radio
A radio is a Gadget designed to detect certain kinds of signals (always in the "radio" portion of the total "electromagnetic spectrum" of energy; hence, the name) and translate those signals into a format of potential use to the Gadget user.
Any radio purchased via the Standard Equipment Rule will have one of the following specializations:
Any radio purchased via the Standard Equipment Rule will have one of the following specializations:
- An AM/FM radio receives live transmission from broadcast radio stations within a certain range. It turns these transmitted signals into audio, sometimes with more success than others. It is not designed to transmit, only to receive.AM/FM radios are most likely among all radio Gadgets to be integrated into other machinery or even furniture. We do not charge for AM/FM radios, not in HP nor in Wealth Checks, unless the Player upgrades to be able to send signals or to receive (without the originator's permission!) encrypted broadcasts.
- A ham radio, also known as "amateur radio", is capable of transmission and reception both. It is reserved for amateur use only, meaning, it should not be used by commercial interests. It is also unwise for private interests such as Supergroups to use ham radio for their masked communications because anyone with their own ham radio within a surprisingly large range can also pick up these transmissions.
Not that either of those restrictions will stop such users. More than one regional hero team has learned of a corporation's or villain organization's planned misdeeds via casual ham radio use.Ham radio channels may carry voice signals, Morse code signals, both, or (rarely) amateur television fast-scan signals.Default models (the ones purchased under the Standard Equipment Rule at a Wealth Check versus 5 APs) have a range of 5 miles. They are treated as having Radio Communication at 7 APs and R# 7.
- A Police Scanner is a subtype of two-way radio, modified to only receive broadcasts, where authorized devices on the same carrier wave can both transmit and receive. The scanner receives either audio or plain text livestream from municipal law enforcement and municipal emergency services. See specific article for details.
Note: A Police Scanner is a plot tool Gadget. It cannot be combined with other types of radio. It does not cost the Character any Hero Points or Villain Points to acquire, even if "upgraded" to fit in a different shape or format.
- A receiver radio tuned to match a specific bug has a speaker or earphone set attached to it, which will play the audio signals transmitted (within 1 mile) by the microphone of the active bug. The receiver radio might also beep every time it receives a signal.
- A receiver radio tuned to match a specific tracer has a plain screen built into its surface, which will display the relative direction and distance (within 5 miles) of the active tracer. The receiver radio might also beep every time it receives a signal.
- Signal repeaters are electronic Gadgets set up at geographic boundary points to receive signals that may be approaching the end of their range, and rebroadcast said signals beyond its original range. In game mechanic terms, they are Range Increase Gadgets specifically linked to a specialized type of transmitting radio. They may boost AM/FM, ham, two-way, cellular, satellite, or many other types of radio transmission. It is not unusual to have one signal repeater built to boost more than one type of carrier wave.
Signal repeaters do not typically require an onsite user. They do require unshielded access to the atmosphere. They are vulnerable to accidental and intentional interference, misuse, or outright theft.
- A two-way radio, unlike a Ham radio, can transmit and receive text data as well as code signals beyond Morse or amateur television. It most often is noticed by other people when it is capable of transmitting and receiving voice signals. It can be tuned and amplified in such a way as to reduce its range to half a city block or less, making it useful for a private company/organization who will pay to upgrade their Gadgets for encryption on both ends. An individual unit is also much less likely than a ham radio to have the capacity to tune to any frequency not preset by the manufacturer.
Default models (the ones purchased under the Standard Equipment Rule at a Wealth Check versus 5 APs) have a range of 5 miles. They are treated as having Radio Communication at 7 APs and R# 7.Dedicated communications gear for supergroups, such as the Young Justice Earbud Communicator, are often advanced Gadget radios that combine this two-way radio specialization with a cellular network specialization.
It is possible to have one multi-function radio. That is a constructed Gadget that will cost HP, not part of the Standard Equipment Rule options available.
While cellphones and smartphones do use cellular network radio waves, those Gadgets in the current time of the campaign are considered
Computer Equipment
, not Electronic Equipment
.
Item type
Sensory / Aid
Used by
Related Condition
Rarity
Common
Base Price
5 APs
Default Reliability #
Comments