Why cant ships fire when cloaked?

[JEDI]

Klingons/Romulans

i can *maybe* buy that they cant fire phasers when cloaked because the cloak takes up a huge amount of power.

but why cant they fire topedos?

 

[HAL9000]

If I had to guess (and I do) I would say that it's because it would break their cloak, and use a huge amount of power.

 

[Schadenfroh]

If you fired when cloaked, you could immediately see where it is coming from and concentrate fire on the point of origin. With no shields (when cloaked), the craft would surely be wiped out by the ensuing barrage, unless they made their first strike REALLY count QUICKLY.

Not to mention, I am not sure if I would want to fire at such close range (needed for decapitation) without my shields being up to prevent debris or the ensuing blast wave from damaging my ship's systems.

 

[destrekor]

the cloak is interrupting photons, correct?
The torpedoes are photon-torpedoes, yes?

They could probably fire physical projectile munitions, but iirc, all the munitions are energy-based... and an energy-based cloak probably interrupts on the same principals.

 

[Ichinisan]

Plot device.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Perhaps the torpedo would explode when it hits the energy field that's causing the cloak.

The cloaking field might also interfere with energy beams.

It shouldn't be a power issue if the disruptors use capacitors to charge lazors.

 

[silverpig]

Well, a few ships could do it. The reason usually given for why they normally can't is because it takes too much power. It is also conceivable that it would give away the position of this ship, rendering the cloak moot.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Because then the Federation ships would have no way to beat them.

 

[Mo0o]

Why can't you just cloak the torpedos

 

[William Gaatjes]

Well, a few ships could do it. The reason usually given for why they normally can't is because it takes too much power. It is also conceivable that it would give away the position of this ship, rendering the cloak moot.

Indeed. I remember some episodes where cloaked ships could fire. By the way was that ship from deep space nine not able to be cloaked and fire ?


For those interested, somebody made a complete starship database.

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/starship_database.htm


EDIT:
Yahoo :

Found one :

he Scimitar is a huge vessel built by the Reman rebels on a secret base. Apparently superior to any ship of either the Federation or the Romulans with 52 disruptors and 27 torpedo banks, the Scimitar is capable of firing while cloaked. It is also equipped with a thalaron emitter, a weapon that destroys any organic tissue. The thalaron emitter is activated by unfolding the wings of the vessel. There is at least one large shuttlebay with dozens of Scorpion-class fighters.

 

[BoomerD]

Silly geeks...

http://www.stardestroyer.net/mrwong/wiki/index.php/Cloaking_device

"Cloaking devices have high power requirements. Consequently, depending on their power sources, cloaked vessels are usually weakly shielded, if shielded at all. Similarly, cloaked ships have relatively little power available for their weapon systems. The initial Romulan cloaking device was so power intensive that it nearly drained the energy reserves of the Romulan Bird of Prey during its battle with the Enterprise in "Balance of Terror". One can speculate that the primary reason a typical cloaked vessel cannot fire while cloaked is that too much power is required for maintaining the cloak to properly power the weapons systems. This is hinted at when Captain Kruge warns his ship's gunner to transfer power to the weapons "at my command," perhaps concerned that power would be transfered too soon, thus compromising the cloak "

 

[crashtestdummy]

Plot device.

Yup. Makes things more interesting.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm reading this thread as if it's part of a Big Bang Theory episode.

 

[Duder1no]

I like turtles.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Silly geeks...

http://www.stardestroyer.net/mrwong/wiki/index.php/Cloaking_device

"Cloaking devices have high power requirements. Consequently, depending on their power sources, cloaked vessels are usually weakly shielded, if shielded at all. Similarly, cloaked ships have relatively little power available for their weapon systems. The initial Romulan cloaking device was so power intensive that it nearly drained the energy reserves of the Romulan Bird of Prey during its battle with the Enterprise in "Balance of Terror". One can speculate that the primary reason a typical cloaked vessel cannot fire while cloaked is that too much power is required for maintaining the cloak to properly power the weapons systems. This is hinted at when Captain Kruge warns his ship's gunner to transfer power to the weapons "at my command," perhaps concerned that power would be transfered too soon, thus compromising the cloak "

