Radar, Sonar explained

[akdavis]

Radar was certainly the single most important technology to the success of the submarine campaign in the Pacific. That is in such a poor state in the game is a true shame.

Originally Posted by Rykaird

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.

Here's the current theory I am operating on: there is no difference between SD and SJ/SJ-1 radar other than that the displays and tool bar commands are made active if your sub is equipped with SJ or SJ-1 radar (and with no apparent distinction between those two types, either). There is much evidence that this is the case:

1. SD radar returns the same information as SJ radar, including bearing and range (that the range is exact can be seen with map contact updates on), and seems to have the same area of coverage.
2. When equipped with SJ radar, but the radar is turned off, you continue to receive the same radar contact reports as if you had it switched on. The displays simply turn off and the command bar returns to the default no radar/SD radar state.
3. Both A-scope and PPI SJ radar displays show air contacts just as readily as surface contacts.

Now the simple test would be to equip a sub with SJ radar, but not SD radar and place it in a situation like the artillery training mission and see what happens. I don't see how to change the sub's configuration via the mission editor or the mission .cfg file, so I'm not quite sure how to go about that.

Originally Posted by LukeFF

Does the check box in the notepad at the sound station have any other purpose than to identify a contact and to get a range via sonar? Does it, perhaps, track that selected contact once you click the box (which doesn't seem to be the case)?

Luke, rotate the sonar head until it is facing your desired contact and the sound signal is strongest. While the contact is clearly heard on the current bearing, hit the range to target switch on the left side of the console. The needle on the ring will travel in a clockwise direction. If the ping connects with the target, you will hear a return on the ping and the needle will stop. Where the needle stops on the ring is the range. (But the textures are crappy and the numbers are hard to read. I believe they are in hundreds of yards).

If the target is close and rapidly changing bearing, the current bearing of the hydrophone might not return an active ping sent out. Once you establish the target's relative motion, you can "lead" with the hydrophone a bit to ensure a clean return on your first ping.

[Mylander]

Could somebody sticky this thread please?

Thanks,
Mylander

[akdavis]

Maybe this is another piece in the puzzle, or maybe radar depth is just arbitrary for all types, but if you submerge to cover the SD radar, but leave the SJ radar antenna exposed, you can continue to see air contacts on both PPI and A-scope displays. (Of course, SD antenna continues to rotate underwater, so I doubt the sim considers it "off").

[joea]

Originally Posted by Mylander

Could somebody sticky this thread please?

Thanks,
Mylander

Already done (with other threads)

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108931

[horrgakx]

Originally Posted by vois2

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

Thats a big gripe I've got with whomever designs the keyboard shortcuts in games - that key is located to the left of the "1" key .... on US keyboards. On our UK layouts (and probably Europe as well * ) it is located between the "L" and "Enter" buttons, alongside our @ symbol. Please bear this in mind when telling people which keys to use, it can instill confusion.



Dave


* OMG there are places outside the US?????!

[Front Runner]

Anyone know how to get range rings to show up?

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by akdavis

Luke, rotate the sonar head until it is facing your desired contact and the sound signal is strongest. While the contact is clearly heard on the current bearing, hit the range to target switch on the left side of the console. The needle on the ring will travel in a clockwise direction. If the ping connects with the target, you will hear a return on the ping and the needle will stop. Where the needle stops on the ring is the range. (But the textures are crappy and the numbers are hard to read. I believe they are in hundreds of yards).

Right, I understand that fine. My question was more along the lines of, does the check box on the notepad do anything than tell the sound man what type of contact he is listening to?

[LukeFF]

Bump to my question above and a new one:

In what measurement system are the range settings on the PPI display given? Yards? Feet? Meters? (please, no!)

[BlackSpot]

Originally Posted by LukeFF

Bump to my question above and a new one:

In what measurement system are the range settings on the PPI display given? Yards? Feet? Meters? (please, no!)

I think it's furlongs
(1 furlong = 201.16800 mtrs)

[PopManiac]

Sorry, I may be raising a subject already covered but:

In my first patrol in 1941, I use some renown pts and refit my boat with radar.

When I am at sea, I get contact reports from the radar operator, yet when I access the radar room (F9) I see no contacts on the scope, nor am I able to turn radar on / off.

Have we already covered this? Apologies in advance if so...

[Egan]

Originally Posted by LukeFF

Bump to my question above and a new one:

In what measurement system are the range settings on the PPI display given? Yards? Feet? Meters? (please, no!)

It should be in yards, I think, but it is difficult to be sure. I've certainly been working on the assumption that it is in yards.

[Egan]

Originally Posted by PopManiac

Sorry, I may be raising a subject already covered but:

In my first patrol in 1941, I use some renown pts and refit my boat with radar.

When I am at sea, I get contact reports from the radar operator, yet when I access the radar room (F9) I see no contacts on the scope, nor am I able to turn radar on / off.

Have we already covered this? Apologies in advance if so...

The only radar you would have that early in the war is SD, the air search radar. There is no station for that - the operator will simply tell you if he has a contact. The station you can get to is for the SJ radar. You won't be able to use this at all until you get one fitted later in the war.

[horrgakx]

I hate these acronyms & abreviations. Why not call them "Air radar". Or "Sea radar".

[Egan]

Originally Posted by horrgakx

I hate these acronyms & abreviations. Why not call them "Air radar". Or "Sea radar".

Because they were called SD and SJ radar i expect. :p

[orangenee]

I'm having the same problem that others are having I too bought the SD radar, but how the hell do you get it to work, I'm driving a Porpoise ATM, having just started a career.