Fletcher-Class Destroyer
- Thread starter Jame
- Start date
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
It's a technobabble way of saying that the EPs stored in the capacitors due to a black globe are used at the same rate as the regular power plant output - i.e. the ship uses capacitor stored energy rather than power plant generated energy (any idea what it does with the power plant output while this is happening, since HG doesn't allow powering down the power plant for a couple of turns either
).By the way, I said at the start of all this that this use of capacitors is sneaky. But having now read up on HG, FF&S1-2, T20, and GT the MT rule appears to be the odd one out.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Barring my caveat about the problems (identified by others here) with a system that will let you have more power in a small box than in your mini-sun, I will keep capacitors (at least at very-Hi-TL) as a form of battery, but with an all or nothing approach to discharge. Otherwise, my meson mines don't work.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
You've mentioned these meson mines before.
Can you tell us more?
Can you tell us more?
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
OK. These start at TL14, and are based on a technocratic pocket empire that is somewhat isolationist. (They don't want to have to compete if somebody else gets their tech.) And, this is for CT.
1200dTon hull, with no armor, drives or powerplant, and a large enough computer to target and fire. They carry small batteries for their sensors, which should be rechargeable in some fashion (they are designed for deep-space, so they shouldn't be solar...). They carry 2 "capacitors" for firing the J-factor meson gun (2 shots). (TL 16 - you get an M-factor.)
The gravitic sensors will immediately detect a ship dropping out of jump, and send an Identify-Friend-or-Foe query. Simultaneously, gas jets (stealth!) rotate the business end toward the target. If no (or inappropriate) response after 1 sec plus distance lag, it fires. (Since they are supposed to be laid fairly densely, there is no appreciable comm delay.) There are no DMs for To Hit (2+), unless the target is actually manuevering as it exits jump (ain't gonna happen by most people's explanation of jump around here).
If the target is within 250m, the mine will actually use the jets to drive toward the target. It will clamp to the target magnetically and have an automatic To Hit roll, and +2 Penetration.
And, since it IS a minefield, you may get several firing on you simultaneously. Ouch.
These suckers are expensive, but require little maintenance and are devastating (what with little to no DMs for the defender). Too much?
1200dTon hull, with no armor, drives or powerplant, and a large enough computer to target and fire. They carry small batteries for their sensors, which should be rechargeable in some fashion (they are designed for deep-space, so they shouldn't be solar...). They carry 2 "capacitors" for firing the J-factor meson gun (2 shots). (TL 16 - you get an M-factor.)
The gravitic sensors will immediately detect a ship dropping out of jump, and send an Identify-Friend-or-Foe query. Simultaneously, gas jets (stealth!) rotate the business end toward the target. If no (or inappropriate) response after 1 sec plus distance lag, it fires. (Since they are supposed to be laid fairly densely, there is no appreciable comm delay.) There are no DMs for To Hit (2+), unless the target is actually manuevering as it exits jump (ain't gonna happen by most people's explanation of jump around here).
If the target is within 250m, the mine will actually use the jets to drive toward the target. It will clamp to the target magnetically and have an automatic To Hit roll, and +2 Penetration.
And, since it IS a minefield, you may get several firing on you simultaneously. Ouch.
These suckers are expensive, but require little maintenance and are devastating (what with little to no DMs for the defender). Too much?
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Consider the idea stolen
BetterThanLife
SOC-14 1K
Isn't that about discharging capicitors?Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
What about the bit about transfering energy from the power plant to the jump drive during breaking off by jumping?
I have reread the rules on the capacitors. There is nothing on charging them any other way. Further just because you can distribute the energy that doesn't neccessarily imply that you can charge them by other means. Similar to a plumbing check valve, or certain logic circuits power may only flow one direction.It's charging the capacitors by implication (and is specifically mentioned in TAS news bulletins IIRC???).
Why else would the jump drive have all those capacitors if they can't be charged somehow?
And the fact that the charge can be fed into the ship's regular power distribution network - the reverse should be therefore possible
Further all that extraenous routing of power for purposes other than jumping may be a function of having a BG installed not a function of having the capacitors as part of the Jump Drive. As a means of discharging the capacitors after an outside agent charges them without jumping.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Re: Meson Mine Field Layer.
Neat.
I'd go with something like an EPG (Explosive Power Generator, from FF&S1) to recharge the batteries. Once the batteries reach some low charge state a small cartridge (Pulse Fusion for TL14) fires and spins up the generator to charge the batteries in one quick round (about 6 seconds total).
