TDC

[Frederf]

Reading through those TDC manual pdfs I found out what the "target length" dial is for. The TDC allows for direct input of sound bearing (which is 0.5° accurate in the real thing at the proper filter frequency or better) and using the range, AOB, and half the target length, will correct the sound bearing into the equivalent visual bearing on center of target.

I'm curious about developing a quick and dirty method of converting sound bearing to visual bearing for sonar PK checking and even more accurate sonar targeting.

[Rockin Robbins]

The bearing conversion is done in-game. Our sonar bearing points to MOT.

Hey, did you see those inputs for distance between perisope and torpedo tubes? The inputs for torpedo speed? There are all kinds of fascinating things going on there with all sorts of interesting implications. For instance, they could have actually transplanted an American TDC into a little bitty U-Boat and made it work in pretty short order! Or used the same TDC in an S-Boat or Fleet Boat.

The TDC was built into two cases, side by side, so they could fit through the hatches and it could be installed without taking cutting torches to the hull.

But what really interests me are the photos of the difference and trigonometry modules. Yikes! They were doing with shafts and gears what we think takes a microprocessor. Those TDCs, German, Japanese and American, were art masterpieces as much as utilitarian machinery. Their designers were brilliant as any computer engineer of today.

[elanaiba]

Originally Posted by Patchman123

I was watching a video on YouTube about the Silent Service and the torpedo data computer and discovered that the TDC had thing that said "Own Position." to point to your own position on the submarine. Why doesn't Silent Hunter IV have this feature. It would sure help. The problem is that in they have essentially simplified the TDC and made it vague to understand. Is there a way to make it more complex and historically accurate like it was the old days?

The own ship dial is the one on the bottom of the periscope TDC... is that what you're looking for ?

[Rockin Robbins]

OK, here's the periscope screen. On the right you see the TDC input dial, where you can enter speed, AoB and range/bearing. On the left are the TDC output dials, the target dial above and ownship dial below. You can see the torpedo was a stern shot. The gyro angle can be read with the inside set of numbers and the torpedo's course on the outside ring of numbers. On the upper target dial you can see the torpedo course on the outside ring (you have to read the opposite side, where the arrow is pointing, or add 180 to the number under the arrow), and the TTA (torpedo track angle) of about 50º measuring the angle at which the torpedo struck the side of the target.

You can also read the target's course at the zero bearing on the bow, see the number on the outside ring, about 59º. You can read the submarine's course on the ownship dial the same way, the number on the outside ring ajacent to the zero bearing, about 80º.

There is a ton of useful information in those two TDC output dials if you make yourself completely familiar with them they will help immensely in setting up your attacks.

Note that the game was just fine before EasyAoB came along and nothing is possible with EasyAoB that wasn't possible before it.

[Frederf]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

The bearing conversion is done in-game. Our sonar bearing points to MOT.

I haven't found this to be the case. I've had really, really good PK solutions that stick on the target like white on rice over several minutes and the sonarman on follow nearest contact is shouting bearing that are consistently 1-3degrees behind.