Navigational Radar

[shaunhilburn]

Help me put this question to rest and Ill drop this thread.

They can track and lock onto targets they detect? They are more powerful, better range etc.

Navigation radar can't track & lock. Radars are generally dedicated to a particular role such as "search" or "fire control"; there are few multi-role radar sets.

Search radars (navigation radar) can locate a detect and locate a target, but a firing solution requires a narrower beam and scan cone with much higher output than that provided by a search radar.

Target engagement in Star Cruiser requires fire control radar such as TTA or UTES, in addition to some search capability (active or passive sensors).

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire-control_radar

 

[BMonnery]

Was that quote referring to DSS specifically?

It just is what it is.

If DSS is a neutrino detector as per Lone Wolf then it's an absolutely useless bit of kit.

 

[rgrove0172]

Navigation radar can't track & lock. Radars are generally dedicated to a particular role such as "search" or "fire control"; there are few multi-role radar sets.

Search radars (navigation radar) can locate a detect and locate a target, but a firing solution requires a narrower beam and scan cone with much higher output than that provided by a search radar.

Target engagement in Star Cruiser requires fire control radar such as TTA or UTES, in addition to some search capability (active or passive sensors).

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire-control_radar

Laugh, sorry no offense but thats just what Im asking.. what the heck is a "active or passive" sensor if its not radar? It certainly works like radar.. ie. bistatic and monostatic application etc. But is it just better radar, different radar.. it appears to be when you look at the Core Trav Sensor Table and the 2300 conversion in Mongoose. But there is no desinguishing between the two.

So when we are talking about military sensors, passive or active.. its just Radar isnt it? A different type, capabilities etc but still radar.

 

[rgrove0172]

It just is what it is.

If DSS is a neutrino detector as per Lone Wolf then it's an absolutely useless bit of kit.

Oh I would say from all the descriptions Ive read that its more than that. A Deep System Scan is a collection of sensors, not single piece of equipment. Optics, various detection equipment aimed at different radiation types etc. Neutrinos being one of them.

At least thats my take.

 

[shaunhilburn]

Laugh, sorry no offense but thats just what Im asking.. what the heck is a "active or passive" sensor if its not radar?

Passive sensors are essentially a telescope of some sort, be it optical, infrared, UV. The don't radiate energy to scan & detect.

Active sensors = radar / lidar.

 

[rgrove0172]

Passive sensors are essentially a telescope of some sort, be it optical, infrared, UV. The don't radiate energy to scan & detect.

Active sensors = radar / lidar.

The Passive Sensors line on the Traveller Core book, the one the Mongoose 2300 sourcebook says to consult, reads "Passive Radar/Lidar"

The description of Military sensors on page 204 of the Mongoose 2300 book reads "Military sensors suites contain a full array of active and passive sensors." it then gives the range of each.

In the Traveller Core Book on page 108 it includes a chart and next to Military Sensors it lists - "Radar/Lidar", and next to Standard Sensors (Civilian) it lists "Radar/Lidar" too, with a nasty negative modifier for locking on.

It looks like in the blend of the two systems they lost the distinction between the two and merged them. Honestly, from what little I know about RW sensors, merging them makes sense. All spacecraft would have radar equipment. The difference would be in the quality and perhaps in the intended application. (Where one radar system is designed for long range detection and another short range tracking and weapon lock etc. lending to the various types of radar we have in use today)

Perhaps a set of models with ranges (as in the chart on page 144 core rules), lock on modifiers, resistance to jamming modifiers etc. would do the trick, from very basic to advanced, and with a few odd models thrown in (like a purely survey model, early warning system etc.)

 

[Darkwing]

we can use visual observation or search radar (nav radar) to generate a manual firing solution. Fire control radar automatically generates, updates, and passes on a firing solution.