The Military uses of the Palantiri.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

That's true, however still I believe that except for really urgent cases, one would still use the good old-fashioned way. "Hello my dear cousin, I hope everything's going fine in your land, we have produced five hundred tons of grain this year" is not necessary to transmit via the Palantír, and as it's been pointed out, the strain of using it, even by a king who had the right to it, would not be worth it in such simple cases.

I would think the Palantíri would have been certainly much used even in matters of routine discussion between Gondor and Arnor, considering the great distance seperating the two kingdoms.
The 'strain' of using the Stones was much greater when one used them as viewing devices. In mere comunication between two Stone, especially when both were in 'accord', I think the tax on the surveyors' minds would have been less.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I would think the Palantíri would have been certainly much used even in matters of routine discussion between Gondor and Arnor, considering the great distance seperating the two kingdoms.
The 'strain' of using the Stones was much greater when one used them as viewing devices. In mere comunication between two Stone, especially when both were in 'accord', I think the tax on the surveyors' minds would have been less.

Was it possible to use the Palantíri just without visual contact? No video, just sound? That sounds weird to me.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Was it possible to use the Palantíri just without visual contact? No video, just sound? That sounds weird to me.

I think the UT essay says that they could not transmit sound under any circumstances.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I think the UT essay says that they could not transmit sound under any circumstances.

Ah, okay! Now I understand what you meant by your last post. I thought that by putting emphasis on "viewing", you meant "viewing the other fellow", i.e. that you meant that they'd just make telephones out of the Palantíri. That's why I wondered, okay.

But still, see - for example Aragorn was not viewing anything, he was just "talking" to Sauron, and still it was enough for him. Okay, of course Sauron is Sauron, but I think it was not only his presence or the struggle that ruined Aragorn so much. Does it say anywhere explicitely that there would not be much strain by using them? (Even some strain is enough, though, for you to think it over twice whether to call your cousin in Gondor to just show him how nice lunch you just made for yourself.)

[garm]

Apropos nothing much: In 1995, Alex Lewis read a paper at a Tolkien Society Seminar, called 'The Palantiri: A Study'. Part of this paper was taken up with the possible use of the Palantiri as a sort of ship-to-ship communications system; but the basis of Lewis' argument is flawed - the question he asked was basd on a mis-reading of the rhyme of lore called 'Tall ships and Tall Kings' which gandalf chants to Pippin on their way to Minas Tirith. But instead of the correct reading:

'What brought _they_ from the foundered land?'

Lewis has:

'What brought _them_?'

- and so jumped to a spurious conclusion.

This paper was published in the Tolkien Society booklet 'Travels and Communication in Tolkien's Worlds' ed. Richard Crawshaw, 1996. pp.9-18. I've never actually got round to finish reading it, myself.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

But still, see - for example Aragorn was not viewing anything, he was just "talking" to Sauron, and still it was enough for him. Okay, of course Sauron is Sauron, but I think it was not only his presence or the struggle that ruined Aragorn so much. Does it say anywhere explicitely that there would not be much strain by using them? (Even some strain is enough, though, for you to think it over twice whether to call your cousin in Gondor to just show him how nice lunch you just made for yourself.)

As usual concerning the Palantíri, the best resource seems to be the UT essay.

From Footnote 5:

But when another mind occupied a Stone in accord, thought could be "transferred" (received as "speech"), and visions of the things in the mind of the surveyor of one Stone could be seen by the other surveyor. These powers were originally used mainly in consultation, for the purpose of exchanging news necessary to government, or advice and opinions; less often in simple friendship and pleasure or in greetings and condolance.

So the Stones' primary use was for 'official' purposes, but communicating thoughts of relatively trivial matters with them was not unknown.

As for the general 'strain' of using them, I haven't been able to find a reference specifically for the communications aspect. It does say that the Stones were most easily used by 'Heirs of Isildur', and to a lesser extent, those with legitimate inherited authority in the Realms in Exile.

[Boromir88]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

As for the general 'strain' of using them, I haven't been able to find a reference specifically for the communications aspect. It does say that the Stones were most easily used by 'Heirs of Isildur', and to a lesser extent, those with legitimate inherited authority in the Realms in Exile.

Gotcha covered Inzil.

The breaking strain of Denethor's confrontation of Sauron must be distinguished from the general strain of using the Stone. The latter Denethor thought that he could endure (and not without reason); confrontation with Sauron almost certainly did not occur for many years, and was probably never originally contemplated by Denethor.~Unfinished Tales: The Palantiri

There is also a note to see pages 429-30, which I don't want to quote the entire part, but will point out probably the most interesting (and relevant) stuff:

A viewer could by his will cause the vision of the Stone to concentrate on some point, on or near its direct line.
[...]
But this "concentration" was very tiring and might become exhausting. Consequently it was only undertaken when information was urgently desired, and chance (aided by other information) enabled the surveyor to pick out items (significant for him and his immediate concern) from the welter of the Stone's visions. For example, Denethor sitting before the Anor-stone anxious about Rohan, and deciding whether or not at once to order the kindling of the beacons and the sending out of the "arrow," might place himself in a direct line looking north-west by west through Rohan, passing close to Edoras and on towards the Fords of Isen. At that time there might be visible movements of men in that line. If so, he could concentrate on (say) a group, see them as Riders, and finally discover some known figure to him: Gandalf, for instance, riding with the reinforcements to Helm's Deep, and suddenly breaking away and racing northwards.~ibid

There was two strains Denethor had to endure when using the stones, one was caused by his confrontation with Sauron, which ended up breaking his mind. The other strain seems to only be if a viewer wishes to "concentrate" on a specific point in order to get urgent information. I think we can assume Denethor was trying to concentrate on certain points, as he always worried about "the supplanter," Gandalf and his chap, Aragorn.