TNE: Lasers

A thread of 2 messages, 12 June 1994 to 13 June 1994, in the order they were sent.

#7971 TNE: Lasers

[unnamed sender] · 12 June 1994

Has anyone else noticed that X-ray lasers are even deadlier for their size if
gravitic focusing is not used.  The effective range on a TL13+ X-ray laser
barbette is 15 hexes, without using gravitic focusing.  This isn't all that
bad.  The big advantage is that it has an 85% efficiency (at TL15), instead
of 20%.  The biggest thing in the turret is the HPG, so a much higher energy
can be reached with the higher efficiency.

Here is a TL15 X-ray laser barbette design.  It isn't manned.

Energy 1400MJ.  Input energy 1650MJ.

Focal Array     22.4 tons   22.4 kl     4.48 MCr
HPG         15.5 tons   57.75 kl    .5775 MCr
Beam Pointer (10 Hex)   3 tons      3 kl        .3 MCr

This totals 140.9 tons, 83.15 kl, 5.3575 MCr.  At 100 shots per turn it draws
92 MW. Combat performance is as follows:

10: 94-1/30 20: 70-1/22 40: 35-1/11 80: 18-1/6

This has better performance at short and medium range than Roger Myhre's design
(6/11, message 7956) of a 423 MJ TL15 gravitically focused, unmanned barbette,
which had 51-1/16 out to 80 hexes.  It has much better performance at these
ranges than the Brilliant Lances designs.  If you are willing to sacrifice long
range performance, leave out the gravitic focusing and use X-ray lasers.


Ted Baltz
[email removed]

#7978 RE: TNE Lasers

[unnamed sender] · 13 June 1994 · reply to #7971

Hello fellow Traveller,

at first a big thanks to Roger "StarWolf" Myhre for the Laser table. I'm glad
someone did the work for me ;-). Roger, can you tell me if the Focal Arrays
are designed to stand overpowered ROFs?

Ted Baltz issued the following comment on this tabel and Lasers in general:
> Has anyone else noticed that X-ray lasers are even deadlier for their size if
> gravitic focusing is not used.  The effective range on a TL13+ X-ray laser
> barbette is 15 hexes, without using gravitic focusing.  This isn't all that
> bad.  The big advantage is that it has an 85% efficiency (at TL15), instead
> of 20%.  The biggest thing in the turret is the HPG, so a much higher energy
> can be reached with the higher efficiency.

You are right. This even gets better if you use higher TLs than 16. This is
especially true for Laser Lances, because I tend to use very small fighters
(less than 9 tons) and the main problem is Power there. So using Focal arrays
without gravitic focussing has the advantage of less power consumption. The
disadvantage of short ranges can be canceled by the small size of the fighter.
If you check, you will find that a fighter of less than 10 tons equiped with
EMM has +2 Diff Mod to get a target lock on, and +1 Diff mod to shoot on.

That is: To get a traget lock on such a fighter is a Formidable Task, even at
short range. And if the fighter has EMS Jammer fitted it even gets harder to
achieve a lock.

I must admit I use Thruster plates in my designs, so I don't have troubles with
fuel.

Juergen Kirsch
[email removed]