[DamienHollow]

Okay, ECM modification for vehicles and drones says that it's treated like an area jammer with a rating of up to 10. Area jammers lose 1 rating for every five meters you get away from the jammer. Now let's do some math on a rating 10 ECM...
<5m = rating 10
<10 = rating 9
<15 = rating 8
<20 = rating 7
<25 = rating 6
<30 = rating 5
<35 = rating 4
<40 = rating 3
<45 = rating 2
<50= rating 1
>50= rating 0

Okay, now this makes sense for small drones or portable sensors... but then there are a lot of cases that just don't make sense.

Rating 5 on the Celebrian Striker,  (a PT boat that's probably 40-50 meter's long anyways)
Rating 4 on the Aztechnology Aguilar-GX (an attack helicopter that's would never need nor want to get that close to anything they would consider jamming)
Rating 4 on the Federated-Boeing Eagle-C and Dassault Zeta Bravo (FIGHTER JETS)
Rating 3 on the Aztechnology Armadillo (a small flying drone that makes sense, until you realize it has a 15 meter effective range and can't stop moving.)
Rating 3 on the Aztechnology Lobo (LAV's/WIG/GEV or whatever you want to call them can't stop moving forwards or they drop to the ground. It's walking speed is 40)
Rating 2 on the B-6 LeMay (A STEALTH BOMBER)
Rating 2 on the EFA Variants (another jet)

I won't list them all but you get my point. And before anyone says they're for jamming missiles, consider the distances we're talking and the speed of a missile. They could coast in to a hit by the time their in range of jamming.

[Aryeonos]

I usually use the vehicles signal rating as the range for the jammer, for larger craft I'll even bring its sensor range for things like radar, and the jammer, to rating 8 or higher. Though the ranges for the jammer are totally pointless once it gets to a vehicular scale, casting out static at wide ranges also helps find you, but there's a situational bottle neck on that. So the jammer is, when used right, less of a double edged sword.

But if it were me, I'd use the rules for upgrading signal on the jammer. Otherwise you'd have to fly out thousands of microdrones to get anything done.

[DamienHollow]

isn't rating five signal something like 5 km?

[Aryeonos]

Yeah, might be useful for a car or truck traveling not far from the city. But 5'000 meters isn't much to a plane, or interstate tractor trailer.

[DamienHollow]

True... thanks for the idea. Sometimes i wonder if people have any understanding of scale.

[Vass654]

Page 105 of Arsenal says... "If a vehicle's Sensor rating does not exceed the rating of the ECM/jammer, the sensors are effectively useless."

I figure that means if you are trying to target a helo with ECM 4, and you have Sensors 3, you don't "see" them or can't get a lock, regardless of distance, since ECM works against shit trying to target you (or spot you on radar) to take you out at long range, not a com signal nearby, which would fall under jamming.

Just my thought.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

In your example, what if the helo had a higher signal than the ECM?

[Duderlybob]

I read the rules regarding ECM the same as Vass654, so while I can't speak for him Baron, I do have an answer ready: Say I got an ECM rating 5, but the corporate goons trying to trace me have a sensor rating of 6. I'm close enough to the center of my jamming that I get the full benefit of it, but as the sensor beats it out, it can still get through. In this case, I believe the idea is that the ECM reduces the sensor strength by its rating, so in this example, the rating 6 sensors become a rating 1 (-5 due to ECM). So in this case, the sensors may technically be able to detect the presence of my vehicle, but it's going to have a hard time of it, not be able to get as detailed of information, be easier to trick, etc.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

Wah, right, right, I keep picturing it backwards.  I keep thinking it's about his signal coming out that allows the lock, not your signal trying to detect him/lock on him.  Thanks for that.

[Aryeonos]

That's incorect, Reduced Signature reduces sensor rating by its rating, or the sensors rating, whichever is lower (You can't start subtracting dice from their perception+intuition pool)

ECM works by sending out frequencies that have to REACH the sensors in order for it to work. Shooting out jamming signals with a CB Radio isn't going to reduce your radar cross section, and probably won't even get close to the over the horizon radar, which is pinging you constantly.

[mtfeeney = Baron]

So then we're back to ecm being useless?   For jabbing on the fly, does that jam a specific person's signals, or is it everyone?

[DamienHollow]

i think they should have said it operates on signal range rather than normal area jamming, or at-least used directional jammer ranges which is 4x longer.

[Vass654]

ECM seems to be useful, if you're worried about an anti-air radar locking on and sending a missile to take you out of the sky, or that helo that is following you from locking on with their missiles, possibly even their guns if they are linked to the sensors.

Hell, even to just remain invisible while violating a corp's airspace. I personally think the ECM being used as a coms jammer is a secondary effect to the main effect of "These suckers can't even freaking see me."

If it's being used to blind a sensor, say they are of equal range, but knock out coms, area jammer?

Though, you could have directed ECM instead of a blanket ECM...

[mtfeeney = Baron]

They're saying that's not how it works.

[Mirikon]

Vass, unfortunately you are completely wrong. Signature Masking and Chameleon Coating help hide you from detection. ECM lights you up like a Christmas tree, but interferes with the sensors of guided missiles sent your way, and similar things.