What do you guys think of a cloaking device. This would have 2 parts: 1 – an active retroreflective coating (ARRC) powered by one of the ship's reactors (I'd say the power consumption would be negligible), but there would also be a second circuit that would go to a set of energy banks (you store excess energy in the energy banks, and then you don't have to worry as much about being spotted during a cold coast). When not in use, the RRC would instead absorb electromagnetic radiation in known Jung scanning/detection frequencies (a. the sensors on the Jar-Benakh would be upgraded to Takaran models; and b. this is somewhat like stealth materials in use today, except much more effective); and 2 – an emitter array, which would project a distortion field around a ship (in this case, a distortion field is a field that bends most frequencies of EM radiation around a ship, including visible light, and also absorbs any emissions). This cloak would allow the Aurora, the Jar-Benakh, and the other various ships (including captured Jung frigates from the Cetian shipyards) used by the Earth-Pentaurus Alliance to evade detection for longer, and would allow the Alliance to conduct more effective and elaborate deceptions if necessary.
For what it's worth I think Ryk has made pretty good use of the time light takes to travel as form of 'stealth'. The battles where the ships jump in x light minutes out, fire torpedoes and then jump to another point feels like I'm kind of reading a stealthy submarine hunting an unaware prey.
I've never liked the concept of "cloaking" tech in Sci Fi myself. A spaceship would emit so many things that could be detected by any number of sensors. And making a ship "disappear" from view is pretty useless for a spaceship, as nothing in space is done "visually". The distances involved are too great, and the time spent "in close" to a target are to short. Visually cloaking a ship is a tech that just isn't worth developing.
Now, it would have use on the battlefield, but again, once an enemy knows that cloaking tech exists, they will quickly find a way to counter it.
@rykbrown I forgot about this thread. Have a change of heart have we? I get we need to keep one-upping the other in technology but this seems to go against something you were not a fan of. I need to reread this part in the series, to be sure I get my facts straight. But umm... second thoughts here?
I think it is not about "Cloaking" so much as a reduction in range and reflected radiation, and in generated radiation. A reduction in radiation is like the B2 stealth bomber or F117 Stealth fighter. They are not invisible (they get oversold that way sometimes). The bad guys will not detect them many miles away, but they might detect them once they are already on top of them. Likewise an attack fleet might suddenly "appear" just inside of Mars' orbit instead of being tracked from outside Neptune's orbit. Makes sensors less effective.
I don't get what all the fuss is about, I mean people don't wear Cloaks much anymore. And it they did, its not to difficult to put one on, its all in the wrists, just a sweep and flick gesture and your tying it off... I mean building a device to do it for you is just plain lazy.
While a cloaking device being used in a land-based role (i.e. on a planet's surface or in its atmosphere) to conceal infantry, vehicles, or aircraft would prove useful, the use of a cloaking device to hide a starship would be impractical. As Mr Brown stated, the ranges at which starships normally engage one another are distant and the time spent in proximity to one another is very short considering their relative velocities and courses. A more appropriate technology would be a heat sink, a device that would allow a starship to close its heat exchangers and store its waste heat for a time before having to radiate it to cool its interior. One example of such a device, is the Normandy for the Mass Effect universe.
I totally disagree with you, Sir Four Islands. A gentleman should refrain from invoking his masculine abilities whenever possible. Although, a good argument could be made against such devices as possibly placing a good manservant out of work. Such an out of work man's man could then cause his good wife and children to have to be sold off as medical experiments!
I for one will not stand idly by while you cast these helpless womenfolk and innocent children into the pauper's house! I say we ban such devices immediately!
By Gods man! Your right! I must make recompense! To the Recycling Plant to dispose of this contraption!!! and then to the patent office to make sure these plans are marked and stamped! For to stop any Ne'er-do-wells from developing there own Doohickey! What Unhand me you fowel contraption! I can cloak mine ownself!
Alright Ryk, the natives are getting restless. You're going to have to feed them or else there will be human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!
Men not being able to leave their stately houses due to tyrannical cloaking doohickeys half strangling them! Children playing in the streets and reading the latest penny dreadful garbage! These are the last days of the Old World as I live and breath!!!
Ryk
I don't think a cloaking device would help. Besides they have more the element of surprise with the short jumps, it keeps them guessing where they're going to be from one second to the next. I love it just the way it is, but pplleeaassee just tell us when 16 is coming out. I have had withdrawals since I finished 15 and that was the day after it was released !!!!!
Late May, 2016
Ryk, I could kiss you... but I've had bad experiences kissing computer screens in the past... its just not the same you know!
- Oh and as for Cloaking tech - there are elements of stealth with regard Combat suits like the stuff the Ghatazach wear and what they use in space and in re-entry. and the best type of cloak is always to get your head down and hide, so thats what seems to work best for the Jung.
I think that the technological level we are at in FS means that the tech to spot people is on a par with the tech to hide them, and that the best way to be invisible is the training spec ops people get at blending in to the local population.
Tech level in the story at hand is an interesting rathole to go down, IMHO. My little girl is watching Brady Bunch re-runs, but I remember those times from living them myself. Those people (including myself back then) would never have expected people of this age to worry about updating their Facebook feed from an always-connected personal super computer on our hip. They would have expected flying cars and trips to Mars, though.
Taking it further, they probably would not have cared to read a story involving social media, as it was too far removed from their personal experiences. The story has to be limited to ideas that make sense to the story's readers, as well as their sense of what is possible and where they are going.
Yeah!!! Late May here we come!!! So it's the 2nd which is later in May then yesterday.... Sorry just joking, I cannot wait for this one!! Do I remember correctly that you were going to try and have the audio-book and kindle version out at the same time? Thanks for everything!!
