[Goldsmack]

I understand Astropath's are used for interstellar communication, but what about shorter distances, say in a solar system from one planet to the next? Would the Imperium not use some sort of powerful vox caster or would they still use psykers?

 

[hippypancake]

vox most likely or even astropaths for that as well

 

[hailene]

Pretty sure in "Battle for the Abyss" anything beyond relative spitting distance (I think ~40,000 KM?) required an astropath.

 

[normtheunsavoury]

I would have thought that as long as normal coms worked they would use them rather than using an Astropath.
Astropathic communications are notoriously unreliable, the Astropath doesn't send a message in the same way or receive them.
When a message is sent it needs to be deciphered by the receiving Astropath which can lead to all sorts of confusion.

Astropathic Communications are not used because they are accurate, they are used because they are the only thing that works.

 

[Serpion5]

Pretty sure in "Battle for the Abyss" anything beyond relative spitting distance (I think ~40,000 KM?) required an astropath.

Long range vox casters typically have enough range to be used in the confines of a solar system. Though that is usually stretching the limits and interference is a problem.

 

[13illfred]

how do the tau conduct their longer range communications?
i know the ranges are not the same but perhaps the imperium should look into that... i mean i know that there is no way in hell they would... but just a thought

 

[Gervesius]

Tau doesn't have long range communications. I read somewhere that because of their lack of psykers and long range communications, the tau planets have to be largely independent.

 

[locustgate]

Tau doesn't have long range communications. I read somewhere that because of their lack of psykers and long range communications, the tau planets have to be largely independent.

Actualy From what I've read forget where they have a sort of pony express of drones. But they do have to be independant

 

[dewn_moutain]

from what i learned from my military training to be a radio guy, a simple radio, like the vox, could have a range of up to 40Km in perfect conditions (cold day, clear blue sky, large antenna ontop of large hill.) but, average is 25-30km. throw on a power amp from a vehicle, and you can boost that out to roughly 200km. anything over that, you suffer from line of sight degredation, basically the earth is round, and straight lines go straight. so i can see the imperiam putting out relay stations every 100kms to bounce the signal around the planet.
talking to a ship is easy, have enough power, aim a directional antenna up in the general direction of the ship, and boom, your good. granted, weather and radiation will screw the signal so youll end up with static, but nothing too annoying.
for short range ship to ship commo, ie within 1000km, and in the void of space, radio is good due to lack of interference of planetary weather. only have to track solar flares which release xray, gamma rays, UV rays, basically, if its a ray, itll mess with commo. but, a simple computer program that can read the frequencies of the rays can adjust the distortion and make it better.
anything out beyond 1000K, you start to suffer from lag due to distance. (just did some research about speed of radio in space [its 186,000mps=speed of light]) it takes radio waves 8 minutes to go from earth to sun and back. imagine being in ultramar phoning in to terra letting them know that the red 'nids are coming! it would be almost the 42 millenium before a response was sent.

 

[shaantitus]

Good response dew_mountan. Rep for that

 

[VanitusMalus]

To add to this how can you keep such a rigid command of such a vast empire based solely on an unreliable form of communication? There are so many things of 40K I just don't get, like planetary systems I assume the STCs made so many planets habitable by humans through some form of terraforming and if anyone knows this is officially written somewhere reps for where it's written. Otherwise how impossible? Many of us know the likelihood of finding a planet as hospitable to earth is slim to none.

But anyway back to my question how can they keep such control with such a limited and unreliable form of communication?

 

[normtheunsavoury]

I don't know if it's written down anywhere but I would assume that some degree of terraforming was used when many planets were first settled. The technology was probably lost either before the great crusade or during it.
As for the unreliable communications, it's all they've got so they have made the best of it.
Most systems (I think, but I'm probably going to be corrected!) are fairly autonomous, they look out for their own affairs and as long as their tithes are made, taxes are paid and they don't go starting wars with each other they pretty much get left alone.

The Imperium is vast, there is no way a central government could manage that much on it's own so they delegate. Communications only really become necessary when something goes wrong.

 

[dewn_moutain]

what ive read about the imperium, each planet has a "govenor". this govenor/king/prince/thug/whatever, depending on the customes of the planet, has total control over it. the govenor is in charge of ensuring the tithes are met for troops, production materials, and produce. If they cannot make the tithes on time, or meet the requirements, then he is either fired, killed or sent to another planet in the boonies, and another person is picked and fills the spot.
then there is an administratum guy who is in charge of the solar system. making sure all planets are meeting the grade, tithes, veneration to the emperor and so on. same rules as the govenor.
so on and so on up the chain. planet, solar system, segmentum, galaxy i think is how it goes in command spots, the highest being the lords of terra.