Active Scanners

[Erik L (OP)]

If I have 2 (or more) PDCs with active sensors on a planet, and I turn on active scanners for both, is the signature of the planet increased more than if only 1 was active?

[Steve Walmsley]

If I have 2 (or more) PDCs with active sensors on a planet, and I turn on active scanners for both, is the signature of the planet increased more than if only 1 was active?

Active scanners won't increase the signature of the planet, which is based on EM and Thermal signatures. However, each active sensor can be detected by GPD sensors as will appear as a S##/R## contact where S is the strength and R is the resolution. The range at which a sensor can be detected is based on the strength x the resolution and is shown as a GPS value for the sensor on the class design summary.

As the opponent, you will detect an active sensor in use and its location but you won't know if it is based on the planet or on a ship in orbit

Steve

[sloanjh]

Could you post the equations for active detection range?  I'm confused about how TCS fits in.  It looks like your original post went the way of the Dodo.

Thanks,
John

[SteveAlt]

Could you post the equations for active detection range?  I'm confused about how TCS fits in.  It looks like your original post went the way of the Dodo.

Active sensors are a lot simpler than passive. Their range is equal to sensor detection strength per HS * Sensor Size * Resolution in HS * 10,000 km.

So a sensor of 1HS with detection strength 10 and a resolution of 1 would have a range of 1 * 10 * 1 * 10,000 = 100,000 km.

A sensor of 5HS with detection strength 16 and a resolution of 40 would have a range of 5 * 16 * 40 * 10,000 = 32,000,000 km

The TCS (Target Cross Section) is the size of the ship for resolution purposes. So a 2000 ton ship (which is 40HS) has a TCS of 40 and can therefore be detected by sensors with a resolution of 40 or less. I will adding both stealth technology and blip enhancers in the future to decrease or increase the TCS so a ship's TCS will not always be equal to its size

Steve