Traveller-digest     Wednesday, August 11 1999     Volume 1999 : Number 945



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: Explain to me how radios work
Re: Explain to me how radios work
Re: How close can stars be?
Re: New Art
Re: Physics photon question/ Solar Sails
Re: Physics photon question/ Solar Sails
Re: Another Newbie
Re: FW: Auroral Lights On Io
Re: Physics photon question/ Solar Sails
Re: Comment on GT Stuff?
Re: First In
Re: Atmospheres : #2 Taints and Not-so-Inert Gases (long)
Re: First In
Re: First In
Re: MT Task Varients
Re: New Art
Re: MT Task Varients
Re: Relief for Newbies
RE: Comment on GT Stuff?
Re: Re: Explain to me how radios work

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 11:51:56 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Explain to me how radios work

In mail you write:

> Matt Clonfero <Matt-C@aetherem.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>Note: A 10km range portable radio will tend to be a line-of-sight
>>transmitter; unless the EW team is within line-of-sight they will not be
>>able to intercept the transmissions.
>
> I would say, using modern military comms as a basis, that portable
> radios would NOT be line of sight. Battlefield man-pack radios require
> that the user be able to operate it without having to change facing...
> (keep your eyes towards the enemy!). Radio comms at section- battallion
> strength will most definitely be omni directional, with limited frequency
> range
> to negate the necessity of Antenna Matching Tuning units (TUAAMs IIRC)
> It is when these signals get 'patched' onto a backbone signal network.
> or it's feeders, (SCRA Centrals in UK Mil speak) that line of sight comms
> comes in. Moving people and vehicles just could not have the reflectorised
> antenna pointing at the optimum direction constantly. Imagine having an old
> portable telly with the loop arial on top. Imagine fiddling with it until
> you get a
> good picture - brings back memories? Now pick it up, and walk around with
> it!
> what's your picture like now?)
>
> Fixed installations provide LOS, mobile use OmniDirectional.

You are confusing "beamed" vs "omindirectional" antennas. Simple rod
antennas tend to be omnidirectional. Multi-element dipoles tend to
concentrate the signal along one axis. And when you get to short enough
wavelengths, "dish" antennas act like searchlights.

But none of this affects the "line of sight" nature of radio. The
antennas have to do with *aiming*. But "line of sight" refers to the
need to have a clear signal path between the trasmitter and receiver.

The trick is that EM waves tend to "wrap around" obstacles with a size
"near" their wavelengths. That's why broadcast AM with wavelengths in
the kilometer range can be heard even with buildings between you and
the transmitter. Even with (some) hills between you and it.

Also, these "lower" frequencies tend to bounce off the ionosphere,
giving them the ability to be received worldwide. 

But as the wavelengths get shorter (FM & TV) the wavelengths get small
enough that they start *reflecting* off of buildings and terrain. Which
leads to "ghosts" on TV (same signal arriving by paths of differing
lengths), and to "dead zones". 

One thing that helps FM radio a bit is that signals that *graze* the
edge of an obstacle will refract around it a bit. So signals that skim
the top of a ridgeline will refract a bit into the valley on ther other
side. But only a bit. 

So unless you are using *long* wavelengths, you really do need line of
sight between the transmitter and receiver. 

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 12:04:05 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Explain to me how radios work

In mail you write:

> AveNelso@aol.com wrote:
>
>>    ALso remember that if the planet has no atmosphere, then radio
>> becomes a line of sight communication device.   Hills and other
>> obstructions will block radio signals and there is no atmospheric
>> effect to bounce the signal around

> Surface wave? Or does this require an atmosphere?

Depends a lot on wavelength. The shorter the wavelength, the quicker
the wave *quits* following the curvature of the surface. And rugged
terrain will just make things worse.

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 12:08:45 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: How close can stars be?

In mail you write:

> Something for the astrophysicists on the list:
>
> How close can stars be to each other without harming their ability to
> support habitable planets? 

That depends a lot on their mass and age. 

For example, there's a class of star known as a "contact binary". Two
stars are orbiting so close that their photospheres are probably in
contact! 

A planet could orbit such stars and be habitable. I'm just not sure
that planets are *likely* in such a system.

You also get things like white dwarfs orbiting more normal stars.
Again, a habitable zone exists, but it's not certain that there could
be any planets to *be* in that zone.

