Tractor beams

[Robert Walper]

The death star tractorbeam worked on the Falcon from (apparently) thousands of kilometers away. As far as I know, this is the only time we've seen a SW tractor beam used on a ship that isn't crippled. Pretty impressive.

Not really. Given the sheer size and power disparity between the Falcon and the DS, the ability of the DS to overpower the Falcon is hardly unexpected. You'd expect a small refitted cargo freighter to be overpowered by a moon sized battlestation.

I meant the range was impressive, especially considering the beam's power and effectiveness.

Well, that depends on how you look at it. The E-D may very well be able to snag a free floating book with it's tractor beam at a range of thousands of kilometers, but I'd hardly call that an impressive feat, even if the range is atypical.

[Ghost Rider]

Not really. Given the sheer size and power disparity between the Falcon and the DS, the ability of the DS to overpower the Falcon is hardly unexpected. You'd expect a small refitted cargo freighter to be overpowered by a moon sized battlestation.

I meant the range was impressive, especially considering the beam's power and effectiveness.

Well, that depends on how you look at it. The E-D may very well be able to snag a free floating book with it's tractor beam at a range of thousands of kilometers, but I'd hardly call that an impressive feat, even if the range is atypical.

Free Floating book can't run away at thousands of c.

Which is why the whole bit of them capturing the Falcon.

It's akin to the Borg beam. It captured an intact ship instead of relying upon it just being a large hunk of mass.

[Robert Walper]

Free Floating book can't run away at thousands of c.

True enough.

Which is why the whole bit of them capturing the Falcon.

I'll admit the DS's tractor range was far superior to the E-D's examples, however the size/power ratio doesn't do the DS any favors from the standpoint of "impressive".

It's akin to the Borg beam. It captured an intact ship instead of relying upon it just being a large hunk of mass.

My point being the DS captured a extremely tiny and powered craft relative to itself (while admittedly at a long range) while the E-D has demostrated the ability to capture powered starships close to it's size and can even move a small (presumeably solid) moon with them (admittedly at much short ranges though).

[Ghost Rider]

Actually as another example...the ISD tractored in the Blockade Runner.

And given it's a 1/10th of it's size, gives a certain definition of power in terms of size ratio, if that's what you were aiming for.

Also my point was not the size of the Falcon, but the fact it could escape and was the inherent problem why the ISDs don't grab it. The DS was able to grab a ship that can go multi C speed. Honestly size has very little to do with this when said craft can force your object to compensate for it's speed difference and the people on board do not care if said thing jumps out, nor do they care about direction.

[Robert Walper]

Actually as another example...the ISD tractored in the Blockade Runner.

And given it's a 1/10th of it's size, gives a certain definition of power in terms of size ratio, if that's what you were aiming for.

Pretty much. However, there might be a limit to the power of SW tractor beams. Just because the object (like the DS) said emitters are grounded to is magnitudes larger than say an ISD, that doesn't mean the tractor's power is more powerful along the same ratio. Essentially, just because the DS is many orders of magnitude larger and more powerful than the ISD, doesn't mean the tractor beam power or capability is also.

Also my point was not the size of the Falcon, but the fact it could escape and was the inherent problem why the ISDs don't grab it. The DS was able to grab a ship that can go multi C speed.

Well, truth be told, the Falcon didn't try to take any evasive action immediately since they didn't know what the DS was initially. IIRC, the Falcon was chasing a TIE fighter on a rather predictable course, and didn't try to escape until after they were already caught in the beam.

Honestly size has very little to do with this when said craft can force your object to compensate for it's speed difference and the people on board do not care if said thing jumps out, nor do they care about direction.

The DS had the element of surprise IIRC correctly, which could've negated that inherit advantage for the Falcon.

[Ghost Rider]

Pretty much. However, there might be a limit to the power of SW tractor beams. Just because the object (like the DS) said emitters are grounded to is magnitudes larger than say an ISD, that doesn't mean the tractor's power is more powerful along the same ratio. Essentially, just because the DS is many orders of magnitude larger and more powerful than the ISD, doesn't mean the tractor beam power or capability is also.

