Newcomer / Intro Did i really dodge a scan from the feds?

[Cobra Mk2]

Last night while during my journey towards the Banki system in search of work, I decided to take a risk and buy/trade some slaves.
I'm currently trying to change my rep with the feds because right now it's unfriendly and they keep hassling me all the time.
I fly a Hauler and I fitted a heat sink on it but I still hadn't used it before and in fact I've only ever used the stealth mode once before in tutorials.

and to cut to the chase When I was interdicted by the feds I boosted away from them and used the stealth mode/heatsink combo before they managed to do a scan on me.
I still received the message telling me I was being scanned but then silence and no more comms but they were still shooting at me.
As soon as the FSD cooldown expired I used supercruise and escaped and that was the first time I've ever used stealth mode and was also quite thrilling at the time.

So did I really manage to dodge a scan due to using stealth mode?

 

[cmdr lowest]

Either that or you boosted out of their scan range.

I'm not sure the authorities would do anything if you bought the slaves legally anyway. If they were stolen goods you'd get a fine but I doubt they would punish you for buying slaves legally... even if the trade of slaves is prohibited in most systems.

 

[Andovar]

Sounds to me like they started the scan, but you boosted out of range before the finished it.
To be honest, I'm not completely clear on the whole silent mode thing, and how it avoids detection.

 

[cmdr lowest]

Sounds to me like they started the scan, but you boosted out of range before the finished it.
To be honest, I'm not completely clear on the whole silent mode thing, and how it avoids detection.

When you see a ship on your scanner it's actually the ships heat signature you are seeing.

See that little moving graph on the RH side of the hud? That indicates your current heat signature and how visible you are to other ships on their scanner. You can also see your heat level represented by a number on the left of your scanner.

If you activate silent running it closes the heat vents on your ship - the little graph will slow to a steady line. With no heat escaping from your ship you have a very low heat signature and you will disappear off ship scanners. The downside with having your vents closed is that your ship heats up very quickly as the heat is not venting. Too much heat and you will explode.

You use silent running to drop off enemy scanners. You can use it to sneak into a station without being scanned - though you have to be quick.

You can also sit in space and turn off all your modules, which will reduce your heat signature too. I've done this before in a USS to make the authorities think I had left so when they jumped out I simply turned on my modules again and scooped up the stolen cargo without interruption.

 

[Andovar]

You can use it to sneak into a station without being scanned - though you have to be quick.

I've tried that, and I still get scanned. Not sure how quick you have to be. Why would speed matter if you're essentially invisible to radar?
I've found it easier to just full throttle it into the station. Seems the scanning stops as soon as you're inside, so their scans never finish before I'm in. Which seems a little odd to me. The station can't scan you once inside?

 

[Goilveig]

I've tried that, and I still get scanned. Not sure how quick you have to be. Why would speed matter if you're essentially invisible to radar?
I've found it easier to just full throttle it into the station. Seems the scanning stops as soon as you're inside, so their scans never finish before I'm in. Which seems a little odd to me. The station can't scan you once inside?

Silent running is not invisibility. It reduces the range at which others can see you on radar or lock onto you. It's not a cloaking device. People and NPCs can still target you, but they need to be closer than they otherwise would.

 

[cmdr lowest]

I've tried that, and I still get scanned. Not sure how quick you have to be. Why would speed matter if you're essentially invisible to radar?
I've found it easier to just full throttle it into the station. Seems the scanning stops as soon as you're inside, so their scans never finish before I'm in. Which seems a little odd to me. The station can't scan you once inside?

You have to be quick because you blow up due to overheating. With silent running on you overheat QUICKLY.

But yeah, if you make it through the slot before an NPC authority vehicle finishes his scan that works too.

Line up to the slot a couple of kilometers out then come in hot... that's what the top smugglers do.

I'm too chicken though. I take my stolen goods to outposts.

 

[Boff'in]

I tend to turn of the majority of modules in supercruise. (including life support).

Just power reactor, thrusters, fsd, sensors. (i still don't understand why cargo-racks have power).

as soon as it drop out of supercruise it's boost, turn off FSD. Hit silent running.
Ask for docking permision.
(once granted) turn off sensors.
Boost like crazy to the entrance, and then drop a heat sink when you detect a scan.

That has kept me alive during my rare smuggling occasions.

 

[Frewq]

I've tried that, and I still get scanned. Not sure how quick you have to be. Why would speed matter if you're essentially invisible to radar?
I've found it easier to just full throttle it into the station. Seems the scanning stops as soon as you're inside, so their scans never finish before I'm in. Which seems a little odd to me. The station can't scan you once inside?

The scans come from authority ships outside the station rather from the station itself. You're not invisible to scanners when you are in silent running, just much harder to resolve, but you can be resolved on scanner within about 0.5 km. I think higher rated scanners do a better job of resolving colder targets too, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

 

[NeilF]

Amazing how after all this time, we're still somewhat unclear as to all this...

 

[Cobra Mk2]

But yeah, if you make it through the slot before an NPC authority vehicle finishes his scan that works too.
.

So Is this due to the force-field that must be in place at the slot to keep in the oxygen, or something that's going to get nerfed soon?

 

[adoredtv]

I dodged a scan by using Silent Running when I forgot about my cargo after leaving a station. The scan had started and I tried to boost (forgot my Landing Gear was still down ), then in a last-ditch attempt I hit my delete key. Seems to have worked, at least that one time.

Spoiler

Edit, I'm a terrible smuggler as you probably guessed.

 

[GeneralIdea1964]

Re: scanning entering station
Once in the station you don't get scanned, this is how it's designed. Of course getting there before a scan starts/finishes can be a challenge. You could just not run illegal goods! ... maybe?! (nah?)

 

[willowfan]

So Is this due to the force-field that must be in place at the slot to keep in the oxygen, or something that's going to get nerfed soon?

It's because you've broken the scanning ship's 'line of sight' by going through the slot, especially if you dip down into the station once through.

 

[pacino23]

Either that or you boosted out of their scan range.

I'm not sure the authorities would do anything if you bought the slaves legally anyway. If they were stolen goods you'd get a fine but I doubt they would punish you for buying slaves legally... even if the trade of slaves is prohibited in most systems.

I think this answer is correct as I was also scanned during a slave trade mission and wasn't fined.