OT: Revised Edition Star Trek

[Wolfman77]

Null: I thought they needed the matter-antimatter engines to run the cloak. Even so why not store the helium while you are cloaked? Of course it seems rather odd as the cloak is supposed to absorb energy, why does it need energy to run?

SJ: yes, the reactor would absorb gamma rays to create power, I just didn't think it needed to absorb every single one. Thought they might have a few leak out though, since some of those high energy ones can pass right through the Earth and all, but I suppose those would be hard for sensors to detect. My original thought was that the reactors could absorb them up to a certain wavelength (or down to as more acurately discribes higher energy EM waves). After this the shielding (lead wall sense) would absorb the rest, but not perfectly.

Then again if the cloak is absorbing energy, or even just deflecting it back to the ship, couldn't that be used as a temporary power source while cloaked? Assuming that some, barely detectable, energy is lost, then its just a matter of sensitve enough sensors to pick it up. Or waiting untill they need to start their engines for loss of power after a few hours or something. I suppose this could be called the exhaust.

[NullAshton]

Romulan cloaks don't work by masking emissions, they work by phasing a ship a bit out of tune with reality. In theory, a perfect cloak would be indetectable, and the cloaked ship would be able to move through other objects. The energy is expended in remaining out-of-phase. My guess is that the expended energy is re-emitted as tachyons, like heat is emitted during most reactions.

ST reactors do not 'absourb' gamma rays, rather, they use the dilithium crystal to channel the energy into a purer form, called 'plasma', which is redirected through the plasma conduits to power the main systems, and isn't very regulated. Fusion power is used for the items that require less power, such as lights, or those touch panels.

Exhaust could be contained... but for regular space-travel it's probally so small as to not give away the ship. They just didn't think that exhaust would give away a cloaked ship, since sensors probally weren't programmed to detect it...

[Suicide Junkie]

My point is that the power source dosen't matter.
They need to have some energy generation in order to stay alive and operating.
If they were to have no emmissions, then the temperature of the ship would have to rise. On a temporary basis that can be handled, but these ships run on gigawatts. Lifesupport, artificial gravity, structural integrity, containment fields, doors & lifts, and all the bells and whistles. It won't take long before they have to release the waste heat or melt into a bubble of expensive goo.

[NullAshton]

Okay, so the more energy it uses, the faster the tachyons emitted are? Or slower, actually.

[Suicide Junkie]

In the same manner that "gamma rays" make "the hulk", "tachyons" make the "cloak detector".
Pure fertilizer-grade technobabble.

[NullAshton]

So? Tachyons are cool, they stay. Tachyons are one of the cooler things of star trek, remove them and it falls apart.

[Suicide Junkie]

" Narf:
Hey, anyone want to create a rational and consistant ST universe?"

Your opinion of coolness has nothing to do with rationality or consistency.

---

Now, I have no objections to having cloaked ships emit tachyons, provided that they are in fact tachyons, and the side effects are taken care of.

For example, if ships can emit and detect tachyons, why aren't they used for FTL communications? Less energy to make the message go faster seems to be a huge advantage.

[Wolfman77]

So tachyon could be used for detecting Romulan ships. Sounds ok to me since their clock shifts them slightly out of phase. I remember a couple TNG shows about that. One with Geordi and Roe, and one about Rikers former ship.

How about the Klingon ships, do they work differently? Maybe some kind of exhaust detection would work good for them. Though I'm still not sold on them just thinking exhaust conainment was unimportant.

SJ: I was thinking that if they could store, or block the energy then they should also be able to use some of it for power. Kind of like recycling, to extent the time they could remain cloaked. Not that it means a whole lot as it is sci-fi, but at least then the energy used wouldn't melt them in a calculation (x gigawatts heats up y Kg to Zº in t minutes). The longer they stay cloaked the more they emit, untill it is finally detectable.

[NullAshton]

Because tachyons are hard to form a coherent message with? Or to modulate, for that matter. Klingon ships stole their cloaks from the romulans. And I think SJ is talking about heat buildup.

[Wolfman77]

I assumed it was heat build up, still could be used in this way though, couldn't it?

Someone should talk to Narf about using "rational" "consistant" and "Star Trek" in the same sentance.