From: fannicm@wkuvx1.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.tech
Subject: Re: The Federation and cloaking tech...
Date: 4 Sep 92 17:47:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: wkuvx1.1992Sep4.124713.2206
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

In article <DgkiqB2w165w@bluemoon.rn.com>, loren@bluemoon.rn.com (Loren Sims) writes:
> jwindley writes:
> er,  jwindley%asylum.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Jay Windley) writes:
>>
>> singley@helix.nih.gov (Erick D. Singley) writes:
>> >Likewise, one might say- why do Rom. ships still have cloaking.  After
>> >80 years (and an ST orig gen. episode where they part of a cloaking 
>> >device) wouldn't they be able to break through by now?
>> >Sure, but technologies change and leap-frog one another.
>>
>> This subject is always popular.  There is evidence that the Federation
>> has cloaking technology, or at least understands it, but that they
>> don't use it for political reasons.
>>
>> There is also evidence that they don't have cloaking technology.
>  
> (...)
>  
>> The conclusion:  The federation has cloaking technology,
>> but does not use it for political reasons.  (er, "knowledge of cloaking
> technology," he said)
>> It cannot penetrate the Romulan cloaks because the Romulans are more
>> advanced in this area.
>   
>   
> I think the political argument is a very strong one, but I also thought
> there might be, as well as a tremendous energy cost, a health cost in 
> using cloaking technology (see Aldea).  The Romulans and Klingons value
> the tactical advantage a cloak would provide, perhaps more than any minor
> detrimental effects on a ship's occupants.  I *have* noticed some unusual
> facial growths on members of both of these races since the widespread use
> of this technology in the original series. :-)
>   Also, as suggested, the Federation can't penetrate (or even, for the 
> most part, detect) a cloaking field simply because the technology *works*.
> Alternate methods must be applied (such as neutrino nets, watching for 
> visual distortion, etc.).
>                                                                     -Loren
> 
>  This is from
>      loren@bluemoon.rn.com
> who doesn't have his (or her) own obnoxious signature yet

	I really didn't need to quote all of that, BUT, I did, so
those of you who don't like to read lots of long quotes (like me)
don't know how much I am insulting you right now, SO, on to the real
part of the message.  

	Yes, your comment about the inability of Federation sensors to
detect cloaked vessels is apt (i.e. they cannot do it because it
works).  But I think that you might be skipping part of the answer. 
It appears to me, and I am by no means a guru, that ALL technology has
expanded and/or improved for all races.  With that in mind, it would
be logical to assume that, yes, a Galaxy could detect an old Bird of
Prey (as found in _Balance_of_Terror_) due to the increased
sensitivity of its sensors, BUT, not only did the federation sensor
technology improve, but the Romulan Cloaking technology improved and
kept pace with the federation advances.  To my way of thinking, you
were correct, but you missed something, which I tried to put forward.
No insult intended.

--Hawk
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.tech,news.answers