Drift Logistics VR-4 Void-Relay Beacon
Standard void-rated long-range relay beacon for salvage and merchant crews
The Drift VR-4 is the standard long-range comm relay carried by salvage tugs, merchant haulers, and Rim patrol corvettes that cannot assume a Kadiss node is in range. Line-of-sight is 50,000 km, enough to talk ship-to-ship across a system and to surface settlements on the same arc. It does not extend range beyond the system; inter-system comm still requires a Fold-shipped beacon update (the WABE problem). The beacon is ruggedized for re-entry, Vacuum, and corrosive atmospheres. Drift ships a hardened antenna and a self-erecting tripod. The unit is Kadiss-synced when in coverage and degrades to plain broadcast when off-grid, which is the actual reason Rim crews buy it.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | gear-electronics |
| Effect | +25 to long-range contact checks at system scale; 50000 km line-of-sight; 7-day battery |
| Function | Long-range ship-to-surface-and-void comm relay |
| Kadiss Signature | legit |
| Manufacturer | Drift Logistics |
| Rek Cost | 3500 |
| Tech Tier | spacer |
| Weight | 4.5 |