There is one advantage to the Battle Buddy Basic over the setup you did there. The Battle Buddy Basic can be upgraded beyond that, while those upgrades are the peak of what the Novatech Airware can achieve. (That's why I like it. Good even ability of the base unit, and the potential to upgrade to really damn good later.)

Okay, that's definitely another point.

Though of course, upgrading the SBB to 7's is going to be epicly expensive.

Then again, though it mysteriously vanished from the actual rulebooks, there's always the "modular electronics" upgrade, from the SR4A Changes document. 1,000¥ and some elbow-grease, and WHAM, no more +2 limit.

Yeah, it would be expensive, and that is assuming the GM doesn't just 'fiat' away the possibility too...

Maybe the modular electronics upgrade was considered to the point of getting into that document and decided against afterward?

...?

1) No mention that there are different wifi frequencies.
2) No mention that you have to set up a satdish for the Sat Link, nor is there a Test required or even a mention in SR4A that there is a dish. There is also no mention of size. They have things now that are the size of a cellphone that do the same thing, as do smartphones with the proper app.


Can't find it in my PDF, but my SR4 Changes PDF has it listed as vehicle only. It's been pointed out to me before also, which is why I know it. I like the idea of making it available to any electronics device, though.

Ummmmm...
You really shoud re-read the entry.



You cannot use a Satellite link to direct connect to a device right around the corner. It connects you to Communications Satellites, which will then allow you to bounce back down through the Matrix.

No, it is not Vehicle only per the Rules.

... Unwired, "nonstandard wireless link". Clearly, there are different frequencies, and WiFi doesn't use them all.


SR4A, page 328, screenshot time: http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/GMP...n/SRSatlink.jpg

Well, considering that a comm link isn't very big, that dish probably wouldn't be much bigger than a 50 cent coin in diameter (if any larger at all). Otherwise it would just look completely stupid.

It's specialized gear for connecting your 'link to a satellite, not something to use all the time (and definitely not gear you use just to look wiz). Depending on the frequency of the signal, the physics demand a minimum size. I don't know what frequency satellite communication uses, but you need a lower frequency (i.e. longer wavelength) the more distance you're communicating over. The IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard operates at 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency, corresponding to wavelengths of 24-50 cm.

A dish the size of a half-dollar? Simply not physically possible.

Just now, I've done some research, and the absolute smallest Satellite antenna I've found is the KVH TracVision M1. I's 12.5" ... a damned sight bigger than a half-dollar coin. (That's the antenna, by the by; the Radome is 13" high and 13.5" in diameter.)

Even if we assume that 2070 can cut that by 80%, you're still looking at two and a half inches - the size of a smallish smartphone nowadays. And honestly, I suspect that's more miniaturisation than is really even possible.