Weapon Type: Pulse Laser Rifle Manufacturer: Martell Industries Operation: Pulse laser Weight (w/o magazine): 4.8 kg Length: 102 cm Power: Diverse Electronics Backpack Power Pack Weight: 15 kg Power Output: 1 megajoule Typical Shot Output: .5 mw/. 1 second Power Pack Life: I minute at continuous beam Alternate Power Source: Sunbeam Oneshot Powpac Output: .3 mj (single shot) Weight: .2 kg Reload Time: 10 seconds Alternate Power Source: Intek Lasercharge magazine Output: .2 mj (20 shots) Weight: .5 kg Reload Time: 10 seconds Effective Ranges: Short: 60 meters Medium: 150 meters Long: 255 meters Recharge Rate: About 40 hours, depending on power source Weapon Reliability: 94% (80%/30 seconds on continuous beam) Base Cost: Cb 1,250 Power Backpack Base Cost: Cb 1,700 Powpac Reloads: Cb 5 for pack of 10 Magazine Power Pack Reloads: Cb 10 Notes The Martell Hi-Star was designed specifically as a military pulse laser and has seen service throughout the Inner Sphere since 2745. The heavy (15 kg) Diverse Electronics backpack is a traditional source of grumbling and discontent among the soldiers who have to carry the thing, and the weapon has a notorious reputation for overloading the power core, resulting in a melted tube lining and "cold squeeze"--a failure to fire. Reliability testing shows, however, that overall the Martell pulse laser system is fairly reliable under battlefield conditions. As with many other weapons, its reputation for poor service is probably undeserved, the result of exaggeration by those troops who experienced difficulties with it. The Hi-Star delivers as much destructive energy to the target as some 'Mech-mounted small lasers. However, the punch of a single pulse (approximately 500 kw of power) is spread out over a tenth of a second, which makes it somewhat less efficient than typical 1/100 second small laser pulses. Though only moderately effective against heavy armor, it is still a fearsome weapon when directed against lightly- armored troops or small vehicles. More Laser Rifles Introduction Optronics M2444A2 Starlight Martell Hi-Star Laser Rifle Intek M2448 Laser Rifle Kogyo-Khorsakov Model 2821 Laser Rifle Thorvald & Koch TK 94 Laser Rifle Magna Mark XX Heavy Laser Rifle Back to BattleTechnology 4 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1988 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com