How so?

From what little we saw...it's based upon raw power and unless shown otherwise, it's a baseless assumption to think there is a specific cap.

Well, truth be told, the Falcon didn't try to take any evasive action immediately since they didn't know what the DS was initially. IIRC, the Falcon was chasing a TIE fighter on a rather predictable course, and didn't try to escape until after they were already caught in the beam.

So when Han is within hundreds of KM away and feels the tug his first reaction is to run. He can't then his next reaction was to fight.

The DS had the element of surprise IIRC correctly, which could've negated that inherit advantage for the Falcon.

No surprise given he say the small moon before getting tractored, and when he felt the tug he couldn't get out of it.

The whole point is, that this thing could grab a ship that can use something to accelerate itself thousands of c and and was hundreds of KMs away from it, and it held on easily.

[Robert Walper]

How so?

From what little we saw...it's based upon raw power and unless shown otherwise, it's a baseless assumption to think there is a specific cap.

Isn't that a No Limits Fallacy? It seems unreasonable to assume the DS's tractor beams have magnitudes more power than an ISD's tractor beams simply because the DS is bigger. The DS easily should have alot more tractor beam emitters, but I daresay any claims the DS's tractoring capabilities can be determined by scaling ratios is somewhat misleading. There could easily be limits to the technology of SW tractor beams.

For example, asserting the DS could tractor an object half it's size and mass is a bold claim, especially in face of the fact we've only seen it tractor a refitted cargo freighter. The DS is, after all, designed to be a battle platform, not a tug.

Well, truth be told, the Falcon didn't try to take any evasive action immediately since they didn't know what the DS was initially. IIRC, the Falcon was chasing a TIE fighter on a rather predictable course, and didn't try to escape until after they were already caught in the beam.

So when Han is within hundreds of KM away and feels the tug his first reaction is to run. He can't then his next reaction was to fight.

As I said, the DS's ability to overpower the Falcon is hardly what I would call worthy of bragging rights, especially in light of the size and power disparity. However, just because that disparity exists doesn't mean we can safely conclude the DS can tractor anything larger than what an ISD can.

No surprise given he say the small moon before getting tractored, and when he felt the tug he couldn't get out of it.

The whole point is, that this thing could grab a ship that can use something to accelerate itself thousands of c and and was hundreds of KMs away from it, and it held on easily.

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to get at, GH. I've simply made my position clear that because of the sheer size/power disparity, the DS's ability to pull the Falcon in is hardly what I would term as impressive (an ISD, if getting hold of the Falcon, should be able to out power her effortlessly as well). Nor do I see why we must assume the DS's tractor beams are any more powerful than an ISD's. Any extraordinary claims the DS could match the E-D's feat of tugging powered object's of similar size, or unpowered objects vastly bigger requires some evidence.

[Ghost Rider]

How so?

From what little we saw...it's based upon raw power and unless shown otherwise, it's a baseless assumption to think there is a specific cap.

Isn't that a No Limits Fallacy? It seems unreasonable to assume the DS's tractor beams have magnitudes more power than an ISD's tractor beams simply because the DS is bigger. The DS easily should have alot more tractor beam emitters, but I daresay any claims the DS's tractoring capabilities can be determined by scaling ratios is somewhat misleading. There could easily be limits to the technology of SW tractor beams.

For example, asserting the DS could tractor an object half it's size and mass is a bold claim, especially in face of the fact we've only seen it tractor a refitted cargo freighter. The DS is, after all, designed to be a battle platform, not a tug.

It would be no limits if the fact the DS didn't show it has more power.

You have to show that something limits the beam, not say because Tractors must work a certain way.

Becasue as it stands literally you're saying the DS1 can't be more powerful then a unknown cwertain limit.

Why?

That is your proof you must show.

So when Han is within hundreds of KM away and feels the tug his first reaction is to run. He can't then his next reaction was to fight.

