the USN by quite a bit. They had been clocked at 39 Knots! My hyrophone man reports them as, "Warship. Closing. VERY fast.".)

[Dissaray]

The only radar contacts I ever seem to pick up are while at port just after starting the partol. The radar warning on the other hand, I don't think I would get very far without that.

[Angus McBiscuits]

Hey all, apologies for my 1st post being a thread necro but I'm having a serious problem with the fumo30 radar.

I'm running gwx3.0 gold on top of the steam version of SH3, and although I can see that the radar is on & working at the station, change the range scale & switch between focused & sweep modes I'm not able to manually rotate the antenna at all.

I'm guessing that you should be able to do this in a manner analogous to the hydrophone station. (this is what the manual says at least)

You lads know if i'm missing something really obvious?

Thanks in advance.

- Edit, just worked out how to turn the wheel after an hour of confusion. :)

[K-61]

Hmmm. My radar setup seems to allow me to find convoys and track them from beyond visual range. Though, I have a feeling I have done something wrong. I keep getting the "sonar destroyed" message when my game loads. In another thread someone pointed out to me that I have to enable late war sensors. My question is, when do I enable the late war sensors, when radar is available to me? As it is, my use of radar seems not to be bringing heat down on me as other players report. This may be because I do not have the late war sensors mod enabled, something I will fix when I get back to port.

Dang, this is a good forum! I have been a longtime member of Ubi, but lately it is getting to look like a ghost town. There are still a few old salts posting there so I check it daily, but SubSim is where the real action is these days. I've contributed in the past and would like to do so now but I am out of work now and money is real tight. I have to ask my wife for money to buy a lousy fast food meal.

[Jimbuna]

I tend to enable the sensor mod at the beginning of a career....it doesn't impede anything so there is no harm in doing it that way.