Anyone use their own stopwatch or chronometer?

f4wildweasel · 06-30-11, 07:55 PM

Surely I can't be the only guy who does this...
So when I'm playing SH3 or SH4, and I'm about to fire a torpedo at a target ship, sometimes I'll look at the estimated time to impact before firing, and then start my own timer as I fire. Granted, instead of a ticking watch in my hand it's my phone running an analogue stopwatch app, but you get the idea (I DO intend to buy an actual analogue stopwatch/chronometer one day, assuming I can find one that's reliable enough but doesn't cost a fortune...) I like watching the target ship (especially when I'm on the bridge during nighttime surface attacks) and then be able just to glance down at the watch in my hand to see how much longer I should expect to wait. I know you can put the watch display on the screen, but then it's just a watch, you're not actually holding it. I don't know... maybe I'm just crazy?

razark · 06-30-11, 08:18 PM

I've seen a few people posting that they do use a stopwatch. I don't usually, because sometimes real life breaks in, but I have used an analog one occasionally. The real ticking watch does add to the immersion factor.

Edit:
And just for the record, blowing a speed estimate because you paused the game and left the watch running? It sucks.

FIREWALL · 06-30-11, 09:15 PM

Yup

An old Heuer my dad gave me when I was preeteen.

Ducimus · 06-30-11, 09:34 PM

I have a digital stopwatch, Ive used it with SH4 ALOT, but not neccessarily for timing torpedo's.

TorpX · 06-30-11, 11:30 PM

Yeah, I have a digital one that works pretty well. (A ticking mechanical one would be better, of course.)

I also enter the actual torpedo run time into the log, so I know how good my firing solution was. It should be close to the predicted time. If I miss, I do a post mortum, and make every effort to figure out why. (,...)

f4wildweasel · 07-01-11, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by razark

And just for the record, blowing a speed estimate because you paused the game and left the watch running? It sucks.

Yeah or sometimes I'll forget that I'm watching a run and hit the time compression up for a moment but that's all it takes to throw it off.

commandosolo2009 · 07-01-11, 02:47 AM

I use a stopwatch for bearing to bearing speed calculation, timing speed with cross-wire method, timing separation of ships in a convoy, probably most reliable and legible than in-game stopwatch... mine is a digital-age stopwatch. So, yeah, I use one. You're alright dude..

Daniel Prates · 07-01-11, 08:10 AM

The main problem with the in-game thing: I donn't recall the game's stopwatch to be actually stoppable! It just gives you a second needle to compare. When the seconds needle runs over the mark needle, impact is close by.

Anthony W. · 07-01-11, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Prates

The main problem with the in-game thing: I donn't recall the game's stopwatch to be actually stoppable! It just gives you a second needle to compare. When the seconds needle runs over the mark needle, impact is close by.

Last night mine was almost a minute off. Not sure what happened to make my Mk.23 run so slowly...

Jan Kyster · 07-01-11, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f4wildweasel

...I DO intend to buy an actual analogue stopwatch/chronometer one day, assuming I can find one that's reliable enough but doesn't cost a fortune...

Here's mine:

Bought it on eBay from a guy in Ukraine, fairly sure it was from seller Ussr-West...
Can't remember exact price, but it was some $20 only

Check this out... http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparm...&_sop=15&_sc=1

razark · 07-01-11, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jan Kyster

Here's mine:
<snip>

That's where I got mine. Looks just like that, except mine doesn't say "Made in USSR" at the bottom. It says "<some Cyrillic stuff> CCCP". I'm guessing it means the same thing.

I think we might have been discussing them when I decided to get mine.

Edit:
Mine looks like this. The hand gives you a good sense of scale, too.

f4wildweasel · 07-01-11, 11:28 AM

thanks for the link! Definitely something to consider. For a moment I was thinking "Yeah that looks nice, but what about a German one?" so I do a search for that and take a look at the prices... hmm... maybe I'll opt for a CCCP one after all...

Jan Kyster · 07-01-11, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by razark

I think we might have been discussing them when I decided to get mine.

The "Ulimate doorbell!"

