RDF Antenna: functional or just eye candy?

vergol · 02-03-10, 07:41 PM

GWX adds a neat-looking rotating DF antenna to the sub while surfaced. Curiosity led me to look up its historical function. Apparently it tracked the direction of enemy radio broadcasts, allowing the u-boat to get a good bearing on the source.

Seems to me like the ships' radio signals would be the first thing a u-boat looks for, even before radar echoes and propeller sounds.

Does this antenna actually work in-game? Or is it there just for aesthetic purposes?

Magic1111 · 02-04-10, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vergol

Does this antenna actually work in-game? Or is it there just for aesthetic purposes?

Hello !

The rotating DF Antenna is only an eye-candy without any function in game ! In every Super-MOD !

Best regards,
Magic

Letum · 02-04-10, 05:19 AM

It's not especially useful in real life either.

The allies used high frequency radio traffic which was, for the Germans,
difficult to get a bearing on. Even if they did get a bearing, you in fact
get two bearings 180 degrees apart. Then you have no idea how far
away the signal is. Is it a weak signal just over the horizon or a strong
signal 1000 miles away? The Germans had no way to tell.
Even worse is the way the aerial must be manually rotated (It did not
rotate constantly). Most radio messages would finish before you could
even try to get a bearing.

The allied HuffDuff system was much better. It could get a good bearing
on high frequency transmissions and it often provided range data. The
aerial did not need to be rotated by the operator, so even short
messages could be detected instantly.

vergol · 02-04-10, 05:10 PM

Couldn't have asked for a for a better explanation. Thanks guys.

02-03-10, 07:41 PM	#1
vergol Machinist's Mate Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 121 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	RDF Antenna: functional or just eye candy? GWX adds a neat-looking rotating DF antenna to the sub while surfaced. Curiosity led me to look up its historical function. Apparently it tracked the direction of enemy radio broadcasts, allowing the u-boat to get a good bearing on the source. Seems to me like the ships' radio signals would be the first thing a u-boat looks for, even before radar echoes and propeller sounds. Does this antenna actually work in-game? Or is it there just for aesthetic purposes?

02-04-10, 05:19 AM	#3
Letum Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: York - UK Posts: 6,079 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	It's not especially useful in real life either. The allies used high frequency radio traffic which was, for the Germans, difficult to get a bearing on. Even if they did get a bearing, you in fact get two bearings 180 degrees apart. Then you have no idea how far away the signal is. Is it a weak signal just over the horizon or a strong signal 1000 miles away? The Germans had no way to tell. Even worse is the way the aerial must be manually rotated (It did not rotate constantly). Most radio messages would finish before you could even try to get a bearing. The allied HuffDuff system was much better. It could get a good bearing on high frequency transmissions and it often provided range data. The aerial did not need to be rotated by the operator, so even short messages could be detected instantly. __________________

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02-04-10, 05:10 PM	#4
vergol Machinist's Mate Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 121 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Couldn't have asked for a for a better explanation. Thanks guys.