Low maintenance (reload the magazine as needed) and low signature (only a small energy spike, could be shielded, and only once every x-time random). It could even be set up to run off the EPG if the batteries are destroyed.
Neat.
I'd go with something like an EPG (Explosive Power Generator, from FF&S1) to recharge the batteries. Once the batteries reach some low charge state a small cartridge (Pulse Fusion for TL14) fires and spins up the generator to charge the batteries in one quick round (about 6 seconds total).
Low maintenance (reload the magazine as needed) and low signature (only a small energy spike, could be shielded, and only once every x-time random). It could even be set up to run off the EPG if the batteries are destroyed.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Emm, FF&S also give us jump capacitors are HPGs...
as an electrician I can cagetorically state that if a capacitor can be charged then it can be charged regardless of the power source, and if it can be discharged then it can be discharged regardless of the load. as for any "check valve" circuitry, electrical 1 can work around that, if necessary.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
An outside agent such as a power plant perhaps
I agree that HG doesn't explicitely state that jump drive capacitors can be charged by the power plant, but it does imply it, and MT (the SOM) flat out states it (it also states the capacitors can only hold their charge for a couple of hours - but FF&S trumps that
).
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Read breaking off by jumping again and tell me where the two turns of power plant output goes?
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Steal away!Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Consider the idea stolen
Well, Electrical 1 can TRY to work around that.... Even RW capacitors are not something to play around with. You don't want to touch the ones in your old CRT television! Imagine the MJoules in one for your Jump drive!
Dan, I will use the EPG. Thanks!
They will have to be maintained, anyway, though, as they will eventually drift out of position. (Also, I take it that "magazine" refers to the EPG?)
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Yep the magazine I referenced was for cartridges for the EPG. It functions much like a gun. Each cartridge is fired and the energy release is used to drive a modified HPG (Homopolar Generator) which converts the explosive power to electrical energy. The whole EPG is another kind of capacitor in effect. EPG's are a real world current tech item so a google might turn up some info if you're curious.
BetterThanLife
SOC-14 1K
An outside agent such as a power plant perhaps
I agree that HG doesn't explicitely state that jump drive capacitors can be charged by the power plant, but it does imply it, and MT (the SOM) flat out states it (it also states the capacitors can only hold their charge for a couple of hours - but FF&S trumps that
). </font>[/QUOTE]Actually I was thinking outside the ship, outside agent.
BetterThanLife
SOC-14 1K
as an electrician I can cagetorically state that if a capacitor can be charged then it can be charged regardless of the power source, and if it can be discharged then it can be discharged regardless of the load. as for any "check valve" circuitry, electrical 1 can work around that, if necessary. </font>[/QUOTE]You might be able to work around a check valve type wiring arrangement but would you really want to. Accidental/Unintentional discharge, which can definitely happen with capacitors, with the kind of power we are talking about will play merry havoc with your ship's electrical system.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Bhoins, I think "merry havoc" is a dramatic understatement!
my point is it's a capacitor. it is charged by internal or external sources - by the rules, freely - and discharged to power ship's systems - by the rules, freely. you can up and say "no you can't", but there's no reason for it.
come to think of it, a capacitor with a "check valve" would be useless.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Well, I can see not allowing BG/jump capacitors to be connected to the normal power generation system due to feedback issues (the difference in the level of power produced by each different system). I'm not being rigid, here, just saying that I think you could come up with a decent explanation to justify that in YTU.
I can see flykiller's argument about "jerry-rigging" though, too. I would just aim a little higher than Electrical-1. Zap!
I can see flykiller's argument about "jerry-rigging" though, too. I would just aim a little higher than Electrical-1. Zap!
BetterThanLife
SOC-14 1K
my point is it's a capacitor. it is charged by internal or external sources - by the rules, freely - and discharged to power ship's systems - by the rules, freely. you can up and say "no you can't", but there's no reason for it.
come to think of it, a capacitor with a "check valve" would be useless. </font>[/QUOTE]WOuld be useless? OK if you really want 40 minutes of power flowing back into your minature sun in a typically short discharge cycle of a capacitor when your sun is already at full output capacity, be my guest. The problem with a fusion reactor isn't that it is hard to produce energy with it, the problem is to keep in doing what you want it to be doing and not becoming an uncontrolled fusion reaction. Overloading circuits, blowing breakers and feeding power back into your reactor doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
But you go right ahead.
