Tracking station and transponders

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

Hey,

Tracking station. They survey in thermal only, correct?
What happens if the body they are on is bombarded. Can they risk being destroyed while my troops are still alive within hardened barracks?
Same question for the fuel I stockpile on the body outpost. Will it remains until my colony/outpost is totally wiped out or any bombardment can destroy some fuel stockpile.

Transponders. What is their purpose really? Is keeping transponders ON for civilians ships reveal them to hostile sensors or should I not bother?

The EM sensors. They detect active sensors by checking the GPS value of said sensor, right? e.g a strength 55 EM will detect at 55 millions km a strength 1000 GPS from an active sensor?

[Shiwanabe]

Deep Space Tracking Stations (DSTSs) are just huge passive sensors, both EM and Thermal, and are treated as Economic building for bombardment purposes.

I'm not sure how Transponders are modeled, but I would assume they are an EM signal and are mostly unimplemented otherwise.

And I believe you are correct about how EM sensors work. GPS x EM strength x 10k km

[TheDeadlyShoe]

iirc, ships with active transponders are automatically detected, skipping the sensor detection rules entirely.  Generally you should keep them on for performance reasons.

DSTS can be destroyed by a general bombardment of the Population, like any other structure.  They have a small inherent em/thermal signature.  I don't recall if fuel is destructible, and i don't believe it has a signature, though im not certain.

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

But if ships with transporders are always detected, would it not mean you see all civilian ships all the time?

Are you sure tracking stations also receive EM signals?

[TheDeadlyShoe]

yes, you see civilian ships all the time.  yes DSTS have em.

[vorpal+5 (OP)]

But by that you mean the ships of my civilian sector all the time. I don't see any other ships with transponder ON

[Father Tim]

Transponders. What is their purpose really? Is keeping transponders ON for civilians ships reveal them to hostile sensors or should I not bother?

Their purpose is to broadcast the ships' locations.  All the time.  To everyone.  Including hostile sensors.

If you're referring to civilian economy shipping line ships, you have no control over them and they always have their transponders on.  If you mean government-owned ships, then both civilian and military ships have them, and you could turn them on or off as you wish.  I turn them on for all ships, all the time -- UNLESS they are headed out to 'uncontrolled space' for a mission -- for roleplaying and performance reasons (fewer 'contact lost'/'new contact' interruptions).