Read this:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=92743

to interpret the lines made on the example pictures, just remeber that they represent aproximate positions for the target at different points in time that where given to you as intervals (for example "medium range") and hence they're not points but lines that go from "here to there" according to the range estimate given. You can see that as the range to target closes the lines shift to smaller sizes. For example the last ones are only 1 km long, since "short" range means from 0km to 1km, whereas the previous ones where 2km long, because "medium" range means more than 1km but less than 3km (giving you a 2km interval). And of course, the big line that represent's the target's track is drawn and continualy updated so that it cuts through all of the "contact" lines (this assumes that the target is traveling in a straight line).

Anyway, just read it carefully and I'm sure you'll get it.

Also, observe how this technique is used auxiliarly in the 2nd part of the "Video Hunt":
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=97682
And of course, there's allways this thread:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=88961

That's how I did it. I play at 61% realism. Sailing to my assigned patrol area or when patroling the asigned grid, every now and then I will go to periscope depth every now and then (every two or three hours), keep the speed ahead full, and tell SO to do normal sweeping.

When I get contatc report, I got the map and zoom in to the max magnification. Once I get max zoom, I mark the end of the contatc line. I stay submerge and keep the speed and mark the contact line again, when the contact line moves., which indicate the ship is moving, I mark the end of the contact line again. After several marks, I usually end up with at least 5 marks, I draw a line connecting those marks. That line is the ship's path. To figure which direction it goes, I simply extended the line and determine where i plan to intercept it.

This method works every time for a single ship and convoys. If a convoy, simply make more marks on several contact lines. You'll be able to tell if the convoy consist of two columns or three columns, then you can position your boat inside the convoy.

When I say "every time" I mean every single time in my last 2 careers, with the last one lasted up to 6th mission :D

I also find out on several occasions, that when the map is zoomed in to the max magnification, the difference between the ship's position as indicated by the marking on contact line and the actual position of the ship seen through the periscope is about 100 m. The contact line shows the ship(s) to be 100 m farther then its actual position.

Bob

You will hear a lot more things with engines slow or full stop...;)

Thanks Corsair, :up: I'll keep that in mind when I start a new career tonight :D

Funny thing is, this may sound stupid, I often feel that I have to be at my assigned grid as soon as possible, finish my patrol and get the hell back home as quickly as I can ... don't want to spend more time than necessary at sea, it's not really safe out there :D

Bob

Most of the time it's not in the assigned grid that you find targets...;)

What realism setting gets the sonar man to write something on the notepad and draw lines on the map?

I have never seen this with any contact in 7 patrols so far. I use sonar to find most of the ships, but the only help I get is when the sonar guy says contact, merchant at long range on some bearing. I make the bearing my new course, drive 20 minutes and submerge for a new listen. Lather, rinse, repeat until the watch crew sees the ship. Then I use maneuver and manual targetting. The idea of getting some of this information from sonar is intriguing...I am useing 87% realism, with only external view and event view on...

"No map contact updates" should be off.

Awesome. And here I was trying to use trig, the stopwatch, and a bunch of other stuff to solve it. :damn:

I thought the hydrophone information was bearing only - I didn't know that it provided a reasonably accurate estimate of distance as well. Going to max zoom is a great tip, and using this data to map convoy columns is also very useful.

Gentlemen, thanks very much to all of you for your assistance with this problem. I've learned an awful lot on this thread, and a tremendous amount of faulty guesswork on my part has just been eliminated from my patrols.

11Bravo, it's not the SO who marks and draws the lines on the map, it's done manually by me. My realism setting was 61% and last night I started a new career with 67% realism.

I also use sonar to find ships. And when SO reported contact, long range or short range, clsoing or moving away, I stay submerged for a while longer, go the navigation map, zoom the map to maximum and start marking the end of the contact line. Then set my course to intercept the ship. It works every time.

Hey Bravo, this is how i used to do it as well, but the problem with this method is that you end up chasing the contact as opposed to intercepting it. You're always heading to wear the ship "was", instead of where it's "going"...