On 01Feb2023 0823, Jim Vassilakos - jim.vassilakos at gmail.com (via tml
list) wrote:
> Do you have Psi Detectors (Psion, p87) in your Traveller Universe, and if
> so, how do they work?
>
> Psion says "...the psi detector is a hand-held device that detects residual
> or active psi energy within a radius of 500 metres. Where active psi energy
> is detected (in other words, psionic powers under use), the detector can
> provide an indication of the amount of psi energy involved; the indication
> is low, medium and high, relating to the number of psi points invested in
> the particular power under use. For residual energy, the reading will
> always be low but retrograde analysis on rates of decay can offer a general
> indication of how long ago a power was used, with an accuracy of up to 3
> hours."
>
> 500 metres is a fairly long way, although it detects active psi energy, not
> potential psi energy, so if a police station had one, it might light up for
> a moment but tell them nothing about the direction or distance of the
> activity in question. But what about residual energy? How distant from the
> source does residual psionic energy embed itself (presumably in matter),
> and for long does it last? At what distance can it be detected, and does
> the detector give any indication of the degree of proximity? In short,
> could the police potentially walk from house to house, looking for residual
> psionic energy to determine where the psions live?
Given that a few of these could be used to triangulate a signal, even if
they didn't give range and direction, I'd not have them in any campaign
where psions living in hiding were a thing, because as soon as anyone
cared they wouldn't be in fairly short order.

Of course if the TL9+ Psi Scanner is available the anti-psi cops don't
need a Psi Detector.

IMTU such things generally don't exist - if you want to track down a
psion, bring your own. The Zhos could probably design such a device, but
have little motivation to do so.

--
Rupert Boleyn <xxxxxx@gmail.com>