Why can't they cloak the Earth ships?

[Buba uognarf]

it's quite possible that a comparatively primative shield could create a less than perfect cloak due to imperfections making them detectable

[ACharmedAsgard]

All they need is either to have a jumper in the bay or maybe install a generator, then it should be possible. It's just that some dodo heads haven't came up with the idea yet.

[An-Alteran]

Why not? Firstly, I know, it would be too convenient of a plot device but really why not? If they can cloak something as big as ATLANTIS then you think that they'd be able to cloak the Daedalus or the Odyssey. We all know you can convert it both ways (shield to cloak [Atlantis] and Cloak to shield [Puddle jumpers]) so what's the holdup on it? And don't say that only Ancient shields can be converted because it was explained that it was as simple as reconfiguring the shield energy frequency to match that of the cloak.
AGT58

They cloaked Atlantis with an Ancient cloak from a Puddle Jumper.
That cloak can be altered into a shield.
They simply modified the atlantis shield, to use a PJ cloak and Cloak the city through the same means as they can modifiy the PJ's cloak to become a shield.
I reason that Ancient Cloak and Shield tech are fundementally related technologies using similar systems and projection methods.

Thus it is likely Asgar dshields simply can't do that, and are incompatible.

That is likely why.

[Acidbuk]

the simple answer - too easy, same was why for crying out loud we havn't got bigger/faster Coil guns or Energy weapons on our ships. Hell put Teal'c in a pair of mag boots and an EVA; then have him blast ships with he Death Glider cannon.

[jburrows]

Well only capital ships we seen cloak are some of apphosis (sp) mothership fleet was cloaked. Since then we never seen capital ship cloak. We know cloaks use more power than shields. Also it pretty safe to assume that bigger the object is more power is needed to cloak it. I guessing we could get it to cloak if we had enough power. I'm guessing unless there a zpm aboard a daedulas class we are not going to see it cloak..

[J_B]

Well only capital ships we seen cloak are some of apphosis (sp) mothership fleet was cloaked. Since then we never seen capital ship cloak. We know cloaks use more power than shields. Also it pretty safe to assume that bigger the object is more power is needed to cloak it. I guessing we could get it to cloak if we had enough power. I'm guessing unless there a zpm aboard a daedulas class we are not going to see it cloak..

You have that the wrong way round. Cloaks draw less power than shields. Hence if they're able to currently use shields on their ship, then cloaking it is a piece of cake power wise if they decided to integrate a cloaking generator into the ship.

[jburrows]

You have that the wrong way round. Cloaks draw less power than shields. Hence if they're able to currently use shields on their ship, then cloaking it is a piece of cake power wise if they decided to integrate a cloaking generator into the ship.

It was clearly stated in stargate atlantis episode believe "grace under pressure"

[J_B]

I know it was, that's why I said the shield draws more power compared to that of a cloak. You even helped reference the ep that proves what I said...

SHEPPARD: When the Wraith attacked the city, you were able to turn the shield into a cloak.

ZELENKA: Yes.

SHEPPARD: Why can't we do the opposite?

WEIR: Turn the Jumper's cloak into a shield.

SHEPPARD: That's right.

ZELENKA: That would hold back the water, yes, but it would take significantly more power.

SHEPPARD: We shut down everything we don't need.

ZELENKA: But it would take hours to reconfigure.

SHEPPARD: Take what we need, we'll make the changes down there.

[jburrows]

I know it was, that's why I said the shield draws more power compared to that of a cloak. You even helped reference the ep that proves what I said...

Well around 31 minutes 35 seconds. Got transcript from that part

ZELENKA: I think we may be on to something. (He activates some controls.) Initialising shield.

(The shield shimmers around the Jumper.)

SHEPPARD: Nice work, Doc! OK, let's take this thing a little deeper.

(He starts to activate his controls but Radek stops him.)

ZELENKA: Wait. Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait-wait. (He stands up and runs to his laptop further back in the ship.) I was afraid of this.

The shield is draining our power at an alarmingly fast rate.

SHEPPARD: Why's that?

ZELENKA: Well, a cloak draws its power at a constant rate, whereas a shield draws more power the more it is taxed.

SHEPPARD: So, being under several atmospheres of pressure ...

ZELENKA: Yes. It's continuously draining power from our shield.

SHEPPARD: How much time do we have?

ZELENKA: Once we're deeper, thirty minutes, tops.


Well Zelenka he taking into account how much the shield was being heavily taxxed by "being under several atmospheres of pressure" so it was shield alot more power than normal. If was in flying space and not being shot at the shield power requirements would alot less.

[J_B]

That is very well true, the more pressure the shield is under the more power it draws. Whereas a cloak is always constant while running. Mainly because a cloak deflects while a shield protects. Against any form of impacts, the cloak would do no good.

However from the first quote that I put, they weren't under water when they said that it would draw more power. Hence the shield draws more power than a cloak.

It may be possible that if they lower the shield strength to something like 10% or whatever of full strength then that may indeed draw less power than that of a cloak. However for all intensive purposes, the cloak draws less when in normal operation compared to that of a shield doing the same job.

A shield is usually only raised when trouble is detected so it's hardly if ever going to be operating intentionally at minimum output levels, whereas a cloak is simply a defensive measure that allows them to slip by sensor detection but leaves them totally unprotected in the process. Therefore when both are doing their jobs normally, the cloak draws much less power compared to that of a shield.