http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=2742

Maybe I am missing something but I don't see where this says anything about upper left. It refers to the "Target DIAL", and then the next slide refers to the "Target Course DIAL".

JCC

John, what are you saying? Are you saying you agree with me? Or, are you saying that it is the triangle on the Target dial that one should I should drag to set course? If the later, I think it is incorrect as I have explained above. The above pic clearly infers, incorrectly I believe, that course is changed (i.e. set) by dragging the triangle on the Target dial (not the Target Course triangles.)

If you are saying that you drag the two Target Course triangles, then I am in agreement that those two triangles be dragged to set the target's course for transmission to the TDC via the Aob dial.

Please enlighten me as to what you want me to do. I will do it. I am not sure what the purpose of the above pic is other than to inform us that we can expose a triangle on the Target dial and drag it around. It has no particular function from what I can discern. If you had a pic of the Target Course dials on the other hand, and advise us to drag the two triangles to the appropriate course, I would understand the above pic. (I am aware that you advise dragging the two triangles on a subsequent pic, but that does not explain the purpose of an instruction dragging the triange on the target dial above.)

Practice mission 3
 

The target south of the boat in the mission, how do you formulate an attack plan? The target is closing so fast from starboard that it is hard to close with accurate range and bearing plots. Should I turn my boat to port and race ahead of the target? This is a tough target.

If I am thinking clearly:
The triangle on the Target Dial is used to quickly move the triangles on the Target Course dial. As you mention, the Target Course triangles can be a pain to drag around.

Click and drag the Target Dial triangle, while keeping an eye on the Target Course Dial. When the two triangles are near what you need to set, go to that dial, and fine tune the course with those. You do not need to set anything on the Target Dial itself, it's just a way to quickly set the Target Course Dial. What that triangle points to does not matter, don't even bother looking at it. Pay attention only to the Target Course Dial.


Edit:
This slide:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=2740

Exactly right.

JCC

I'm goin' down wrote...I use Irfanview and it is just too easy. Download, install, go to file drop down list,open pic you want to convert and resize, click on image, select resize/resample, check set new size, check 800x600, go to file drop down list, save as, JPG-JPG/JPEG Format. You already know how to do photobucket since we can see your pics.

Urge

Oh, ugg I'm a medic. I have to post more.

Urge

You are thinking clearly. The key to the explanation is that the triangle on the Target is a "helper" and will not do the job re course. I assumed it would match course perfectly. Wrongamundo! Okay, that problem is solved. Thanks.

On repeated attempts to hit targets in the various 3D TDC training missions I have been successful but I am having issues with plotting and especially getting speed. In the XRT5 TDC training mission where I know the speed is 10 knots I am unable to come up with a solution of 10 knots. I think my problem is not getting the marks accurately at 3 minutes apart. After your initial range and bearing you make an X on the map behind your sub. when you take your second range and bearing you have to put the second X behind your sub at exactly 3 minutes Yes? Is there a way to force the stopwatch to remain visible even when you switch screens? What with getting the range and bearing, stopping the radar, switching to the nav map, pulling up the stopwatch and making an X at exactly 3 minutes I am having issues. Is there something I am missing? I know I'm slow but I catch on eventually.
Why can't I skip the protractor and just draw a line from the X behind my boat thru the relevant bearing on the 360° plotter out to the distance the radar shows? My plots are only coming out within 10° even though I am pausing the game. I don't get how you could do an accurate plot without pausing the game? Is anyone having any luck doing this? I would be interested in hearing your techniques. Or even if you are pausing the game if anyone wants to flesh out how they go about plotting I'm sure it would be helpful to all.

Urge

You don't have to measure exactly 3 minutes apart, as you're right that does require some good timing and quick radar skills. Speed = Distance / Time, so you can measure the distance between two points measured at any time interval.

One knot = One nautical mile travelled in one hour. One nautical mile = 2,000 yards (in game). Or in other words Knots = Miles / Hours. So, if you have a target that travels 3.7 miles in 23 minutes, 23/60 = 0.383 (approx) then Knots = 3.7 / 0.383 = 9.7 knots aprox. You can use seconds too, you just have to divide those by 3600 to convert them into a fraction of an hour. Or failing all that, use the nomograph as detailed by Sergei earlier in the thread.

The stopwatch is a pain as it keeps disappearing, yet another annoyance of the game.

As to why you can't just plot with the bearing tool, well you can, but you have to use true bearings, instead of the relatve bearings the radar readout will give you. The protractor is necessary to plot the relative bearing from your course to the target, rather than the absolute bearing you get when using the bearing tool.

If you're having trouble plotting, can you post up a screenshot of your plot and also the points you took to plot against (e.g. bearing, range and time) and we can have a look and see what is going wrong.

stop watch
 

I have the same issue as urge re the stopwatch. I bitched about the stopwatch disappearing a long time ago. Someone needs to do a mod that will keep it on the screen unless we the click it or hit the "X" button to make it disappear.

