Re: [FT] Sensor Range Question

Beth Fulton wrote:
> In answer to the question its in system. Derek had done up some sensor
> rules for the a campaign we're heading into and then someone said
you'd be
> able to see ships coming for ages and that stumped him as all the
material
> he was working off kept giving him fairly minute ranges in comparison
to
> system size (e.g Basic sensor's extreme range is 150" passive, 600"
active
> and.ESM 720" - double that for enhanced and double the enhanced ranges
for
> superior).

Actually, MT is kind of weird in which it postulates a larger active
range than passive range.  Can anybody speak of unclassified projects
(8-) where this is true?  I always thought that your passive always
exceeds your active.  And Beth, what's the difference between passive
and ESM, aren't they just two sides of the same coin?
 
> As to the scale we're using. 1" = 1000km and 1 turn = 15mins.

So that gives half a light second passive, 2 light seconds active,
2.4 light seconds using 'ESM.'	Hmmmm.
 
> I know that was a fat lot of good with regard to advancing the actual
> debate, but I thought it might help to put the original question in
> perspective.
> 
> Just one more thing (which is purely out of my own curiosity) if
sensor
> ranges are so small that you'd only see a fleet coming if it was as
close
> as the moon etc, how do the fleet find each other to fight? Just
wander
> around until they fall over something? And I'm not trying to take the
mick
> here (well not completely), I am seriously curious.
> 

I think Laser had a point that, in these circumstances, defending fleets
will tend to stay close to the object they're protecting.   And also the

point about the difference between 'firing solution' and 'contact
detected but not localized.'  This once again depends on the
sensors you're using, and how the physics of the universe work.
For example, I've always assumed that, no matter how good your
technology, you can't hide a jump signature, as long as you've 
got a line of sight to any point of the envelope.  It throws so much
odd EM radiation and exotic stuff out, that the only way to miss it
is if something nice and massive like a star or a planet were in the
way.

Just some pennies worth.  

J.

-- 
     *** Jerry Han - jhan@icom.ca - http://people.canoe.ca/jhan ***
"There once was pretty good nation, Pretty proud of the greatness it
had,
	 Which learned much too late, If you want to be great,
  Pretty good is, in fact, pretty bad." -- Charles Osgood - TBFTGOGGI