As I said, the DS's ability to overpower the Falcon is hardly what I would call worthy of bragging rights, especially in light of the size and power disparity. However, just because that disparity exists doesn't mean we can safely conclude the DS can tractor anything larger than what an ISD can.

Catching a ships hundreds of Kms away and one that can accelerate to THOUSANDS of C is not impressive.

Plus SHOW PROOF of that the DS cannot...because it's you who are assuming it can't.

No surprise given he say the small moon before getting tractored, and when he felt the tug he couldn't get out of it.

The whole point is, that this thing could grab a ship that can use something to accelerate itself thousands of c and and was hundreds of KMs away from it, and it held on easily.

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to get at, GH. I've simply made my position clear that because of the sheer size/power disparity, the DS's ability to pull the Falcon in is hardly what I would term as impressive (an ISD, if getting hold of the Falcon, should be able to out power her effortlessly as well). Nor do I see why we must assume the DS's tractor beams are any more powerful than an ISD's. Any extraordinary claims the DS could match the E-D's feat of tugging powered object's of similar size, or unpowered objects vastly bigger requires some evidence.

For fuck sake...it's GR

And your position is flawed because you are assuming something that has shown many orders of magnitude higher power in unable to do that in something that has shown to be nothing then a function of raw force.

It's is your BURDEN of PROOF to show this disparity that the DS has a system that is on the level or weaker.

The movies have shown this not to be so, so show your side of the proof.

[Robert Walper]

It would be no limits if the fact the DS didn't show it has more power.

So? I have vastly more power than a ant, does this mean I can lift ten times my own mass?

And the DS is a battle platform, not a tug.

You have to show that something limits the beam, not say because Tractors must work a certain way.

Becasue as it stands literally you're saying the DS1 can't be more powerful then a unknown certain limit.

Why?

That is your proof you must show.

I have to prove the DS has limits? We know it can tractor in a cargo freighter the size of the Falcon, and in all likelyhood a ship similar in size to the one the ISD in ANH tractored in (if it sports ISD level tractor beams).

As I said, the DS's ability to overpower the Falcon is hardly what I would call worthy of bragging rights, especially in light of the size and power disparity. However, just because that disparity exists doesn't mean we can safely conclude the DS can tractor anything larger than what an ISD can.

Catching a ships hundreds of Kms away and one that can accelerate to THOUSANDS of C is not impressive.

Plus SHOW PROOF of that the DS cannot...because it's you who are assuming it can't.

I'm not saying the DS cannot tractor or overpower the Falcon. It obviously did. What I'm saying is that any assertion the DS can tractor objects of vastly larger dimensions and mass is a claim that requires proof.

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to get at, GH. I've simply made my position clear that because of the sheer size/power disparity, the DS's ability to pull the Falcon in is hardly what I would term as impressive (an ISD, if getting hold of the Falcon, should be able to out power her effortlessly as well). Nor do I see why we must assume the DS's tractor beams are any more powerful than an ISD's. Any extraordinary claims the DS could match the E-D's feat of tugging powered object's of similar size, or unpowered objects vastly bigger requires some evidence.

For fuck sake...it's GR

Sorry, that was a typo. I keep doing that, has to do with the "Gh" part of your name. I'll try to keep that in mind.

And your position is flawed because you are assuming something that has shown many orders of magnitude higher power in unable to do that in something that has shown to be nothing then a function of raw force.

It's is your BURDEN of PROOF to show this disparity that the DS has a system that is on the level or weaker.

The movies have shown this not to be so, so show your side of the proof.

So, you're saying it's up to me to prove the DS cannot move, say an object of equal size/mass or bigger, despite the fact we've never seen the DS tractor anything larger than a tiny cargo freighter? This looks like a Burden of Proof fallacy to me...

[Ghost Rider]

So? I have vastly more power than a ant, does this mean I can lift ten times my own mass?

And the DS is a battle platform, not a tug.

False analogy...you are not BUILT the same way as an ant.

It's up to you to show more power does not equal more power into a subsyetem such as the tractor system.

