Wolfpack Radio Update

[Fidd]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

As mentioned in the Dev updates thread, we now have an option to play with the simplified radio or a more realistic radio. "The new system has two modes: Simplified and advanced. The mode is set in the lobby settings before starting the game. In simplified mode, players type in messages using the keyboard, but unlike before, the message can be typed out in full, without having to pause between each letter while it is being sent. In advanced mode, the morse key functions like it does in real life. Players will have to learn morse code in order to use this system. The new system uses fixed receive channels for each U-boat. Channel 1 is used to broadcast to all U-boats."

When playing with the advanced radio (unchecking the simplified radio option), you will only know you are getting a message when you hear the incoming tones. You have to have a radioman stationed in the radio room, or one of your crewmen may hear the tones if they are close to the forward part of the control room.

I suggest sending a series of dot-dot-dot-dot for abut 30 secs, then pause before starting the radio transmission to give the other player time to get ready.

When you receive a message, you should send a short acknowledgement, perhaps, CFM which seems to be a prosign for I ACKNOWLEDGE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosigns_for_Morse_code

If there are any experienced radio operators here, I would love to hear your ideas.

In the same line of country as "CFM"...

I still have my father's wartime RAF training books, one of which contains the "Q codes", used in aviation, and I think also maritime operations to condense what would otherwise be a long WT transmission in morse. Sender and receiver having copies of the meanings.

So "QNH" means Nautical-height Pressure, ie the altimeter pressure setting which gives the airfield elevation when an aircraft is on the runway. There are hundreds of such codes, but there's only a handful which are still routinely used.

Some years ago, I was instructing at an airfield on the south coast, and we were not infrequently completely "clamped" by sea-fog. If such a circumstance arose, and I was returning an aircraft from the maintenance hangar, and everyone was bored to tears, I'd try out one of the more unusual Q-codes to see if the Tower could find it. Peals of laughter over the RT were heard - amidst much rustling of ancient Q codes books of their own - from the tower after I enquired - in Q codes, as to the docking-procedure for visiting air-ships, and availability of ground-crew to catch the mooring lines, and a lot more in similarly silly obsolete vein.

It was that or playing Solitaire on the office pc to keep sane over the unending weeks of low-cloud and bloody fog.