Tampering with Transponder: Illegal, yes... But how hard?

[archhealer]

That's basically the gist of my question. Obviously it's not a good idea to tamper with your ship's ID box, but if for some reason one wanted too, how difficult is it? Are they locked? Sealed? how much access does the ships computer have?

What skill would that involve? In the context of T20, would it be T/Computers? T/Electronics? Are there security measures?

 

[Fritz_Brown]

In CT, somewhere, it mentions that they are smart chips inside them that will alert the authorities if they are tampered with.

That's not IMTU, though. IMTU, they are sealed boxes, and they can only be accessed from outside the ship. (Though you could cut a hole in the hull, etc., that would be pretty obvious at the next inspection....) Of course, that only applies to Imperially registered ships, too.......

 

[epicenter00]

There's an entire article about transponders under the heading of "When Empires Fall" available in Challenge Magazine and in the supplement "Survival Margin."

The article goes into exhaustive detail about how they work and the kind of technology they're based on. It's an article that presents the transponder technology as being the gateway to the infection of the infamous TNE Virus, so a lot of people don't like it. The computer technology in there is a bit hokey as well because they go into exhaustive detail about how it works (always a bad idea with future-tech).

 

[parmasson]

A few suggestions on fake IDs I try to keep it as simple as I can.
IMHO don't mess with the boxes they are sealed and tamperproof enough to make it not worth the effort.

Lowest Navy throws 6+ (Apply TL modifiers)
Bogus ID number and box
At a distance the authorities may not catch anything. If they get close and do a check on the number or ping the box you are busted.

Midrange Authorities throw 8+ (Apply TL modifiers)
Good ID number with a counterfeit box
Unless they board you or run the number vs. a known database they are not going to know.

Best Authorities throw 10+ (Apply TL modifiers)
A true counterfeit box is designed to fake out the authorities. The ID number is good and is actually in the SA registry. Most of the time they are stolen from the SA before they are programmed or made by experts. These boxes will hold up under all but microscopic examination and even then a TL 15 fake may pass

 

[Maladominus]

Using CT, I'd say it's possible... but with very high skills to even get a chance at success:

Electronics-4, Computer-4

Any attempt with less than the 2 skills above will automatically register a 'tampered device'. Chances are that none of your PCs will have this combination of skills.

Pirate ships, of course, use faked transponder boxes all the time.

 

[archhealer]

Hmm... Ok then. Any idea how CT stats translate? Like, Electronics-4 I assume is CT and not T20, since T/Electronics at rank four really isn't that impressive...

 

[mike wightman]

One CT skill is equal to about 4 to 5 ranks of skill in T20 IMHO.

Altering a transponder I'd give a DC of 35, and require both a T/electronics and T/computers check to be completely successful.

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

1) Never, ever tamper with an Imperial transponder! IMTU, some are equipped with indelible dye packs, some are equipped to transmit the proper ID code with an additional code that says "I've been tampered with", and some simply stop working altogether!

2) Why not build your own? First, a die roll to see if your Cryptology skill allows you to analyze the "Wakeup-Interrogate-Respond-Sleep" sequence and its embedded crypto-data correctly, then an Electronics skill roll to see if you can kludge the proper circuitry together, then a Computer skill roll to see if you've properly programmed your bogus Pulse Beacon / AVI Tag / IFF Box / Ship's ID Transponder.

Three success rolls, each at a minimum "Difficult" level, even under ideal the conditions of sufficient time, money, materials, labour, and CoffeeJuice.

And THEN you and your entire crew gets to field test it immediately, because an Imperial Cruiser has suddenly precipitated from jumpspace less than 0.01 light-second away...

Enjoy!

 

[archhealer]

Well, normally my players know better, but it turned out the used ship they recently got an UNBELIEVABLE deal on had a transponder that had been (Badly) tampered with already... so they want to 'fix' it, changing it to transmit all the correct, legal codes. So in effect, they want to "untamper" it. They'd go to the authorities themselves, except they've been in a bit of trouble lately and want to avoid any undue attention...

