52 replies to this topic

[spartan3227mike]

I was always wondering this but how does the power reach the gun from the planet in the first place???

[Sev]

The iphone's 'wireless-charger' of course!

[MrChipps]

You do know that you just said Super Magnetic Accelerator Cannon Cannon right?

Also, yes, it is wireless power transfer

[SternuS]

Wireless stuff? In 2552?

 

Pffft.

[Aunt Gruntie]

Look up Nikola Tesla.

That is all.

[WarthogRacingMan3]

They use cheap extension cords from Walmart. 

[insaene]

Hamster in a wheel

[Whitehalomango]

Well, firstly, the potato generates the power which is then sent into the SMACs via Staroads.

[Emperorfluffball]

Honestly i don't know, but i've given some thought to and i was like, why not just make the gun have its own power supply? as it is if the guns fall. the planet dies...  means you'd have to space them out a bit more to avoid the detonation of a gun wiping out the others in the cluster but...  the guns would also have a larger profile, but then you can add... oh i don't know... some freaking 50mm Helix guns on them to protect the station from boarding craft?
then chief doesn't need to leave the station

[SiRD31M0S]

Localizing the source of power for a station that accelerates a 3,000 ton slug to 4% the speed of light can conceivably cause more problems than it solves, and if the source of power requires fuel of any sort, or needs to be regularly maintained, all of the necessary materials would need to be brought into orbit from the ground, which is highly inefficient in comparison.

 

Edit: From Halopedia: "Additionally, the platforms are armed with a number of point-defense guns for close-in defense against enemy munitions, fighters, and boarding craft."

[Zero]

Not to mention the extra mass that goes onto the station. Every time the SMAC fires, there needs to be an equal thrust burn in the opposite direction to maintain orbit. If you add more mass to the station, you're burning more fuel. ODPG were very large, IIRC, the size of modern nuclear reactors. That's a big structure, basically putting two SMACs together.

[SiRD31M0S]

 Every time the SMAC fires, there needs to be an equal thrust burn in the opposite direction to maintain orbit.

This would be true if the station fired the slugs by conventional means, with an explosion, rather than passing current through magnetic coils. If my understanding reflects reality, there shouldn't be any forces involved that would actually push the station in the opposite direction of its firing.

[Aunt Gruntie]

This would be true if the station fired the slugs by conventional means, with an explosion, rather than passing current through magnetic coils. If my understanding reflects reality, there shouldn't be any forces involved that would actually push the station in the opposite direction of its firing.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

-Uncle Ben

[Mrripley9]

What about the guass cannon? That's basically what it is, yet the amount of force that's used to send that object flying as fast as it does isn't put onto the warthog. 

[sloosecannon]

Not to mention the extra mass that goes onto the station. Every time the SMAC fires, there needs to be an equal thrust burn in the opposite direction to maintain orbit. If you add more mass to the station, you're burning more fuel. ODPG were very large, IIRC, the size of modern nuclear reactors. That's a big structure, basically putting two SMACs together.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

-Uncle Ben

True, however the extra mass would also apply to the cannon's kick. I don't think you'd need more fuel to counteract it since the actual feedback would be the same...

Sent from my Moto X

[sloosecannon]

What about the guass cannon? That's basically what it is, yet the amount of force that's used to send that object flying as fast as it does isn't put onto the warthog.

Which is scientifically inaccurate.

The MAC launches objects by pushing on them with magnetic force. The slug is "pushing" against the magnetic fields, which push it forward. This works because the station weighs so much more than the slug, so it gets pushed back less than the slug for the same delta-v


Thems the rules folks. Thus the laws of nature spake
Sent from my Moto X

[Major_Kirrahe]

I seem to recall in the book Fall of Reach, the author mentioned using antimatter generators on a planet and beaming the charge to the orbital guns with Laser Power transference.  This is basically a reversal of another concept known as space based solar power.  The original idea had space stations in orbit collecting solar power and beaming it to receivers on the ground by laser beams.  In this case, the power comes from the ground and is shot up to the gun.  I'll need to double check though.

[SiRD31M0S]

Really? I re-read that fairly recently and I didn't remember it actually being explained. Halopedia doesn't mention any details on the mechanism either.

 

4/10, cannons didn't hold the line.

[Mrripley9]

"Sir, the Super Accelerator Mac Cannon cannon is ready to fire!" 

 

"You okay there, son?"

 

"What do you mean, sir?" 

 

"You repeated cannon twice..."

 

"What? Sir, is this really a time to argue over something so... inconsequential?"

 

"You talking back to me, son?"

 

"N-no, Sir. I meant no disrespect, it's just..."

 

"It's just what, Lieutenant?"

 

"It's just that it doesn't really matter."

 

"Listen here, butter cup! This machine can literally obliterate a planet, can disintegrate a covenant ship, while still having enough force to go through two more. You will call it by it's name." 

 

"Sir, now you're just arguing semantics."

 

*glares* "That's it! You're being fired!" 

 

"Good! I hated working under you!"

 

*lieutenant smashes through a covenant's hull going 30,000 meters a second*

[sloosecannon]

"Sir, the Super Accelerator Mac Cannon cannon is ready to fire!"

I think accidentally you mixed up words the order there of the