Micro-bead
Micro-beads, comm-beads[1] or vox-beads[3] are short-range communication devices used by the Imperium.[1]
Description
Micro-beads are worn in the user's ear[1] and, if produced to a high craftsmanship, are nearly undetectable by casual inspection.[2] Their range can be good out to about one,[1] five,[3] or ten kilometres,[4] but such things as bad weather, dense terrain and intervening rock or plasteel can greatly reduce this range.[1] Micro-bead signals can be picked up and boosted through the use of vox-casters.[4]
Micro-beads are designed to fit into standard issue Guard rebreathers and helmets. They are directly attached to the throat, enabling sub-vocal communications, both transmitted and received. This way, the wearer retains 360° natural hearing capabilities. Outgoing sub-vocal transmissions are picked up from vibrations of the larynx while incoming sub-vocal transmission are transmitted directly to the ear canal through the facial bones.[5]
Sources
- 1: Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, pg. 151
- 2: Only War Core Rulebook, pg. 202
- 3: Rebel Winter (Novel) — Shield of the Emperor (Anthology), Chapter One – Day 681 – Korris Trenchworks – 08:59hrs, -25°C
- 4: His Last Command (Novel) — The Lost (Omnibus), Chapter Twenty-Two – 18.01 hrs, 198.776.M41 – Fifth Compartment – Sparshad Mons, Ancreon Sextus
- 5: Imperial Munitorum Manual (Background Book), pgs. 47-48
