Tactical AR software and Drones
According to Unwired p125:
“Members may be characters running the tacsoft on their commlinks or drones running the software on their systems.”
And
“Drones sensor systems also count; each drone can supply a number of sensor channels equal to its Sensor rating.”

This means that a MCT Fly-Spy (Sensor rating 2, sensor capacity 3) with a camera (low-light, thermographic, vision magnification, and vision enhancement 3), microphone (select sound 3, audio enhancement 3, and spatial recognizer), and range finder will only contribute 2 channels to a tacnet; however a person carrying the same sensors would be contributing (at most) 10 channels. How does this work? Am I doing something wrong or misreading something?

A different and yet related topic is the vehicle modification “Improved Sensor Array” from Arsenal p 138. It increases the sensor capacity of a drone or vehicle. Using this modification on the above Fly-Spy I can now add a motion sensor and Olfactory Sensor 6 for an additional 2 channels, but it still only contributes 2 channels to the tacnet? Huh? This should be 12 channels contributed. I realize that 8 channels are the most you will ever need, but having 12 available means that any 4 of them do not need to apply and you still will not lose your network.

How do you all handle all of this?

Thanks all.

Well, personally I would fast-talk the GM...

Seriously, the rule you want is the option to improve the sensor rating of the drone by upgrading the sensors to Rating 6. The base system (e.g. camera, microphone) has a rating; buy a higher rating sensor, swap it in, average the ratings, and Bob's yer Uncle.

This is really only an issue if somebody sprang for a Tacnet 4, since Drones can't get up to Rating 8 (as far as I know). But for a few hundred nuyen, you can easily run a Tacnet 3 with a bunch of Flyspys on overwatch.

Any indication in RAW how to upgrade the sensors to 6?

Thanks guys. As a player that really helps.

Now as a GM. Any insight on the original setup? Why if I tape a good camera and microphone to my troll's backside it's more sensor channels than a drone with the same equipment installed? Or is it just unbalanced that way?

I'm not trying to sound snarkey or anything I'm just really looking for some help here.

You can either add channels or add sensors/rating to a drone. Don't have the drone do both.

It's probably easier to add a sensor package to a drone with 8 channels and use that.

So a Drone can be a member of the Network. It needs to supply either an appropriate level of Sensor Rating, or it can provide distinct channels.

See p. 125 Unwired. The Drone can provide either "Cybernetic Senses" or "Sensor Systems". But don't do both.

That's an interesting reading. My group had been limiting ourselves to a strict reading of "each drone can supply a number of sensor channels equal to its Sensor rating." Houseruling around that is eminently logical, considering how different the Channels requirement is for cybersams... Under RAW, having six different exotic senses is the same as a drone with one really good set of vanilla optics.

Regardless, I advise you to buy up to Sensor 6 on your drones no matter what - it feeds into Perception checks and VR-Controlled attack tests, so it's a worthy upgrade.

"This sensory input could include:" and then it proceeds to list three categories, Natural Senses, Cybernetic Senses, and Sensor Systems. The Cybernetic Senses have each Sensory Enhancement provides it's own extra channel, and in Sensor Systems, it's not strictly Drone Sensor systems, but any worn, carried or mounted sensor system. Which could be any sensor package, not just what you might install on drones. Then it ends with the simple case of count the drone sensor rating. So I don't feel it's a house ruling to look at a drone as providing a sensor system comprised of a set of specified senses ala Cybernetic senses. It's my opinion though is that you shouldn't combine and double dip, just choose one way.

Thanks guys. I think that helps a lot.

If anyone else wants to add more please feel free.