What causes scouters to break?

[Monkey D. Goku]

Why do scouters break? Is it because the battle power of the subject being scouted is too large, or is it because the battle power of the subject is increasing at too fast of a rate.

I always assumed it was because the subject's battle power increased at a rate that the scouter couldn't keep up with, but on many forums I've read, people say things like, "<insert character here>'s battle power is higher than this because the scouter broke." Freeza has a base full power of 530,000, so why would a scouter explode at a random number like 21,000-22,000 or over 180,000? Wouldn't that mean that if Zarbon scouted anywhere near Freeza the scouter would explode if a set number was the cause?

[omegacwa]

Well, besides being you used mostly for Dramatic Effect, I would say it is because the number is rising way too quickly.

[Rocketman]

Freeza does say "if any instrument could read my power, it would be over a million" when he turns into his Second Form.

When Zarbon's scouter explodes while reading Vegeta's power level, Dodoria comments something like "your scouter's a lemon, I have a newer model".

So, the answer is both.

[Monkey D. Goku]

So, the answer is both.

So basically if the subject being scouted increases their power to too high of a level too quickly it explodes. That makes sense. I was just curious.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

Well, Raditz's scouter, being used by Bulma, exploded just after Goku reached a power of 21,000. Zarbon's exploded after Vegeta reached 22,000 (out of 24,000). So, that would indicate that the older model of scouter could really only handle 22,000.

In fact, Dragon Ball Forever (and perhaps one of the Daizenshuu?) outright states that the older model had a limit. It then says that the new models could handle a power rating of over 180,000.

A better question is, can some kind of data overload make a machine explode?! I can't really see my laptop exploding for any reason...

[Super Ghost Kamikaze]

A better question is, can some kind of data overload make a machine explode?! I can't really see my laptop exploding for any reason...

Dude! You don't got a Dell!

[Super Sonic]

When really powerful things are seen or encountered, the cliche is often for overload or passing out. Kind of similar is in X-Men comics and cartoons when Xavier peeked into minds being protected by really, really powerful mutants it would cause him to pass out.

[Herms]

In fact, Dragon Ball Forever (and perhaps one of the Daizenshuu?) outright states that the older model had a limit. It then says that the new models could handle a power rating of over 180,000.

Yeah, that's either in Daizenshuu 4, 7, or both. I'll check later.

[Dayspring]

In fact, Dragon Ball Forever (and perhaps one of the Daizenshuu?) outright states that the older model had a limit. It then says that the new models could handle a power rating of over 180,000.

Yeah, that's either in Daizenshuu 4, 7, or both. I'll check later.

7 used numerical limitations. I always hated that; it's clearly a matter of calculating at speeds faster that it can't handle. Otherwise why would Dodoria's scouter work when Zarbon's exploded, and how could we know Freeza's PLs if the highest rating the most advanced scouter can read is only 180,000?

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

Dodoria stated that Zarbon had an older model than his own scouter, so...

Oh, and the newer scouters can read battle powers over 180,000, actually. Obviously, they'll break before 530,000, because Jheece's couldn't read Vegeta's power. Perhaps Freeza's could be read by a supercomputer or something.

[Dayspring]

Dodoria stated that Zarbon had an older model than his own scouter, so...

Oh, and the newer scouters can read battle powers over 180,000, actually. Obviously, they'll break before 530,000, because Jheece's couldn't read Vegeta's power. Perhaps Freeza's could be read by a supercomputer or something.

1) In the manga? Dodoria just mentions that Zarbon's must not be working right, then checks Vegeta's PL in my version.

2) Daizenshuu says otherwise, hence my point.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

"In that case, it really must have malfunctioned. It's because your scouter is an old model. I'll get the right reading with mine."

"The rating...?"

"Th-that's ridiculous... I-is my newer model malfunctioning, too...!? I-it went up to 24,000...!!"

As for your second point, what does Daizenshuu 7 say, and where? I looked in the item guide, but I didn't see anything about the limits, I don't think...

[Herms]

7 used numerical limitations. I always hated that; it's clearly a matter of calculating at speeds faster that it can't handle. Otherwise why would Dodoria's scouter work when Zarbon's exploded, and how could we know Freeza's PLs if the highest rating the most advanced scouter can read is only 180,000?

Having a set numerical limitation makes sense in the older models' case. Otherwise, it's quite a coincidence that both Bulma's converted scouter and Zarbon's scouter would both happen to break around 22,000.

As for your second point, what does Daizenshuu 7 say, and where? I looked in the item guide, but I didn't see anything about the limits, I don't think...

It's in the entry for the new-model scouter. It says that while it's appearence is the same as the old model, it's been powered up to the point of being able to detect battle powers over 22,000.

Then in Daizenshuu 4's "Technology and Supernatural" section, the entry for scouters says that "The newer models have the ability to detect battle powers over roughly 22,000".

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

It's in the entry for the new-model scouter.

Oh! I hadn't realized there was one for the newer models. Thanks! So, the statement about the newer models exceeding 100,000 is only in Forever, then? (Although, we can obviously gather than much from the series itself.)

[Herms]

Oh! I hadn't realized there was one for the newer models. Thanks! So, the statement about the newer models exceeding 100,000 is only in Forever, then? (Although, we can obviously gather than much from the series itself.)

There are four entries for scouters in total: scouter (the general kind, I guess), old-model scouter, new-model scouter, and newest-model scouter (saishin-gata). It doesn't say what the upper limit for the new model ones is, but it says that the newest models (the kind Ginyu and co. brought with them) can read around 180,000 without exploding. The newest models are also distinguished from the others by having a sharper design.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

Ginyu's never exploded, actually. He had it when him when he took Goku's body, remember? But Jheece's did when he tried to scan Vegeta's battle power.

[Herms]

Gah, that's right. I must have been thinking of Jheece. And now that I reread the entry with that in mind, it doesn't actually say 180,000 is their limit, just that it can read up that far without exploding or anything.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

Hmm. Then, it seems that Forever just repeated that same information.

[Monkey D. Goku]

7 used numerical limitations. I always hated that; it's clearly a matter of calculating at speeds faster that it can't handle. Otherwise why would Dodoria's scouter work when Zarbon's exploded, and how could we know Freeza's PLs if the highest rating the most advanced scouter can read is only 180,000?

In the anime when SSJ Son Goku and Freeza (I think Freeza was 100%) were fighting, one of the filler scenes showed some of Freeza's people on a different planet monitering the fight through a "supercomputer." It was overwhelmed by the power, so could that possibly be the machine that measured Freeza's "over 1,000,000" battle power (at least for the anime)?

[SSJmole]

Why do scouters break?

Because people crush them in their hand while screaming "IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!"