Need radar on/off button for fleets!

[Sabre]

I believe the addition of a Radar On/Off button on the fleet control panel would be a great addition.  Why, you ask?  Why would you ever want to turn radar off, you wonder? Well, you might consider turning it off if it gave away the precise position of your fleet to have the radar operating.  The idea is that a fleet with an operating radar would display an icon on the clipboard to both friendly and enemy players.  With the radar shut down, only friendly players would see an icon.

An operating radar is visible at far greater range than it can detect an aircraft, especially the big, long-range radars carried aboard ships.  The down side of turning it off is you will not get raid warning of an approaching aircraft.  However, if you're on the ropes (or in a scenario), it might be better to stay hidden.  Another useful gambit is to shut down the radar while you're moving it withing striking range of an enemy fleet or position.  Yes, you'ld still get a sector bar when someone launches, but that only hints that a carrier might be present, and doesn't give it's exact location.

This is historically and realistically in line with how fleets operate.  RF direction finding was a common enough skill, particularly later in the war.  Of course, intercept of radio chatter was also a common way to find ships, planes, and land forces; however, this would be much harder to emplement in AH.  It would be cool if sector bars only appeared under certain conditions, such as use of the radio or flying at certain altitudes.

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Sabre (a.k.a. Rojo)

[LaVa]

doesnt matter...Your ship's radar has no effect on what the enemy sees.  Would be nice to have a button that makes the CVG group invisible.

take care

Lava

[Jekyll]

 

doesnt matter...Your ship's radar has no effect on what the enemy sees.

Err, I think that's his point LaVa.  A carrier group with radars operating should be capable of being Dfluffied to determine its location.

So the option could be.. Use your radars on the CV, but then have the CV position appear on the map like any other field ....

OR.. run your CV  under EMCON in which case it does not appear on the map, but you will not be able to spot enemy aircraft inbound until they come within visual range.

[juzz]

Uhh, what about the pocket size awacs/gps map system that every AH pilot is issued with?

[ispar]

Um, there were no RWR's in WWII. If someone had radar active, you might be able to tell what direction it came from, but it would not pinpoint the location of the fleet. And the direction fix would be hazy at best.

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"E's bound to be guilty, or 'e wouldn't be 'ere!
Starboard gun! FIRE!
Shootings to good for 'im, kick the louse out!
Port gun! FIRE!"
- Old chant used to time saluting of guns on ships

[Sabre]

Actually, both sides developed equipment during the war by which you could get a direction fix on operating radars.  You could get a fairly accurate bearing, and with more than one radar receiver you could then triangulate.  RAF Bomber Command developed radar for bombing, only to have the Germans develope DF gear that would allow them to find the RAF bombers using their own radar signals.  And Jekyll has it exactly.  Radar on, and your fleet's icon appears on everyone's map.  Radar off, and it only appears on friendly maps.

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Sabre (a.k.a. Rojo)