Quick CommNet question

[junkie_business]

Hi,

 

I've just started with 1.2, I'm in sandbox with extra ground stations turned off - but my signal penetrates Kerbin. Is this correct? I'd have thought it would require a clear line of sight like RemoteTech?

 

Thanks,

jb

[bewing]

You can set the "occlusion" parameter to modify how strict you want the line of sight to be.

But there is atmospheric refraction to take into account, too. The "line" you see may only be symbolic, and not actually be a laser beam.

[Streetwind]

Indeed. It's called "atmospheric ducting".

 

[swjr-swis]

The kerbal CommNet works on vibration rather than electromagnetism, first invented by one of the female ancestors of Valentina, when she discovered 'tapping the foot' was a very efficient way of communicating her displeasure with any of the males within local range.

The 'antennae' on kerbal space craft are actually rail guns (explains the ridiculously high EC discharge they require, as well as range being an issue) that fire quantum-scaled pellets at any empty surface area on the home planet, from where the vibrationally coded message is received by highly tuned seismic sensors.

The pellets are made of captured gravioli, charged super-massive particles that are several orders of magnitude smaller than other elemental particles, thus suffering almost no interaction with the atmosphere up until hitting the super-dense water or rock of the home planet.

So you see, the lines are a pretty accurate representation of how kerbals use the home planet to transmit communications. All a matter (heh) of physics, really.

[Clipperride]

It's good to see that the options include different settings for bodies with or without atmospheres.  Sorry to hijack the OP, but does anyone know the occlusion setting needed to give Kerbin a similar level of radio refraction to Earth? (I assume bodies in a vacuum "should" be set to 0%?)

[DerekL1963]

1 hour ago, Clipperride said:

It's good to see that the options include different settings for bodies with or without atmospheres.  Sorry to hijack the OP, but does anyone know the occlusion setting needed to give Kerbin a similar level of radio refraction to Earth? (I assume bodies in a vacuum "should" be set to 0%?)

Radio refraction depends on the frequency - and generally refraction means the signal is not going to space today.  That being said, I usually use 99%, that's enough to ensure near 100% coverage in LKO without the line slicing into the planet so much it drives me crazy.