Approved Tech Tetron Centrex Multi-Spectrum Sensor Tower/Relay "MS-T/R"

[Prex Oda Duun]

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SPECIAL FEATURES

• Hydro-Glycolic Fuel Cells
• Atmospheric Sensors & Soil Probes
• Sensor Beacon with Full-Spectrum Transceiver
• Guidance Buoy with Comm Repeater & Global Positioning
• Point-to-Point Laser Link

STRENGTHS

• (+) Multi-Spectrum: instead of multiple towers, sensor posts, and comm arrays, these technologies have been condensed into a single sensor tower that offers high versatility for its size and price, making it an attractive option for colonists.
• (+) Networked: sensor towers are capable of communicating with other sensor towers, in order to create full coverage for sensors and communications. If weather becomes especially harsh, they can utilize a direct line of sight point-to-point laserlink (though this is not always reliable in the most severe of storms).

WEAKNESSES

• (-) Coverage: because of the multiple technologies the mast is relatively large while offering diminished coverage at thirty kilometers, as hydro-glycolic fuel cells limit the range of the mast.
• (-) Cascade Failure: while not especially sensitive or vulnerable to ion and EMP, should a tower fail, multiple colony functions will be affected instead of just a single service. In the event of catastrophic failure across multiple towers, a colony could be left completely without sensor and comms access.

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DESCRIPTION
The Tetron Centrex Multi-Spectrum Sensor Tower/Relay (MS-T/R) was developed as a direct answer to the frequent logistical problems encountered by young colonies and corporate extraction camps. Drawing on Tetron's expertise in planetary development, the MS-T/R combines functions that once required multiple towers, sensors, and comm relays into a single streamlined structure. Standing thirty meters tall and fueled by hardy hydro-glycolic cells, these towers can be erected quickly with minimal infrastructure, giving settlers immediate access to weather forecasting, soil condition monitoring, communications relays, and full-spectrum sensor coverage. The networked design means that each mast doesn't operate in isolation but creates a web of coverage, ensuring that colonies spread across rugged terrain remain linked to each other and to central command. For colonists on the frontier, this has made the MS-T/R an indispensable tool, saving both credits and lives in environments where harsh weather or comms blackout could be fatal.

Yet the technology carries both limitations and risks. Its multi-purpose design means that its performance in any one area—whether comms, sensors, or atmospheric data—is weaker than that of a specialized system, with coverage topping out at about thirty kilometers. In harsher environments, direct line-of-sight point-to-point laser links can maintain connectivity, but severe storms often render even those unreliable. A widespread cascade of failures could leave an entire outpost blind, mute, and cut off from weather tracking in a matter of minutes. These vulnerabilities also make the towers tempting targets for sabotage—either by rival corporations seeking to cripple Tetron's footholds, or by insurgent factions hoping to destabilize resource-rich colonies. Still, despite these concerns, the MS-T/R's versatility and low cost have made it a staple of Tetron's offerings, providing the backbone of colonial infrastructure while binding clients ever tighter to Tetron's ecosystem of products and maintenance contracts.

 

[MANIAC]

Prex Oda Duun

Very cool!

Approved.