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 12:18:01 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: New Art

In mail you write:

>>I've got 'Web of Angels' and 'The Final Reflection' and I've read "How
> Much For Just The Planet?'.  I also have 2 copies of the JTAS issue with
> 'Road Show' in it.
>>
>>Keven
>
> John M. Ford wrote something for Traveller?  
> Must...read...John...M...Ford....
>
> Badman (who does have the superb Car Wars/Champions crossover
> story/adventure he did)

I'd *love* to see what would happen if he was given a moderately free
hand to write a few Traveller novels. We might get some interesting
takes on the Aslan, Vargr, and K'kree. Lord only  knows what he'd do
with hivers, Vilani or Zhodani.

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 14:41:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com>
Subject: Re: Physics photon question/ Solar Sails

Thing writes:
<snip>
> Except, if photons exert pressure, than they must have mass, albeit very
> minutely.  Photons travel @C so there mass at rest (I you could stop one)
> must be even smaller and amplified by there tremendous velocity.    If this
> is true, then the true limiting speed should be fat above the speed of
> light, as photons must be traveling at a speed where their mass has
> increased to the point where there is no more energy to provide
> acceleration. 

This is false.  Photons have mass, but no rest mass.  The equations of special
relativity break down for lightspeed, the mass of a massless particle at
lightspeed is 0/0 (a particle with no rest mass can _only_ move at the speed
of light; a particle with rest mass can only move less than c.  A particle
with imaginary rest mass can only move faster than c).

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 17:55:18 -0400
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com>
Subject: Re: Physics photon question/ Solar Sails

> A particle with imaginary rest mass can only move >faster than c).

Tachions perchance?  Or are there other particles that can do this?
___________________________________________________________
 J-Man
 ICQ# 2843475
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.
 Email : j-man@iname.com
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/
___________________________________________________________

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 17:41:26 -0400
From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
Subject: Re: Another Newbie

Ian Ferguson wrote:
> 
> Dave Shayne writes:
> >Allow me please to introduce myself,
> >my name is Dave Shayne, I've been a trav. aficionado
> >since the lbb days.
> <snipped>
> 
>         Hi Dave, and welcome to the list.  This must be Newbie
>         week, with the high positive Newbie flux that the TML is
>         experiencing.  This is a good thing.
> 
> Peez

Yup, newbies crawling out of the wood work! BUT has anyone mentioned the
initiation to them yet? (heh,heh,heh!)
Welcome to the List Dave! Expect a visit any time now from the Templer
Welcome Wagon and Roving Torture Team.
- -- 
Mike Peters
travelleri@home.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 16:15:53 -0500
From: "Smart, David J (David)" <dasmart@lucent.com>
Subject: Re: FW: Auroral Lights On Io

Doug posted:
>
>Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 09:35:14
>From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>
>Subject: Re: FW: Auroral Lights On Io
>
>At 08:53 AM 8/6/99 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>Images and further information are available at URL:
>>   http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/hiips/Science
>>
>>(Let's hear it for the Galileo probe!)
>
><Standing Ovation!>
>
>One question:  I was under the impression that Io's volcanoes were very
>transitory phenomina, lasting only a matter or weeks.  I see on this page
>that they seem to be named features.  Was I mistaken on that point?

Apologies for not replying sooner, Doug. I get the digest form and
completely missed your question during my skimming.

I believe (and I'm no expert) that some of the larger volcanoes may
indeed be "permanent", if such a word can be used in relation to
Io's surface.

David

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 14:52:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Anthony Jackson <ajackson@molly.iii.com>
Subject: Re: Physics photon question/ Solar Sails

Jory Earl writes:
> > A particle with imaginary rest mass can only move >faster than c).
> 
> Tachions perchance?  Or are there other particles that can do this?

The point about imaginary rest mass was only for completeness; assuming a tachyon existed, it would have imaginary rest mass.  No known particles move faster than light.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 17:50:12 -0400
From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
Subject: Re: Comment on GT Stuff?

Ken,

It's been far too long! How is everything going, well I hope!

Anyway, being a reabid collector these days I've bought most of the
GURPS stuff (not to mention, it's the OTHER system I game in). I'd have
to say grab Far Trader and First In if you can. They're GURPS but the
merchant information in Far Trader is what we should have seen in T4!
You just have to tweak them to fit the Trav engine. THe same goes for
First In and system, planet design. Come to think of it YOU ARE the guy
I'd like to see tweak the GURPS oriented stuff for use in the Trsv
engine, just let me know what your doing!

