Relay

noun

A part that passes a signal onwards. In electronics, a relay is a switch that lets a small signal control a much bigger one. In communications, a relay is a station that receives a signal and sends it further along — so messages can travel further than any single transmitter could reach alone.

Communications Engineering — Lina Electronics Engineering — Shades
Go Deeper For parents & teachers
Two meanings, both relevant at a BFOE site. In electrical engineering, a relay is a switch — electromechanical or solid-state — that uses a small control current to open or close a much larger circuit. In telecommunications, a relay is a station that receives, usually amplifies, and retransmits a signal to extend a network's range. A chain of radio relays lets a warning issued at a summit observatory reach a village kilometres away, even when direct line-of-sight is blocked by terrain.

Appears In

The Burning Mountain Chapter 2 — Lina Hears the Mountain Speak

"… foam, sample strips in sealed sleeves, two coiled gas lines, and a relay puck no bigger than a teacake but twenty times more useful."

The Burning Mountain Chapter 2 — Lina Hears the Mountain Speak

"… the yard hummed with activity. Other bears were working on drones, tying relay feeds into signal boards, moving transport vehicles into readiness positions on the west …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 3 — Trouble in the Ash

"… properly. He seemed to live inside a world of signal frequencies and relay connections that she could only understand from the materials side."

The Burning Mountain Chapter 3 — Trouble in the Ash

"… ash got into everything - clogging lenses, weakening signals, and turning clean relay surfaces into gritty little arguments. The village below needed better warning than "the …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 3 — Trouble in the Ash

""Then give me three reliable flights," she said. "Updated drift mapping over the valley edge and lower shoulder, plus relay checks on the northern sectors.""

The Burning Mountain Chapter 3 — Trouble in the Ash

"… tested, mask stocks counted, work crews reassigned. Monty headed for the northern relay post, because if the warning system failed there, part of the valley would …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 3 — Trouble in the Ash

"The third flight showed the relay mast was starting to fail. Only partly - the protective cover on the …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 3 — Trouble in the Ash

""If that relay goes down," she said, "we lose clean tracking across the northern sectors.""

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

""Option two. Storage bay wall overlook. Better shelter. Worse relay angle.""

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"… rock, with a clear view toward the summit, the shoulder, the northern relay post, and the lower valley."

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"… the ash drones, the village lane cracks, the gas readings, the northern relay, the eastern gullies, and three separate villagers who had all seen completely different …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"… Fingers arrived on the shelf carrying two signal repeaters, a coil of relay cable, and the quiet authority of someone who had been solving his part …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"… team's communications specialist. He built the connections between everything: the sensors, the relay masts, the village warning lamps, the signal codes that told frightened creatures what …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"He tied the relay feed into the station board without a word, his paws moving so fast …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"… test came from the mountain itself. A tremor shook the shelf. The relay cup rattled. Then the station answered - heat bands shifted on the shoulder …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"… in sequence - one near the service road, one near the northern relay post, and one, horribly, near a bend in the hillside just above the …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 4 — The Warning Station

"… valley. "I want one place that watches everything else. Our sensors, the relay network, the ash tracking, the village signals, the routes, the shelters - and …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 5 — The Hidden Road of Fire

""Thank you," said Cracker from the relay console. "I enjoy clarity.""

The Burning Mountain Chapter 6 — Ash, Acid, and Armour

"Cracker, perched on a stool while waiting for a relay housing to dry, said, “I would personally accept ugly folds over acid lungs.”"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 6 — Ash, Acid, and Armour

"Cracker, watching from the stool, stopped fidgeting with the relay housing. Her paws rested flat on her knees - and Cracker’s paws never …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 6 — Ash, Acid, and Armour

"A warning came from the northern relay post. Signal flickering. Ash heavier. Visibility poor. Whoever went up to fix it …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 7 — The Bear in the Smoke

"Shades moved to the signal housing. Inside, one relay contact had shaken loose. He pressed it back into place, checked the backup …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 7 — The Bear in the Smoke

"Because the relay lights across the lower valley were still shining."

The Burning Mountain Chapter 7 — The Bear in the Smoke

""The repaired relay has given us the full picture." Her voice had gone sharp and quiet …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 11 — The Lake That Boiled

"Which was why the three of them were climbing toward it with instruments, relay poles, sample canisters, and expressions ranging from uneasy to insulted."

The Burning Mountain Chapter 11 — The Lake That Boiled

"Lina had gone ahead earlier. Two relay units blinked from the slope below, feeding data back to the warning station. …"

See Also

Antenna Circuit Sensor Signal Warning Station