For speed, what i have been doing is draw the first "x" behind the boat and plot the the angle. Then I sit there and do nothing but wait about 2 minutes and 30 seconds minutes while I stare at the Nav Map. I then take a second range and bearing, stop the watch, mark the spot with an "x" and plot the bearing angle. In each instance I stop the game to plot. After the second plot, I plot range for both readings. I have no idea how anyone can successfully mange the game without pausing it to enter the plots using the 3D TDC.

First of all no one should be worrying about speed until you have a fair idea of the target's range and course and have that plotted out on your map.

Now, if you want to stay with the three minute rule simply put an mark where your sub is and write down the range and bearing of the contact at that time on a piece of paper.

Start the watch.

Go back to the radar screen (now the watch is running in the background) and get ready to plot your next data point. Press the "X" key and voila the watch is back.

You know have about 2:30 to relax and get ready.

by 2:45 get your contact postion plotted on the PPI and be at the A-Scope and

at 3:00 write down range and bearing on a piece of paper, move to map and put another X where your sub is.

You now have the 2 positions where the data was collected, all of the bearing and range info for both X's and can take your time plotting and measuring the difference.

Nisgeis I am beginning to wonder if tying the TDC clock to the Stopwatch might be a good idea after all. If there was some way to start it when you start the plot then all of this becomes a little easier for newcommers.

JCC

Just a clarification. I think I understand the above, but want to make sure it does not cause confusion. If you plot with the protractor, you can plot relative bearing. The angle create by the protractor and used on the plot can match the relative bearing reading.

If you forgo the protractor and use the ruler/compass tool, you are not drawing an angle. You are drawing a line. The only way to know what direction the line is drawn is by reference to the line's true course on the compass/ruler tool. There is no relation between the number of degrees on the angle created using the protractor and the number of degrees on the true course of the line drawn using the ruler/compass tool. I think that is what Nisgeis is saying.

The above refers to Training Mission no. 3. Nisgeis, give me a hint on how to tackle the SOB to the south. (pretty please with sprinkles on it.)

I tried TM 4. Target to the NW. I thought I was doing okay until I noticed the target was at 260 degrees. That did not look right, so I checked the Nav Map. I overshot the target's course line which I had plotted at 90 degrees. I hit reverse to back up, but my boat began to turn. I ended up firing 4 aft torpedoes out of desperation. They never had a chance. I wasn't close or even in the ballpark. (Could not see a thing due to weather.) Another hour gone.

Mr. Channing
 

I have been rereading your tutorial. I did you notice that you instruct to start the PK, but never instruct to turn it off. (I can live with that instruction.) Further along in the tutorial, you instruct to reenter range and speed. You instruct to turn the PK on a second time. Why would I do that? THE PK IS ON AND HAS NOT BEEN TURN OFF. I think it is a duplicative instruction. Correct me if I am wrong.

I am off the TM 4 to sink the SOB to the NW (where is Urge when I need him? Okay, Okay, Segei will do in his stead...), which is HIDDEN BY A CLOAKING DEVISE disguised a bad weather (some refer to it as a typhoon.)

OK, I'm just going to post some screenshots and you can make of them what you will.
Here is the radar range and bearing right after I turned off the radar.
http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/a...135111_375.jpg
Here is the protractor marking down the 319° bearing.
http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/a...135342_156.jpg
and here is the ruler laying out the same 319° bearing
http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/a...135412_921.jpg
Here is an earlier attempt at plotting. The target is going ese but I have him going ene.
http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/a...133512_500.jpg

SH4 crashed while I was going back and forth and alt tabbing with irfanview running, Loreena Mckennitt singing in the background and whatever else was running so I didn't get the actual plot I was working on.

So, clearly I don't have a clue here from what you are saying. Save me(from myself?) Nisgeis and or JCC!

Urge

Blew it agaon
 

#$%@^^*+!!!

OK, the radar bearing is a relative bearing, so if it's 319, then that means the target is 41 degrees to your port off the bow. What you're doing there is plotting 319 as an absolute bearing, so you're in effect plotting the wrong position. If you are using the protractor, you need to plot with an angle that is the same as the relative bearing, in the case of 319, that would be 41 degrees to port, so the protractor angle would be 41 degrees, instead of 22 degrees as you have there.

If you want to plot with just the ruler, then you'd need to plot with the True bearing, which is the bearing in relation to North. This involves a bit more mental airthmetic, as you have to factor in your own course, which in that screenshot looks to be 340, to a target at a relative bearing of 319 with an own course of 340, would mean the true bearing to the target was 299.

That's all probably a bit confusing, so why not use the 360 bearing tool that you have installed. As you can see it gives you all the bearings relative to the sub, so you should be plotting along the line that says 319 on the sub bearing ring graphic.

41 degrees to port.

Yes Razark, slip of the fingers :DL.

Here's your diagram annotated to see if this helps:

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...ottingHelp.jpg

Obviously the relative bearing of 337 isn't quite right and probably the angle isn't quite 23 degees on the protractor, as the relative bearing ring is attached you your sub and it's moved forwards a bit, but that's how you would read it if it were in the right place.