Communicator
A communicator is a hand-held communication device used for person-to-person, person-to-ship, and inter-ship communications. Employing a flip-top design, a member of Starfleet spoke directly into the device to give commands and speak with other personnel.--Communicator - Memory Alpha
Communicators require Electronic Operations (Communications) skill to operate. If an initial attempt at establishing communications fails, repeated attempts can be made at a cumulative -2 penalty. Their person-to-person range is 1000 miles; but this may be extended by 10% for each addition point of success to your El Op (Communications) roll, up to a 2000 mile maximum with a success by 10 points. Their person-to-ship range is 30,000 miles [UT p43], or up to 60,000 miles with a success by 10 points. Some points of reference: Earth's diameter is 7918 miles, geostationary orbit is 22,236 miles, the moon is 238,900 miles away.
Starfleet issue Communicators use artificial gravity technology to manipulate gravity waves [UT45]. The communicator's signal is omnidirectional, which means your communications can be intercepted with Electronic Operations (Electronic Warfare) skill. Communicators work under water and are generally unaffected by the presence of intervening normal matter. When used in conjunction with a tricorder, they can transfer data at a rate of 1GB/min. They also act as a homing transponder (giving a +2 to transporter lock).
A Communicator weighs 0.5 lb., lasts 10 hours on two B-cells, costs $1000, and is GURPS LC4 and TL11^. [UT p45]
Using a Communicator at a Penalty
Being out of range means you must either succeed at your Electronic Operations (Communications) roll by the amount of the penalty or suffer the consequences of a signal that is dropping out and/or overwhelmed by static. If your range lies between two values in the table, use the lower row to determine your bonus/penalty.
Communicator Penalties
Bonus/
Penalty | Person-to-Person
Range | Person-to-Ship
Ranges | | Bonus/
Penalty | Effect |
|---|
| (miles) | (ls) | (miles) | (ls) | | | (data) | (voice) |
|---|
| +10 | 0 | | 0 | | |
| +9 | 100 | 0.0005 | 3,000 | 0.016 |
| +8 | 200 | 0.0011 | 6,000 | 0.032 |
| +7 | 300 | 0.0016 | 9,000 | 0.048 |
| +6 | 400 | 0.0021 | 12,000 | 0.064 | | +6 | | Background noise can be overheard with a Hearing roll--it's like you're right there. |
| +5 | 500 | 0.0027 | 15,000 | 0.081 |
| +4 | 600 | 0.0032 | 18,000 | 0.097 |
| +3 | 700 | 0.0038 | 21,000 | 0.113 | | +3 | | Background conversations can be overheard with a Hearing roll. |
| +2 | 800 | 0.0043 | 24,000 | 0.129 | | +2 | | Earth geosynchronous orbit is 22,236 miles above sea level. |
| +1 | 900 | 0.0048 | 27,000 | 0.145 |
| -0 | 1,000 | 0.0054 | 30,000 | 0.161 | | 0 | 1GB/min |
| -1 | 1,100 | 0.0059 | 33,000 | 0.177 | | -1 | 0.5GB/min | Equivalent to an accented language comprehension [B24]: subtle details will be lost, e.g. sighs, tone of voice, any cues from background noise. |
| -2 | 1,200 | 0.0064 | 36,000 | 0.193 | | -2 | 1MB/min | Equivalent to a broken language comprehension [B24]: a Hearing+5 roll is required to understand a brief sentence (although repeated attempts (also at +5) are allowed) |
| -3 | 1,300 | 0.0070 | 39,000 | 0.209 | | -3 | 0.5MB/min | Equivalent to a broken language comprehension [B24]: a Hearing roll is required to understand a brief sentence (although repeated attempts are allowed at no penalty) |
| -4 | 1,400 | 0.0075 | 42,000 | 0.225 | | -4 | 1KB/min | Equivalent to a broken language comprehension [B24]: a Hearing-5 roll is required to understand a brief sentence (although repeated attempts (also at -5) are allowed) |
| -5 | 1,500 | 0.0081 | 45,000 | 0.242 | | -5 | 0.5KB/min | A Hearing-10 roll is required to make out a single word (although repeated attempts(also at -10) are allowed). |
| -6 | 1,600 | 0.0086 | 48,000 | 0.258 | | -6 | | It is not apparent that anyone is trying to communicate. |
| -7 | 1,700 | 0.0091 | 51,000 | 0.274 |
| -8 | 1,800 | 0.0097 | 54,000 | 0.290 |
| -9 | 1,900 | 0.0102 | 57,000 | 0.306 |
| -10 | 2,000 | 0.0107 | 60,000 | 0.322 |
ls: light-seconds
Example
Long Range
A starship (to avoid detection by the pre-warp civilization on the surface) hides in the L2 Lagrange point of the planet's moon. Unfortunately for the landing party, this means that the ship is usually out of communication range, except once a "month" when it gets within about 40,000 miles. At that distance, there is a -4 penalty to contact the ship. If your Electronic Operations (Communication) skill is a 12 and you roll a 12, you will establish contact, but Hearing-5 rolls will be required to understand anything. If you roll an 8, you will establish contact and suffer no adverse effects.
Close Range
You become separated from your landing party and attempt to contact your ship. Unfortunately, unknown to you, Mazarites are jamming communications in the area, resulting in a -5 penalty. In order to contact the ship with no net penalty, they need to be no more than 15,000 miles away. Unfortunately, they're orbiting 25,000 miles up--a +1 range bonus--so you're at a net -4 to contact them. Failing that, you could attempt to contact your team mates, who are less than 100 miles away--a +9 range bonus--so you're at a net +4 to contact them.
High Margin of Success
An Orion pirate contacts you with a stolen Starfleet issue communicator. If you make your Electronic Operations (Communication) roll by 6 and record the conversation, then background noises might provide clues as to the Orion pirate's location.
Source Material
Starfleet communicators are based on the Gravity-Ripple Communicators from GURPS: Ultra Tech, p. 45. To convert miles to light-seconds, divide miles by 816,282.