I have to prove the DS has limits? We know it can tractor in a cargo freighter the size of the Falcon, and in all likelyhood a ship similar in size to the one the ISD in ANH tractored in (if it sports ISD level tractor beams).

No, and stop avoiding this like you do so many times.

PROVE THE DS has the limits YOU placed upon it.

You are saying it cannot accomplish magintude of order stronger yet you've provided no PROOF of your statement.

I'm not saying the DS cannot tractor or overpower the Falcon. It obviously did. What I'm saying is that any assertion the DS can tractor objects of vastly larger dimensions and mass is a claim that requires proof.

You've yet to show how the TRACTOR BEAM does not work on more power equals higher strength.

Prove that.

So, you're saying it's up to me to prove the DS cannot move, say an object of equal size/mass or bigger, despite the fact we've never seen the DS tractor anything larger than a tiny cargo freighter? This looks like a Burden of Proof fallacy to me...

Jesus fucking A...are you playing stupid again.

Prove it cannot do something more powerful because you placed a cap on the system.

Unless you have proof that the tractor beam does not work on a variable of how much energy is funneled into it.

In short Prove the Tractor Beam system does not work on more power, better tractor beam...because we have canon proof it does.

And for a small bit of this...Empire Strikes Back PROVES this.

[Isolder74]

Well when Han figured out that he was being tractored, he imediatally did something that he obviously expected to get him out of it and it did nothing. This surprised Han and he gave the order again(and Chewie pulled another lever adding even more power straining the Falcon to nearly the point of overload) expect it to have at least sone something. It appears that Up to that point Han had no worry that an Imperial Tractor beam would be able to catch him and if it did he expected to be able to break away. Whatever Han's trick was, it appears to work on ISD's. Lando may not have known about whatever it was and may explain why he didn't try it with Chewie in the engine pit trying to make the Hyperdrive go. Han may have even upgraded the thing after getting back from his being boarded at Kessel to improve it capabilities.

Now this in no way shows the Death Star to be all powerful. It is safe to say that it should be able to hold multiple capital ships if it tried. Considering its combat role, that would be almost expected. According to ANH, the Death Star's Tractor had 6 maintance sites any one of which could shut down the system to be serviced. This seems to indicate at least 6 channels hooked to a central generating unit.

I guess the problem is that we have no evidenece of how big a object the Death Star can tractor. We do have proof that the Enterprise can tractor and at least push a moon. Of course only after making it lighter with its warp field but it could hold it and push before that but it could not move it before. Of course locking onto something so much bigger than the ship, with a very predictable path, is not too hard. In peak performance, the Enterprise seemed to be preparing to try and catch the Hathaway. Other than the the Stargazer incident, where Data indicated that tractoring the ship reqired special preparation, and the Borg tractoring ships with their tractors; there is no showing of Star Trek ship tractoring opertional and unwilling ships.

So operational limits of both units seem to be, as of yet, undefined.

[Praxis]

Well when Han figured out that he was being tractored, he imediatally did something that he obviously expected to get him out of it and it did nothing. This surprised Han and he gave the order again(and Chewie pulled another lever adding even more power straining the Falcon to nearly the point of overload) expect it to have at least sone something. It appears that Up to that point Han had no worry that an Imperial Tractor beam would be able to catch him and if it did he expected to be able to break away. Whatever Han's trick was, it appears to work on ISD's.

I think you're misinterpreting the scene. Han didn't REALIZE he was in the tractor beam. Obi-wan told him that was a space station, and he started to get nervous, and told chewie to get him out of here. Nothing happened, and he told chewie again. When chewie shouted back that he couldn't, then Han realized he was in a tractor beam.

It was at this point Han REALIZE he was in the tractor beam, and once he was, he was stuck. He couldn't break away from an ISD, either.

Oh, and when all else fails, turn to EU. And in the EU, once someone is stuck in a tractor beam, they can't get out short of blowing up the tractor beam emitters (as Han did in Courtship of Princess Leia, in the docking bay of the Iron Fist) when you're almost in the bay and under the shields.

