simplest way to caculate speed?

[Drewcifer]

What is the fastest, or simplest way to figure the speed of any single vessel. I'm talking within visual range, after I've already a rough idea of course, and range. I'm just having some issues really dialing down speed... as the estimate speed button in game is fubar... and always inaccurate ATLEAST by a few knots at all times and the further out the worse it is. I find if it says six, its probably 4, or less.. etc.

[scratch81]

I had a stationary battleship at 1500m (give or take) register at 1429 kts once...

I think there is a tutorial for this though in the manual targeting section of one of the faq stickies.

[Lister471]

I was told.

Length divided by time.

You put the crosshair in front of the boat, once it touches the bow start counting until it reaches the stern. This gives you time.

So lets say 120 seconds.

Next you need to identify the boat in the ship book thing, lets say its 200 long.

so you have 500 / 100
Witch gives you 5
Now you times that by 2 and you get

10 so its 10 kts

Hopes that clear ish.

[kylania]

Plot it's position, range and bearing. Wait 3 minutes 15 seconds and plot it's position again. Draw a line between the two spots. Measure the length of the line by 100 to get speed in knots. So if the ship moved 800m in 3m 15s, it's traveling at 8kts. If it moved 1500m it's moving 15kts.

Pictures of this method here:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...93&postcount=4

[Drewcifer]

The problem with that is you would need to know the length of the ship. via Darkwraiths mod or some such.. which is beautiful. I'm just for the life of me trying to finish a campaign in stock, at 100% because I have the need too. That being said I've no problems being blind and I can generally figure out course and range.. roughly enough to get into a firing position not always perfect but well... anyways the problem is speed needs to be pretty damn on the money in order to score a successful hit... and with the options availble to me in stock SH5... getting a speed is like pulling nails. I generally end up eyeballing it and guessing which tends to be not wholey smart nor efficient use of Germany national property..

[Drewcifer]

Hmm again with map contacts off and with stock SH5.. getting a position on the map to measure while the ship moves would be nothing more then a guess... so the 3/15 rule is something I can't functionally use.

[Paco]

Originally Posted by Drewcifer

Hmm again with map contacts off and with stock SH5.. getting a position on the map to measure while the ship moves would be nothing more then a guess... so the 3/15 rule is something I can't functionally use.

Hm, take it like a real U-Boat-Man:

You know the speed-charts, like they are in TDWs mod, or a printable version for calculating.



Ok, you have them, then we can start:

You have spotted a single merchant and you are close enough to identify him and could use the stadimeter.

You have the bearing from scope or UZO and the range from stadimeter. Put these facts as a little arrow in the map. So you have the current position.

Then You wait for 5 or better 10 minutes, perhaps you have to travel at the horizon besides the target, or better, you rush ahead to the desired place to finally attack the ship.

At this position, after a coffee or some beer, you do the same things as described above -> bearing, range and mark it into the map.
Finally you have to messure the range between the markers. No calculator needed now, only look at the speedchart, hhhhm, 10 minutes, ca. 3400 m, lets have a look at the charts, ok 11 knots.

Also You could use the line between the points for calculating aob, etc.

I hope this helps You,
Paco