Full record for tight-beam n.

Definition	a highly-focused beam used for communication, especially between spaceships
OED requirements	antedating 1930
Earliest cite	E.E. Smith, 'Skylark Three''
Comment	Fred Galvin submitted a cite from a 1950 reprint of E. E. Smith's 1937 "Galactic Patrol". Fred Galvin submitted a 1956 cite from Randall Garrett's "The Saboteur". Fred Galvin submitted a 1947 cite from Murray Leinster's "Skit-Tree Planet". Fred Galvin submitted a 1951 cite from Katherine MacLean's "Pictures Don't Lie". Fred Galvin submitted a 1940 cite from Lee Gregor's "Flight to Galileo". Fred Galvin submitted a cite from the Gutenberg etext edition of E.E. Smith's "Triplanetary" Fred Galvin submitted cites from a 1984 reprint of E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Skylark of Valeron": Mike Christie verified them in the original magazine serial. Fred Galvin submitted a September 1930 cite from the magazine serialization of E.E. Smith's "Skylark Three"
Last modified	14 January, 2010

Citations for tight-beam n.

click here for more information about the citation list

1934 Astounding Stories Aug. 29/2	‘Observation Officer of the Z12Q, attention!’ snapped from the tight-beam headquarters communicator. ‘Cut off those spy rays and report yourself under arrest for treason!’
1951 K. MacLean Pictures Don't Lie in Galaxy Sci. Fiction Aug. 105/2	‘It's not exactly code. All you need to do is record it and slow it down. They're not broadcasting at us. If a star has planets, inhabited planets, and there is broadcasting between them, they would send it on a tight beam to save power.’ He looked for comprehension. ‘You know, like a spotlight. Theoretically, a tight beam can go on forever without losing power. But aiming would be difficult from planet to planet. You can't expect a beam to stay on target, over such distances, more than a few seconds at a time. So they'd naturally compress each message into a short half-second or one-second-length package and send it a few hundred times in one long blast to make sure it is picked up during the instant the beam swings across the target.’
1970 A. McCaffrey Ship who Sang (1991) ii.32,	I need to use your tight beam.