[Robert Walper]

PROVE THE DS has the limits YOU placed upon it.

I'm not placing limits on the DS. I'm pointing out that we have a lower limit capability of the DS tractoring a powered object.

You are saying it cannot accomplish magintude of order stronger yet you've provided no PROOF of your statement.

I don't have the burden of proof. If you assert the DS can tractor and hold much larger, more powerful object, submit the evidence.

You've yet to show how the TRACTOR BEAM does not work on more power equals higher strength.

Prove that.

Jesus fucking A...are you playing stupid again.

Prove it cannot do something more powerful because you placed a cap on the system.

Unless you have proof that the tractor beam does not work on a variable of how much energy is funneled into it.

In short Prove the Tractor Beam system does not work on more power, better tractor beam...because we have canon proof it does.

And for a small bit of this...Empire Strikes Back PROVES this.

Then submit it for christ's sake, and I would've conceded posts ago.

Assuming tractor beams can handle any amount of power channeled into them, as you say, producing a more powerful tractor beam, do we have reason to believe the DS channels a high percentages of it's power capabilities towards tractor beam systems? As I said a couple of times now, the DS is a battle platform, not a tug.

[Ender]

That is hard to say. The only main difference appears to be that Star Trek Tractor beams use some type of visible beam while Star Wars Tractors are mostly invisible. They both pull in enemy ships but it seams that in Star Trek the enemy needs to be disabled before you can arrest them with the beam.

Actually, that's not true. The Enterprise D was able to snag the Halfaway with a tractor beam when it attempted to use a warp jump tactic (better known as the Picard manuever). Referring to the DS and Falcon example, the Enterprise and Halfaway example is more impressive, since the size and power disparity is many magnitudes smaller.

The size disparity is correct, but it ignores the huge difference in force applied in the two cases. The Death Star applied enough force to not only cancel ouyt the Falcon's acceleration but drag it in closer at a steady rate. On top of that, consider the distance and the fact that force carrying particles obey the inverse square law.

[Ender]

Not really. Given the sheer size and power disparity between the Falcon and the DS, the ability of the DS to overpower the Falcon is hardly unexpected. You'd expect a small refitted cargo freighter to be overpowered by a moon sized battlestation.

I meant the range was impressive, especially considering the beam's power and effectiveness.

Well, that depends on how you look at it. The E-D may very well be able to snag a free floating book with it's tractor beam at a range of thousands of kilometers, but I'd hardly call that an impressive feat, even if the range is atypical.

You are placing mass at a more important factor then force. This is incredibly wrong.

[Ender]

Which is why the whole bit of them capturing the Falcon.

I'll admit the DS's tractor range was far superior to the E-D's examples, however the size/power ratio doesn't do the DS any favors from the standpoint of "impressive".

The amount of force involved is what matters, not their relative masses.

My point being the DS captured a extremely tiny and powered craft relative to itself (while admittedly at a long range) while the E-D has demostrated the ability to capture powered starships close to it's size and can even move a small (presumeably solid) moon with them (admittedly at much short ranges though).

FORCE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mass

[Robert Walper]

The amount of force involved is what matters, not their relative masses.

FORCE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mass

Gravity qualifies as a force, does it not? The E-D moved a moon sized object under force of gravity (it was in orbit of a classs M planet IIRC). Surely that counts as something in comparison to the Falcon's force factor?

[Lord Revan]

The amount of force involved is what matters, not their relative masses.

FORCE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mass

Gravity qualifies as a force, does it not? The E-D moved a moon sized object under force of gravity (it was in orbit of a classs M planet IIRC). Surely that counts as something in comparison to the Falcon's force factor?

wasn't the velocity really pityfull even after they used the full power of the warp core.

[Slartibartfast]

Walper's analogy applies both ways: there's no reason to assume that the Death Star's tractor beams are bigger proportionally to its mass. So it would stand to reason that it isn't MANY ORDERS of magnitude more powerful than say, an ISD. Seems reasonable to have tractor beams powerful enough to catch the biggest ship you can think of - like an Executor or Home-1.

