Dosen't the soliton wave seem like a limited tech?

[Trekker4747]

The soliton wave had to be generated by a planetary base station and then has to be dissipated by another planetary base station.

Dosen't this seem very, very limiting? (Not to mention the disaterous implications if something went wrong as we see in the episode "New Ground".)

How does one use this form of propulsion to "explore strange new worlds" if it needs a base station at the destination? How does one make a course correction in an emergency enroute? What if something happens enroute to dissipate the wave?

Seems like pretty dumb tech to me. Glad it was forgotten.

 

[Timo]

So trains should be abandoned because we have automobiles? Despite the fact that trains are slightly faster, significantly more capable and comfortable, and potentially cleaner and cheaper?

Exploration and combat could still be carried out with low-performance technologies such as warp drive, technologies whose only advantages would be greater speed (greater than the prototype soliton system anyhow) and greater freedom of maneuvering. True transportation would take place using the superior technology of soliton "rails" between planets and stars.

No doubt there would be defensive soliton applications, too. Something comparable to armored trains for one - but also direct application of the principle to warfare, in tactical and strategic long-range smiting...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Sec31Mike]

I agree with Timo, just because it doesn't seem feasible to use it as a replacement for FTL drives, doesn't mean that it doesn't have other uses, like being able to propel an attacking ship out of the system.

Perhaps there will be ancilliary technologies developed that have value like particle generation and control or a deeper understanding of the fabric of the universe.

 

[ngc7293]

The soliton wave striks me as a simple cargo people transport (as above, trains) system. One perfected and for safe and reliable use it would make transport between common places simple; jets, trains and ships. To look around at the smaller Local spots, you'd have the cars, small boats and small planes.

 

[Trekker4747]

The thing is, everyone in the episode was acting like this was going to be the "next big thing" in interstellar travel there was mention of such a system putting Geordi out of a job! Seemed to me it wasn't a "to be used between established planets as an interstellar train" but it was shown to be a replacement for Warp Drive.

Feh. It's best forgotten as it seems it was.

 

[Ronald Held]

I tend to agree, but it might have some economic value for cargo runs.

 

[Jimmy_C]

Geordi said the ship itself could produce the soliton wave. Perhaps he anticipated the technology being miniaturized eventually like what happens with computers today. The two stations could also be "test" or "proof of concept" versions with production devices with less diagnostic or more automated systems.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I could see it as a artillery weapon against slow moving objects or as a transportation method between fixed points.
Since it takes warp field emitters, it could probably be mounted on a pod with a rotating swing arm and angle mounts like one side of a warp nacelle that is mounted like a giant LED light bar.

 

[Unicron]

Given this thread is more than a decade old, I'm going to close it. Normally I don't mind the occasional bump if it's relevant and the thread isn't too old, but this falls into that category. Please start a new thread in the future.