Mike

Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions wrote:
> 
> My Star Wars game has come to its campaign finale, and now I'm looking
> at picking up my Traveller game again.
> 
> I will use one of the Traveller rules sets (either Classic, MT, or T4),
> but I'm curious about the GURPS stuff.
> 
> The question is:
> 
> If I'm going to use a Traveller rules set, AND I own just about
> everything ever published by GDW for Traveller, will the GURPS stuff be
> useful to me?
> 
> Or, is the GURPS stuff just repetitive information I already own using a
> new rules set?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Kenneth.

- -- 
Mike Peters
travelleri@home.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 14:50:47 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: First In

In mail you write:

>> Canon? Hell I use Vulcans myself!
>
> Vulcans in your canon? Wouldn't the rate of fire suck? ;)
> XRP!

I dunno, I thought Vulcans had a 20-30 *thousand* rounds per minute
rating. :-)

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 15:02:08 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Atmospheres : #2 Taints and Not-so-Inert Gases (long)

In mail you write:

> - Helium
> The second most abundant element in the universe, helium is usually
> found in significant amounts only in the atmospheres of subgiant
> or gas giant worlds due to its low molecular weight (helium makes up
> 0.00052% of Earth's atmosphere).
>         It may be found dissolved in hydrocarbons or similar non-polar
> solvents on less massive worlds. The primary supply of helium on Earth
> is that dissolved in the gas and oil fields of the American Mid-West.

It got dissolved as it was produced by radio-isotope decay in the
surrounding rocks. After all an alpha particle is just a doubly ionized
helium atom. 

> iii. Other oxides of nitrogen
> NO2, N2O3, N2O4

While it's not a gas at normal temperatures, N2O5 deserves at least
*some* mention. It combines rapidly with water to produce concentrated
nitric acid.

N2O5 + H2O -> 2 HNO3

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 14:25:47 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: First In

In mail you write:

>>There should be a gravity neutral (Lagrange) point at the centre of mass of
> the two stars. So you could pop a far port (or two) in there.
>>
> This may not be the brightest question that I have ever asked, but what
> exactly IS a Lagrange point?  I put one in orbit around Shiratori, a planet
> in my novel, and now I'm wondering if I have to give Shiratori a moon of
> about the same size as ours.  I needed it to put a station in.

LaGrange points are named after the astronomer who worked out their
existence (from theory!). 

The usual sort of setup is a primary (planet or star) with a smaller
secondary (moon or planet) orbiting it. The secondary body has to be a
*lot* smaller. I vaguely recal a 15:1 or 25:1 figure being tossed
around. The earth-moon system fits, as does the Sol-Jupiter. 

There are 5 Lagrange points in such a system. They are points where the
gravitational *and "centrifugal"* forces balance out such that a body
*much* smaller than the secondary can remain in a fixed relationship
with both the primary and secondary. (Ie, you put it there and it'll
stay, with the relative angles of the primary and secondary being
constant) 

First, you draw a straight line thru the center of both bodies and
extending a fair ways past the orbit of the secondary (on both sides of
the primary). L1, L2, and L3 are all on this line.

L1 is between the primary and the secondary, but a *lot* closer to the
secondary body. It is *not* the point at which the gravity of the two
"cancels". 

L2 is roughly the same distance from the secondary, but on the side
*opposite* the primary. 

L3 is on the far side of the primary from the secondary, and a but
farther away from the primary. 

If anyone has guidelines for calculating the exact positions of L1,L2,
and L3 I'd appreciate getting copies.

L1, L2, and L3 are only stable *along* the line. Drift a little bit
sideways, and the forces will push you in the same direction you are
drifting. Sort of like balancing a ball on the top of a hill. Oops. 

Still, they are usefull for some limited purposes 

L4 and L5 are 60 degrees ahead and behind the secondary, in the same
orbit. Thus, each forms an equilateral triangle with the primary and
secondary being the other two corners.

These are also referred to as "trojan points" because of the trojan
asteroids which were discovered in Jupiter's L4 & L5 points.

These *are* long term stable. As long as you don't drift *too* far from
the point, forces tend to push you back towards it. 

Note that Trojan points are a *long* ways from the primary *or* the
secondary. Especially if you are talking about planetary or stellar
trojan points. 

>>I assume they would all form out of the same accretion disk on
> system/planetary formation. So I would expect them to all be roughly in the
> same plane.
>>
> Is that why the planets all lie in the ecliptic?  (Well, except for Pluto
> sometimes...)

