Trouble finding convoys
 

Guys, I am using Silent Hunter 3 on my Mac WITHOUT GWX installed. It is August 1941 and I am having trouble finding convoys, even when using the map with the convoy lanes that came with the game and I only patrol the lanes that are in use in the current year.

Any ideas? I used to get a few convoys in AM52 and AM53 but they have dried up. Should I be using my hydrophones more when submerged? I just don't seem to pick any convoys up. Patrolling just west of Gibraltar and nothing.

Anyone know how often convoys are spawned???

First of all why are you playing sh3 without GWX?

Maybe you're too close to Gibraltar, some convoys might not get spawned. Trying to find ships by sound increases detection chances. From time to time you should surface the boat to receive radio contacts from Bdu.

I hope this helps. :salute:

Vince82

Thanks for your help mate-will try that.

I managed to install SH3 via a steam download on Wine. Not sure how to install GWX via a Mac. Any ideas?

I can't help you with that, because I'm not familiar with Mac.

Best of luck.

The convoy lanes are general areas used by convoys. This does not mean they will be exactly in the lanes. When I patrol, I zig past these lanes into several grids past then zag back across several grids.

The hydrophone only has a maximum range of 34km (if you listen yourself). That is still a needle-head in the proverbial Atlantic haystack. It won't help you much if you don't know where to be looking for them.

The contact report icons of single units and convoys are only shown when they are in your immediate surroundings. I think it is some 250km by default. You can find these range settings in the file:

SilentHunterIII_installfolder\Data\Cfg\contacts.cf g

It is just a text file that you can open with notepad (Windows) or whatever equivalent simple text editor the Mac has. They are the first two lines. I don't know what the difference is between Opportunity and Important Radio contacts. But I feel there is no realism objection for increasing these ranges substantially. Radio operators of Uboats should have been able to receive messages from BdU at distances a lot more than that. It doesn't create more convoys or other contacts in the world. (That is all up to the campaign scenario files) But if they are there, and the campaign files feels you are lucky enough to deserve an icon to be given (based on random number generator, probability setting and time interval), you should see them further out on the map. And it will be up to you if they are worth it to go after them.

Well said Pices.

Even in excellent visibility you should dive to periscope depth regularly and listen for a ship manually. You will be surprised what you may find.