Clearing the TDC

[Fearless]

Howdy, I seem to have a prob with TDC (non-manual setting)

I lock the target press the position keeper than fire the torp. 1st time no probs but the next time when I target another ship, the torps just make a sharp turn and no luck in hitting the target.

What is the procedure for clearing the settings in TDC before targetting a new ship.

[Mush Martin]

Switch off the PK update Ship ID speed course and range for the second target and restart PK good to go (assuming you got good data)

[Fearless]

Originally Posted by Mush Martin

Switch off the PK update Ship ID speed course and range for the second target and restart PK good to go (assuming you got good data)

Well, I've tried every possible combination. I have auto TDC and no matter what I try, the torpedoes make a sharp left turn. I've turned off the PK, re ID'd the target than restarted the PK.

The torps just won't track the ship I've targetted. So the TDC for some reason is St***ed. It is pointless re-targetting if it doesn't work.

[Mush Martin]

Im tellin ya your missing refreshing the ship ID at the start of the
second ship.

[Fearless]

Ok, I'll play the devil's advocate here. I've never had any problems with auto TDC before except for now. My understanding was that with auto TDC, you turn off the PK, line up the scope with the new target with the scope or uzo, lock it, turn on PK to update new target details in the TDC than fire. Correct!!. If not than how do you refresh the ID when in auto mode seeing that was meant to happen automatically in auto mode.

[Rockin Robbins]

Fearless, you don't need to clear the TDC. You don't have to turn the PK off and on either. These are urban legends. The TDC works like a spreadsheet. When you enter a new piece of info into the TDC it merely replaces the old one.

So it is merely necessary to replace each item there. What's in that contraption?

1. The identity of the target, found from your ID Manual after selecting the correct ship there. This sets up the stadimeter to give you the right range.

2. The speed of the target. Find by the method of your choice and input.

3. Target AoB or course. Enter that next

4. Target range and bearing. These are entered at the same time when you use the stadimeter. If you have the PK off, turn it on right after you enter range/bearing. Always enter range/bearing last.

As long as you replace all four pieces of information, entering range/bearing last, no resetting is necessary of TDC or PK. You will hit your target.

[Captain Vlad]

Okay, this is just a wild-ass guess, but try this: Lock onto the target with the 'L' button. Do not hit a single button on the TDC...PK, dials, anything.

I think what's happening is you're somehow overriding the data the auto-target sends to the TDC when you turn on the PK after a lock.

[Zero Niner]

Fearless
I can't explain the strange behaviour of your torpedoes, but like you I use auto targeting. Trying to figure out all the parameters needed for a manual solution is just too much hassle, I'm not as "hard core" as some others. Let me give you my understanding of how it all works and my experience with SH4.

The only time I really use the PK is when I'm manoeuvering submerged to get into position. What it does is that it gives me a real time "update" on the target's course, bearing and position relative to me via the attack map. However the information remains valid only if the ship does not change course or speed, so every once in a while I pop my scope up, find the target, turn off then turn on the PK again to refresh the data and update the firing solution.

The only situation when the PK has screwed up my firing solution is when I forget to turn it off before firing. You may know this already, but if the PK is left on then all the data the TDC needs to generate the firing solution is taken from the PK. Your scope could be pointing to a different ship or even 180 deg around but it makes no difference. If the target has not altered course or speed then there shouldn't be any problems, but there are times, like firing on a second ship, when I find my torps are headed for the 1st target and then I realise that the PK is still on .

Now, if the PK is turned off, the TDC gets its information from wherever your scope is pointed and continously updates the firing solution. That's how I spread my shots along the length of the ship. If the target is locked, then all shots will be aimed at the centre where the triangle is. In other words locking the target forces the scope to be locked in position relative to the centre of the ship, hence all firing soultions generated will be for shots hitting the centre of the ship.

Hope this is of some help.

[Zero Niner]

:hmm:
Something in Capt Vlad's post made me think of something. At the risk of sounding condescending, you did turn on the PK *after* locking the ship, right?

Let me explain - before you lock, the TDC info is set according to wherever your scope is pointing. Once you lock, the TDC has one final set of info taken from the ship you were looking at the moment you locked, which it continuously updates, and when you turn on the PK (which is really a predictor, really), the PK uses that info from the TDC to continue to update the firing solution even though your scope is now looking somewhere else.

[Zero Niner]

:hmm: :hmm:
The torpedo swinging off to the left suggests to me that the TDC is not capturing data correctly. If I bring up the attack map without a target designated, the line that show's the torp's current track is also off to the left (or was it to the right?) by almost 90 deg.

[Fearless]

Originally Posted by Zero Niner

:hmm:
Something in Capt Vlad's post made me think of something. At the risk of sounding condescending, you did turn on the PK *after* locking the ship, right?

Let me explain - before you lock, the TDC info is set according to wherever your scope is pointing. Once you lock, the TDC has one final set of info taken from the ship you were looking at the moment you locked, which it continuously updates, and when you turn on the PK (which is really a predictor, really), the PK uses that info from the TDC to continue to update the firing solution even though your scope is now looking somewhere else.

Thanks Zero Niner for the well described method. Yes, I turn on PK after locking the target so it begs the question whether the previous locked ship remained in the TDC instead of the new locked target when I turned the PK on.

[Zero Niner]

The best answer I can give based on my gaming experience is that when you lock a new target and then turned on the PK, the TDC should be tracking the new target.

TBH I've never experienced the situation you've described. All errors in torp track that I've seen are due to my errors. All I can do is describe what works for me, which is:

a. I use the PK only when I need to keep track of a target's location in instances where I cannot keep my scope out of the water, such as when I'm manoeuvering into position whilst submerged.

b. When ready to fire, I lock targets so that the TDC always has the latest updated firing solution. In auto mode it's not really necessary since the TDC generates solutions instantaneously. I.e. point and shoot, so to speak.

c. Unlock PK (if on) so that the prediction function is turned off, and the TDC is fed current (and not predicted) information to generate the most accurate firing solutions.

BTW, why do you turn on the PK anyway? As others have mentioned, it's not necessary. If you are already in a position to prosecute an attack, why not just swing the scope to your next target, wait until you think the time is right then fire? Why fiddle with the PK at all?

[Captain Vlad]

Originally Posted by Fearless

Thanks Zero Niner for the well described method. Yes, I turn on PK after locking the target so it begs the question whether the previous locked ship remained in the TDC instead of the new locked target when I turned the PK on.

That does sound, to me, like what's happening.