What does a deflector dish DO?

[LordShaithis]

And if it's so important, why aren't they so prominent on non-Federation ships? I don't recall seeing them on Klingon or Cardassian ships.

[neoolong]

I pulled this off of www.ex-astris-scientia.org:


"Device that deflects potential obstacles in a starship's flight path. The deflector dish usually produces a low-power static field for deflecting submicron particles and a concentrated main beam that pushes aside larger objects thousands of kilometers ahead of the ship.
Deflector beams are indispensable at warp speed, for already a submicron particle could penetrate and damage the hull. Miranda and Constellation-class starships do not seem to have navigational deflectors. Still, considering the necessity of such a device, there could be a small emitter that looks different from other designs."

I don't know why they aren't on other ships. Though the way the description looks the task might be handled in a different way and so it might not be handled by a dish in other ships.

[Sea Skimmer]

And if it's so important, why aren't they so prominent on non-Federation ships? I don't recall seeing them on Klingon or Cardassian ships.

Those vessles don't need a steady supply of plot devices.

[Alyeska]

Actually the Miranda does have some. Note the two protrussions comming from the saucer. The Constellation also has them most likely, they are just designed differently. Most shuttles don't have the easily seen ones either.

[Darth Wong]

They didn't know what else to put on the front of that part of the ship, and they were afraid that it would look stupid if it were just plain. Ships that lack separate stardrive sections (eg- the Miranda, the Defiant) mysteriously find a way to eliminate the need for this device.

[Enlightenment]

Ships that lack separate stardrive sections (eg- the Miranda, the Defiant) mysteriously find a way to eliminate the need for this device.

The Defiant class has a deflector. It's that blue glowing crosshatch in the nose.

[RayCav of ASVS]

They didn't know what else to put on the front of that part of the ship, and they were afraid that it would look stupid if it were just plain. Ships that lack separate stardrive sections (eg- the Miranda, the Defiant) mysteriously find a way to eliminate the need for this device.

Except of all people, me lord, you know that really doesn't work

The Miranda actually has no less than two deflector dishes. They're on the back of the hull.

The Connie has these too and therefore could have up to three separate deflector dishes. This could indicated better defensive power.

I assume the Stargazer has a similar setup.

By the 24th century it could be possible that deflector designs became so efficient only one was necessary. Not only that, but some deflectors can even mount a phaser. The Defiant appears to be such an example. The Cardassian ships seem to have their primary armament routed through the deflector too.

Other ships seem to have multiple deflector dishes like older Starfleet designs, including Ferengi and possibly Dominion ships.

Romulans appear to have their deflector act as a main weapons mount like the Cardassians.

[Darth Wong]

Perhaps I should have made myself more clear. They can use miniscule blue convex blobs (which they call "deflector dishes") when it stylistically suits them, but for some reason, they must use giant concave blobs (which they also call "deflector dishes") on bigger ships where a smaller convex one would look stupid.

[Sea Skimmer]

Perhaps I should have made myself more clear. They can use miniscule blue convex blobs (which they call "deflector dishes") when it stylistically suits them, but for some reason, they must use giant concave blobs (which they also call "deflector dishes") on bigger ships where a smaller convex one would look stupid.

The bigger ships have larger forward cross section and would need greater output from the dish for protection. That would most likely require a larger dish.

[Darth Wong]

Perhaps I should have made myself more clear. They can use miniscule blue convex blobs (which they call "deflector dishes") when it stylistically suits them, but for some reason, they must use giant concave blobs (which they also call "deflector dishes") on bigger ships where a smaller convex one would look stupid.

The bigger ships have larger forward cross section and would need greater output from the dish for protection. That would most likely require a larger dish.

That would make sense if the ratios were proportionate.

[Patrick Degan]

A more reasonable theory is that the size and placement of the deflector dish on a starship depends upon the output and location of the main reactor, as well as the available space on the structure.

As for the Defiant-class ships, I believe that the pod which projects forward of the bow section is that ship's main deflector.

[Vympel]

Good Lord. Patrick Degan, the Emperor of well-written critiques, has become Megatron! Agghhhhh!

[Patrick Degan]

Good Lord. Patrick Degan, the Emperor of well-written critiques, has become Megatron! Agghhhhh!

Precisely, fleshling. My critiques are now easily convertible to energy for the Decepticon cause!

[Typhonis 1]

Could it also act s a radiation shield by generating a magnetic field around the ship simular to the one keeping Earth from being fried by the suns radiation?

[Ender]

It's the fedderation swiss army knife! It's a defense mechanism! It's a transmitter! It'sa weapon! It's a reciever! It even makes fries!

My all time favorit bit though, is how it is literally painted to look like a target.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Didn't the original "dish" on the Connie use to be for communication?

[Stormbringer]

It's the fedderation swiss army knife! It's a defense mechanism! It's a transmitter! It'sa weapon! It's a reciever! It even makes fries!

My all time favorit bit though, is how it is literally painted to look like a target.

Maybe that was to distract their enemies from the bridge?

[Crayz9000]

Didn't the original "dish" on the Connie use to be for communication?

That's what it was designed to look like, at least.

[SPOOFE]

My all time favorit bit though, is how it is literally painted to look like a target.

Oh no, my friend! The big secret that the Federation doesn't want you to know... the deflector dish doesn't do ANYTHING! That's right, it's just a big chunk of glowing light, specifically made to draw attention, and fire! It's like the fake "eyes" that caterpillars have.

Notice that all the times a starship's "weapons array" is targeted, the attack always strikes a generic, featureless portion of the hull.

[VF5SS]

I hear you can cook a mean bowl of rice in it.

[Darth Wong]

I have no doubt that when they designed the original model for the E-Nil, they envisioned it as a big radar dish. Later, under the "everything familiar or physically meaningful must be removed" doctrine, it was given some meaningless purpose (they can project forcefields from any arbitrary pinhole opening on the hull for any other purpose, but this forcefield requires a giant dish ... which must be blue.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Notice that all the times a starship's "weapons array" is targeted, the attack always strikes a generic, featureless portion of the hull.

And knocks out the weapons on the other side of the ship.

[Sea Skimmer]

Perhaps I should have made myself more clear. They can use miniscule blue convex blobs (which they call "deflector dishes") when it stylistically suits them, but for some reason, they must use giant concave blobs (which they also call "deflector dishes") on bigger ships where a smaller convex one would look stupid.

The bigger ships have larger forward cross section and would need greater output from the dish for protection. That would most likely require a larger dish.

That would make sense if the ratios were proportionate.

There could be some technical limitation where not aware of that prevents liner scaling. Going above X power might require some massive new cooling system since material Y can no longer be used and its replacement is ineffecent and must compesanted with a higher power imput.

Somthing on those lines.

[Sea Skimmer]

Notice that all the times a starship's "weapons array" is targeted, the attack always strikes a generic, featureless portion of the hull.

And knocks out the weapons on the other side of the ship.

Feedback into a system almost certainly designed without fuses, circuit breakers or proper shock mountings and with backups that are not actually redundant would likely do that.

[aerius]

Going by it's name it deflects things, but in reality it's a multi-purpose technobabble plot device. With the all mighty deflector dish (tm) they can probe subspace anomolies, boost sensors, and make a super high energy weapon as well as an exploding platform to trap and kill borg drones. Along with the computers and holodeck it's the most versatile plot device ever invented.