Prime Base communications array

[dragoon500ly]

It's an interesting idea, but not a very useable one. Since the end of the Cold War, a lot more information has become available, satellites in the 1970-1980s were vulnerable to EMP, there was even a fear of one side detonating a large nuke in the upper atmosphere in order to disable the other sides communications. With such a possible scenario, would the Project depend download of key communications by relying on such a link?

Microwave communications were also considered to be equally vulnerable at the time. While there is a possibility that the Project might include replacement equipment to restore a microwave link, again, would the command bases have depended on such a vulnerability?

IMHO the Project would have used radios in the UHF, VHF, LF and FM bands with encrypted voice as well as Morse code. These at least can be shielded from EMP.

[tsofian]

Sorry, I suspect I was not clear. This would be for the pre and during war mission of recording events and such. This system would absolutely be destroyed by the war. In the post war the base will need to do things like loft balloons as antennae, or have a number of prefabricated towers.

Again this is only for use before and while everything is going to hell

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by tsofian

This would be for the pre and during war mission of recording events and such.

If this is pre-war, then it is a case of data speed versus operational security. But this may also help explain the presence of Krell forces so quickly at Prime Base. Since microwave relay is directional, if you have a network of these relays you will eventually have a number that intersect with the location of Prime Base, or at least its receiver array. This is a security risk, but it makes for a nice hook.

You can imagine a case where it was reasonably close to the start of the war when Krell operatives discovered what looked like abandoned equipment still powered and operating. They then begin to map the relay network. As some point, they find one relay leg pointing off into the high desert. They continue their mapping and find at least one more pointing off into the desert when the war starts. Once the smoke clears, sun shines and snow melts, they send agents to begin investigating the area around the intersecting relay legs.

[cosmicfish]

There are better ways to conceal antennas, including AESA options that provide a directional antenna whose pointing angle is not physically apparent.

Surveillance and SIGINT also require the kind of wavelength and angular flexibility that make the dishes described all but useless - they are fine for picking up a wide-broadcast satellite signal at a specific wavelength, but there would be little of interest on such a channel.