Debate: Review of Atlantis' power consumption using ZPM power!

[McSwift]

First off, please look at this photo:



Looking at this, we can see in the background that the ZPM was at 66% at the beginning of McKay and Mrs.Miller Episode.

When SG1 accuired the new ZPM in the end of Season 8, the ZPM was completely full.
Here is the debate: Was Atlantis misusing the ZPM's power?

Let me start w/ valid points

1) Episode 201 - Siege Pt.3 - Using the ZPM to power shields when the Wraith fired.

- Rodney mentioned that the ZPM would power the shiled most indefinitely, however at the rate of fire, the ZPM would be drained in days.
- Assuming it can last 4 days, 25% would be drained each day. That would probably mean that since the shileds were active for about half that day, the ZPM would be around 85%.

2) Various Episodes such as 213 - Critical Mass - Cloak and Inertial Dampners powering up.

- Big power drain, couldn't be prevented.
- Cloak did not use as much power (Watch episode 214 for more info)

3) Various times where SGA contacted SGC

- Brief intervals of contacts wouldn't cost much power (Episode 117 ref) because they were activating the gate for 1.3 sec to send data encryption.
- Sending McKay back through the gate in episode 308, waste of power
- Sending Woosey back through the gate in episode 301, waste of power

Do you guys remember in the episode, The Lost City, and Rising? The use of the first ZPM took alot of power to activate the weapon systems, while the dialing to pegasus drained alot of power.

This continous waste of energy could have been prevented and in fact could have left Atlantis today with a bit more power, even if McKay left the zpm's power more when he kept the zpm on for longer than expected.

What do you guys think?

[Mitchell82]

First off, please look at this photo:



Looking at this, we can see in the background that the ZPM was at 66% at the beginning of McKay and Mrs.Miller Episode.

When SG1 accuired the new ZPM in the end of Season 8, the ZPM was completely full.
Here is the debate: Was Atlantis misusing the ZPM's power?

Let me start w/ valid points

1) Episode 201 - Siege Pt.3 - Using the ZPM to power shields when the Wraith fired.

- Rodney mentioned that the ZPM would power the shiled most indefinitely, however at the rate of fire, the ZPM would be drained in days.
- Assuming it can last 4 days, 25% would be drained each day. That would probably mean that since the shileds were active for about half that day, the ZPM would be around 85%.

2) Various Episodes such as 213 - Critical Mass - Cloak and Inertial Dampners powering up.

- Big power drain, couldn't be prevented.
- Cloak did not use as much power (Watch episode 214 for more info)

3) Various times where SGA contacted SGC

- Brief intervals of contacts wouldn't cost much power (Episode 117 ref) because they were activating the gate for 1.3 sec to send data encryption.
- Sending McKay back through the gate in episode 308, waste of power
- Sending Woosey back through the gate in episode 301, waste of power

Do you guys remember in the episode, The Lost City, and Rising? The use of the first ZPM took alot of power to activate the weapon systems, while the dialing to pegasus drained alot of power.

This continous waste of energy could have been prevented and in fact could have left Atlantis today with a bit more power, even if McKay left the zpm's power more when he kept the zpm on for longer than expected.

What do you guys think?

All of those were unavoidable things that had to be done as a trip witrh the Deddy would have taken far to long. Dialing in from Earth drains that ZPM not ours. Fortunatly we can power most systems without a ZPM wxcept for ineter alactic travel, Star drive, city sheild/cloak. I liked Atlantis both with and without a ZPM so it's nice to see the hunt for ZPMs take priority and makes the Return all that more bad for us.

[McSwift]

Hey!

I agree! But I meant that the dialing to Earth from Atlantis is a waste of power. It doesn't matter. Say for instance that you have the choice of either walking to the store or driving to the store. Driving to the store costs money, but walking to the store doesn't cost anything.

Similar comparison: Gas is expensive, walking is not expensive.

[Gate Geek]

Hey!

I agree! But I meant that the dialing to Earth from Atlantis is a waste of power. It doesn't matter. Say for instance that you have the choice of either walking to the store or driving to the store. Driving to the store costs money, but walking to the store doesn't cost anything.