Yep. As the cloud of dust & gas contracts, the random motions turn into
a spin, and collisions regularize the results into a fairly broad disk.
This explains why planets are in (more or less) the same plane, *and*
why why the tend to rotate in the same direction.

Oddities, such as Venus rotating backwards, Uranus having an axial tilt
that is almost in the plane of it's orbit, and Pluto's odd iunclination
can be explained as the results of a few *big* collisions late in the
process.

The other "retrograde" (moving backwards) objects are pretty obviously
random small asteroids captured more recently.

> Can a planet orbit two stars and still be in a habitable zone?

Only if the stars are close to each other. And even then I'd have to do
a lot of checking of luminosity vs distance before I'd say yes.

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 18:01:28 -0400
From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
Subject: Re: First In

At least somebody recognized the reference! Ah for a C-130 flying in a
gentle circle... defoliating the enemy's suspected location!

Black ICE wrote:
> 
> Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella wrote:
> >
> > > Canon? Hell I use Vulcans myself!
> >
> > Vulcans in your canon? Wouldn't the rate of fire suck? ;)
> > XRP!
> 
> No, the M61-series Vulcan 20mm gatling gun has an _impressive_ rate of
> fire.  Six barrels will do that for you....
> 
> --
> AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead
> "Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)
> http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776

- -- 
Mike Peters
travelleri@home.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 99 17:08:04 -0500
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>
Subject: Re: MT Task Varients

On 08/11/99 at 02:08 PM,  "Shawn Campbell" <electric-stitch@w-link.net> said:

>> BTW, I notice no one told me what the full characteristic is used for in
>MT..other than wounds and injuries. Could it be that the full
>characteristic isn't really used for anything else in MT? And if
>that's true...

>1/5th (round down) of your stat can be used as a DM towards task
>rolls.

Shawn, that was my point! I know *1/5* of the characteristic is used for tasks, and during character generation some secondary stats are composed of sums of various characteristics, but where, in play, is the *full* characteristic value used? 

Eris
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 18:10:05 -0400
From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
Subject: Re: New Art

Jesse,

To my shame I missed it when it was circulating on the list a while
back. If you could let me know where to grab it on the web, or email it
to me I'd be forever grateful. Not that the Klingon font looks bad, but
people tend to talk when you mix s.f. universes, and the offspring can
be... well... scary.

Mike

Jesse DeGraff wrote:
> 
> Do you need the Bilandin font Mike?
> Jesse
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com
> > [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Michael
> > Peters
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 1999 3:38 PM
> > To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com
> > Subject: Re: New Art
> >
> >
> > Probably because that's the font I used. It's the best looking of the
> > few alien ones I have (mostly trek) and I didn't whant to make my own.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> > Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:
> > >
> > > I like your art, but why does the script on the starliner look like
> > > Klingonaase to me?
> > >
> > > Kiri, confused
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
> > > To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
> > > Date: Sunday, August 08, 1999 3:04 PM
> > > Subject: Re: New Art
> > >
> > > >Thanks Kiri, there was a broken link that my browser was ignoring since
> > > >it had the originals. I've tried it from the other internet connection
> > > >and it should be ok now though!
> > > >
> > > >again the address:
> > > >
> > > >http://members.home.net/travelleri/index.html
> > > >
> > > >and go to the artwork page (which SHOULD work now!)
> > > >
> > > >Mike
> > > >
> > > >Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> I got an error message that the page wasn't up.
> > > >>
> > > >> Kiri
> > > >> -----Original Message-----
> > > >> From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
> > > >> To: TML <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
> > > >> Date: Sunday, August 08, 1999 1:55 PM
> > > >> Subject: New Art
> > > >>
> > > >> >Please check out the type M subsidized liner art on my web
> > page and let
> > > >> >me know what you think. Thanks to Steve Hudson for several
> > pictures. Any
> > > >> >error are strictly of my own making from my interpretation.
> > > >> >
> > > >> >They can be found at
> > > >> >
> > > >> >http://members.home.net/travelleri/index.html
> > > >> >
> > > >> >follow the Artwork link
> > > >> >--
> > > >> >Mike Peters
> > > >> >travelleri@home.com
> > > >> >
> > > >
> > > >--
> > > >Mike Peters
> > > >travelleri@home.com
> > > >
> >
> > --
> > Mike Peters
> > travelleri@home.com
> >

- -- 
Mike Peters
travelleri@home.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 16:28:45 -0600
From: Erwin Fritz <efritz@GLJA.com>
Subject: Re: MT Task Varients

Eris Reddoch wrote:
> 
> On 08/11/99 at 02:08 PM,  "Shawn Campbell" <electric-stitch@w-link.net> said:
> >1/5th (round down) of your stat can be used as a DM towards task
> >rolls.
> 
> Shawn, that was my point! I know *1/5* of the characteristic is used for tasks, and during character generation some secondary stats are composed of sums of various characteristics, but where, in play, is the *full* characteristic value used?