 

[parmasson]

I disagree with the idea that they are tamperproof and you can’t switch them around. Yeah there is a big risk but a TL-15 “box man” that works for the yard or even a so-called legit. government should have access to the real deal at the correct price. Most things in the universe are available for the right price.

 

[kafka47]

I also wonder if Naval Architecture would be a useful DM to apply, as figuring out how to short out different systems would be realm of someone who understood the entire workings of a starship not just isolated systems.

On a related note, if we were do this up as MT/Points based task, how would it look?

 

[TheBrain]

How about instead of tampering with the original transponder you replace it with another? Say you build or illegally purchase a new transponder then locate your ships's original and some how render it non operatonal (cut power, rap the transmitter antenna in aluminum foil, or whatever whatever). For complete coverage then hack into whatever ship registering authority's records and insert your new records, of course with the Traveller communications lag this might not even be necessary.

 

[parmasson]

"How about instead of tampering with the original transponder you replace it with another?"


That is what I meant. Why take the trouble to try and reconfigure a license plate to look authentic when you can just pop a new one on.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Maladominus:
Using CT, I'd say it's possible... but with very high skills to even get a chance at success:

Electronics-4, Computer-4

That sounds about right, or perhaps even a little low - comparing the skill requirements for writing various computer programs suggests that this could be bumped up a bit and still be reasonable.

Originally posted by Maladominus:
Pirate ships, of course, use faked transponder boxes all the time.

Which suggests that altering and reinstalling transponder boxes would be a regular activity for organized crime.

 

[Pickles]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Maladominus:
Pirate ships, of course, use faked transponder boxes all the time.

Which suggests that altering and reinstalling transponder boxes would be a regular activity for organized crime. </font>[/QUOTE]There should be a distinction between 'tampered-with' transponders and 'tampered-with-but-it-doesn't-show' transponders. Presumably the last thing pirates will worry about when caught by imperial authorities is whether they find out that their transponder has been fiddled with ...

 

[Whipsnade]

Gents,

Don't forget that in TTA, Oberlindes arranges for a variable transponder to be installed aboard the March Harrier. It's part of the trade war operation that vessel will undertake.

Also don't forget that vessels can turn off their transponders at will. The result of those 'blank' periods depends on a whole host of factors. Turn off your transponder while inbound to Lunion and expect a full body cavity search. Have a customs inspection of your transponder's records reveal that you ran 'quiet' off Jasedipere during a corsair raid and you'll be credited for quick thinking.

It appears that 'tampering' with a transponder is much like everything else. It depends on who you know and why you want to do it.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Bromgrev:
There should be a distinction between 'tampered-with' transponders and 'tampered-with-but-it-doesn't-show' transponders. Presumably the last thing pirates will worry about when caught by imperial authorities is whether they find out that their transponder has been fiddled with ...

I was thinking that selling altered transponders, or performing alterations on request, would be the criminal venture - pirates would be consumers, as would smugglers, as would captains attempting to skip...

 

[Ran Targas]

I'm in agreement with most of what has been posted. IMTU, civilian transponders ...

1. are mounted in the same container as the ship's black box recorder
2. are hard wired to the ship's powerplant and supplimented by a battery backup
3. are nearly impossible to access mechanically by design, due to location in the hull and interference from other equipment
4. emit a code referencing ship's VIN and port of registry
5. are electrically isolated from the ship's computer and require specialized (i.e. controlled) equipment to access electronically (e.g. anti-theft features on consumer products)

Military craft have transponders that can be manipulated at will to produce any number of emissions; from merchants to battleships to enemy IDs to nothing at all.

This included active duty scout craft, as altering an electronic signature is a piece of cake for a sensor platform. Reserve scout craft are normally retro fitted with civilian style transponders; but as an after-market modification, most Scout engineers know how to bypass them without breaking the seals.