Question on Sonar Use at Peri Depth
 

Was fleet boat sonar actually functional at this depth historically??

And where was that link that listed the file mods to make it functional in SHIV?? I did a search but came up empty.

Thanks.

I saw this yesterday and can't find it either...

Yes, historically hydrophones would function at periscope depth and shallower. Interference from surface noise might degrade their functioning depending on conditions.

If you just apply simple logic here, it is obvious they would function: how would a destroyer with hyrdophones be able to detect a sub if hydrophones suddenly stopped working at 55 feet?

I am not an expert with Naval sensor terminology, but I was under the impression that SONAR and HYDROPHONES were not the same thing.

Isn't sonar the sensor to determine range to a target with a non-passive sound "ping", whereas the hydrophones are a passive listening device? i.e. two different apparatus.

Or am I completely off base here?

You are right. However, AFAIK late war sonar (ASDIC) also incorporated a directional microphone, so you could listen and be sure you were going to ping in the correct bearing, as well as hearing the echo yourself.

Not completely :) SONAR stands for SOund Navigation And Ranging, so any sound-based locating device could be called 'sonar'.

Sonar devices fall into two categories; active and passive. Active sonar sends out a 'ping' to locate an object by echo while passive sonar is just for listening to whatever is out there.

Basically, hydrophones and the 'ping' are both sonar devices.

Got it. Two different apparatus but technically both are SONAR equipment.

Thanks.

That logic works for me. So, where was that thread anyway??? Perhaps it was in the general SHIV forum.

For the record as I was refering to the hydrophones.

hope that with 1.2 you CAN use hydrophones at periscope depth... I don´t like to have to dive a little more for use them and lost periscope view.... (in SH3 no problem with that... but well this hydrophones are Made in U.S.A. :lol:)

since this is the mod forum, dare I ask the obvious? Anyone found a way to change the depth at which the hydrophones are functional? Maybe there is a parameter in a cfg file somewhere...

:damn:

People, you can only use one sensor at a time. If your using your peiscope, the sonar won't work. Want sonar back? lower the periscope and wait a couple seconds.

In the fleet boats, with 60ft PD, this is true. For those of us that drive Pig Boats though, PD is above the depth that the hydrophones will work, even when your periscope is down.

lol, nope.

54 ft. No contacts, no sound at station.
55 ft. Contacts, sound at station.
55 ft. Periscope up. Sound contacts, visual contacts, sound at station
54 ft. Periscope up. Visual contacts, no sound contacts, no sound at station.

Tested with the Porpoise class sub in the first training mission.

:hmm:

Well, im both right, and wrong. :lol: Honestly ive never used any of the pig boats, so i woudlnt have noticed. Tambor/gar is usualy what i start with.

That said, i think its fixable.

It's modable adjusting one of the min sensor values, once I get the 1.2 patch I'll make a fix, I have it working at PD with 1.1.

Ref

Wrong. Theres nothing about the periscope that would interfere with sonar. From Edward Beaches Submarine! Pocket Books edition, pg. 125

In Harders conning tower the range dials on the TDC have reached 1,500 yards:target's speed is 15 knots, angle on bow zero, relative bearing zero, torpedo gyros zero.
"stand by to shoot! Up periscope!"
The periscope whines softly as it rises out of its well. At this moment another report frpm Sound:"Fast screws! Close aboard starboard beam!"

Thats just one example in the book where a sonar operator detected an unseen destroyer while the captain is on the periscope. There were others but thats the only one I could easily find. You may be thinking of radar, and thats would be true until they tried radar antennas on periscopes.

Actually I am quite sure he is refering to the game feature, or mechanics if you will. :doh:

Well, its not a game feature, its a bug. And with the "head hitting the wall" icon I thought he was saying it was historicly correct and shouldnt be fixed when its not correct. If I'm wrong I apologize but the sonar should work at PD for all boats.

I think we all agree that sonar should work whenever submerged, regardless of the else may be going on ! But - feature or bug, the game does ignore radar and sonar when you have eyeballs on a target.