So the DS can perfectly get away with having a tractor beam 50 or 100 times more powerful than the Executor would have. Even if it can have multiple tractor beams (and focus more than one in an unusually large target) its range wouldn't necessarily stack up. It would also be unnecesary to use more than one tractor beam in a tiny ship.

My point? Well, um, I dunno.

[Ender]

The amount of force involved is what matters, not their relative masses.

FORCE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mass

Gravity qualifies as a force, does it not? The E-D moved a moon sized object under force of gravity (it was in orbit of a classs M planet IIRC). Surely that counts as something in comparison to the Falcon's force factor?

It's velocity was extremely low, as was its mass, (meaning low force) and in the end Q had to do it because they couldn't.

[Connor MacLeod]

That's a good point. I forgot about Mass Lightening. That should reduce the required power, although I submit the efficiency of the system goes up.

It not only reduces energy requirements, it reduces the amount of force neccesary to move something. If you apply X amount of force to two objects of differing mass, the less massive object will accelerate at a greater rate than the larger mass.

As Ender says, force is what is important to determine performance. Quantitative measurement

Actually, I'm not assuming either case was the upper limit of their capability.

You implied the tractor beam capabilities of the Death Star tractoring an object an insignificant fraction of its size is inferior to the demonstrated capabilities of the E-D.

In the case of the Enterprise, we know that it's tractoring power and capability is actually capable of moving a small moon (episode name escapes me though). Others may be able to clarify.

Its used the tractor to move two massive objects, although I believe one example involved the use of the warp core (and mass lightening) to do this. Both incidents are covered in the TNG canon database, IIRC.

As to the DS, the Falcon example is the only canon example I'm aware of with the DS tractoring any object, so that's all I had to work with. But I don't assume that was the maximum effort the DS could put out.

Tractoring the Falcon would require on a minimum somethiugn like trillions of newtons of force, offhand, and that's just to nullify its sublight engines. (Repulsors are generally more powerful - for example the Falcon demonstrated acceleration force on the order of 20 million gees in the novel "Rebel Dawn" - Mike discusses that on the propulsion page IIRC. Use of repulsors near the Death Star would boost the figure up by several orders of magnitude easily.)

However, I would submit that to be on par with the Enterprise ratio wise, the DS would have to be capable of tractoring and moving an object that is on the same scale disparity as the E-D/moon example I mentioned.

It might be useful to actually crunch some numbers to prove this, if at all possible, since the only really effective way to judge capabilities is generally by quantification.

[The Silence and I]

Which side's tractors are better? I dunno, not a lot of evidence either way, but I suppose SW has more uses for them, and may have developed them to a greater extent than ST.

Some things to point out:
Han was not aware of the DS tractor beam until he tried to leave. He deceded getting closer to an imperial station was bad, and had Chewie reverse power. Then he noticed he was cought. For all we can tell the Falcon could have already been trapped for several moments or minutes.

And as has been mentioned, the Death Star has enough power behind its tractor beams to make trapping the Falcon with all its acceleration and power totally not impressive. Basically, pointing out the DS has more powerful tractors than the Ent-D is, well, redundant. Size to power ratios is much more relevent.

The Executor apparently has short range tractors, in ESB:

EXTERIOR: SPACE

In the distance the TIE fighters continue their chase,
still shooting lasers. Vader's Star Destroyer moves behind
them, determinedly following the Falcon.

INTERIOR: VADER'S STAR DESTROYER -- BRIDGE

Vader stands on the bridge looking out the window as
Admiral Piett approaches him.

PIETT: They'll be in range of our tractor beam in moments, lord.

VADER: Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the Millennium
Falcon?

PIETT: Yes, my lord.

-Blueharvest.net
In this scene the Falcon is well within visual range of the Executor--only a few km at most. As a comparison to the extreme range used by the DS this could be a demonstration of how much power the DS has compared to the Executor, or something else.

Some some points I felt were under clear/represented.

