Newcomer / Intro Need tips on how to make good money exploring the galaxy

[Boobytrap]

So I've got a little more than 400k in ship components and credits and I'm wondering what's a the best way to explore with such limited funds? Currently, I'm in an Adder that has 8 fuel and can jump 12.7 lightyears, I've removed all the cargo space and added a fuel scoop, shield cells, and a repair unit. My weapons are minimal - just 3 class 1 pulse lasers. I looked into upgrading my discovery scanner and getting a surface scanner, but their prices are astronomical!

I haven't had the best luck in making this into a profitable venture. I'm only about 25 light years away from Eravate, Firgaha, etc., and I've only gotten about 5k for a half hour's work. Should I put off doing exploration until I can afford the better scanners because this is taking forever.

On a side note, I want to go out and see cool new systems, discover spatial anomalies, explore pulsars, nebulas, and see black holes eating up stars...do these things exists in ED? Or is it more of the same: planets, moons, stars, asteroid belts, etc.?

 

[pwnieb0y]

Getting started can be expensive. I would recommend saving for the Advanced Discovery Scanner, and getting at the very least up to a 20LY jump range and the best fuel scoop you can buy. I've currently got a 24LY range and I need to get pretty creative with my route planning sometimes.

The Nebulas are amazing! I have yet to see a Black Hole eating a star but I've seen them pretty close... it could happen. Neutron Stars and trippy planets are also out there waiting for you.

In a nutshell, Discovery Scanner makes your life much easier and saves you a lot of valuable time. Surface scanner brings in the big buck for all the cool bodies you find.

 

[Boobytrap]

Thanks! I'm looking forward to the time when I can finally go out and discover new things besides these run of the mill planets and stars. And who knows, maybe I can make first contact with aliens

I've got the oculus rift and I absolutely love how immersive it makes the game. It's almost a dream come true.

 

[MaccGyver]

Should I put off doing exploration until I can afford the better scanners because this is taking forever.

I would recommend yes - as I'm sure you've discovered, the Basic Discovery Scanner (BDS) takes a long time to scan stuff, there will often be stuff to find outside the 500ly bubble it scans, and the paltry sum you're paid for the data gained with a basic scan doesn't even close to match up with the time it takes to scan an entire system. Even with the Detailed Surface Scanner (DSS, I've been exploring with a Cobra kitted with a BDS and a DSS), the price for most data doesn't go up much. Last night I spent almost 30 mins scanning a system with 11 astronomical bodies, and got less than 8k for the data (and that system had high metal content planets, which I've heard are supposedly worth the most). Compare that to Bounty Hunting, where I can make a solid 50k or more in the same amount of time, and exploration isn't all that attractive, at least if your goal is making credits.

Right now it seems exploration is really only rewarding for those who've earned a few (or 10) million and can kit out a Cobra (or better) with at least an ADS and DSS, and jump at least 15Ly. Unless you REALLY love flying around systems and pointing at things, I would find a different profession to use as a springboard to exploration.

 

[Arch Raptor]

so... what ship would be a good pick that is affordable in say, 500k cred range that can make the long range jumps and detailed scans for good cred? I normally range about 25-30k for good systems in my crap sidewinder so I'm hoping I can get greater creds exploring the unknowns in deep COL space

 

[EtherDragon]

The highly adaptable Cobra is within your price-range. And it has lots of internal slots to use for exploration gear.

 

[TUXER]

sounds like the main answer to how to make good money exploring is to have good money to begin with

 

[MaccGyver]

so... what ship would be a good pick that is affordable in say, 500k cred range that can make the long range jumps and detailed scans for good cred? I normally range about 25-30k for good systems in my crap sidewinder so I'm hoping I can get greater creds exploring the unknowns in deep COL space

The highly adaptable Cobra is within your price-range. And it has lots of internal slots to use for exploration gear.

What Ether said

sounds like the main answer to how to make good money exploring is to have good money to begin with

I believe the saying goes "It takes money to make money" - As it is in life, so it is in Elite

 

[Arch Raptor]

so... can you transfer modules from one ship to another? I can't afford cobra and the nice internals but I could start with a sidewinder upgrade the mods and then jump into the cobra in about a week or so

 

[technophebe]

The adder can make a nice little bounty hunting ship, that's a fun way to make some money. Have a look in my sig, the guide there covers various ways for beginners to make a decent income.

 

[pwnieb0y]

so... can you transfer modules from one ship to another? I can't afford cobra and the nice internals but I could start with a sidewinder upgrade the mods and then jump into the cobra in about a week or so

You can't transfer your modules, but you can sell them back. It's supposed to be automatically figured into the sell price of your ship, but many people (myself included) have had better results seling all the modules manually before selling our ships. Keep in mind that it is far more expensive to trick out a Cobra than a Sidey, Better ship=better modules.

 

[Fiddlesticks]

Ive made about a million in the Sidewinder. Its a great exploration ship. I have the B drive in it, and I can go about 15 LY per jump.
I've fitted it with the intermediate scanner, advanced surface scanner, and fuel scoop and as many light weight components as possible (D grade), for the rest.
I did own the Adder, for about 10 minuttes. Didn't like the crappy cockpit, and massively prefer the panorama window of the Sidewinder, which IMO is a MUST for exploring.

While an important part is the ship, another is learning how to ID valuable systems without scanning your ass off.
At this point, I ignore everything in cold systems (like most dwarf stars), as any potential planets will VERY likely be ice planets, which are worth very little. I just do the basic ping in these systems, scan the star, and jump to the next system.
An exception is cold systems that contain gas giants, in such cases I scan the star and the gas giants, and ignore the rest. Gas giants have a chance of containing life, both ammonia based and carbon based. Now I don't know how accurate the game models real life, but the sun is the giver of life: It spreads energy to all the planets, which is then utilized by living things. No sun = no energy = very unlikely to have life. So bigger sun = more energy = bigger chance of life.

Aim for systems that contain stars like the star we have in our own solar system, that is: yellow/yellow-white stars/some red. These are hot enough to support terran worlds. These stars are pretty common in the game, and also often have metal rich planets about, which should be worth more.

I usually also scan the rare systems I come across: White/blue stars, giant stars, etc.

Finally, never scan astoroids. Not worth it.

[EDIT]
And learn to master finding planets outside your scanning range.