Sonar range vs visual range

[Seefer]

When in patrol areas do most of you stay on the surface hoping for contacts or do you submerge to the appropriate depth for hydrophones to work?

I have the KBD 360 hydrophone upgrade installed and I believe it's range is 20 km for merchants and 100 km for larger convoys. How far can your watch crew see visually when running on the surface?

[kylania]

Render range is 40km, you'll never see/hear anything beyond that. Ships will pop into or out of existence when they pass that range.

Hydrophone range is generally around 30-35km for initial contact from what I've seen.

The starter hydrophone works on the surface and this means you'll have approximately 1000% more fun since you'll catch a lot more contacts. Once you upgrade your hydrophones, or use a mod like UHS which correctly stops surface hydrophone contacts, you'll be lucky to find a ship, ever. You'll have to spend the time ducking under the surface every 2 hours, hoping you're close enough to something to hear it. At first it's "realistic" and "fun", then it's "tedious" and "stupid".

I usually end up meeting enough targets or a convoy on the way to a patrol zone so that I sometimes don't make it there at all. Otherwise I just poke around known shipping routes for targets.

[Seefer]

Originally Posted by kylania

Render range is 40km, you'll never see/hear anything beyond that. Ships will pop into or out of existence when they pass that range.

Hydrophone range is generally around 30-35km for initial contact from what I've seen.

The starter hydrophone works on the surface and this means you'll have approximately 1000% more fun since you'll catch a lot more contacts. Once you upgrade your hydrophones, or use a mod like UHS which correctly stops surface hydrophone contacts, you'll be lucky to find a ship, ever. You'll have to spend the time ducking under the surface every 2 hours, hoping you're close enough to something to hear it. At first it's "realistic" and "fun", then it's "tedious" and "stupid".

I usually end up meeting enough targets or a convoy on the way to a patrol zone so that I sometimes don't make it there at all. Otherwise I just poke around known shipping routes for targets.

I've just finished the British Coastal Waters and now on Blockade of Germany. Am I going to have a really horrible time with this damn KBD hydrophone then

I thought you had to be in range of a patrol point for a certain period for it to be completed. Are you saying that on the way, if you encounter some ships and sink them, they count towards patrol completion even if you're not near the patrol point?

[kylania]

Originally Posted by Seefer

I thought you had to be in range of a patrol point for a certain period for it to be completed. Are you saying that on the way, if you encounter some ships and sink them, they count towards patrol completion even if you're not near the patrol point?

In the campaign files patrol objectives are represented by a Map Zone. The ones early on near the east coast of England are around 70km in diameter and later in the Atlantic around 200-250km in diameter. There are triggers for these patrol objectives saying "If a ship is sunk in this map zone it counts".

So if you're in that map zone it'll count.

[Seefer]

Originally Posted by kylania

In the campaign files patrol objectives are represented by a Map Zone. The ones early on near the east coast of England are around 70km in diameter and later in the Atlantic around 200-250km in diameter. There are triggers for these patrol objectives saying "If a ship is sunk in this map zone it counts".

So if you're in that map zone it'll count.

I got got message to relocate to another patrol point off the coast of Iceland after finding nothing either visually or via hydrophone at the first point. I have a horrible feeling I'm in for a depressingly tedious time with this KBD hydrophone

I'm also playing at 50% realism with unlimited fuel but limited Co2 and Batteries. Anyone out there playing with limited fuel? I get the impression limited fuel would be a real pain in the arse.

[kylania]

You usually have enough fuel to reach your patrol point, spend a good amount of time there and make it back to base OK. You'll want to have modded keys or buttons to Max Range at Current Speed and Range to Course End, so you can easily check if you have enough gas to get back home.

All of that is assuming that you're cruising at standard speed and not flank or full. You can also burn up a lot more fuel being decks awash a lot or by using high speeds during intercepts.