Similar comparison: Gas is expensive, walking is not expensive.

Expense is not the only thing that should be considered when deciding how to get to the store. Regardless of expense. I need to consider how much time I have, what and how much I need to buy and how far it is to ge there. And ten out of ten times I'll drive my car.

Quite frankly, I'm glad the ZPM is drained. I rather like the feelings of tenseness and isolation as well as seeing the creativeness that not having one creates.

[jdog]

I think it fits the story better. besides, with the ausrans taking control of atlantis they might supply it with 3 ZPM's and when they return they will be better off.

But I did like it better when they don't know if they can return to Earth.

[TheUnknown]

The ZPM that powered the Ancient weapon and gated them to Pegasus had been used by the Ancients and had been in on the planet for thousands of years. We don't know how much power it had when we got it, meaning intergalactic gate-travel may not use much power.
And they only sent one person through from Atlantis all those times. In "Rising," the gate was active for a long time to send through all the people and equipment.

[GreyFox]

don't forget dialing from earth and the 4 day trip to pegasus on daedy

[rarocks24]

Actually, that doesn't show anything. We don't know for a fact that that's the ZPM. I somehow doubt that dialing another galaxy and sending people through would drain a ZPM, even remotely. When the Ancients returned to Earth from Atlantis, all they had were the three ZPMs. And those were used consecutively for the past ten thousand years to old the ocean back.

[FallenAngelII]

I somehow very much doubt the ZPM was a 66% at the beginning of "McKay & Mrs. Miller". Did they ever say it? What is that next below the percentage? It could very well be a counter for something else entirely.

I somehow doubt almost perfecting a Trinity-device would result in the 36% draining of a ZPM. Heck, I doubt they were using a ZPM to power the damn thing. It would be stupid to have to have a ZPM in order to power a device to create ZP energy, especially if it drains the ZPM that was (I mean, how long could they have kept the project up? A day? Two?).

[MarshAngel]

I somehow very much doubt the ZPM was a 66% at the beginning of "McKay & Mrs. Miller". Did they ever say it? What is that next below the percentage? It could very well be a counter for something else entirely.

I somehow doubt almost perfecting a Trinity-device would result in the 36% draining of a ZPM. Heck, I doubt they were using a ZPM to power the damn thing. It would be stupid to have to have a ZPM in order to power a device to create ZP energy, especially if it drains the ZPM that was (I mean, how long could they have kept the project up? A day? Two?).

It wasn't the project that drained the ZPM it was closing the tear in space that did the job. It needed a massive amount of energy to be closed and they used the only thing they had.

[FallenAngelII]

It wasn't the project that drained the ZPM it was closing the tear in space that did the job. It needed a massive amount of energy to be closed and they used the only thing they had.

Ehum... by the end of the episode, when they're about to start the closing, Rodney or Radek stated that the ZPM still had 30% of its power. I somehow doubt it losts 36% during the time between when that screenshot was taken and when it was time to close the rift.

[Ravroz]

It was just after that screenshot that they had to max out the power output to close the bridge. Plus, I don't ever remember them saying that the zpm was completely full when they found it.

[stargate maniack]

they never said that the ZPM was full when they found it, that's what some people assume but it's wrong...'cause when they found the ZPM in season 8 we don't know who used it before and how much it still had left in it blah blah blah you get the idea

[GreyFox]

ya'll are forgetting the massive drain it was under during the wraith bombardment of siege part3

[Avenger]

All of those were unavoidable things that had to be done as a trip witrh the Deddy would have taken far to long. Dialing in from Earth drains that ZPM not ours. Fortunatly we can power most systems without a ZPM wxcept for ineter alactic travel, Star drive, city sheild/cloak. I liked Atlantis both with and without a ZPM so it's nice to see the hunt for ZPMs take priority and makes the Return all that more bad for us.

He was talking about them using the ZPM to dial Atlantis before putting it on the Deadalus to get to Pegasus.

I'm in the boat that not having a ZPM is better for the show. It'll make things a lot more interesting.