Adjusting the contrast for the Stadimeter

[Platapus]

Running SH4 with TM No other mods

I find getting the range using the Stadimeter to be difficult. The top image is so faint that I often have a hard time seeing specifically where the waterline is. Also the bottom image is so faint that I often lose the tops of the masts. Hence trying to line up the top waterline with the bottom mast top is baffling me.

While this may be realistic (splitting an image results in a dimmer image) but from a game playing aspect it is a pain.

Are there any tweaks/mods that address the brightness/contrast of the Stadimeter?

Am I the only one with this problem?

Am I just a dim Sub Captain?

Anyone else finding Manual Targeting harder in SH4 than with SH3?

Will Captain Platapus ever find out the answers to these and other questions?

Tune into this forum tomorrow and find out on "As the Platapus founders"

[Rockin Robbins]

Hello. I'm Rockin Robbins and I...............hate ........ the stadimeter.

A stadimeter you can see perfectly is still subject to error. They're just nasty ways to determine range. A sonar or radar range is very preferrable to the stadimeter. I think sometimes a Ouija board would give a better answer.

That's why the U-Boat Fast-90 and the Fleet Boat's Dick O'Kane methods are so good. They put the blasted stadimeter in the garbage where it belongs unless there is a darn good reason you can't put your boat in position for a right angle attack. I say that in spite of being pretty good at conventional US targeting procedures.

Kraken has a stadimeter dart board in officer country.

[Platapus]

Rockin Robbins

I am not sure I understand your position on the stadimeter? You were a little vague in your posting. How do you really feel about it?

[Sailor Steve]

He said "Is sux! I is in ur stadi messin up ur plots!":rotfl:

[Platapus]

"That's why the U-Boat Fast-90 and the Fleet Boat's Dick O'Kane methods are so good."

Hanging head in shame

I am not familiar with these.

[capt_frank]

Originally Posted by Platapus

"That's why the U-Boat Fast-90 and the Fleet Boat's Dick O'Kane methods are so good."

Hanging head in shame

I am not familiar with these.

Here's the Dick O'Kane method. Try it, you'll like it...

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...6&postcount=67

[jazman]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Rockin Robbins

I am not sure I understand your position on the stadimeter? You were a little vague in your posting. How do you really feel about it?

I looked up, and RR's colossal hate of the stadimeter blotted out the noonday sun.

I hate it, too.

[Platapus]

First of all, I really like learning new tricks. And this one seems pretty handy. Unfortunately this old dog has problems learning new tricks.

In any class, there is always one that simply does not get it. That someone is me

So learn me a few things about this technique.

AoB - We are not worrying about calculating AoB as we are setting AoB to 90 and positioning the boat accordingly. Check, got that

Speed - Calculating that through radar/sonar/visual and manually entering that in the TDC. Check, got that

Range to target - Missing. This old dog is stubbing his paws on this one but we will bypass this for the moment. I trust that this technique does not require range

"We've gone to periscope depth. He's very close now, on bearing 324º. Here's the procedure. We can fire any time between bearing 345º and 15º. We'll do it pretty close to zero for best accuracy. With the target unlocked we'll sight ahead of the target by about 1/3 of its length and hit the bearing/range send button (make a note to have the TDC already set with that available ahead of time). Without touching the aiming of the periscope and with target still unlocked, we'll just send a couple of friendly fish his way as juicy parts of the target pass the crosshairs. Ready??"

Ready? nope. This is where you lost me. Talk me in for a landing here.

1. "We can fire any time between bearing 345º and 15º" Why? What tells me that I can fire anytime between these two bearings. Is is just an axiom of the technique or did I miss some calculation?

2. "We'll do it pretty close to zero for best accuracy." Why? Is this just for a minimum gyro angle or is there something more I am missin?

3. "we'll sight ahead of the target by about 1/3 of its length" Why? Why 1/3 and why are we sighting ahead of the target instead of locking on to the target and waiting for it to cross the 000 bearing? If I sight ahead of the ship won't my AoB be slightly off?

This old dog is sitting here scratching his ear with his foot a thinkin what about range to target? You mean to stand there with all your shiny braid and tell me that using this technique without changing anything it will work for a ship 600 yards away up to 1600 yards away?

Say it ain't so Joe, Say it ain't so!

[Rockin Robbins]

I received a similar request from yours to cut the entertaining crap, fill in the blanks and actually teach them how to do it. Imagine that!

I've added a completly new section to the Dick O'Kane seminar to do exactly that. It has some updates suggested by aaronblood after he raked me over the coals (him too!) on the seminar.

Check out the new step-by-step after the end of the seminar and tell me if it's any clearer.

Now to answer your question (why would Rockin do a thing like that?????) Yes, this is nothing but a right triangle. As you scale it up and down the length of the torpedo run changes proportionally to the length of the target run and yes, Virginia, you get a boom no matter what the range is! The stadimeter is dead! Long live Dick O'Kane! Hold it. He's dead..... Well at least the stadimeter is dead, too!

[Platapus]

Muchy thanks.
I printed this up and the next time I sees a floaty thing I will try.

Thanks for sharing and for putting together a nice explanation.

If anyone needs a proofreader for handy tips they need to write to the lowest denometer, call me

If I can understand it, it is well written

[jazman]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Muchy thanks.
I printed this up and the next time I sees a floaty thing I will try.

Thanks for sharing and for putting together a nice explanation.

If anyone needs a proofreader for handy tips they need to write to the lowest denometer, call me

If I can understand it, it is well written

I know it's hard to believe that range doesn't matter, but if you work out the trigonometry, it's true (and then you are a true believer). If the range increases, the distance the ship travels increases in the same proportion, and the distance the torpedo travels increases in the same proportion. Since they all increase in the same proportion, it's a wash. The key is 90-degree AoB.

[Platapus]

Well my last Trig class was in 1976. I think I remember Trig having something to do with angles (or was that art class).. I forgets.

Back in my day we only had Right Triangles and only had one so we had to share!

I may have been obtuse in my Trig class but I did make notice of the proportions of this acute girl in my class. I tried bringing up an complementary angle to her but got no sin of encouragement.

We could not see eye to eye. She insisted that "pi r squared" and I insisted the Pies are round but Cornbread are square.

The relationship would not have worked. I should have paid more attention in class.

Probably would have sunked more floaty things

[Sailor Steve]

Oh, man, that's awful!:p

Awful funny, that is!:rotfl:

[Rockin Robbins]

[Munchausen]

Originally Posted by jazman

The key is 90-degree AoB.

Remembering that AoB is relative to the bow of your submarine. Not to the gyro (lead) angle of your fish.