Hydrophone question

[Pilot_76]

Hi there,

I know that the hydrophone is located near the bridge on the left side and that there's also 2 spheres below the sub. Are they all part of the hydrophone? Is the hydrophone unusable when surfaced then?

Been puzzled a bit...

[Fishie]

As I understand it, the way it *should* work is the hydrophone should be non functional while surfaced, however you can still use it in the game.

The sonar itself, however, relies on the two "balls" under the sub, so you should be able to ping a vessel on the surface, however, I"m not quite sure how realistic that is, or how world variables (sea state, shallowness/dirtiness of the water) would play into it. As I understand it, a rough sea or very shallow waters would make it nigh unusable.

In SH4, though, both still work in the game while on the surface.

[Platapus]

The hydrophone is located, despite the movies, in the aft portion of the fwd torpedo tube. This was the JP sonic system. It could "hear" sounds in the frequency range of the human ear approximately.

There was also supersonic sound systems. These would be what is called "sonar" and are different from the sonic hydrophone systems.

There were two supersonic systems QC/JK and QB

QC/JK projector (Ball) was located on the Port side on the underside of the submarine
QB projector (Ball) was located on the Starboard side on the underside of the submarine

Both could be extended and retracted from a control in the conning tower.

There was also a third system used to measure depth under the keel. It was called the NM transducer and was located between and just forward of the two supersonic heads.

In SH4 JP, QC/JK, and QB are all combined in one station. Not realistic but a good compromise.

[Pilot_76]

Platapus and Fishi thank for the info

So I understand that the hydro would not work submerged? They just relied on visual and Radar surfaced then? There's a "No Hydrophone surfaced" mod around here I'll probably install it. I want as realistic as possible...

I've been to the Pampanito at SF and the audio tour did mention both "balls" at the forward torp room. Saw the 2 cylinders to raise/lower them.

[Rockin Robbins]

If you read the Submarine Sonar Operators' Manual you'll find all the little details that are sadly missing from Silent Hunter 4. And you'll be confronted with the game devs' obvious problem of rendering a horrendously intricate system in a way that allows us to gain the benefits but avoid the pitfalls of our computers going up in smoke trying to reproduce it all!

But the manual makes it clear that in real life, upon surfacing the sonar operator remained at his post, listening to the supersonic sonar sets under the keel, which were quite effective and expected to make or clarify targets in the surfaced condition. Looking through after the war reports of every contact developed during the entire war doesn't find a single contact ever discovered on the surface with sonar. But that doesn't mean that it was useless. We don't know how many targets were tracked after they were discovered by other means. The manual makes it clear that the sonar was considered very effective when surfaced, that the sonar operator was expected to develop contacts and he was to remain at his listening post until relieved by the Captain.

[Rip]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

If you read the Submarine Sonar Operators' Manual you'll find all the little details that are sadly missing from Silent Hunter 4. And you'll be confronted with the game devs' obvious problem of rendering a horrendously intricate system in a way that allows us to gain the benefits but avoid the pitfalls of our computers going up in smoke trying to reproduce it all!

But the manual makes it clear that in real life, upon surfacing the sonar operator remained at his post, listening to the supersonic sonar sets under the keel, which were quite effective and expected to make or clarify targets in the surfaced condition. Looking through after the war reports of every contact developed during the entire war doesn't find a single contact ever discovered on the surface with sonar. But that doesn't mean that it was useless. We don't know how many targets were tracked after they were discovered by other means. The manual makes it clear that the sonar was considered very effective when surfaced, that the sonar operator was expected to develop contacts and he was to remain at his listening post until relieved by the Captain.

The first incident that popped into my mind was Wahoo's second war patrol with Mush Morton riding as PCO. Richard O'Kane wrote that while waiting for a tanker they had been alerted to by an Ultra That although he expected the SJ to make initial contact and establish the time for the "First Contact Pools" that in fact a report of "Weak echo ranging on a broad front to the north" was the first indication of the tanker to come over the bridge speaker.

Acoustics and thermal layering are two of the areas I most wish had more accurate detail in the game. that and Radar/Comms.