'Jam their comlink. Center switch!'

So says Luke to Leia in ROTJ as they pursue Imperial troopers on speeder bikes.

So, speeder bikes have a device that can jam the comlinks of other speeder bikes? And it is considered important enough to have its own single button to activate it?

Ohhhhkay.

I wonder how often this "jam my own force's ability to communicate" function is used? For some reason the word "never" comes to mind.

 

Well, Padme's ship and its operating system have shown us that simple buttons can have more than one purpose! Perhaps, the center switch is like an Enter button.

As far as the function, perhaps it blocks all communication, not specifically Imperial brand speeder bike communication systems. It's been established that different factions in the GFFA often use the same equipment.

 

Yeah, I would say its design purpose was to block opposing forces with a wide range of frequencies.

 

It's like Picard pressing two buttons to bring up the 'HMS Pinafore' on the shuttle in Star Trek Insurrection. Just a classic sci-fi trick.

 

They all use the same frequency, so they can talk to each other. It's basically like holding down the "talk" key on a walkie-talkie, which prevents others from talking to each other, because they are all receiving from the open channel.

 

To me, it just seems like it's a standard feature on that model of speeder. This could also be why Luke knew about it. Whether or not the Empire really ever used it...who knows.

It'd be like the military buying a bunch of vehicles with OnStar built-in. They may not use it, but it's just there.

 

I asked myself the same question the other day. I like this answer.

 

I'm pretty sure it would be broad-spectrum jamming, which would knock out enemy communications as well. Sometimes its more important to prevent your enemies from talking than it is for you to talk yourself... and that's when this would get used.

 

Luke: Jam their comlink. Center switch!
Leia: What...this one? (presses wrong switch)
Luke: No! What part of "center switch" did you not understand?!
Leia: But there's four switches!
Luke: No, THAT is a button, not a switch, you stupid %$#&@!!
Leia: Ohhh...hey, where is that music coming from?
Luke: You turned on the stereo!
Leia: That's a pretty catchy little tune. Who is that?
Luke: That's the Mos Eisley Cantina Band. Trust me, they suck! I used to listen to them all the time back ho...
(Laser blasts start coming in from behind)
Luke: &#$@!!! Way to go, retard! Now we have two speeders behind us!
Leia: Well, SOOOORY!! Geez, just use that force crap that you learned!
Luke: (mumbling under his breath) There's no way this chick is related to me...

 

Why wouldnt they have jamming capabilities? It's a military vehicle. Blocking the enemy's communications is a great tactical advantage. Believing that a jamming device is small enough to fit into a speeder bike is easy, the GFFA is full of examples of highly advanced micro technology.

If it didn't have it's own button, or switch, or toggle, to activate it, how else would you turn it on?

 

LOL@MagicSpork....Nice!!!

Wonderful...with a flick of a switch, they can jam their own communications. Nice!

 

This makes sense to me. I'm going with this explanation.

 

The ewoks did have a sophisticated microwave drum and radio stick. The Imperials would naturally want to have countermeasures.

 

I too assumed it was like holding down the talk button on a walkie talkie, but it's just as good to say the Imperials needed an easy-to-reach button to jam their own speeders for when the sophisticated Ewok communication drums piggybacked on their frequencies.

 

I also imagine it would'nt have fit well if Luke said something like:

"Jam their comlink. Switch to communication frequency adjustment mode. Okay, now compensate for wavelength distance to put the signal within range of the speeders. Our frequency static should distort their outgoing signal. Good, now hit confirm, yes, and enter-center switch!"

In a frantic chase, it just works better in a movie to simply say "Center switch!"

Unless Luke just knew that on speeder bikes there was a certain comlink setting that sometimes messed up nearby frequencies as an adverse effect. Kind of like how a cell phone buzzes when someone goes by who's also on the phone-I just figured it was something like that.