It gets used in rolls that aren't tasks. For example, I often require my players
to do an intelligence check. That's simply a 2D roll, with success being the Int
value or less.

If you're backward compatible with the older Traveller adventures, you'll need
the full characteristics for many of the rolls in those books.

The full value of Int and of Educ gets used to determine the maximum skills a
character may have.

The full value of characteristics is used in modifier definitions. For examples,
look at the Enlistment modifiers in CharGen, or the Strength modifier used in
the Broadsword weapon.

They also get used, if I recall correctly, to calculate the distances characters
may jump, either horizontally or vertically.

- -- 
Erwin Fritz
Gilbert Laustsen Jung Associates Ltd.
http://www.glja.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 18:28:26 -0400
From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
Subject: Re: Relief for Newbies

Ah Doug, but where is Kenji when we need 'em?

"Douglas E. Berry" wrote:
> 
> At 11:11 AM 8/11/99 -0400, you wrote:
> 
> >5. I have no idea at all about the Lesbian Aslan (aka female Aslan in
> >comfy shoes).  Some folks around here are just strange...
> 
> That one arose from the 3:1 ratio of femal to male Aslan.  Some of us
> wonderered is bisexuality might be the norm for female Aslan, and off it
> went...
> --
> 
> Douglas E. Berry, dberry@hooked.net
> Inquisitor Maximus
> Reformed Canon Church of Sylea
> http://jump.to/SyleaDownport

- -- 
Mike Peters
travelleri@home.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 09:28:30 -0500
From: "Smart, David J (David)" <dasmart@lucent.com>
Subject: RE: Comment on GT Stuff?

Kenneth Bearden

>My Star Wars game has come to its campaign finale, and now I'm looking
>at picking up my Traveller game again.
>
>I will use one of the Traveller rules sets (either Classic, MT, or T4),
>but I'm curious about the GURPS stuff.
>
>The question is:
>
>If I'm going to use a Traveller rules set, AND I own just about
>everything ever published by GDW for Traveller, will the GURPS stuff be
>useful to me?
>
>Or, is the GURPS stuff just repetitive information I already own using a
>new rules set?

Kenneth,

I also have just about everthing published for Traveller since '78 and
I've found most of the GURPS material about 50% useful. "First In" is
very marginally useful (Book 6 - Scouts covers most of it) but
"Far Traders" blows the socks of anything previously published for
Traveller merchants (IMO).

The mercenary supplement has some very nice detail for military/para-
military campaigns and the basic Traveller book is very useful for
converting characters to GURPS.

All in all, if you're going to buy only one GT book to supplement your
Traveller collection, go with "Far Traders".

Just my thoughts...

David

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 18:42:03 -0600
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@pcisys.net>
Subject: Re: Re: Explain to me how radios work

At 07:39 PM 8/10/99 -0700, you wrote:
>A sensible approach to radio rules would be to have radio ranges on
a
>log scale; one could then get the range at which two radios could
>communicate by adding one's "recieve" strength to the others
>"transmit" strength. (Not unlike the T4/DSR sensor rules.)

	In fact, that's the concept behind a "link budget" beloved of comm
planners, especially satellite comm planners. Simply add together a
bunch of factors representing transmitter signal power, antenna gain,
space loss (range), atmosphere loss, receiver antenna gain, receiver
noise, and receiver sensitivity. If the result is above the minimum
S/N ... you're good to go.

	Somewhere on my long list of things I Really Want To Do is to create
just such an expansion for DSR ...
- -- ------------------------------------------------------------ --
   Dave Golden                  http://www.pcisys.net/~goldendj 

   Fight Spam! Join CAUCE! == http://www.cauce.org/

------------------------------

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #945
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in the body of a message to "traveller-request@lists.imagiconline.com".
If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is
coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that
address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe
"local-traveller":

subscribe traveller-digest local-traveller@your.domain.net

A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to
subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "traveller-digest"
in the commands above with "traveller".

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