On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 1:09 PM, Evyn MacDude <evyn.macdude@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, Jun 29, 2015 at 8:31 PM, William Ewing (via tml list)
>> <nobody@simplelists.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> RADAR: Bam! bearing and range, in digital format for entry into fire
>>> control computer.

>> Sure.  Except with radar, you have to wait for the signal to round trip.
>> And your radar transmission gives your position away.

> How so? Your returns travel at the same speed a passive return would.

If you are TRANSMITTING you're actively advertising your position to
anyone listening for radar band signals.

(OK, if you're warmer than interstellar space, you're radiating IR and
thus advertising your position, too.  But radar, as an active sensor,
adds another megawatt+ of "HEY, I'M OVER HERE".

>> LIDAR:  Range and bearing, digital.

> Same problems as radar....

yep.  And I suspect, not as useful for searches.

>>> Telescope: nice picture
>
>
> How big is that processor converting said picture?

 About two inches square.  :)

--

"Any sufficiently advanced parody is indistinguishable from a genuine
kook." -Alan Morgan