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by kylania

In the campaign files patrol objectives are represented by a Map Zone. The ones early on near the east coast of England are around 70km in diameter and later in the Atlantic around 200-250km in diameter. There are triggers for these patrol objectives saying "If a ship is sunk in this map zone it counts".

So if you're in that map zone it'll count.

provided that shes merchant ship. DD/DE dont count..

[kylania]

Originally Posted by commandosolo2009

provided that shes merchant ship. DD/DE dont count..

You're in a u-boat. You're not supposed to sink warships, you're supposed to evade them.

[Bleh]

Originally Posted by commandosolo2009

provided that shes merchant ship. DD/DE dont count..

Yeah i found that out the hard way, although i really should have read my orders properly. It DID say to sink "Merchant" shipping

[Seefer]

Originally Posted by kylania

Render range is 40km, you'll never see/hear anything beyond that. Ships will pop into or out of existence when they pass that range.

Hydrophone range is generally around 30-35km for initial contact from what I've seen.

The starter hydrophone works on the surface and this means you'll have approximately 1000% more fun since you'll catch a lot more contacts. Once you upgrade your hydrophones, or use a mod like UHS which correctly stops surface hydrophone contacts, you'll be lucky to find a ship, ever. You'll have to spend the time ducking under the surface every 2 hours, hoping you're close enough to something to hear it. At first it's "realistic" and "fun", then it's "tedious" and "stupid".

I usually end up meeting enough targets or a convoy on the way to a patrol zone so that I sometimes don't make it there at all. Otherwise I just poke around known shipping routes for targets.

I just noticed your stipulation that I may have to duck under the water every 2 hours to make use of the hydrophone. 2 hours is a specific figure to quote and is likely a subtelty of the mechanics of a submarine that I'm not aware of, why the 2 hour figure and how do you come to that figure?

[robbo180265]

Originally Posted by Seefer

I just noticed your stipulation that I may have to duck under the water every 2 hours to make use of the hydrophone. 2 hours is a specific figure to quote and is likely a subtelty of the mechanics of a submarine that I'm not aware of, why the 2 hour figure and how do you come to that figure?

There's no real rule to this , it's up to the captain to decide when to check. I normally do it around the 2 hour mark too, but there's nothing to stop you doing it whenever you want.

[Seefer]

I'm confused about these patrol point missions in Blockage of Germany. I've been sent to one patrol point after not finding anything at the first and after not finding anything at the second I've now got a message to go back to the first area.

All I'm seeing in these areas are Merchant radio contacts. I've already sunk a Merchant and it apparently doesn't count towards anything. What the hell are AMC ships and do I need to sink AMC ships in these patrol areas to complete the patrol before moving on to the other mission area to find and sink a carrier?

[kylania]

Yeah, 2 hours is just totally random really. It's enough time make some progress but not too long to feel like I missed something.

Btw, I always disliked the IX boats. TOO BIG! Give me the sleek and sexy VIIs any day.

[gumbie]

Originally Posted by Seefer

I What the hell are AMC ships and do I need to sink AMC ships in these patrol areas to complete the patrol before moving on to the other mission area to find and sink a carrier?

Armed Merchant Cruiser, I found one earlier, but it wasn't easy.

Couldn't find any aircraft carriers either so i went to Plymouth and sunk one there, it didn't count

[robbo180265]

Originally Posted by Seefer

I'm confused about these patrol point missions in Blockage of Germany. I've been sent to one patrol point after not finding anything at the first and after not finding anything at the second I've now got a message to go back to the first area.

All I'm seeing in these areas are Merchant radio contacts. I've already sunk a Merchant and it apparently doesn't count towards anything. What the hell are AMC ships and do I need to sink AMC ships in these patrol areas to complete the patrol before moving on to the other mission area to find and sink a carrier?

The AMC's show up as warships on the hydrophone , but look like passenger liners when you eyeball them.

I believe they spawn around the Loch Ewe area and head up to Iceland.