Wait a Minute, how did they know how much power?

[Brent]

If this has been addressed, forgive me, but I can't remember.

How did Earth know that to dial the 9th Chevron to Destiny (which at the time they did not know where the 9th chevron would actually dial to) they needed an "Icarus" type planet, or a planet or power source of that magnitude?

I mean, first of all, they had no idea where the 9th chevron dialed. So how did they know they needed that much power to do it? Had they tried multiple ZPMs already? They had no idea where it was going to go, so how did they know how much power was required.

We learned that in the last episode, every vein of Naquadria was mapped on the planet because the power generation has to be absolutely perfect, if it is off, bad things happen apparently. So, what are the chances even of finding two planets with the same exact power output capability? Not to mention, how did they know what the power requirement was in the first place?

This was all brought up because in the Subversion thread, someone mentioned maybe the LA is bringing a ZPM to power the gate. But obviously the SGC would have tried that, so that can't be enough power.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

No doubt they tried dialing the 9-chevron address using the Earth gate and found that it just didn't work. Since the stargate can produce error codes (I forget what episode that was stated in), it probably produced a code to the effect of "insufficient power." There's no telling how many different ways they tried to power it before coming across the idea of using a planet with massive naquadriah deposits.

Given the Ancient equations they had to solve, too, it might have actually said in the Ancient database how much power was required, and guys like Rush did the math and realized you'd need a planet loaded to the gills with naquadriah to make it work.

 

[David cgc]

So, what are the chances even of finding two planets with the same exact power output capability?

But they weren't exactly the same, they were both just really big. Otherwise, Rush wouldn't have needed to mention they'd need to recalculate for the planet they were on.

 

[The Wormhole]

They did obtain the nine chevron address from Atlantis's database. I just assumed there were instructions there as well regarding dialing procedures.

 

[Kemaiku]

Didn't they say in the Pilot though that the Gate on the Icarus planet was specially modified by the Ancients? requiring all travel to the planet to be by ship. So not only would they need to have the power necessary (they have no idea the exact amount since the Naquadriah was going critical), solve all the equations (Eli may not have transmitted the corrected solutions) and have a Gate modified to dial out to Destiny (and having maybe no idea or ability to make said modifications). So...

 

[David cgc]

No, it was modified by the humans by being plugged into the planet. They were afraid using it would... well, destabilize the core of the world and blow it all up.

 

[Kemaiku]

And yet it was that chain reaction that powered the gate, I doubt they blew apart another planet just to dial them.

 

[bryce]

I wonder if for the Ancients...they could just easily rig up 100 ZPM's together and easily dial Destiny...

But since Destiny pre-dates ZPM technology...I wonder how they planned to get there?

I guess that when it (Destiny) was much, much closer, the power requirements would have been *substantially* less...

I wonder if, when Destiny was planned and built...if the idea was *ever* to return? Or to return after a very, very long time...perhaps after flying much of the way back on a return course...?

We have no idea how long the Ancients lived...right? But I'd assume by even Destiny's time, they could have been near-immortal...

 

[Silent_Bob]

I wonder if for the Ancients...they could just easily rig up 100 ZPM's together and easily dial Destiny...

But since Destiny pre-dates ZPM technology...I wonder how they planned to get there?

I guess that when it (Destiny) was much, much closer, the power requirements would have been *substantially* less...

I wonder if, when Destiny was planned and built...if the idea was *ever* to return? Or to return after a very, very long time...perhaps after flying much of the way back on a return course...?

We have no idea how long the Ancients lived...right? But I'd assume by even Destiny's time, they could have been near-immortal...

The Ancients would have been going to Destiny when it was far closer to the Milky Way, so perhaps they had a power source sufficient to dial a gate a galaxy or two away.