HG-48 shenanigans

[TheTripleAce3]

Since it can talk to relays AND the KSC, would a large battery of HG-48s be able to act as the root of a local comms network?

I'm trying this on Eeloo (yes this is hurting my soul) so if I find an answer personally I'll say so here.

Edited June 9, 2019 by TheTripleAce3

[Geschosskopf]

Is that the deployable science antenna?  If so, then I would say no, it cannot.

First, it's not a relay, it's just a regular antenna.  It can't relay, it can only transmit the surface science back to Kerbin.  And it's pretty weak, so even with relays you still get a lot of signal loss.

[TheTripleAce3]

26 minutes ago, Geschosskopf said:

Is that the deployable science antenna?  If so, then I would say no, it cannot.

First, it's not a relay, it's just a regular antenna.  It can't relay, it can only transmit the surface science back to Kerbin.  And it's pretty weak, so even with relays you still get a lot of signal loss.

I've already got 25 of them placed and the rover is coming soon so we'll find out either way in a few minutes

(sending a rover there since there is an eelooberg right next to the station)

Edited June 9, 2019 by TheTripleAce3

[TheTripleAce3]

Well it seems you were right @Geschosskopf, the deployed antennae do not actually send signals to relays, but they do send science through them. Kinda odd but understandable.

[Geschosskopf]

35 minutes ago, TheTripleAce3 said:

Well it seems you were right @Geschosskopf, the deployed antennae do not actually send signals to relays, but they do send science through them. Kinda odd but understandable.

Gotta give you props for trying it, or even thinking of it, though 

What you call "odd" is actually how all non-relay antennae work.  The only thing that actually moves across the airwaves are science data transmitted by the ship.  For this, you need a link back to Kerbin and the amount of science you get is based on signal strength all along the way.  If your game settings require signals to control probes, then you need a link from Kerbin (or a ship with a probe control part) to your ship.  But this is just a line drawn on the map, which you either have or you don't.  There are no actual "control signals", of course, because all control inputs come from your keyboard/controller.  So if you have the line, then you can fly the ship the same as if it had a crew.  If you don't have the line, then you can't do much with the probe at all.

Edited June 9, 2019 by Geschosskopf

[TheTripleAce3]

1 minute ago, Geschosskopf said:

Gotta give you props for trying it, or even thinking of it, though 

What you call "odd" is actually how all non-relay antennae work.  The only thing that actually moves across the airwaves are science data transmitted by the ship.  For this, you need a link back to Kerbin and the amount of science you get is based on signal strength all along the way.  If your game settings require signals to control probes, then you need a link from Kerbin (or a ship with a probe control part) to your ship.  But this is just a line drawn on the map, which you either have or you don't.  There are no actual "control signals", of course, because all control inputs come from your keyboard/controller.  So if you have the line, then you can fly the ship the same as if it had a crew.  If you don't have the line, then you can't do much with the probe at all.

The reason I tried it is because they can bounce things through relays without a direct connection to kerbin, but if the station is the one with the primary connection (say you have a 27 antenna boosted outpost on Eeloo, and an RA-2 equipped satellite) the station CAN transmit to kerbin, and if the probe could be told to, the commsnet lines did suggest that it COULD bounce signal through the relay to other places on the planet, however this is not the case in practice.

[Geschosskopf]

Relays are best thought of as telephone poles.  They just support the line between Kerbin and the ship (or surface science set-up).  If the antenna on the ship (or surface science set-up) lacks the range or LOS to reach Kerbin but can reach a relay in between, the line will go through the relay..  There's nothing special about the HG-48 that way--all antennae do that.