Antennas on kerbal suits

[ocso639]

It would be cool if there was an antenna on the spacesuits, with a range of 50k.

[BadLeo]

There's a mod for that, someone please come up with its name. But I believe it's range is limited to 10 km, which is reasonable.

[ocso639]

Just now, BadLeo said:

There's a mod for that, someone please come up with its name. But I believe it's range is limited to 10 km, which is reasonable.

I knew there would be a mod, but it would be better in the stock game.

[BadLeo]

It is simple enough that I don't see why not. But I think 50km is too much. 10km is reasonable taking into account that it serves to expand the range you can go from your landing position to explore around and take EVA reports.

[ocso639]

21 minutes ago, BadLeo said:

It is simple enough that I don't see why not. But I think 50km is too much. 10km is reasonable taking into account that it serves to expand the range you can go from your landing position to explore around and take EVA reports.

True.

[sumghai]

I personally don't agree with adding antennas to Kerbal spacesuits.

In the stock game, the main purpose of antennas and the CommNet system is to restrict the distance at which probe remote control can be transmitted back to base stations on Kerbin. Since Kerbals are living, sentient beings inside spacesuits, probe control restrictions aren't applicable to them, so they don't need antennas.

As for transmitting EVA science reports, I'll point out that while real-life spacesuits do have antenna and backpack radios, they are very short range and intended for communications between the astronaut on EVA and a nearby spacecraft, not a direct EVA-to-ground comm link. Besides, even if an antenna was added to Kerbals on EVA, you would't actually see the classic cartoony whiplash antenna coming out of their backpacks, since they'd be completely enclosed inside the spacesuit anyway.

Quote

Communications

An electrical harness inside the suit connects the communications carrier assembly and the biomedical instrumentation equipment to the hard upper torso where internal connections are routed to the extravehicular communicator by means of a pass-through.

The extravehicular communicator attaches to the upper portion of the life support system at the back of the hard upper torso. The controls are located on the display and control module mounted on the chest at the front of the upper torso. The extravehicular communicator provides radio communication between the suited crew member and the orbiter. In addition, electrocardiographic (EKG) information is telemetered through the extravehicular communicator to the orbiter and to flight surgeons in the Mission Control Center at Houston, Texas.

The radios for spacewalk communications have two single UHF channel transmitters, three single-channel receivers, and a switching mechanism. These backpack radios have a "low profile" antenna--a foot long rectangular block fitted to the top of the PLSS. The radios weigh 8.7 pounds and are 12 inches long, 4.3 inches high, and 3.5 inches wide.

Source: https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/suitnasa.html

 

[BadLeo]

2 hours ago, sumghai said:

As for transmitting EVA science reports, I'll point out that while real-life spacesuits do have antenna and backpack radios, they are very short range and intended for communications between the astronaut on EVA and a nearby spacecraft, not a direct EVA-to-ground comm link. Besides, even if an antenna was added to Kerbals on EVA, you would't actually see the classic cartoony whiplash antenna coming out of their backpacks, since they'd be completely enclosed inside the spacesuit anyway.

Quite interesting stuff there. But for the sake of transmitting report, if you give a small enough range you are basically forcing the player to have the kerbal in range of its ship. It would be a convenient feature, but it is not essential. But, oh, well, there's the mod, still.

[Superfluous J]

They should do this or remove the transmit button from the reports when you're a Kerbal. That button implies that there is a way to make it possible to transmit.

[razark]

3 hours ago, sumghai said:

As for transmitting EVA science reports, I'll point out that while real-life spacesuits do have antenna and backpack radios, they are very short range and intended for communications between the astronaut on EVA and a nearby spacecraft, not a direct EVA-to-ground comm link.

I'll try to remember to ask my father if he knows the range on his EVA UHF system.

[sumghai]

1 hour ago, BadLeo said:

Quite interesting stuff there. But for the sake of transmitting report, if you give a small enough range you are basically forcing the player to have the kerbal in range of its ship. It would be a convenient feature, but it is not essential.

Indeed, the very short range makes the whole point of stock EVA suit antennas moot.

1 hour ago, 5thHorseman said:

They should do this or remove the transmit button from the reports when you're a Kerbal. That button implies that there is a way to make it possible to transmit.

I'd be inclined to have the transmit button omitted for Kerbal EVA science reports.

8 minutes ago, razark said:

I'll try to remember to ask my father if he knows the range on his EVA UHF system.

Interesting! So he did development/maintenance work on EVA suit communications systems?

[razark]

1 minute ago, sumghai said:

Interesting! So he did development/maintenance work on EVA suit communications systems?

He designed the orbiter UHF system back in the '70s.

[purpleivan]

I'd not thought at all about the functionality of the antenna, I'd just thought "a little antenna stuck on the backpack... sounds cool".

Having it be functional would be a bonus though.

[AVaughan]

9 hours ago, sumghai said:

Indeed, the very short range makes the whole point of stock EVA suit antennas moot.

It should not, if your spacecraft/rover has a relay antenna.

13 hours ago, sumghai said:

As for transmitting EVA science reports, I'll point out that while real-life spacesuits do have antenna and backpack radios, they are very short range and intended for communications between the astronaut on EVA and a nearby spacecraft, not a direct EVA-to-ground comm link.

Spacecraft with a relay antenna should be capable of relaying signals from the suit radio back to the KSC.  I'd actually settle for a range of even 20 metres, just enough that I can radio back a report surface sample report, before grabbing a second sample to put in the capsule.  (Yes, I know I can send it back from the capsule, but if the capsule already has 20 other science reports, then sending just one back gets tedious quickly).

[Burning Kan]

sry for delay(felt in sleep yesterday)but: NOW everything work like expected AFAIK*

(*exept Val's bug/femals strike these days-stay cool till KIS updateto 1.5)have fun!

for anyone who wants to try an EVAantenna(needs KIS) pre-release dont use in a important career save till release! It's maybe not completely bug free(MJ), but it's been fairly stable ,but maybe some comes up

https://sabercathost.com/hSpV/EVAmechjeb.zip

for future status updates use this OP forum link, just in case:

https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/174462-emblemevamagnetic-boots-light-eva-mechjeb-evastuffpre-release/

Do u know where the source of the KSC signal is? (spoiler is not in the tracking station)

for those the wanna self find out DONT look at the spoiler!

Spoiler

first lets go to the VAB 428m distance

nope lets head over to the Tracking station 243m

nope ,back to launchpad 51m getting closer

last change to find it self!

found it directly...

Spoiler

5.1m under my feets between launchpad and VAB

 

 

Have Fun!BK

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by Burning Kan
time