best depth for hydrophone
 

Hi y'all,

I have a question regarding the best depth for listening with the hydrophone (e.g. checking your surroundings for surface ships when you're in your patrol area). I usually go to 100 ft and then do my check.

I wonder is it necessary to go that deep (100 ft) or is periscope depth just as good. If it is, then there is no need to go deeper which is less of a hassle if you have to do it frequently (it's the reason why I ask). If it is better to be deeper than that then I would like to know:

Which does apply? (always being higher than thermal layer)

1) the deeper the better
2) at least deeper than x and higher than y

and also

if there is a best depth, what do we gain from that? I am assuming greater range, but how much approximately?

Of course any suggestion made above always include being higher than the thermal layer as being lower would make no sense right?

Thanks

rosentorf

Although I usually dip to around 80 feet or so for a sound check it appears that there is no change in sonar 'quality' if you will if you go any deeper than periscope depth.

Evidently just getting the hydrophone below the surface is enough (in the game).

I have even gotten sound contacts while surfaced in rough seas and a wave washes over the deck :doh:

Thanks SteamWake,

this is what I always assumed. But now I know that others see it the same way. In that case I can now just go to periscope depth for my checks which makes possible to not use the mouse and just use keyboard commands which I prefer for these kinda things.

Why is it that on my porpoise the hydrophones are quite visibly below the hull (kinda looks like submarine nuts) but I still have to dive to 40 feet or so for it to pick up anything? Boggles the mind.

I believe that the disturbed water (from waves and so on) close to the top does not efficiently carry the sound.

so why doesn't that affect the destroyers? Is this a simulated aspect in the game or is it a "feature" of SHIV carried over from SHIII where hydrophones were AFAIK mounted on top?

Destroyers can't hear other surface ships either. When surfaced your hydrophones should be able to pick up submerged submarines. They probably don't in-game, but that's how it works.

I could've sworn I saw a post where the ownship AI sonarman had more success picking up contacts at 100ft than 60. Can't find it, though.