kzt wrote:George J. Smith wrote:I'm re-reading Storm From the Shadows and something strikes me as a bit odd.
When BatCruRon 106 is deployed to Talbott, just after Artemis comes out of the wormhole terminus she is challenged by the terminus picket and Mike tells the comms op to respond, the comms op then activates the transponder.
So, why would the transponder be inactive going through the wormhole?
I suspect that would be to force the transponder to send a message, as it would be kind of silly to turn off the transponder entering a friendly system. But I don't know.
Weird Harold wrote:There are a variety of reasons for having the transponder off; a test of the local force's reaction, for example.
However, the most likely reason for activating the transponder in answer to a challenge in a new theater of operations is that the challenge demanded a specific transponder setting in response. Given travel times and distances, a "code-of-the-day" for all IFF systems wouldn't be practical, a challenge-response pair would be far more practical.
Does this remind anyone else, as it does me every time I read it, of the time Duchess Harrington displayed her twisted sense of humor by not informing her squadron of an upcoming visit from the Protector's Own? It was quite a while before the red of enemy ships flashed green. Certainly seemed like
a long disturbing while to her handicapped squadron?, anyways.
I got the impression that it was only a big deal
after the
prolonged period of silence.
Also, would it always be advisable to be broadcasting when a system could have fallen or have been retaken by the enemy? So would a force always want to enter a system broadcasting for certain that you're the enemy?
BTW, I've always wondered, why can't transponders be faked if an enemy ship is captured without computers being scrubbed and certain codes acquired? Not sure what benefit it could serve, but still.
Late edit: It also seems to be common practice of a two-color only warning system, iinm. No yellow for caution, until such time as the ship(s) are identified?