Question about Mining
- Thread starter Sardonyx
- Start date
So in my Sidewinder, if I fit her out for some mining duty, I should probably just go with 2 mining lasers and skip the weapons?
Or is there little advantage to having more than 1 mining laser?
lolMining lasers
In my experience, your money's better spent on a refinery with more bins than a second laser. I usually just outfit one laser, leave the other hardpoint empty (increase jump distance), and get the refinery with the most bins that I can afford.
Cargo space! Lots of cargo space...
Although I fly Cobra, getting more bins is essential. I have 5 right now and they are always full of "best current non-100% mineral". I think 6 is max bins. Working my way up to that. 1 laser is fine - I run the smallest one for now, which is ok.
One laser is plenty, though if you have a medium hardpoint available, get a class 2 - MUCH faster mining!
In a Sidey, one laser and a class D power thingamajiggy is enough to run the laser forever, if you have 4 pips in weapons. Other than that, ditch the shields, get all the cargo space you can, and always, always, always keep your cargo scoop out when lasering the rock! That way, when you inevitably hit the boost button by mistake, absolutely nothing happens..
In a Sidey, one laser and a class D power thingamajiggy is enough to run the laser forever, if you have 4 pips in weapons. Other than that, ditch the shields, get all the cargo space you can, and always, always, always keep your cargo scoop out when lasering the rock! That way, when you inevitably hit the boost button by mistake, absolutely nothing happens.
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So in my Sidewinder, if I fit her out for some mining duty, I should probably just go with 2 mining lasers and skip the weapons?
Or is there little advantage to having more than 1 mining laser?
lol
Having 2 mining lasers will get the rocks to come off quicker, but they will overheat much... much quicker.
On the sidewinder, you'll only really be able to get one rock to come out of the roid when using 2 lasers, before you have to wait for it to cooldown again.
Although a tad slower, it's more efficient to use 1 mining laser.
And if you want a bit of defense, stick another pulse/ burst laser in the other hardpoint.
My tips:
- Get the biggest mining laser your ship will fit. Get only one
- Buzz round the rocks, use your scanner at full magnification to see where they are
- Know your braking distances for different speeds from when the rock appears in the scanner
- Don't open your scoop until you are scooping, you manoeuvre faster without it
- Don't use boost
- Keep the star at your back
- If an NPC is drinking your milkshake, you will be glad you kept your warrant scanner (use it on large ships close to the rock for added lulz)
- Good rocks are ones that spit out Pa, Pt or Au of at least 15/20% in the first chunk
- Target the first chunk as soon as it comes off. Do not re-target
- Prospect quickly - if it doesn't conform to the previous rule, move on immediately and de-target
- If it is a good chunk - you want to keep your laser close to the same spot. This is not because of yield
- If the rock is a spinner, prospect and lase as close to the axis of rotation as possible
- Full power to weapons and lase the rock dry. By the time you are done, the chunks will have stopped drifting
- Once clean, power back to engines and drop scoop
- Move around the first (selected) chunk so you can get an idea of where the other chunks are. If you lased a static or hit the axis of a spinner, they should be very close together
- Get the first chunk by orientating it so that it sits above the other chunks and below you
- Always get the chunk 'above' all the others; nothing on your ship sits below your scoop and you can collect tightly packed chunks without knocking into the others
- Get good at moving small distances forwards and backwards to collect each top-chunk
- If you have to make a big rotation, use reverse in the blue, nose down and quickly revert to zero speed
- You will generally collect crowded chunks by moving forward at the top chunk, then back and down, forward, back and down etc.
- Get good at managing your refinery. It should a reflex action to select the metals and exit menu and take less than a second
- Once done, put your scoop up and try another rock.
And finally, if you are mining with FA off;
- Good luck
- Get the biggest mining laser your ship will fit. Get only one
- Buzz round the rocks, use your scanner at full magnification to see where they are
- Know your braking distances for different speeds from when the rock appears in the scanner
- Don't open your scoop until you are scooping, you manoeuvre faster without it
- Don't use boost
- Keep the star at your back
- If an NPC is drinking your milkshake, you will be glad you kept your warrant scanner (use it on large ships close to the rock for added lulz)
- Good rocks are ones that spit out Pa, Pt or Au of at least 15/20% in the first chunk
- Target the first chunk as soon as it comes off. Do not re-target
- Prospect quickly - if it doesn't conform to the previous rule, move on immediately and de-target
- If it is a good chunk - you want to keep your laser close to the same spot. This is not because of yield
- If the rock is a spinner, prospect and lase as close to the axis of rotation as possible
- Full power to weapons and lase the rock dry. By the time you are done, the chunks will have stopped drifting
- Once clean, power back to engines and drop scoop
- Move around the first (selected) chunk so you can get an idea of where the other chunks are. If you lased a static or hit the axis of a spinner, they should be very close together
- Get the first chunk by orientating it so that it sits above the other chunks and below you
- Always get the chunk 'above' all the others; nothing on your ship sits below your scoop and you can collect tightly packed chunks without knocking into the others
- Get good at moving small distances forwards and backwards to collect each top-chunk
- If you have to make a big rotation, use reverse in the blue, nose down and quickly revert to zero speed
- You will generally collect crowded chunks by moving forward at the top chunk, then back and down, forward, back and down etc.
- Get good at managing your refinery. It should a reflex action to select the metals and exit menu and take less than a second
- Once done, put your scoop up and try another rock.
And finally, if you are mining with FA off;
- Good luck
Fnurgh has fantastic advice, it describes exactly how I do it too.
It should take around 2 mins to completely mine and collect everything from each rock.
However, I'm not sure I'd bother in a Sidey.
Personally I went with killing ships and obtaining bounties until I could upgrade to an Eagle - it's more doable in that although you still have to sacrifice something.
But to really mine, you need a Cobra. You don't need to sacrifice your disc. scanner or shields then and can still be equipped for combat, mining and cargo.
It should take around 2 mins to completely mine and collect everything from each rock.
However, I'm not sure I'd bother in a Sidey.
Personally I went with killing ships and obtaining bounties until I could upgrade to an Eagle - it's more doable in that although you still have to sacrifice something.
But to really mine, you need a Cobra. You don't need to sacrifice your disc. scanner or shields then and can still be equipped for combat, mining and cargo.
Just spent an hour mining in a "Pristine" system, tried 2 of the belts and 2 of the planet rings, labelled up as Metallic. Also tried a few other systems earlier. I couldn't get anything other than minerals and a couple of bits of silver (enough to make 1 tonne). I filled my hauler up, so 16 tonnes total and made about 38k. Everyone seems to be making 100k plus in Cobras per hour (I know there is double the cargo essentially)... Is there usually more metals or is it mostly minerals? (indite, uranite, etc) and I was only seeing 15-20% chunks, 30% if I was lucky, was hoping for a bit more at a "Pristine" site.
Edit --- never mind, just found what I was looking for..... "Metallic" ring types.... WOOOOOOP! credits are rolling in now!
Edit --- never mind, just found what I was looking for..... "Metallic" ring types.... WOOOOOOP! credits are rolling in now!
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