Spoilers no electricity, how to solve communications issues?

Since Dilandu brought it up and it is a big problem, as the Inner Circle are unable to help the vast numbers of folk who need such.

You all may know RL solutions, only thing I can imagine to help would be an improved form of secure heliograph

Letting everyone see your heliograph is less than ideal at.times.
Imagine something akin to a reflector telescope:
Say a 2 or 3 foot long by 6 inch wide tube
At the rear a small "shuttered" heliograph and if need for great ranges, maybe a heliograph powered by chemical reaction lighting instead of a kerosene lamp at night or when dull (perhaps a form of lime light?)

A small telescope fixed to the main tube to align with another heliograph and read its.messages.
Interior of large tube darkened to reduce any spilled light (coat it with black paint sprinkled with carbon black?)

That would reduce the odds of anyone seeing the light messages except for a very narrow cone...or if the weather was foggy

Ok, limited use, but at least it's an idea! :p

Secure signalling for artillery, commandos etc, only practical for calm waters so less use for navy than army, and replace existing semaphore system?
The big Church-built semaphore towers should be suitable to house these, give better performance and more security,.maybe use larger version of this system for those?

Airships have hydrogen and thus...limelight version?
We know Charis has limelight search light/communications light on their airships now.


Anyone else have ideas?

https://youtu.be/_5yvloNbBMA

Signal lamps and semaphores.

Vinea wrote:https://youtu.be/_5yvloNbBMA

Signal lamps and semaphores.

As I noted in other thread, through the course of the series we've seen messenger wyverns, (some of extreme range), signal flags, the heliograph, signal lamp (oil powered),.signal rockets and Very pistols being added to the mix.
Now Charis also has lime light powered search/signal lamps on airships.
Airships as "signal relays" are a very interesting idea actually


I pondered a "cavitation" based water signalling method for naval.use, but without electricity getting sensitivity to note distant noises of such would probably make it only useful within a few miles alas
Still, that or simpler audio-into-water noise generation (man bangs sledgehammer inside ship into the hull, lol) could allow covert communication with submarines

Well, you could always go for underwater detonations.

The Bitrate would be a bit low, though, and the less said about susceptibility to interference, the better

SilverbladeTE wrote:

Vinea wrote:https://youtu.be/_5yvloNbBMA

Signal lamps and semaphores.

As I noted in other thread, through the course of the series we've seen messenger wyverns, (some of extreme range), signal flags, the heliograph, signal lamp (oil powered),.signal rockets and Very pistols being added to the mix.
Now Charis also has lime light powered search/signal lamps on airships.
Airships as "signal relays" are a very interesting idea actually


I pondered a "cavitation" based water signalling method for naval.use, but without electricity getting sensitivity to note distant noises of such would probably make it only useful within a few miles alas
Still, that or simpler audio-into-water noise generation (man bangs sledgehammer inside ship into the hull, lol) could allow covert communication with submarines

Emeye,
Or, you could always feed some sailors triple helpings of beans, hang them over the side and use Human Aquatic Gas Emission Sonar!

"Skipper, we're picking up something really weird on the hydrophones..."

"That's NOTHING! You wouldn't believe what I just saw through the periscope...ye gods!"

Now, now, feeding sailors the three bean salad and turning them into HAGES is just cruel and unusual.

However, one should not dismiss underwater detonations: while too slow for communication, they are quite useful for signaling; especially due to the fact that they can so easily be overheard by the enemy.

For example, one over and one under means, "Surrender. Now."

SilverbladeTE wrote:Emeye,
Or, you could always feed some sailors triple helpings of beans, hang them over the side and use Human Aquatic Gas Emission Sonar!

"Skipper, we're picking up something really weird on the hydrophones..."

"That's NOTHING! You wouldn't believe what I just saw through the periscope...ye gods!"

* overheard is a better term than eavesdropped

Emeye
Lol, true enough!
And if they don't get the gist of it, the next "ash cans" will eternally enlighten them!