radio message received...

[ralphnader23]

Is it more beneficial to put your radio specialist on the sonar or the radio? Or does it matter? I was very surprised that they dont' have a sonar specialist.

[sergei]

Ideally you will want both positions manned by a qualified PO.

Qualified sonar operator - the benefit of this is hopefully self evident.
Qualified Radio operator - I'm pretty sure this results in getting more contact reports.

Early on, before I have trained all my crew up, if I have only one qualified guy, I'll stick him on the hydrophone.
That's just a personal preference.

[ralphnader23]

Does the sonar specialty not become available until you actually get some sonar equipment?

[sergei]

Sorry, I should have used proper period terminology.
From reading too many Tom Clancy books I'm used to calling both active and passive gear SONAR.
In WW2 only the active gear was called SONAR.
The passive was generally called hydrophone.

In SH3 the qualification is actually called 'Radioman' (I think).
This applies to any gear that is used in that compartment - be it the radio, hydrophones or sonar (when you get one).Give your guy the Radioman qualification, then you can stick him on the radio, or on the hydrophone/sonar gear.

I hope that's a bit clearer

[sergei]

Looks like Frau beat me to it

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by ralphnader23

Does the sonar specialty not become available until you actually get some sonar equipment?

You always have sonar equipment - hydrophones = sonar.

But it's passive sonar, meaning it only picks up on sounds that are being made by whatever's making them. It doesn't generate a ping to see if something bounces back.

Active sonar is the kind that sends out a ping and then picks up any echoes that come back from whatever it bounces off of. This is also how your u-boat's depth-sounding equipment works - by sending a ping straight down and waiting for it to bounce back to determine how far it is from your bottom to the ocean's.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by ralphnader23

Is it more beneficial to put your radio specialist on the sonar or the radio? Or does it matter? I was very surprised that they dont' have a sonar specialist.

I think the Radioman qualification includes proficiency in operation of both the sonar and the radio.

If you only have one man with that qualification, he should be at the station that matters most depending on your situation. If you're on the surface, you're not going to be using sonar, so put him at the radio. If you're submerged and need the best sonar readings you can get, he should be on the hydrophones. Someone who's not qualified can fill in at the other station in the meantime.

Keep in mind that if you only have one man for the whole radio room, you'll only get reports from the station where he's currently on duty. So if he's at the radio and you submerge you'll definitely need to move him to sonar or else man the hydrophones yourself to find out if there is anything going on within range of your underwater "ears."

I keep a petty officer at each station at all times and use SH3 Commander to give both of them a Radioman qualification.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

If you only have one man with that qualification, he should be at the station that matters most depending on your situation. If you're on the surface, you're not going to be using sonar, so put him at the radio. If you're submerged and need the best sonar readings you can get, he should be on the hydrophones. Someone who's not qualified can fill in at the other station in the meantime.

I don't think the game cares about that distinction either. Early war I only have one qualified guy on duty, and I put him in the Sonar slot, filling the Radio seat with a regular sailor. I'm not sure it really matters, as long as there's somebody there.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I don't think the game cares about that distinction either. Early war I only have one qualified guy on duty, and I put him in the Sonar slot, filling the Radio seat with a regular sailor. I'm not sure it really matters, as long as there's somebody there.

Interesting. So if you've got a very experienced, fully qualified Radioman at the radio, and he's enough to max out your green bar, do you still get maximum hydrophone ops no matter who's actually sitting at the 'phones?

Actually now that I think about it, I'd probably just keep the most qualified dude at the hydrophones all the time too, since IME there doesn't seem to be anything too crucial that could be overlooked/omitted at the radio station provided there's somebody, anybody, receiving incoming messages.

[scratch81]

I usually leave the sonar seat empty while surfaced, and radio empty when submerged, works fine and frees up bodies for the watch rotation in other compartments. sonar picks up surface noise while submerged, radio messages while surfaced. maybe im just lucky though...

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Interesting. So if you've got a very experienced, fully qualified Radioman at the radio, and he's enough to max out your green bar, do you still get maximum hydrophone ops no matter who's actually sitting at the 'phones

I'm not entirely sure, but since there is no 'Sonar' qualification (is there? ) and it's all one compartment, I don't think it matters. Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong though.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I'm not entirely sure, but since there is no 'Sonar' qualification (is there? ) and it's all one compartment, I don't think it matters. Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong though.

No, there's no separate qual for sonar, and since both stations are in what the game considers the radio room I always figured the radio qual worked just as well for each station.

Never thought about the overall efficiency level for the radio room affecting quality of feedback from just one of the stations even though the individual positioned there is not as "qualified" as he could be for that job. But it kinda makes sense. I mean, if your diesel room is at max green, it runs as well as possible no matter which particular dudes are in there, as long as the sum total of their current status gives you 100%.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

No, there's no separate qual for sonar, and since both stations are in what the game considers the radio room I always figured the radio qual worked just as well for each station.

Never thought about the overall efficiency level for the radio room affecting quality of feedback from just one of the stations even though the individual positioned there is not as "qualified" as he could be for that job. But it kinda makes sense. I mean, if your diesel room is at max green, it runs as well as possible no matter which particular dudes are in there, as long as the sum total of their current status gives you 100%.

By George, I think she's got it