Trek Cloaking Device

AnonymousRedShirtEnsign · Post by **AnonymousRedShirtEnsign** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:13 am

In ST:3 I think we only see the distortion on a view-screen rather than through a window or just in space, so maybe the view-screen incorporates some sensor data along with a visual feed for the image.

Post by **Mike DiCenso** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:33 am

That's possible. However why don't we ever see that effect again on a viewscreen, either before or since? The real answer, of course, is that the distortion from the cloak was for dramatic purposes. But "in world", it makes little sense.
-Mike

GStone · Post by **GStone** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:42 am

To let the people watching the screen know that the cloak switched on/off, like a back up in case the controls at the station aren't working properly?

AnonymousRedShirtEnsign · Post by **AnonymousRedShirtEnsign** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:48 am

My thinking is that what ever made the cloaked ship look like a distortion on the view-screen in ST3 was fixed on later cloaking devices.

2046 · Post by **2046** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:14 am

It could also have been an effect that occurred due to the vessel's orbit (i.e. might've been too low and was scraping atmosphere or running into escaped gas and whatnot from the brand-new atmosphere), proximity to the Genesis planet and some weird whatever coming from it (extra-strong magnetic field, protomatter technobabble, or what-have-you).

That's the only cloak ever which as demonstrated that effect, and it was inconsistent since it didn't do it later, so it had to be something location-specific. And it seems rather unlikely that Klingons wouldn't know they put out a distortion in orbital conditions, so I'd imagine it was another Genesis effect.