Depending on how slowly you are entering the information into the TDC, by the time you clicked the position keeper status button the firing solution may have been bad.

If you use the Imperial system, there's the 3 minute rule:

1) Plot current location of target on map with the pencil, start the chronometer.

2) After 3 minutes, make a 2nd mark at it's location.

3) Measure (in yards) the distance between the 2 marks.

4) Take that measurement (in yards) and divide it by 100. This is it's speed in knots.

Of course, having 3 minutes is quite a luxury.

The best explanation I ever read about manual targeting (and plotting):

http://www.paulwasserman.net/SHIII/

it was written for SH III buth the principles remain the same......

somewhat OT, but i'm curious: historically, on boats of the USN in the pacific of this period, who was responsible for actually providing the data fed to the TDC? the capitain, the watch officer, the "weapons officer" (did USN boats have such a position?), some combination of the above? how did the data acquisition role differ from surfaced to submerged?

also, any recommended source readings for any of the infos above would be much appreciated!

cheers
hc

1060 x 3 = 3180

Some great info here. I'm learning to play on 100% and it's not too difficult except for determining speed. I've been estimating and that is not very accurate.

Forgive me if i'm just really dumb (which i am at math, especially Trig) but when i type into my calc "tan(5)3060" my answer is not even close to 267, its -10344... and i don't believe there is another way to put it into my Ti-83, any help would be grand as this is the only step i'm missing to being able to use the TDC atleast semi-properly. Thanks :up:

ryuzu's calculation
 

Hi ryuzu

[quote=ryuzu]
Important note on all of this, if you are not perpendicular to the track of the target, this system will not be accurate since the trigonometry in use is for right angle triangles. However, as long as you're more or less in the right place this should be accurate enough.

It looks like a lot of work, but you can get through the maths quickly enough and come out with an accurate result. If you're struggling for time, just pause the game when you've got the time and bearing change and you can take as long as you like going through the numbers.

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Can you give an example or workings of a trigonometry calculation when you are not perpendicular to the track of the target?

say you have the folllowing information from two observation...


1st observation - bearing to target and range of target
2nd observation (maybe 30 secs or a minute later?) - bearing to target and range of target

Other information available- your own speed and distance covered in the time between the two observation. your own course.

Is it possible to work out the AOB of the 2nd observation and the the distance travelled by the target between the two observation?


Thanks

What we need is the nomograph mod from SH3 ported over to SH4. That thing is golden for figuring out speed, distance, and time.

How can you plot the target ship's position on the map on 100% realism? I get no icons except for my own unless a radio message is recieved but even then its position is not updated.

Yup. You do it :D

Get the bearing and range to target, then go to the map and make a mark your self. Want it updated? Get the range and bearing again and make a new mark.

We really need the bearing overlay for own sub icon on the map like the SH3 mod to make drawing bearing lines a whole bunch easier.