Radar, Sonar explained

[Gizzmoe]

Stickied.

[JackChen]

Try a quick tour of the sub and found myself clicking on stuff and not getting a response. What's the point of putting those fancy instruments that is supposed to put attention to details when you can't use them?

[smoker00]

I can't turn it on!? The Turn on/off button is greyed out, and I cant click the 3d models

[OneTinSoldier]

I would like to invite you last two fellows to make vote in my poll and post a comment in it. Just click on the link below. Thanks!

Interactive Gauges and Crew in 3D

[Chili]

Like everyone else it seems I am having NO luck at all with the sonar and radar functions. Can anyone who does get this stuff to work please explain step by step how they did it.
I am getting very frustrated with the lack of instruction, explanation, or tutorials for those of us who haven't played the silent hunter series before.

[Rykaird]

Originally Posted by Ragtag

Thank you for your help I guess this will have to do untill they fix it.

FYI, this is the right system when using metric - 1 knot of speed will take you 100 meters in 3 mins 14 secs.

For imperial, the map shows nautical miles, so the conversion is simpler.

[Arrowhead2k1]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I think the sonar works best when you get to about 20 meters or deeper. I actually think the devs modeled the characteristics correctly, you can't hear as well on the surface or just below the surface...

Maybe that's true, but you can't hear anything at all when just below the surface, not even your own engines. It doesn't make sense for them to abruptly start working at a certain depth.

[-Pv-]

The estimated target speed in the TDC display works. Click on the status button in the lower right to force it to update. Remember this display emulates a 1940s mechanical computer that relied heavily on human input.

When using the 1.1 patch, your depth must be 154 ft for some occasional sonar contact and 155 feet for reliable and constant contacts. The ATTACK parascope is usable at both these depths. To test if you have the correct depth, man the sonar screen and rotate the head to 180 deg. If you do not hear your own props you are too shallow. Watch the depth report while listening for your props.
-Pv-

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by -Pv-

The estimated target speed in the TDC display works. Click on the status button in the lower right to force it to update. Remember this display emulates a 1940s mechanical computer that relied heavily on human input.

Huh? Can you add a screenshot to illustrate that? What status button? You sound like you're onto something.

[Deep Six]

Neal I'm not sure the SD Radar is working as intended, I'm on my first patrol and used some reknown to install an SD Radar unit.....Now this should only be able to pick up aircraft......Hum well it also has the magical ability to pick up surface craft as well.......I like the way when it picks up an aircraft the icon is a ship box untill classified but, hey i dont want to stay around on the surface for that long....Bug report the SD radar whilst working is NON-Functional in game, meaning there IS no radar installed..The sd screen is blank...(Yes I did try and turn it on)... I'll test some more but it has definately picked up a surface ship for me.... Got the operstor message...Contact bearing blah blah...Long range....Turned out to be an American Tanker......

Deep Six

[Rykaird]

Originally Posted by Deep Six

Neal I'm not sure the SD Radar is working as intended, I'm on my first patrol and used some reknown to install an SD Radar unit.....Now this should only be able to pick up aircraft......Hum well it also has the magical ability to pick up surface craft as well.......I like the way when it picks up an aircraft the icon is a ship box untill classified but, hey i dont want to stay around on the surface for that long....Bug report the SD radar whilst working is NON-Functional in game, meaning there IS no radar installed..The sd screen is blank...(Yes I did try and turn it on)... I'll test some more but it has definately picked up a surface ship for me.... Got the operstor message...Contact bearing blah blah...Long range....Turned out to be an American Tanker......

Deep Six

Yup, that's the way it works. My first patrol, used my school reknown for SD radar. Headed for Tokyo. Thing picks up everything - aircraft and ships. They remain unidentified on the map (grey ship icons) until visually identified, but it sees them and at extreme ranges, and are called out as contacts by the RO. Had dozens of long distance ship contacts called out in the multiple harbors enroute to Tokyo.

[vois2]

Originally Posted by Chili

. . . I am having NO luck at all with the sonar and radar functions. Can anyone who does get this stuff to work please explain step by step how they did it. I am getting very frustrated with the lack of instruction, explanation, or tutorials for those of us who haven't played the silent hunter series before.

Chili,
I can get you up to speed on sonar, which I find to function perfectly and as expected regarding my experience with SH3. ( >>> Radar is another story. It works, by itself, although I can't interact with it in any way. For radar, I just let the operator tell me what he sees on the scope. By the way I can't get him to stop doing this. <<< )

For sonar ...
I find that the hydrophone is completely functional between 60 to 80 feet depth to keel. I suppose if you are using metric, that would be between 18 and 24 meters depth to keel.

When your ship is at this depth, cut all engines by pressing the ` key. (Upper left of keyboard next to the number "1".)

Press the hydrophone icon or press F8.

All you need to do now is rotate the direction of the hydrophone. You can do this by pressing the "HOME" key on the keyboard. You need to tap it, and not hold it down, so that you arc through 2 or 3 degrees with each tap of the HOME key.

You may wish to make sure there aren't any background noises in the room (real, live room).

If you come across a sonar contact, you will hear the difference. A steady chugging of any sort will reveal the bearing at which the contact lay.

Generally, a ship will be heard on two or three degrees of bearing. That is, if you can hear the ship on 73 degrees, you will probably hear it also on 72 and 74 degrees.

In my experience with both games, if the sound of screws turning is very, very faint, then that ship is very, very far away and you should be prepared for a long chase of successive travel and hydrophone checks to find him.

If you can hear the screws without much straining, then you've got a good potential target at hand. One of the buttons (I believe it is the second or third yellow button from the left) when pressed will reveal a text message showing you the range to the target. Be aware that using this active sonar (to find range) may reveal your location to nearby warships.

You should test all of the above on a known contact. Try a training mission with known ships in the area and dive down to 60 to 80 feet and test the above, to train your ear.

Thanks,
vois2

[Deep Six]

Oh well another bug to add to the fix list....Thanks Rykaird for confirming this as well.

This is a biggie if the SD Radar is all seeing and knowing....Massive immersion breaker. And quite Un-Historical

Deep Six

[Chili]

Thanks vois2 I appreciate it. Seems like a lot of people are having the same problems I am. I have got the sonar to work but the radar is still a mess, guess Ill just not try to do anything with it and let the radar operator let me know when stuff is near!
Thanks again,
Chili

[vois2]

Chili,
That's what I, too, am doing for now with radar. Actually I prefer not to use radar until the bugs are worked out, so I think I'll do the historically accurate thing at the start of my next Dec '41 career and just let the radar slot on the sub go empty.
Now that I have figured out how (thanks to other posters) to NOT have automatic updates and external cam, I think I am set to start career again without fighting the interface so much.