Range limits on infrared (infra-red?) and/or thermo/UV sight

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Tor
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Range limits on infrared (infra-red?) and/or thermo/UV sight

Unread post by Tor »

Infrared sight is super-valuable for hitting invisibility guys, which means range limits are a problem because an invisible: simple guy with a long-range weapon (say, Juicer sniper laser rifle) could be beyond that limit and you'd be unable to fight back.

Most ways to see infrared I come across have a 2000 ft range (less than some rifles) like:
*the CR-1 rocket launcher's infrared scope (RMBp204, one advantage it has over that CWC volleying weapon)
*SAMAS (RMBp194) and Glitter Boy (RMBp223) not a standard PA feature so would be absent in the Samson/Flying Titan or any other subsequent suit which does not list it.
*Enforcer (RMBp196) Spider Walker (198) Death's Head Transport (201) Titan Recon Bot (216) and Behemoth Explorer (218) not a standard feature of robots or vehicles though, so this infrared/thermo stuff would not be present in the Mark V APC, the Sky Cycle, or the 2 larger models of Titan series robots, or any in subsequent books which do not specify it.
*the multi-optic eye's thermo-imaging (RMBp241)

Have not seen many instances of below-2000 versions, RMBp245 has the multi-optics helmet (1600 inf/therm) or optics band (200 inf/UV) which are probably good examples for people who don't want to (or can't)
1) get surgery
2) carry around a rocket launcher
3) pilot PA/bots

Of interest though is the things without stated range caps...for the PA/bots above which have the 2000ft thermo, they also have infrared sight with no listed range limit but which exposes your position to people who can see infrared.

There is also no range cap listed for the Cybernetic thermo-imaging eye (RMBp231) or the Bio-System infra/ultra eye (RMBp232) so they presumably work for an unlimited distance, or at least, whatever undefined maximum distance the average human can see? I take it that looking through binoculars probably wouldn't help though right? A bit unclear how light works in that respect.

In the latter bio-system case it says you can't see the invisible, even though Invis: Simple says infrared detectors work... so that seems contradictory and confusing.

There's also the infrared scope on the JA-11 (RMBp225) which has no listed range limit, not sure if it might be the range of the weapon or the range of the telescopic aspect of the scope. JA-9 may also have this kind of scope, a bit unclear on the wording.

I can't remember guidelines about human vision unassisted by telescope to figure out how far you could see infrared or targets in general. I don't think magnification multipliers are a guide to this, because the Telescopic eye and the telescopic aspect of the multi-optic eye have the same range yet the multi-optic can only magnify half as much.
Last edited by Tor on Sat Mar 28, 2015 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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glitterboy2098
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Re: Range limits on infrared (infra-red?) and/or thermo/UV s

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

the effective range of light amplification systems (visual or IR) is governed by the intensity of the light reflecting/emitted by objects, the inverse square law, and the capabilities of the electronics to pick up light and amplify the resulting signals.. the farther away the object, the dimmer it will be and the harder it will be to see enough details to actually tell what it is.

the IR sights referred to are basically IR flashlights that illuminate things they are pointed at. they can greatly extend the effective range of a NVS/IRVS but they also stand out in IR/NV.. like a flashlight in the dark. :)

and there is a difference between IR and thermo.. both use infrared spectrum, but different parts. IR/NVS tends to be near IR, while thermovision tends to have a wider spectrum they can detect, which allows them to obtain more detail.(objects emit light at different IR wavelengths depending on temp.. a regualr IR/NV system only picks up the lower IR wavelengths, which are compable to 'room temp', most of their function is just picking up light and using electronics to make a faint signal strnger for display. thermal does some amplification ,but also picks up more IR wavelengths, allowing it to see differences in heat.. makes it easier to tell animals or vehicles apart from the local terrain..)
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