Barclay and the Midas Array

[Dingo]

Thanks to the efforts of Reginald Barclay I know Voyager and Starfleet Command were able to communicate with some regularity. Was it ever established how often Voyager was able to communicate with the Alpha Quadrant after Barclay's first successful contact.

 

[nx1701g]

I thought it was once a month at first? I seem to recall in LifeLine that there is a line where Captain Janeway says in a briefing that "This is all we have from Starfleet, until next month."

 

[Admiral Shran]

At first it was once a month. However, after the events of "Inside Man," I believe they could communicate with the Alpha Quadrant whenever they wanted.

 

[StarryEyed]

I don't think it reached the point where they could communicate at will but they were obviously honing their technique, getting better and better at it.

This makes perfect sense, really. Once Barclay proved the concept, many more scientists and engineers would have jumped in and helped advance it.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The midas array bounced their messages off something stellar and unlikely which allowed for the homeland and Voyager to send a huge data packet each way once a month, however as of author author, y'know, spitting distance from the end of the whole dang shebang...

KIM: The deflector's in position.
JANEWAY: Anything?
KIM: I'm picking up a phased tachyon beam.
SEVEN: There's triaxialating signal encoded in it.
JANEWAY: On screen.
BARCLAY [on screen]: Voyager, this Lieutenant Barclay at Starfleet Command. Are you receiving this?
JANEWAY: Can you clear it up?
KIM: I'm on it.
ADMIRAL PARIS [on screen]: Captain Janeway, it's a pleasure to finally talk to you in person.
JANEWAY: The pleasure's mine, Admiral. How's the weather in San Francisco?
ADMIRAL PARIS [on screen]: Cold and rainy as usual.
JANEWAY: It sounds delightful. Lieutenant Barclay, my congratulations on establishing the first trans-galactic comm. link. You've earned a place in the history books.
BARCLAY [on screen]: I can't take all of the credit, Captain. It was Harry and Seven who suggested bouncing a tachyon beam off of the quantum singularity.
KIM: Just be sure to thank us when you accept the Daystrom prize.
ADMIRAL PARIS [on screen]: I wish we had more time for small talk but the singularity only stays in alignment for eleven minutes a day.
JANEWAY: Eleven minutes are better than none, Admiral. We appreciate all your work, Reg.
ADMIRAL PARIS [on screen]: We're going to leave it up to you to determine how to allocate the comm. time.

A vicious cutthroat blackmarket on Voyager came into effect as people killed and offered sexual favours to collect on as many of those three minute chits as possible as a means to an end of ultimate power below decks on Voyager!

(Kidding?)

Kim is such a baby. Seven and Tom both just gave away their chits because the oldest ensign in the world needed to talk to his Mommy more. it's like the the writers were still penning Wesley when they put words in Garrets mouth.