What was Gero sensing?

[SSJ2]

Chapter 340 (DBZ 146), P14.1
Context: after Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan
No.20: “However, this isn’t anything great enough to give us reason to fear. It’s still within a level which even No.19 is more than capable of defeating, and naturally that goes for myself as well…”

How did that turn into this:

Chapter 341 (DBZ 147), P6.6
No.20: “…Kuh…! Th-this power up greatly exceeds my estimated data…Th-this is bad. Like this, No.19 will run out of energy before he steals any power…”

 

[Papasmurf]

Probably just initial sick Goku's surface Ki, which rose naturally as he started fighting. Either that or AT smoked too many cigarettes and wrote the section whilst on the influence similar to the Babidi spaceship portions

 

[GreatSaiyaman123]

I'm thinking Goku's power was beyond Gero's limitations, so whatever number he saw there was just the highest possible number on his radar.

 

[Evil Vegeta]

I always had a theory that Gero's sensors would start producing random figures once powers went far beyond normal calculations. He's still in denial while Piccolo is kicking ass. I find it hard to believe his sensors are as accurate as someone like #16's. He could tell right off the bat that Vegeta had became significantly more powerful before he started fighting.

 

[SSJ2]

But that begs the question, why the hell wouldn't he have the same sensors as 16?

 

[Evil Vegeta]

I'm honestly not sure. I always assumed Gero was never expecting his sensors to have to measure incredibly huge powers, so he might have thought that was good enough.



This line is absent in the Manga, but I always assumed their sensors were only made to measure something like the early levels of the Kaio-Ken. It'd probably start to go haywire once it gets up to the 10-20x Kaio-Ken levels.

#16's sensor actually seems like the equivalent of Ki-sensing. Even his data on Piccolo completely changed once he merged with Kami.