Maximum Range of a Stargate

[Ripple in Space]

The Gatebridge implies that the maximum range for a standard Stargate (with their standard powersource) is less than 88.5 thousand light-years. Does this add up with what we've seen?

They stated that they needed 34 stargates to cross the 3 million light year expanse. Let's say that they only really needed 32, and the 2 end gates were to give the bridge the range to get to anywhere in the 2 respective galaxies. That would put the maximum stargate range (with the standard naquada power source) at just under 94 thousand light years.

[SaberBlade]

I think the maximum distance a stargate can operate from one gate to another is about 100,000 light years. It makes sense that any stargate in our galaxy would be able to connect to another. Since our galaxy is 100,000 light years in diameter then it makes sense that two gates, on opposite sides of the galaxy should be able to connect to each other.

This would sort of fit in with the gatebridge, as all 34 gates used need to send an object from Pegasus to Earth (or vice versa) 88,235 LY's . The biggest issue with the gatebridge is that without a DHD, the gates can only do so much.

Carter said that without a DHD, two gates can only operate within 300 LY's of each other. Unless each Stargate has a floating DHD to power it, it should take about 10,000 gates for the bridge to work even if properly powered. While this was said in '2001' (season 5), I don't remember anything ever being said to change that.

[Mister Oragahn]

The Gatebridge implies that the maximum range for a standard Stargate (with their standard powersource) is less than 88.5 thousand light-years. Does this add up with what we've seen?

They stated that they needed 34 stargates to cross the 3 million light year expanse. Let's say that they only really needed 32, and the 2 end gates were to give the bridge the range to get to anywhere in the 2 respective galaxies. That would put the maximum stargate range (with the standard naquada power source) at just under 94 thousand light years.

No, it does not add up, since we know that the Ori had to be able to send Priors through standard stargates, before being able to build supergates.

The bridge is composed of several gates because as power consumption really looks like it's exponential, the more stargates relays you use to shorten the distance between two stargates, the less total power you need.

However, that means the Ori, who sent Priors through standard stargates, must have used power sources which... err... well, you know that if they need ZPMs to dial Pegasus... dialing the Milky Way from the Ori galaxy, sometimes said to be far far away, like the other side of the universe... I'd say that they definitely have some big honking power generators over there, which clearly put to shame anything we've seen.

Of course, we could always say that the Ori directly interfered to provide power to the stargates. But in a way or the other, power generator or Ori magic, we're looking at insane power levels. Clearly something able to wipe out entire sections of a galaxy such as ours.

[wolfax]

I dont think there is a limit. SGA ep1 it took just two gates (1 at Atlantis, 1 at Antartica to make the connection with a nearly depleted ZPM (or was it a Naq Gen?) either way the gate at atlantis is 3 mill light years. I think it has to do with power. The more power, the further out you can go.

[SP90]

With the DHD's power source it may indeed be about 100,000 LY limit. With a fully charged ZPM or several ZPMs in parallel who knows. We've seen all sorts of power source used in the show. Cold fusion (DHD), staff power, lighting, 12V battery (the truck was running so maybe from the alternator), ZPM, black hole, the Ancient stargate buster Anubis found.

Another question, when they dialed all the gates in the galaxy during end of season 8, was that DHD on Dakara powering all the gates in the galaxy for the first 0.3 sec until all the destination gate's power source kicked in? I remember Carter said something about the power for a wormhole can be supply from the dialer or destination end but when dialing out you must supply the initial power to get the wormhole established. Then afterwards you can draw power from the off world gate to sustain it.

[Nakor]

i just always wondered wat would of happened had someone gone thru, wud they appear on every planet?

[Lord batchi ball]

I think that the distance you can travel has to do with the gate network and that they are all conected and they all have a program that sends that message to anther one.

But then again that makes no sense I think the only answer is that we will never know for sure because some shows cotrodict one anther kind of a plot hole.

[Zatnikitelman]

With the 'Gate bridge, you also have to factor in that 2 gates are practically touching each other at the Midway Station. So it is more like 13 'Gates used unless you want 2 at each end for the whole galaxy which brings us down to 31. Something tells me that the DHD's range is right around 100k LY because that's the diameter of our galaxy. Remember, we have to consider that it is the powersource that determines range and not the 'Gate itself neccessarily. In 2001, the thing about no DHD for 300 ly had to do with no other external power source instead of just the connection. Otherwise, the addresses SG-1 gave the aschen wouldn't work at all.

[wolfax]

Why are you guys and girls on this 100 k limit, how do you think they went 3 mill with 2 gates? It has to do with power.

[Zatarc]

Why are you guys and girls on this 100 k limit, how do you think they went 3 mill with 2 gates? It has to do with power.

They're saying a hundred k for a gate connected to a standard DHD. Yes, I woudl say that it's more of a power issue than a gate issue but in reality, that shouldn't be the case either. Thw whole point of a wormhole is that distance isn't a factor, so it really shouldn't matter if it's aDHD or a ZPm or whatever

[wolfax]

They're saying a hundred k for a gate connected to a standard DHD. Yes, I woudl say that it's more of a power issue than a gate issue but in reality, that shouldn't be the case either. Thw whole point of a wormhole is that distance isn't a factor, so it really shouldn't matter if it's aDHD or a ZPm or whatever

DHD, I got ya, thanks for clearing things up

[Rivalen]

No, it does not add up, since we know that the Ori had to be able to send Priors through standard stargates, before being able to build supergates.

The bridge is composed of several gates because as power consumption really looks like it's exponential, the more stargates relays you use to shorten the distance between two stargates, the less total power you need.

However, that means the Ori, who sent Priors through standard stargates, must have used power sources which... err... well, you know that if they need ZPMs to dial Pegasus... dialing the Milky Way from the Ori galaxy, sometimes said to be far far away, like the other side of the universe... I'd say that they definitely have some big honking power generators over there, which clearly put to shame anything we've seen.

Of course, we could always say that the Ori directly interfered to provide power to the stargates. But in a way or the other, power generator or Ori magic, we're looking at insane power levels. Clearly something able to wipe out entire sections of a galaxy such as ours.

Edit: Possible spoilers for season 10 (is it still too soon to talk about stuff in season 10?)

Spoiler:

I think the Ori have mastered a power source beyond that of a ZPM... something the Ancients were experimenting with just before they left the galaxy. In Season two of SGA, Trinity (206) McKay works on that reactor the Ancients left behind. He nearly blows everybody up in the process and they conclude that it simply wasn't meant to be if the Ancients couldn't figure it out. In Season 10 of SG1 the team is in an Ori ship that had been wiped clean by the weapon on Dakara (Counterstrike 1007). The visuals of the two reactors in both episodes show that they are more than likely the same power source. The ancients just simply didn't have the time to perfect it, while the Ori did. Anyhow, my point in pointing this out is that McKay said "McKAY: It is the ultimate power source -- something that would make Zero Point Modules seem like alkaline batteries in comparison." The Ori's power sources are quite a bit more impressive than ZPMs. Of course, this is not to say that they used this source to power the super gates. The show said that the supergates were powered by micro singularities artificially created by collapsing planets.

[Bragi]

The most current estimates for the mean diameter of the Milky Way is ~75,000 light years, not 100,000.

[jenks]

Key word being mean.

[Zatarc]

Key word being mean.

Too right. Depending in the different arms, the galaxy varies in diametre but the max. diametre is said to be about 100,000 light years