detect (signal detection)

[Hrothgar]

I have a PC that wants to detect electricity. He put signal detection, under the belief this means he can detect radio signals and electrity. Was signal detection designed for Detect (radio) so I t clarifies how that works?

I guess my main question is if my oc need to buy a desperate advantage for detecting radio on top of detect electricity?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Hrothgar

I have a PC that wants to detect electricity. He put signal detection, under the belief this means he can detect radio signals and electrity. Was signal detection designed for Detect (radio) so I t clarifies how that works?

I guess my main question is if my oc need to buy a desperate advantage for detecting radio on top of detect electricity?

Yes. Radio waves are not what is normally meant by "electricity."

We have the following categories:

magnetic fields caused by electric currents (Rare)
electric fields (Occasional)
magnetic fields (Occasional)
electric and magnetic fields (Common)
electric currents in circuits (Rare)
electric currents [in any media] (Occasional)
radio (Rare)
radar (Rare)
radio and radar (Occasional)
and I would guess
electromagnetic radiation (Common)
since it must be narrower than
all energy (Very Common)

Edit: If you wanted "all phenomena associated with electrical devices," to include electric fields, electric currents, and radio and radar (electromagnetic radiation typically caused by electronic circuits), that could probably be called Common; it seems to be above any one of the individual things, which are all Occasional. I suppose "all technological devices" would be Very Common.

Bill Stoddard

[McAllister]

I think Telecommunications has a Receiver Only limitation that might be what you're looking for.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by McAllister

I think Telecommunications has a Receiver Only limitation that might be what you're looking for.

Detect Radio and Telecommunications (Receiver Only) are different things. The Telecommunications version actually lets you understand what's being said (assuming you speak the language, know Morse code, etc.). The Detect version doesn't necessarily do that; it tells you that there's a radio source in such and such a direction with such and such an intensity. But it would also work for radio signals that don't carry meaningful information, such as emissions from lightning strikes or spark gaps.

Bill Stoddard

[Hrothgar]

I'll go ahead and lump another question here. What would electro magnetic fields qualify for in girls. Looking at the science if EM, it would seem all matter gives off em. What does detect +electromagnetism) count for in this game?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Hrothgar

I'll go ahead and lump another question here. What would electro magnetic fields qualify for in girls. Looking at the science if EM, it would seem all matter gives off em. What does detect +electromagnetism) count for in this game?

Is "girls" a typo for "GURPS"? That sentence kind of perplexed me for a minute.

As I read the rules, they distinguish between "detect electric and magnetic fields" (which seems to be mainly about static fields or slowly changing ones) and "detect electromagnetic radiation." For the latter, I would say that what you detect if you use the ability in its RAW form is the nearest strong source of radiation. That would often be the hottest object, because of blackbody radiation; on the other hand, if something is radiating at well above the thermal background levels—say, a radio transmitter, which could be putting out kilowatts without being nearly as hot as the blackbody law would imply, or a reflective surface exposed to sunlight—then it would probably stand out. The basic ability would give you direction and intensity.

If you bought it with Reflexive, you'd spontaneously notice every source, I think; if you don't have Reflexive, you'd have to consciously turn it on, and I'd probably impose -1 for each already known source you were "tuning out." An IQ roll would let you analyze which part of the spectrum was strongest. If you had Precise you could tell how far away the source was and thus its position. If you had Analyzing you'd automatically know which part of the spectrum was strongest, and an IQ roll would let you track the various wavebands (like following the different instrumental lines in a symphony).

Bill Stoddard

[Anders]

Wouldn't this meld into Hyperspectral Vision at some point? That's 25 points.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anders

Wouldn't this meld into Hyperspectral Vision at some point? That's 25 points.

No, because it's not a visual sense. That is, in the first place, it's not linked to the eyes (as vision is unless you have certain specific advantages). In the second place, visual senses start out with the way the eyes process light between 400 and 700 nm and add capabilities at longer or shorter wavelength; Detect doesn't privilege those wavelengths in this way. In the third place, Detect isn't normally an imaging sense, as vision is. You'd have a lot of similar capabilities, but they wouldn't be identical.

And in the fourth place, if you bought Detect Electromagnetic Radiation with Precise and Analyzing, it would cost 50 points. I think Hyperspectral Vision with extended high and low bands is only 40 points. My guess would be it's the superior spectral analysis that makes the difference.

Bill Stoddard

[Hrothgar]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Is "girls" a typo for "GURPS"? That sentence kind of perplexed me for a minute.

Ya, damn phone auto corrected me on that. From what I've gathered, based on comments and rereading the information in basic and powers, detect isn't a very good advantage when the material/energy you are trying to detect is plentiful. It's best when you are trying to detect something scarce.

[McAllister]

Yeah, Detect (Some form of matter) is clear enough, but Detect (Some form of energy) can get weird. I'd try to model with something else.