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3/02/2021 10:18 am  #1


The dish at Morari-nai

One has been re-reading the series. The 'dish at Morgari-nai' is mentioned early (sorry can't recall precisely where), well before the shuttles and before the return of the Phoenix. 

Why does it exist? Radio astronomy is beyond the pre-Bren technology, and there is nothing in the sky to communicate with. There was little/no communications with Mospheria, and that was radio based (no using dishes). 

As has been noted, there are numerous inconsistencies in the series. Perhaps this is one of those, or maybe the Messenger's Guild needed a "single point" of control/power for plot reasons. 

Thoughts? 

 

3/02/2021 12:15 pm  #2


Re: The dish at Morari-nai

My assumption was that the dish was used for official communications to Mospheria. The Messenger's Guild was in full control of it, which would prevent anyone but Tabini or his approved people from making use of it. If I remember correctly, Bren had a few moments when he called one of his significant others and mentioned that the connection often suspiciously died. Perhaps there weren't physical phone lines laid across the straight, and the tower was used instead?

It bothers me that I've forgetten the lady's name. She eventually gifted Bren the first Mospherian potted plants to travel through space.

Last edited by Roci (3/02/2021 12:15 pm)

 

3/02/2021 2:46 pm  #3


Re: The dish at Morari-nai

It's not so prevalent any longer, but there is a phenomenon called "tropospheric scatter" where a dish antenna is aimed at a particular point in the sky, usually at a very low angle of incidence calculated by the distance to the receiving station.  The receiving antenna, some 400 miles or more distant, is also aimed at that point in the sky, forming a line between the two stations.  The signal is broadcast from one station to the other, and uses the troposphere to "scatter" the radio signals to the "intermediate point" and then it's refracted back down to the receiving antenna.  If I'm not mistaken they use the difference in density of the troposphere where it meets the stratosphere as the agent of refraction.  Been a long time since I studied that particular form of radio propagation.  I remember there was an old FAA station on Guam that had tropo-scatter antennas on the western side of the island.  My guess is they were pointed toward the Philippines.


"Those who can give up essential liberties in order to purchase a little extra security deserve neither liberty nor security." - Benjamin Franklin
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." - Marcus Aurelius
 

3/02/2021 4:47 pm  #4


Re: The dish at Morari-nai

My impression of Mogari-nai's use agrees with roci: that it's purpose was communication with Mospheira, but also monitoring Mospheira. a sort of gigantic spy entity. It is a big element in book 3. But it also occurs in book 2, in the context of Bren contacting the ship while the legisature and Tabini look on. This would be its first use for anything other than on-the-planet spy activities.
Joe -- interesting. Old as I am, I find myself wishing I had gone into communications when I was young and still working.


Wild about cats, handmade lace, CJ Cherryh.   politics junkie
 

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