Pinging from destroyers?

[-Pv-]

Once under pining attack the game gets a lot harder. Best not to let that happen. Experience will go a long way (just as it did in real life) toward learning how to out-smart the AI and not get into the ping evasion cycle. Once you getting pinged, the enemy is most blind while directly over-head. Use sprint and turn tactics to get into an unexpected position where it takes the DD a while to aim the sonar in your direction going quiet between sprint-turns. This is an art and not easily learned. Takes practice. In modern subs it's called the "dance of death."
-Pv-

[Nisgeis]

I read in one review of SH4 that the reviewer heard the escorts switch from low frequency to high frequency pinging. Was he imagining it? I've never had that happen to me.

I also get a bit hazy on the whole pinging thing. As far as I know active pinging is from supersonic projectors, but is it actually audible in the submarine, or can only the sonar operator manning the supersonic receiver hear it? It's so common in films for the whole crew to be able to hear it, but you never know if that just for dramatic effect (or perhaps played through the sonar set speaker).

[-Pv-]

It's the ping rate and volume I hear change when they've got you bracketed with the pings getting closer together and louder as they get closer in the game. I believe WWII active sonar was clearly audible. It takes a LOT of energy (lower frequencies) to travel distances and return with enough energy to get clear detection. Especially back then. We can hear wales and dolphins when they echo range and the environmentalists sure are concerned our pings are killing wales. It's doesn't take frequencies we can't hear to be "supersonic" in water since transmission is faster than in air.
-Pv-

[Sailor Steve]

It is audible, but probably not in the way the movies show it. I don't remember which one, but one German captain said it sounded like pebbles being thrown against the hull.

[-Pv-]

I believe the early "ASDIC" type sonars were wide band and consisted of the "ping" we are familiar with. Later sonars used "chirps" pulses of several frequencies closer to the clicks we hear from dolphins which might sound more like the "pebble" effect. As the war progressed, different types of sonars were produced.
-Pv-

[fireship4]

Any way to make destroyers and the like constantly ping? From what I've heard thats what they did in the IJN. Then you could pick up a task force from their pings before you see them and before you can pick them up on sonar.

Is there volume variation in the game when the pinging ship is further away?

Lastly does anyone know if there were slow and fast ping rates in use by the IJN?

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

As a rule I go as far as 300 ft depending on ocean depth. Turn off all torpedo loading and any repairing. Get below a thermal layer. I had 8 Subchasers and 2 DDs after me and about 3 hrs managed to elude them.