-thread! http://174.123.69.202/~subsimc/radio...d.php?t=166970

Quote:

Originally Posted by f4wildweasel

thanks for the link! Definitely something to consider. For a moment I was thinking "Yeah that looks nice, but what about a German one?" so I do a search for that and take a look at the prices... hmm... maybe I'll opt for a CCCP one after all...

Oh! I of course went for an authentic original WWII real deal Fleet Boat kinda clock...
Like a Hamilton or so... but decided I would rather save the dollars for a Nikon D300S...
Still saving btw.

A russian one do just fine!

Feels very nice and solid. Is close to be indestructible!

Platapus · 07-02-11, 11:18 AM

I bought a manual stopwatch also. It helps with the immersion of the game for me.

I use it mostly for speed calculations.

06-30-11, 07:55 PM	#1
f4wildweasel Seaman Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 40 Downloads: 48 Uploads: 0	Anyone use their own stopwatch or chronometer? Surely I can't be the only guy who does this... So when I'm playing SH3 or SH4, and I'm about to fire a torpedo at a target ship, sometimes I'll look at the estimated time to impact before firing, and then start my own timer as I fire. Granted, instead of a ticking watch in my hand it's my phone running an analogue stopwatch app, but you get the idea (I DO intend to buy an actual analogue stopwatch/chronometer one day, assuming I can find one that's reliable enough but doesn't cost a fortune...) I like watching the target ship (especially when I'm on the bridge during nighttime surface attacks) and then be able just to glance down at the watch in my hand to see how much longer I should expect to wait. I know you can put the watch display on the screen, but then it's just a watch, you're not actually holding it. I don't know... maybe I'm just crazy?

06-30-11, 08:18 PM	#2
razark Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,731 Downloads: 393 Uploads: 12	I've seen a few people posting that they do use a stopwatch. I don't usually, because sometimes real life breaks in, but I have used an analog one occasionally. The real ticking watch does add to the immersion factor. Edit: And just for the record, blowing a speed estimate because you paused the game and left the watch running? It sucks. __________________ "Never ask a World War II history buff for a 'final solution' to your problem!" Last edited by razark; 06-30-11 at 08:56 PM.

06-30-11, 09:15 PM	#3
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	Yup An old Heuer my dad gave me when I was preeteen. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

06-30-11, 11:30 PM	#5
TorpX Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,975 Downloads: 153 Uploads: 11	Yeah, I have a digital one that works pretty well. (A ticking mechanical one would be better, of course.) I also enter the actual torpedo run time into the log, so I know how good my firing solution was. It should be close to the predicted time. If I miss, I do a post mortum, and make every effort to figure out why. (,...)

07-01-11, 02:47 AM	#7
commandosolo2009 Grey Wolf Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Egypt Posts: 840 Downloads: 132 Uploads: 0	I use a stopwatch for bearing to bearing speed calculation, timing speed with cross-wire method, timing separation of ships in a convoy, probably most reliable and legible than in-game stopwatch... mine is a digital-age stopwatch. So, yeah, I use one. You're alright dude.. __________________ x.com/lexatnews

06-30-11, 09:34 PM	#4
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	I have a digital stopwatch, Ive used it with SH4 ALOT, but not neccessarily for timing torpedo's.

07-01-11, 08:10 AM	#8
Daniel Prates Grey Wolf Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Curitiba, Brazil Posts: 938 Downloads: 65 Uploads: 0	The main problem with the in-game thing: I donn't recall the game's stopwatch to be actually stoppable! It just gives you a second needle to compare. When the seconds needle runs over the mark needle, impact is close by.

07-01-11, 11:28 AM	#12
f4wildweasel Seaman Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 40 Downloads: 48 Uploads: 0	thanks for the link! Definitely something to consider. For a moment I was thinking "Yeah that looks nice, but what about a German one?" so I do a search for that and take a look at the prices... hmm... maybe I'll opt for a CCCP one after all...

07-02-11, 11:18 AM	#14
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,373 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	I bought a manual stopwatch also. It helps with the immersion of the game for me. I use it mostly for speed calculations. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.