2006-02-01T12:28:44Z

Simmons: /* Name? */

It is stated that DRADIS stands for 'Direction RAnge and DIStance'.

Should it not be 'Direction RAnge Detection and Identification System' This still has the acronym DRADIS?

:I'd be happy to see a source for this term; I'd rather not make it up if RDM has the acronym down. He's normally not into this inane level of techno-fanboy detail, so we'll have to see. Better to keep this one to what we know. [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 15:54, 23 Aug 2005 (EDT)0

::Agreed, FWIW. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 17:43, 23 Aug 2005 (EDT):

:: We need a definite and official source for what this term means. Personally, I don't believe that it is well defined, if at all. -- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 20:30, 23 Aug 2005 (EDT)

"Range" and "Distance" are indeed redundant in their most common sense, but in space, a system like this would be pretty much pointless if it didn't provide directional information in ''two'' axes, as well as the distance. Even without a useful expansion of the acronym, it should be abundantly clear that these would be the three values present in the reading for a single DRADIS contact. -- [[User:Cmr|Cmr]]

:Indeed, Gaeta has given three-value coordinates when it's been relevant — in Act of Contrition and Resistance.

:Just an interesting note - Bearing and Carom are clearly not measured in degrees. We've seen bearings up to 881 (Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down) and caroms up 552 (Flight of the Phoenix). --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 14:38, 5 January 2006 (EST)

:: Another interesting note - The Army in its land navigation uses a method of measurement called the mil [[http://www.survivaliq.com/navigation/direction_par1.htm]] which breaks a circle up into 6400 parts rather than 360. That may explain the higher numbers quoted. [[User:Joemc72|Joemc72]] 15:01, 19 January 2006 (EST)

:"Range" and "distance" are still synonyms in 3 dimensions. Yes, there are 3 numbers for spherical coordinates, but '''2''' of them are direction; the other one is range (and distance, since they're the same thing). --[[User:CalculatinAvatar|CalculatinAvatar]] 23:29, 5 January 2006 (EST)

::I understood your point the first time, and wasn't trying to contradict it. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 23:39, 5 January 2006 (EST)

:::If you're addressing me, I'm somewhat confused. I don't recall saying that before, and I was responding to Cmr. --[[User:CalculatinAvatar|CalculatinAvatar]] 00:07, 6 January 2006 (EST)

:: my point is just that this article can describe what DRADIS measures, and how, without expanding the acronym. is the early teleplay manuscript the only source for Direction, RAnge, and DIStance? if so, it seems like this is, at best, something less than canonical. [[User:Cmr|Cmr]] 17:35, 15 January 2006 (EST)

==Radar==
Spencerian, why did you revert Wingsandsword's note about the "radar" reference in "The Hand of God"? The dialogue in question goes like this:

:'''Thrace:''' The decoy ships will jump into the enemy star system at extreme radar range from the Cylon asteroid. Galactica will jump here, close enough to launch its Vipers at the base.
--[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:07, 10 January 2006 (EST)

: There has been some healthy discussion of this point on my talk page, and for the record it is at 11:53 into the episode, and her exact line is what Peter Farago said it was. It's also on the closed captioning. It's likely to be a goof, but it could be interpreted that "radar" is a slang or mostly-disused term for the more technically accurate Dradis. --[[User:Wingsandsword|Wingsandsword]] 14:37, 10 January 2006 (EST)
::Her "exact line" is still subject to debate: DVD subtitles aren't always reliable, and when I saw it again on my DVD it ''sounded'' like she said "Raider", not radar. "Radar" probably isn't a slang term because I think they're more careful about these things and that it is not, indeed a goof. Others please rewatch this scene. I'm not exact on how ''all'' DVD subtitles are made, but on many I've had in the past they were really just made by people that watched the episode writing down dialog, rather than on a script of some form. They aren't really reliable. --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 21:06, 10 January 2006 (EST)

: What if RADAR is one component of DRADIS? Suppose that DRADIS comprises a host of detection systems (RADAR, IR, UV, MAD, etc.) all linked into one system and accessed from one console?--Axeman

::As I have stated numerous times, in context, she could have been saying "Raider range". There's a burden of proof there, a shaodw of a doubt if you will, and she kind of slurrs it; doesn't sound quite like she's saying "Radar". I think our current thing is fine: making a note that we think she said Radar, but that she could have said "Raider". This is, of course, distinct from the horrible "Black Market" in which amongst other failures they call fumarellos "cigars". --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 14:19, 29 January 2006 (EST)

:::That wasn't an error. Cigars have never been called Fumarellos in RDM. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 15:03, 29 January 2006 (EST)
::::There seems to be a lot of contention over this point. Can someone find a specific reference where they were or weren't called cigars or fumarellos? --[[User:BMS|BMS]] 15:09, 29 January 2006 (EST)
:::::Actually I was just using that as an example; Peter and I are actually leaning towards the position that they were ALWAYS called "Cigars" but "tobacco" is "fumarello leaf" here.--[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 15:32, 29 January 2006 (EST)

==Name?==

Should the name of this article be all caps, or is there a naming convention in place that restrits all caps in an article title? [[User:Joemc72|Joemc72]] 16:41, 20 January 2006 (EST)
:Possible, but generally it looks a bit garrish and we don't know the acronym fully. Besides, do you ''always'' write out radio as "RADIO"? It's a portmaneau, not a full acronym. --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 16:49, 20 January 2006 (EST)
:: I agree, but throughout the article and other articles, DRADIS is capitalized. I was only suggesting it in order to make it more uniform. I'll defer to the majority though. [[User:Joemc72|Joemc72]] 16:52, 20 January 2006 (EST)

:::The capitalization is because DRADIS is an acronym, like RADAR or LASER or NASA. Usage for these terms have dropped the capitalization down to where the acronym becomes a word except for NASA. DRADIS isn't there yet in my mind. On the other hand, if I see it without capitalization, I don't change it unless it looks aesthetically wrong. Acronyms should be capitalized unless there is a wiki convention that says otherwise. For wiki's sake, keeping it not capitalized (particularly as the article name) prevents weirdness. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 17:34, 20 January 2006 (EST)

It adds nothing to the debate :), but when i heard the anacronym '''DRADIS''', i instantly though "oh cool, thats '''D'''irection, '''RA'''nge '''A'''nd '''ID'''entification '''S'''ystem ...good to see someone is thinking hard about all the little stuff"

To me it makes sense for it to mean this...remember the first few eps of ST didnt have Starfleet, but the United Earth Space Probe Agency or some such....ID it is! Hooray! :) And i'd write it as Dradis..like Radar..the caps dissapear after a while :) Simmons