Krieg
03/20/03 09:53 AM
195.68.17.222
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Hi again,
I'd like to know how long it takes to a Jumpship to make a jump, according to the length of the jump.
By the way does anyone knows if trading routes are referenced in the BT universe ? What I mean is that some planets must be more visited by jumpships than others: Are the main trading routes identified somewhere ?
And finally , I thought that a jumpship had to refuel after a jump and though wasn't able to make 2 jumps without a refuelling station. Never the less all the Mica planets are at least at 2 jumps from another planet and though seem "cut" from the rest of the BT universe... So, can a jumpship make 2 jumps without refuelling, is there a mistake in the info I have about Mica, or is there a refuelling station in the middle of nowhere that allows the jumpships to reach the Mica system ?
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Vapor
03/20/03 10:22 AM
202.123.138.240
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I'm not an expert on JumpShips, but from what I understand, the jump itself lasts about a minute or two. Then the JumpShip has to recharge it's K-F drive which it does by deploying a sail to catch energy from a nearby star. Recharging takes several days, depending on the type and size of the star the ship is using to recharge.
Recharging stations are used to decrease the time needed to recharge the K-F drive, but as I understand it, a rapid recharge runs the risk of the drive failing the next time the ship tries to make a jump.
I'm not an expert, so don't quote me on this. That is just how I understand it works.
"For those about to rock, we salute you." - AC DC
"The evil that can come, from the heart of a man, must be answered in kind 'till it disappears, and we're safe." - Kansas
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realworldviews
03/20/03 02:05 PM
24.98.62.128
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And some jumpships carry a battery that can hold 2 jump charges, but I just can't think of what it is called right now.
Colonel Brian Davis
Gamers United
"Dreams become reality, for all who start off with a dream"
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masdog5
03/20/03 02:38 PM
205.213.145.214
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Lithium Fusion
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realworldviews
03/20/03 09:44 PM
24.98.62.128
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That's it, I just couldn't think of it this morning.  
Colonel Brian Davis
Gamers United
"Dreams become reality, for all who start off with a dream"
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Nightward
03/21/03 04:43 PM
211.26.1.141
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There are maps available over at the Company Store at this address : http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/2493/
It has radial and tether lines showing the major Jump paths and the minor ones lying off them. They are kinda hard to read, but along with the JumpShip Path program, you should be OK.
JumpShips are able to travel up to 30 Light Years in a single Jump. HPGs can go to 60; some speculate that the Clans can Jump further, and that the Com Guard, Word of Blake, and New Avalon Institute of Science has means as well. In any case, the actual Jump takes about two minutes.
Once at the other side, you have to re-charge the Jump drives; this takes a variable length of time, depending on how bright the star is, what kind of star it is, and how far away from it you are. The consensus time is two weeks to recharge. This can be decreased by powering the Jump Drives from the vessel's engines, a process known as "Hot-Loading" or some such. Because you can supply more power, you can charge more quickly-but you risk drive damage. If the drive is recharged at the normal rate, this is not a problem.
Some vessels have Lithium-Fusion batteries and thus hold two charges, which they can use to double-jump 60 light years in 4 minutes. Not bad. Unfortunately, LF batteries are insanely expensive and are used mainly on WarShips or Great House military/flag vessels and not normally by conventional travel lines. The other bonus is that you can charge the LF batteries from the engine at a faster rate, or even charge the LF batteries from the engine whilst powering the main drive from the sun. The strategic possibilities...
To get to some systems, you have to travel through uninhabited solar systems. Not good if you break down, but hey. The Clans travelled for over a year to reach the Inner Sphere, through uninhabited space.
There are also Olympus-Class Recharge Stations, which beam microwave energy or some such to JumpShips in the area. I believe this can be combined with conventional recharging to lower the time taken. Unfortunately, Olympus stations are still Lostech and there are few left in InnerSphere space. I doubt the Clans need them as most of their vessels have LF batteries.
That's about all I know about Jump travel.
Yea, verily. Let it be known far and wide that Nightward loathes MW: DA. Indeed, it is with the BURNING ANIMUS OF A THOUSAND SUNS that he doth rage against it with.
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Cray
03/21/03 05:14 PM
65.32.253.120
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In reply to:
I'd like to know how long it takes to a Jumpship to make a jump, according to the length of the jump.
A couple seconds or minutes. There's an equation somewhere. Not long - this side of instant for a 30-light year hopes.
In reply to:
What I mean is that some planets must be more visited by jumpships than others: Are the main trading routes identified somewhere ?
Nope.
In reply to:
And finally , I thought that a jumpship had to refuel after a jump and though wasn't able to make 2 jumps without a refuelling station.
Recharge, not refuel. They typically recharge with their solar sail (a fancy parasol-shaped solar cell thing. See: www.chaosmarch.com/. There's a jumpship in the background with its sail out.) They need to accumulate enough of an electrical charge in their drive to jump, so their power sources are flexible. The solar sail is the normal means of recharging, but they can also use their fusion engine (Which does use fuel, but at odd rates. They use a full burn-day of fuel - about 40 tons for many jumpships - per day spent charging, but that's regardless of whether they're quick charging or charging at normal rates.)
It typically takes about 7 days to recharge. If you charge in less than 7 days (which the jumpship's fusion engine enables, or a recharge station could manage, or the solar sail could manage if the ship was closer to the star than the normal zenith/nadir jump points), you risk damaging the drive.
That recharge time limits how fast jumpships can move through the Inner Sphere. Normally, it's basically "30 light-years in an instant, then recharge for a week."
Lithium-fusion batteries enable a jumpship to make two jumps (when the drive and battery are both charged.) However, it takes the usual 7 days to recharge each one with the solar sail, so it will take two weeks before both are charged. (Of course, you can jump after 1 week when one system is charged.) Or you can charge the KF drive with your fusion engine and the battery with the solar sail at the same time, but then you're running your fusion engine and blowing tons of fuel. I suppose you could get a recharge station into the act and spare the fuel, but they're rare.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Krieg
03/24/03 11:21 AM
195.68.17.222
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Thanks to all for your helpful replies and special thanks for Cray and Nightward for their very instructive ones.
Some more question never the less :
1. So, what do you think about the Mica Majority ? Is there a mistake with the information I've got (2 jumps at least to go there) ? Trade with the Fed Suns seems to be quite developped how do you think Jumpships operate : Through an uninhabited solar system ?
2. What's the cost of 1 jump ?
Edited by Krieg (03/24/03 12:16 PM)
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Cray
03/24/03 12:37 PM
65.32.253.120
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1) Jumpships might operate through an uninhabited system (or deep space, if the captain has enough brass). On the other hand, there might be an inhabited Periphery system not worth noting on the map between the FS and Mica Majority. The whole Periphery around the Inner Sphere was settled in Star League times - only a few coherent nations are left out there, but the people didn't necessarily go away. (Of course, those planets aren't necessarily useful to a jumpship that suffers a KF drive failure, other than as a place to settle down until rescue arrives. And, of course, some planets did lose their human populations due to emigration, pirates, famine, water filter failure, etc.)
2) The cost of one jump? The notional price in the rules is 50000 C-bills per dropship per jump made, though I fail to see how jumpship owners can pay for their operating expenses at that rate, let alone pay off their jumpships.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Krieg
03/25/03 07:46 AM
195.68.17.222
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Once more, many thanks to you, Cray.
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