The Ring and Its GPS Tracker

[Inziladun]

I wondered about that morm. However, the Tale of Years states that in TA 1050:

About this time a shadow falls on Greenwood, and men begin to call it Mirkwood.

Then, in 2470:

About this time Sméagol-Gollum hides in the Misty Mountains.

So that's 1,420 years of rebuilding from Sauron.

In 2845 Sauron was aware enough to know who had the last of the Seven, at least, and was powerful enough to bring Thráin II to Dol Guldur to obtain it.

In 2941 Bilbo found the Ring, and only 10 years later, in 2951:

Sauron declares himself openly and gathers power in Mordor.

So there's a 10 year gap between Gollum losing the Ring and Sauron becoming confident enough to abandon secrecy and proclaim to all that he was back.

Now there were 96 years from the time Sauron figured out who had one of the Seven, to the time Gollum lost The One, and he'd been using it pretty regularly, at least to get food. It just seems to me that if Sauron could have had the awareness he obviously had of Thráin's ring, and the ability to get it from him, he should have had some inkling at least that The One still existed, and had not been destroyed.

[mormegil]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

It just seems to me that if Sauron could have had the awareness he obviously had of Thráin's ring, and the ability to get it from him, he should have had some inkling at least that The One still existed, and had not been destroyed.

If I remember correctly, and hopefully this is not just the movies, but I don't believe Sauron ever believed the ring would be destroyed. So he always knew it was whole and believed it unfound; Your question is pertinent however and it would seem that perhaps the ring did not send a signal sufficiently strong for him to locate it.

[Galadriel55]

It's perhaps worth noting that the Ring gives power according to the stature of the holder. Maybe it "gives off electromagnetic waves" in the same proportion. All that Gollum really cares for - except for the Ring - is food. The Ring is a means to get it. Frodo, on the other hand, is quite an Elvish hobbit. He not only knows the Ring's power and history, but he's learned in Elves lore to a certain extent. I'd say his stature is "higher" that Gollum's.

When Sam put on the Ring, it didn't have the same immediate effect as when Frodo put it on. So I can take from this that the Ring's electromagnetism only counts for book-lore, or whatever it is that Frodo has that Sam doesn't.

[Aiwendil]

I've always been under the impression that Sauron's immediate awareness had entirely to do with Frodo's proximity to Mt. Doom and the fires where the Ring was forged. Indeed, I've always assumed that it was the mere act of putting the Ring on while standing before those fires that alerted Sauron. It's clear that the Ring's power becomes stronger and stronger as Frodo approaches the mountain, and it seems to me that this effect is sufficient to explain its maker's heightened awareness.

[Findegil]

I think that there is a big diference between claiming the ring to be yours and the way Frodo claimed it on Mount Doom: Gollum was never ware of what the Ring was when he wore it, neither was Bilbo. Frodo and Sam were aware of the possibilities the Ring would give: Comand over all the other ring beares including Sauron, if you could handle the Ring right (which neither could, but which the Ring made them belive they could).

Now what Frodo did was claiming that he considered himself the master of the Ring not only the bearer. He now at long last was ready to try what Boromir had suggested all that time: Use the Ring against Sauron. He would have lost that fight, but he put that challange up.

Respectfuly
Findegil

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

I've always been under the impression that Sauron's immediate awareness had entirely to do with Frodo's proximity to Mt. Doom and the fires where the Ring was forged. Indeed, I've always assumed that it was the mere act of putting the Ring on while standing before those fires that alerted Sauron. It's clear that the Ring's power becomes stronger and stronger as Frodo approaches the mountain, and it seems to me that this effect is sufficient to explain its maker's heightened awareness.

What about putting it on on Amon Hen?

[mormegil]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

What about putting it on on Amon Hen?

Sauron was aware of somebody wearing the ring but he did not know where immediately unlike when worn in Mount Doom. This would seem to support what Aiwendil said.

[Eruhen]

Re: Gollum, I seem to remember someone (Gandalf, maybe, in The Shadow of the Past?) saying that it had been a long time since Gollum wore the Ring. In the dark under the Mountains, it wasn't needed. I may very well be wrong, though.