[Ender]

Which side's tractors are better? I dunno, not a lot of evidence either way, but I suppose SW has more uses for them, and may have developed them to a greater extent than ST.

Some things to point out:
Han was not aware of the DS tractor beam until he tried to leave. He deceded getting closer to an imperial station was bad, and had Chewie reverse power. Then he noticed he was cought. For all we can tell the Falcon could have already been trapped for several moments or minutes.

And as has been mentioned, the Death Star has enough power behind its tractor beams to make trapping the Falcon with all its acceleration and power totally not impressive. Basically, pointing out the DS has more powerful tractors than the Ent-D is, well, redundant. Size to power ratios is much more relevent.

No, It's not. Go look at what both I and Connor said again. It is the amount of force applied here that needs to be compared. The relative masses here have nothing to do with it except to say which object is going to be dragged towards the other at a faster rate.

The Executor apparently has short range tractors, in ESB:

EXTERIOR: SPACE

In the distance the TIE fighters continue their chase,
still shooting lasers. Vader's Star Destroyer moves behind
them, determinedly following the Falcon.

INTERIOR: VADER'S STAR DESTROYER -- BRIDGE

Vader stands on the bridge looking out the window as
Admiral Piett approaches him.

PIETT: They'll be in range of our tractor beam in moments, lord.

VADER: Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the Millennium
Falcon?

PIETT: Yes, my lord.

-Blueharvest.net
In this scene the Falcon is well within visual range of the Executor--only a few km at most. As a comparison to the extreme range used by the DS this could be a demonstration of how much power the DS has compared to the Executor, or something else.

As usual, you don't consider all possibilities and just assume yours is correct. We see that the Executor uses its tractor beam on the falcon at a closer range, so according to you, that is as far as it can go. No dice. They had to wait for it to clear the atmosphere of Bespin and come around to the targeting arc of the tractor beam first. That has a much bigger factor here. So no, it does not prove that the tractor beams on the DS are more powerful.

Some some points I felt were under clear/represented.

As usual, the only point here is the one on your dunce's cap.

[The Silence and I]

Ender wrote:

No, It's not. Go look at what both I and Connor said again. It is the amount of force applied here that needs to be compared. The relative masses here have nothing to do with it except to say which object is going to be dragged towards the other at a faster rate.

Did you even read what I wrote?
I wrote:

And as has been mentioned, the Death Star has enough power behind its tractor beams to make trapping the Falcon with all its acceleration and power totally not impressive. Basically, pointing out the DS has more powerful tractors than the Ent-D is, well, redundant. Size to power ratios is much more relevent.

Perhaps I should have said FORCE TO POWER RATIOS. And mass was not part of my argument.
I am saying that using the Death Star as a damning example of grossly superior applied force is pointless. Because of its size and reactor power we can assign nearly arbitrarily powerful tractor emitters; I can make the claim "The DS has tractor emitters 2 km wide with the ability to pull in a ship twice the size of the Executor. Thus it has more than enough force to capture the Falcon, and if the Enterprise had emitters that size, it could do all of that too." A baseless claim, but could you disprove it? You seem to be assuming the DS captured the Falcon with ISD grade tractor beam emittors, and then claiming the force demonstrated by these emitters is very impressive. But! Can you prove the emitters used were that small any better than I can prove they were 2 km across?
The force demonstrated by the DS and the force demonstrted by Enterprise cannot be meaningfully compared. Apples and oranges.

As usual, you don't consider all possibilities and just assume yours is correct. We see that the Executor uses its tractor beam on the falcon at a closer range, so according to you, that is as far as it can go. No dice. They had to wait for it to clear the atmosphere of Bespin and come around to the targeting arc of the tractor beam first. That has a much bigger factor here. So no, it does not prove that the tractor beams on the DS are more powerful.

1st, the Falcon had cleared the atmosphere some time ago. 2nd, what difference does it make? Can Star Wars tractors not operate in atmosphere? 3rd, the Falcon was already in the forward arc when Piett said this, and was not translating predicably. 4rth, why would a ship that big only have a few narrow tractor arcs?