OneShot
06-04-2005, 06:59 PM
Taken from the Landlubbers Guide to DW (v0.4) ...
What exactly are Frequency Alerts for in the Sonobuoy screens? Frequency Alerts allow you to set a 'warning' when a specific frequency is detected by one of your buoys. The buoy must be receiving data in one of the Grams, so, in the MH-60R-Helo you could have a maximum of 4 buoys that are being monitored. However, say, if you were searching for a U.S. Sub, you could set one of the Freq. Alerts for 60 Hz. As soon as that Freq. is detected by one of the buoys in your Grams, the 'Gram Guy' will warn you by saying: "Frequency Alert" and a light will flash on the sonobuoy screen. Autocrew is NOT required to be On at the Acoustic Station. You can be at any station, and you will get the alerts. Platforms put out many different frequencies. It would be wise to set the frequencies to the lower reaches of the spectrum, as these sound waves carry further. This is also the reason for why it is a good idea, to scan for low frequency lines on the passive narrowband sonar station in a submarine, if dealing with longe range detection.
Most platforms in DW generate noise in the form of 5 distinct Frequencies i.e. VLF .. LF .. MF .. HF .. VHF (very low, low, middle, high and very high). The frequencies range from 50Hz VLF to ~2000Hz VHF. The Lower Frequencies, as said above, are the first ones you will detect, as they move though water farther than the higher frequencies. Having 5 Frequencies aids in Classification.
All Russian Platforms have 50Hz as the VLF Freq. All U.S. Platforms have 60Hz as their VLF Freq. So, if you are searching for a particular Russian Sub, you could set one Frequency Alert for 50Hz, and, if you know the Sub's LF Frequency you could set the other Freq Alert for that LF Frequency. etc etc etc.
However the lowest freq tonals are the most common and can be many different platforms. I.e. if you set for just 50 and 125 you could end up chasing a fishing boat or something.... The buoys are senstive only up to 1200 hz thats why the alerts don't go any higher. But the Helo-dipping sonar can go higher. But you probably will not be leaving your dipping sonar in the water long enough to require alerts. Dipping sonar requires sitting stationary, and a stationary helo is a tempting SAM target.
How to use Frequency Alerts: You have the Sonar Profiles that come with the v1.1 patch. Look for it in the manual-folder of your DW-directory after installing the patch or Appendix A in the P-3C DW OWTOP manual. All depends on the target you are hunting for. For example if you are hunting for a Chinese Kilo you have the following frequencies: 50,125,340,1050,1502. Since you only have two frequency Alerts available I would try with 50 & 125 first as the lower frequencies will be the first you are going to detect. However if there is lots of traffic, especially Fishing Boats you will be screwed as they have the same first two frequencies. In that case you can set 125 & 340 or just 340 for example to avoid false alarms. It can drive you crazy when alot of shipping is around. Solution is, once you get a hit on 50hz, switch them to 320 and 340hz, that covers almost all bad guy subs except for the Victor which is 360. Most of Europe, including the UK, uses 50hz for domestic Mains and power generation. The main reason that Europe uses 50hz and the Americas 60Hz is down to Westinghouse having a virtual monopoly on generating equipment in the US in the early 1900s, and AEG having a monopoly in Germany... with most of Europe following AEG's 50hz system for convenience.
Oh, and by the way... Please do not use DW's Sonar Profiles as a real-life-reference, they are not correct. They are correct for the game only. U.S. Navy is not only Navy that uses 60 Hz. So, this takes away a little depth from this first-class simulation, but if the Sonalyst-guys were to use the "actual" frequencies - then the big scary men in black suits, with black sunglasses, H&K-MP5s and tactical shotguns would come knocking down their doors.
What exactly are Frequency Alerts for in the Sonobuoy screens? Frequency Alerts allow you to set a 'warning' when a specific frequency is detected by one of your buoys. The buoy must be receiving data in one of the Grams, so, in the MH-60R-Helo you could have a maximum of 4 buoys that are being monitored. However, say, if you were searching for a U.S. Sub, you could set one of the Freq. Alerts for 60 Hz. As soon as that Freq. is detected by one of the buoys in your Grams, the 'Gram Guy' will warn you by saying: "Frequency Alert" and a light will flash on the sonobuoy screen. Autocrew is NOT required to be On at the Acoustic Station. You can be at any station, and you will get the alerts. Platforms put out many different frequencies. It would be wise to set the frequencies to the lower reaches of the spectrum, as these sound waves carry further. This is also the reason for why it is a good idea, to scan for low frequency lines on the passive narrowband sonar station in a submarine, if dealing with longe range detection.
Most platforms in DW generate noise in the form of 5 distinct Frequencies i.e. VLF .. LF .. MF .. HF .. VHF (very low, low, middle, high and very high). The frequencies range from 50Hz VLF to ~2000Hz VHF. The Lower Frequencies, as said above, are the first ones you will detect, as they move though water farther than the higher frequencies. Having 5 Frequencies aids in Classification.
All Russian Platforms have 50Hz as the VLF Freq. All U.S. Platforms have 60Hz as their VLF Freq. So, if you are searching for a particular Russian Sub, you could set one Frequency Alert for 50Hz, and, if you know the Sub's LF Frequency you could set the other Freq Alert for that LF Frequency. etc etc etc.
However the lowest freq tonals are the most common and can be many different platforms. I.e. if you set for just 50 and 125 you could end up chasing a fishing boat or something.... The buoys are senstive only up to 1200 hz thats why the alerts don't go any higher. But the Helo-dipping sonar can go higher. But you probably will not be leaving your dipping sonar in the water long enough to require alerts. Dipping sonar requires sitting stationary, and a stationary helo is a tempting SAM target.
How to use Frequency Alerts: You have the Sonar Profiles that come with the v1.1 patch. Look for it in the manual-folder of your DW-directory after installing the patch or Appendix A in the P-3C DW OWTOP manual. All depends on the target you are hunting for. For example if you are hunting for a Chinese Kilo you have the following frequencies: 50,125,340,1050,1502. Since you only have two frequency Alerts available I would try with 50 & 125 first as the lower frequencies will be the first you are going to detect. However if there is lots of traffic, especially Fishing Boats you will be screwed as they have the same first two frequencies. In that case you can set 125 & 340 or just 340 for example to avoid false alarms. It can drive you crazy when alot of shipping is around. Solution is, once you get a hit on 50hz, switch them to 320 and 340hz, that covers almost all bad guy subs except for the Victor which is 360. Most of Europe, including the UK, uses 50hz for domestic Mains and power generation. The main reason that Europe uses 50hz and the Americas 60Hz is down to Westinghouse having a virtual monopoly on generating equipment in the US in the early 1900s, and AEG having a monopoly in Germany... with most of Europe following AEG's 50hz system for convenience.
Oh, and by the way... Please do not use DW's Sonar Profiles as a real-life-reference, they are not correct. They are correct for the game only. U.S. Navy is not only Navy that uses 60 Hz. So, this takes away a little depth from this first-class simulation, but if the Sonalyst-guys were to use the "actual" frequencies - then the big scary men in black suits, with black sunglasses, H&K-MP5s and tactical shotguns would come knocking down their doors.