Radio/Sonar qualifications

[Jard]

Kapleuns!

In your experience is it worth giving one of your petty officers a radio/sonar qualification? Does it make a noticeable difference to the chances / range of hydrophone detection?

I normally just use unqualified crew members but it occurred to me last night that in stormy weather I'm so reliant on the hydrophone to pick up any targets that a specialist might help. But I don't want to use up a valuable qualification on a petty officer if it doesn't make much difference...

(I playing with GWX 1.03 by the way).

Thanks in advance, and good hunting.

[Jimbuna]

Radio and Sonar are the first qualifications I go for.

[raduz]

I have been working a lot with the hydrophone (see my tutorial at http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=107303) and although many people say the qualified sonarman hears better, in my experience this is not the case. I made some test missions in order to find out whats the difference between a greenhorn and a qualified veteran and I was surprised, because it seems that even the green sonarman can pick the contact at the same time (or even sooner) as the veteran. so I think the dev team did not simulate thoroughly the differences in experience, at least for sonarmen. dont crucify me, this is just my oppinion

[TarJak]

I don;t think there was much difference modelled around the distance at which green vs vetran sonar ops, I think it was around the probability of detection at extreme range. Even with a green operator, you will still get contacts reported at extreme range but my experience is that green ops do not report contacts that vets do.

Simple way to test is to create a mission with several contacts at different ranges and then play two different boats with different crew experiences in the sonar ops and then run each enough times using each crew to get a bell curve of the probability of detection.

[its a viic]

My opinion.... why take a chance. Thats what you need. Someone that is good at listening to that hydrophone. I will usually slap em with some medals too so they dont tire so quickly. If gunners, torpedo guys work better with medals it only makes sense to award your hydrophone guys also. My two cents worth. Better to award him then say a medic or as I recently found out a flak gunner.

[Wilko]

Originally Posted by its a viic

My opinion.... why take a chance. Thats what you need. Someone that is good at listening to that hydrophone. I will usually slap em with some medals too so they dont tire so quickly. If gunners, torpedo guys work better with medals it only makes sense to award your hydrophone guys also. My two cents worth. Better to award him then say a medic or as I recently found out a flak gunner.

+1.. that is what I do to, and the compartment is always solid green now

[raduz]

Originally Posted by TarJak

I don;t think there was much difference modelled around the distance at which green vs vetran sonar ops, I think it was around the probability of detection at extreme range. Even with a green operator, you will still get contacts reported at extreme range but my experience is that green ops do not report contacts that vets do.

Simple way to test is to create a mission with several contacts at different ranges and then play two different boats with different crew experiences in the sonar ops and then run each enough times using each crew to get a bell curve of the probability of detection.

Maybe you are right. I did not do such tests. However, I use to intercept the contact looooong before my sonarman does, and usually, all I need is his confirmation of the contacts speed (slow/medium/fast).

[SmokinTep]

I have yet to see much difference either way.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Radio and Sonar are the first qualifications I go for.

[ichso]

That being said, if you have a qualified sailor at the hydrophone controls... and a sailor with no qualification at the radar station.... only the hydrophone station is given a bonus.

That does answer my question, thanks.