Sure, because it would be impossible to build a ship with a 2nd power source so that one could run the cloak and the other could handle weapons and shields. Darn starship designers, they could overcome the limitations of speed of light travel and yet none of them could understand that 2 > 1.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Sure, because it would be impossible to build a ship with a 2nd power source so that one could run the cloak and the other could handle weapons and shields. Darn starship designers, they could overcome the limitations of speed of light travel and yet none of them could understand that 2 > 1.

Or capacitors. Beam weapons might charge slowly but should allow at least one salvo. Capacitors / batteries for launch tubes might allow multiple torpedo launches.

But the true answer is of course Ichinisan's: it's in the script. If they could fire when cloaked and shielded you wouldn't have the scenes of guessing where they would uncloak and firing there, or guessing wrong and taking damage.

 

[Patranus]

Why are people talking individual episodes when there was an entire Star Trek movie centered around this plot?

 

[techs]

Ships can fire when cloaked. They just choose not to.

In early cloaked ships it was impossible to fire at all when cloaked, as the build up and discharge of energy by phasers, disrupters, etc would explode the cloaking generator because they couldn't handle the rapid change to the ships energy level.

Later models of cloaked ships could fire, as they improved the cloaks buffers and the ships power regulation.

The reason ships don't fire when cloaked is that they can't fire with any effect when cloaked. Photon and quantum torpedo's are not guided, they are aimed and travel at great speed.

When a torpedo passes thru the cloak it is deflected a small amount, a random amount. At the distances its safe to fire torpedoes at they wouldn't hit anything. Cloaked ships also can't get closed enough to a target to ensure a hit without being destroyed by blast. Phasers and disrupters are also deflected, making a hit unlikely.

It would be possible to fire guided missiles thru the cloak, but missiles travel at a fraction of the speed of a ship at impulse power, giving the target time to get away.

Cloaking is a delicate balance of the ships power output and mass versus cloak strength and balance. Firing anything thru the cloak makes the ship visible for a while until the cloak can compensate.

The Enterprise in the Search for Spock was able to detect the cloaked ship visually because cloaked ships need to travel slowly when closing to effective weapons range, or the drive power cannot be compensated for by the cloak. The Klingon captain needed to travel too fast to get to the Enterprise, exposing him.

In the Undiscovered Country the Klingons used a prototype to fire when cloaked.
However, when you see the torpedo leaving the ship you see the ship is momentariy visible. That's because the prototype was specifically designed only for firing when cloaked. Things like life support could be turned off or powered way down and were only powered by batteries. By limiting most systems on the ship, and designing them for the lowest possible power output, it was possible to re-establish the cloak very quickly after a torpedo was fired The ship was worthless in a space battle, it could only lay in wait for the enemy to come into range. They could, in fact, only travel at a very low impulse, and warp factor even when the cloak was disengaged.

Fortunately, the Federation took measures to counter act this kind of ship in the future. And educated its officers and men not to say a cloaked ship can't fire, but can't effectively fire.

 

[Soundmanred]

Wow.

 

[Jesusthewererabbit]

Took entirely too many responses before The Undiscovered Country was brought up.

 

[Newbian]

Took entirely too many responses before The Undiscovered Country was brought up.

To be or not to be...

 

[PsiStar]

Why can't you just cloak the torpedos

OMG ... you bastard! You spoiled it all because you are thinking too much.

And, wtf, what is wrong with a particle beam or torpedo emerging from nothing? And keep moving?

This is all about game-like restrictions and nothing practical ... as if there is something practical to the whole thread.

 

[tonygeor]

Physical based weapons ftw

 

[Pray To Jesus]

So Photon Torpedos are made out of Photons?

 

[0roo0roo]

Plot device.

this.
else the romulans would be handing out blankets on earth...