Scouters As Communicators

[gohan2k]

Something that I'm kinda curious about is exactly how the scouters work as communication devices.

The first instance of this I think is when Raditz tells Piccolo & Goku that Nappa & Vegeta have heard everything thats happened and will surely now come to Earth and revive him using the dragonballs. Makes sense. I suppose it's possible that Raditz enabled the communication on the scouter beforehand to make sure they heard.

But later on when Vegeta and Nappa are on Earth they talk about the dragonballs being on Namek. And here's the tricky part: Freeza hears them and goes to Namek to get them.

I think it's safe to say that Vegeta would not deliberately tune his scouter to make sure Freeza heard them. So how?

Do the scouters communication devices just work all the time? Or is more of a case of using channels and Freeza just happened to being monitoring Vegeta's channel?

[Saiga]

Something that I'm kinda curious about is exactly how the scouters work as communication devices.

The first instance of this I think is when Raditz tells Piccolo & Goku that Nappa & Vegeta have heard everything thats happened and will surely now come to Earth and revive him using the dragonballs. Makes sense. I suppose it's possible that Raditz enabled the communication on the scouter beforehand to make sure they heard.

But later on when Vegeta and Nappa are on Earth they talk about the dragonballs being on Namek. And here's the tricky part: Freeza hears them and goes to Namek to get them.

I think it's safe to say that Vegeta would not deliberately tune his scouter to make sure Freeza heard them. So how?

Do the scouters communication devices just work all the time? Or is more of a case of using channels and Freeza just happened to being monitoring Vegeta's channel?

Maybe it's the same it was in abridged - Nappa left his on even though Vegeta's was off.

[Kaboom]

Or maybe simply since Freeza's the boss, he has the ability to listen in whether his minions want him to or not.

[Kingdom Heartless]

Appule is a master hacker.... he can manage these things for Freeza.

[Michsi]

Vegeta admits that he hadn't been careful, so it does sound like he had left the transmitter on and forgot about it. Funnier still is the fact that this was how he found out about the dragon balls, so you'd think he'd know better. Since it was Vegeta's fight and not Radditz that Freeza listened in on, I'm guessing he only keeps track of him.

[gohan2k]

Speaking of people who should know better on Namek, and being fully aware Vegeta was there Freeza spoke to the Namekian elder, Muuri about how the dragonballs are in the villages on Namek and Vegeta heard the whole conversation on his scouter and was then able to find a village and get a dragonball of his own!

[Fox666]

Well, apparently you can't prevent someone from hearing you as long you are with a Scouter.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Yeah, perhaps the communication part of the scouter can't even be turned off. But if it can, then I guess Vegeta and/or Nappa forgot to turn theirs off on Earth, and Freeza forgot to turn his off on Namek. Or he knew that it was on, but just didn't care because he saw Vegeta as beneath him.

[the_abberration]

Maybe the scouters work like a cell phone, where you can override some (cell phones) to cut them on and track them through the GPS.

Freeza could have simply gotten concerned about Vegeta's wherabouts, and overrode his communications device. That's when he overheard about the dragon balls. That may also explain why Vegeta remarked about not being careful, and forgetting Freeza being able to do that, during all the stuff on Earth.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

I think there's a way to turn off the communication part. I doubt Vegeta would've continued to blurt out his plans (IE find a dragon ball and slowly move in to steal the rest) if he knew they were listening. He did say they'd continue to follow him with their scouters, but I'm guessing he's likely referring to his presence moreso than anything else.

[FindKenshi]

It's just wildly inconsistent. Don't forget, on Namek, Vegeta was spying on Freeza. He overheard Freeza tell the story about the Namekian Elders who each have a Dragon Ball. Then, it shows Vegeta saying, "So, that's how it is." Then, when Vegeta is talking to himself about his plans, it seems Freeza and his cronies can't hear him, even though he's still wearing his scouter.

[gohan2k]

There's also another strange anomaly to think of as well. The two Freeza henchmen (Banan & Sui) go to check out the readings they found and find Krillin and Gohan at no point do they attempt to use their communicators to tell Zarbon or whoever what they've found and nor does anyone attempt to contact them.

They only notice the two are gone when their ki readings disappear right after Krillin and Gohan's ki raises up and then disappears.

Basically it appears the out of universe answer is they work as communicators whenever Toriyama decided the story required it haha.

[Attitudefan]

Well, I am sure it works kind of like a phone or a walkie talkie. Vegeta probably thought he was going to be immortal for sure and didn't care to tune out his headset or something.

[Michsi]

Well, I am sure it works kind of like a phone or a walkie talkie. Vegeta probably thought he was going to be immortal for sure and didn't care to tune out his headset or something.

Yeah but if the guy you've been wanting to defeat your entire life and also happenes to be several times stronger than you are also becommes immortal, well, that should put a damper on your plan.

[Monkey D Goku]

Maybe Frieza gave Vegeta and Nappa special scouters that were too act as monitoring devices. Too Vegeta they probably acted like normal scouters and he probably thought he turned the communication part off but the special scouter is still connected to Frieza's channel. I mean I wouldn't put it past Frieza too do a thing like this he was very paranoid about the Sayians or it could be that Vegeta was just a idiot and thought they weren't listening.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Maybe Freeza gave Vegeta and Nappa special scouters that were too act as monitoring devices. Too Vegeta they probably acted like normal scouters and he probably thought he turned the communication part off but the special scouter is still connected to Freeza's channel. I mean I wouldn't put it past Freeza too do a thing like this he was very paranoid about the Sayians or it could be that Vegeta was just a idiot and thought they weren't listening.

Nothing really suggests that, though. And I doubt Freeza was that paranoid. He was complacent enough with the Saiyans to keep four of them alive. It was only until Namek when Freeza realized the extent of the Saiyans' power progression, which was gradually catching up to him.

[Michsi]

Also considering that Vegeta chides himself on not being careful enough implies that he was aware of Freeza being able to overhear their conversation. And I seriously doubt there is no way to turn off that transmitter.

[NzK]

Well, I am sure it works kind of like a phone or a walkie talkie. Vegeta probably thought he was going to be immortal for sure and didn't care to tune out his headset or something.

Yep, I'm pretty sure they work as walkie talkies, too. We at least see them being used in that way during Jheese and Baata's fight with Goku:

Do the scouters communication devices just work all the time? Or is more of a case of using channels and Freeza just happened to being monitoring Vegeta's channel?

I think it's the latter. With the level of technology at Freeza's disposal, it's not too hard to imagine him monitoring various frequencies throughout space with some kind of device. And as someone mentioned, it's likely that Freeza was keeping an eye on Vegeta's movements. Doesn't Kiwi mention that Vegeta went to Earth against Freeza's orders? That would raise suspicion for sure, and would warrant Vegeta being tracked somehow.

[TheNamekGio]

I believe they were all using Freeza's WiFi. Lol