Hi there all, thank you for the help...
The main reason that started this was that I was also seeking a complete immersion experience. I was also frustrated that as others have posted is that it feels that the sub although is WWII, it has a state-of-the-art 21st Century GPS. I'm a Pilot in real life and navigation has an essence of its own and I was compelled to try to reproduce it in a realistic way.
Having downloaded (still not installed yet) the Real Nav mod for SH4 it really motivated me to know more about celestial navigation. On Amazon.com I've looked into some books and I'll have a sextant in a near future to do it for real. Anyway, the celestial navigation can be simulated by centering with the control-mouse click command the sub on the map. As I have understood with each sunset and sunrise and with the proper tables in hand you can pinpoint your location to a good degree of accuracy. Still, it is only simulated you can do that anytime and the map will center on your sub's current position taking away the immersion and commitment of a faithful realism.
OK, now back to GE.
I wanted to use it as dead reckoning because the maps are much more detailed graphically and it has more information such as small islands name's. I think SH maps is very very "raw" or a GE beta 0.1 version.
As some have mentioned out, I'll have some trouble with distances and the likes but I was wondering if for short distances I'd be ok...
Before all this I was hoping that I could do a real navigation using real sailing charts but to actually aquire the whole world must be very expensive. I also though about using Jeppesen's Enroute charts (got the whole world) but the airways and the rest really make it difficult to spot where the land is and your own navigation marks. I also do not know if for sailing purposes it would work.
So my attention came to GE. It has the corrrect tools (rulers, compass etc). I haven't tested it yet (no net at my place) and also I don't know if it would make a good radar/sonar plotter replacement.
This is what I've planned to use for all SH series (yes, I got all of them from SHCE to SHV):
-Use Printed German AOB calculator, USN Course finder MK1 Mod3, plus one generic AOB by John Greaney.
-Real navigation mod on SH3 and 4 (Is there one for SHV?). DR and Celestial 100% in use.
-Maneuvering Board and radar plotter sheets in use. Having rulers bought and the rest needed (includes parallel rulers etc.)
-Mechanical stopwatch (Yes, using my iphone or a digital one it's very weird on WWII).
-Manual TDC. I'm still reading a lot, still very complex to me.
Obsession for realism is such that I'm planning on not using TC at all...No problem. Leave it running and do house chores at the same time!
If anyone has any ideas as to how make the navigation realistic as possible please let me know. I know that having your torpedos hit targets in manual TDC is a blast but doing that and navigating for real is much more fun for me...
thanks
|