Thanks Lieutenant for getting back to me, good to have pictures to see what you're seeing!
The first thing I notice is in your JSGME setup. You should
not have both Aspect Ratio mods activated at the same time. Yes, the "8 to 5" (8:5) Aspect Ratio is the one to use for a 1680x1050 resolution, but only use one or the other Aspect Ratio mods to correct the len's. Since you want to use the Realistic Scopes, remove the "OTC for 8 to 5 Aspect Ratio_TMO" from the activation list. As the readme state, this "OTC for 8 to 5 Aspect Ratio_TMO" provides green colored Telemeter divisions for all scopes, and divides them into "fractional" divisions. If you want a more realistic scope appearance, use
only the "OTC_Realistic Scopes for 8 to 5_TMO" mod.
One important thing to remember about JSGME. Never remove a mod out of the order that you placed it in when deactivating. Always use the rule: "Last mod in, first mod out". As in your case, remove the realistic scopes mod first, then the regular scopes mod, then activate the realistic scopes mod again. This way you won't run the risk of having loose files kept in the main SH game files because JSGME forgot to remove them. Or, at least couldn't figure out what to do with a file that was pulled out of the order it was put in.
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The second thing is your concern of the Range figure found in the Notepad
before taking a stadimeter reading. The figure you should rely on is the Range figure
after taking a stadimeter reading and "sending" it to the TDC computer. Not the figure that's displayed before a reading is made. Unlike the American side, there is no "Position Keeper" to keep track of a targets position or speed once Range, AoB, and Speed have been inputted. So, these figures will constantly change and need to be updated as the target changes position. The Range figure of a target is going to change within a short time after taking a reading, the only reliable reading for range is the one you just took, not one that shows from a few minutes earlier, or a range figure that may have come from a previous target that still shows on the Notepad.
As your example image shows, the range states 817 meters, but after taking the stadimeter reading (provide you took a good, accurate reading) the "sent" range to the TDC was 1167 meters. The 1167 meters is the correct and accurate range. If you happen to have the Option available for allowing "Map Contacts Updated", the target should measure with the "ruler" (from center of your sub, to center of the Clemson) in the 1160 meter range.
I ran another test using the 1680x1050 8:5 resolution and having a Clemson DD sitting out at about the 1550 meter range from a Type IX D2 German sub. I did this during daylight, unlike your images shown at night. I'll admit, trying to see the mast top of a Clemson at night is a real challenge. I say this because trying to see the mast top during daylight at 1550 or so range is fairly hard. As I hinted to earlier, your stadimeter accuracy is only as good as the placement of the waterline image at the top of the mast. At night this is always going to be difficult.
The first image shows the Clemson with the Notepad Range displaying 1552 meters. As I usually do when testing, I first run the test with Auto Targeting "enabled", allowing the game to tell me what the true range to target is. The Clemson is stationary, so is the sub. This is a good way of checking accuracy of the Omnimeter and (in this case) the 8:5 Aspect Ratio lens mod.
As the above image shows, the target is at 1552 meters range, and the Telemeter divisions count a bit less than 4 1/4 tall.
The next image has the Omnimeter set to the Clemson's 28.7 meter height for the mast top.
Just a bit less than 4 1/4 Telemeter division's shows the Range Scale at around the 1550 meter distance. Yep, the accuracy of the Telemeter divisions, the Omnimeter, and the Aspect Ratio mod are confirmed.
The next image has the game restarted, this time with Manual Targeting "enabled". I've just clicked on the Stadimeter icon (at the lower left of the Notepad) and have placed the waterline onto the mast top.
Forgive me if you know this, but I've outlined the proper steps to take in "getting and sending" a stadimeter reading to the TDC.
You first click the lower left icon, on the Notepad, to have the stadimeter second image appear.
You place the waterline onto whatever reference point that's defined in the Recognition Manual (sometimes it's a mast top, others it's the funnel, still others can be the top of the flag), then click the left mouse button again. For better control, use the "Control Key" while moving the image with the mouse capturing the image. This will allow for more precise placement of the waterline image.
After the second mouse click (usually somewhere on the screen) the stadimeter image will disappear, then you click the "check mark" on the Notepad to send the stadimeter range figure to the TDC. The stadimeter reading will now show the found range on the Notepad at this page. If you mouse click the "X" at the bottom of the Notepad, you'll return to the top page of the Notepad and see your actual TDC Range input there too.
Notice the above image and the Range on the Notepad stating 1077m. 1077 meters is what the Notepad shows BEFORE sending the Stadimeter figure to the TDC. This is not the correct Stadimeter found range. The true Stadimeter found range was 1548 meters after clicking the "check mark" on the Notepad. The above image, with the waterline placement at the mast top, after following the correct steps, revealed only a 4 meter difference of the Stadimeter reading compared to the actual distance to target of 1552.
Below I have a closeup of the above image.
Notice the Range Dial behind the Torpedo Panel (I should have hid the Panel). It's reading at the 1077 meter distance. Again this is where the Notepad is showing the range it does, BRFORE taking a Stadimeter reading and "sending" it to the TDC. After taking the reading the correct range (1548 meters) is displayed on the Notepad.
With OTC you have two ways of getting range to a target when using Manual Targeting at the Periscope or UZO stations. Using the Stadimeter, or taking a Telemeter reading and using the Omnimeter. To place an Omnimeter found range into the TDC (as was shown, about 1550 meters) you mouse capture the Range Dial (after hiding the Torpedo Panel), then "click" the check mark icon on the Notepad "sending" the Range Dial figure to the TDC.
With either way you do it, the information must be "sent" to the TDC with the "check mark" click. Only after sending the range to the TDC will the correct range be displayed on the Notepad. Why the game has a figure at all in the Notepad is beyond me. Don't trust whatever the Notepad states for Range untill AFTER mouse clicking the
check mark.
As far as figuring Speed of a target, I like the process of map plotting on the Navigation Map and using the Nomograph to give me an accurate estimate. You don't need to have the "Map Contacts Updated" enabled to still plot a targets position on the map. The targets Relative Bearing and Range estimate will give you it's position at any given time. You need to use the "Nav Map Tools" to measure and plot the targets position. Use the elasped time a target travels between two measured plotted positions points and use them on the Nomograph. Knowing distance, with elapsed time, equals Speed.