Newcomer / Intro How profitable are Passenger missions?

[Para Handy]

I wanted to build an explorer/miner. .........

Just thought I'd slip a thought in here...

I use an Anaconda for long exploration trips (lets me carry many modules) but for jaunts of less than a week or two I just use an AspX as I don't need AFMU, nor more than one SRV and neither will I carry refuelling and repair limpet controllers. I have only put mining gear on an explorer for the specific purpose of the DW2 CG and that gear is now stored in the resultant station.

So my question is - why do mining when out exploring? Carrying a load of valuable goodies in the hold on return to inhabited space is just begging for pirates to come sniffing. Mining near one of the distant stations I could possibly contemplate but mining out in the black otherwise seems a strange choice.

Care to convert me?

 

[WinterKing2112]

Just thought I'd slip a thought in here...

I use an Anaconda for long exploration trips (lets me carry many modules) but for jaunts of less than a week or two I just use an AspX as I don't need AFMU, nor more than one SRV and neither will I carry refuelling and repair limpet controllers. I have only put mining gear on an explorer for the specific purpose of the DW2 CG and that gear is now stored in the resultant station.

So my question is - why do mining when out exploring? Carrying a load of valuable goodies in the hold on return to inhabited space is just begging for pirates to come sniffing. Mining near one of the distant stations I could possibly contemplate but mining out in the black otherwise seems a strange choice.

Care to convert me?

I go out as far as the wanderlust takes me, bookmarking pristine rings on the way out, then on the way back I fill up my cargo holds with valuable goodies to sell. So I get the exploration data payout and 100 million+ when I sell the goodies. Must be because I am a businessman in real life! Fun and profit, that's what it's about

 

[Speedcuffs]

I go out as far as the wanderlust takes me, bookmarking pristine rings on the way out, then on the way back I fill up my cargo holds with valuable goodies to sell. So I get the exploration data payout and 100 million+ when I sell the goodies. Must be because I am a businessman in real life! Fun and profit, that's what it's about

I check where the best sale price is.
Jump over in my DBX, find nearest VO hotspot.
Bring T-9 over.
Mine, sell, retire.

 

[WinterKing2112]

I wanted to build an explorer/miner. I entered everything in Coriolis and I think I can fit everything in but it's going to be tight with all the mining gear plus the exploration kit. Makes me realise how much room there is on an anaconda, I was really spoiled using Porkchop as my explorer/miner, but I think I need something a bit smaller now. So let's give it a spin and see what happens!

Just went out for a quick explore and then tried some painite mining. AspX is okay, awesome jump range, but the power plant is pants, it does not produce enough powerto A rate everything I want to A rate. But I am doing this for a challenge, it's just too easy in an anaconda! The mining got cut short: I got disconnected and when I reconnected I was back to the painite hotspot. Then I got attacked by a pirate. I only have 3A shields on my AspX (to make space for a big fuel scoop and a decent amount of cargo space), so I had to RUN! So yes, I'm doing this for a challenge, not for any really practical purpose.

 

[WinterKing2112]

I honestly tried to ignore this but I just couldn't, sorry. This is the newcomer's section and we should avoid misleading information that might confuse the new commander.

Here is a quick video I made to illustrate the difference between the small (class 1) and large (class 2) mining laser. I hope it illustrates how frustrating it can be to do laser mining in craft with only size 1 hardpoints (the video uses a CobraIV).

Personally I go mining in a Python but I understand some people like the AspX, Keelback and the Kraits.

One error I made with my AspX explorer/miner is to fit itwith a 4D power distributor to save power (the 5A power plant does not give me a ton of piwer so I have to make savings) and reduce weight for max jump range. Got out to a painite hot spot I had bookmarked from an earlier jaunt in Porkchop, started some laser mining and the 2D laser ran out of gas almost immediately. I put 4 pips to weapons and it still kept giving up! Then I got disconnected, attacked by a pirate when I reconnected and had to limp back home with a badly damaged hull! Just upgraded to a 4B distributor, hopefully the lasers will work better when I go out again tonite!

 

[aRJay]

One error I made with my AspX explorer/miner is to fit itwith a 4D power distributor to save power (the 5A power plant does not give me a ton of piwer so I have to make savings) and reduce weight for max jump range. Got out to a painite hot spot I had bookmarked from an earlier jaunt in Porkchop, started some laser mining and the 2D laser ran out of gas almost immediately. I put 4 pips to weapons and it still kept giving up! Then I got disconnected, attacked by a pirate when I reconnected and had to limp back home with a badly damaged hull! Just upgraded to a 4B distributor, hopefully the lasers will work better when I go out again tonite!

Mining lasers are energy hogs, I used to mine in an Orca and could drain its size 5 distributor with a heavy hand. Engineering the distributor helps a lot.

 

[Para Handy]

One error I made with my AspX explorer/miner is to fit itwith a 4D power distributor to save power (the 5A power plant does not give me a ton of piwer so I have to make savings) and reduce weight for max jump range. Got out to a painite hot spot I had bookmarked from an earlier jaunt in Porkchop, started some laser mining and the 2D laser ran out of gas almost immediately. I put 4 pips to weapons and it still kept giving up! Then I got disconnected, attacked by a pirate when I reconnected and had to limp back home with a badly damaged hull! Just upgraded to a 4B distributor, hopefully the lasers will work better when I go out again tonite!

Mining lasers are energy hogs, I used to mine in an Orca and could drain its size 5 distributor with a heavy hand. Engineering the distributor helps a lot.

Totally agree about the PD benefiting greatly from engineering - Charge Enhanced mod with Super Conduits experimental. Even then the mining lasers are a real drain on the PD. It would be nice to have an engineer give us a mod for 2D mining laser to take less than 3Mw from the PD - but no, of course F D in the main only bother with pew-pew.

One thing though - AspX with a 5A Power Plant has more than 20 Mw - how are you managing to find that inadequate in a miner or explorer?

Also - now that you have tried juggling the mining fit you will have noticed the huge weakness in the AspX - no size 4 internal bay. (Move up to a Python or Krait as soon as you can. )

 

[WinterKing2112]

Totally agree about the PD benefiting greatly from engineering - Charge Enhanced mod with Super Conduits experimental. Even then the mining lasers are a real drain on the PD. It would be nice to have an engineer give us a mod for 2D mining laser to take less than 3Mw from the PD - but no, of course F D in the main only bother with pew-pew.

One thing though - AspX with a 5A Power Plant has more than 20 Mw - how are you managing to find that inadequate in a miner or explorer?

Also - now that you have tried juggling the mining fit you will have noticed the huge weakness in the AspX - no size 4 internal bay. (Move up to a Python or Krait as soon as you can. )

Yes, the Krait Phantom looks awesome in Coriolis, it has a 7A power plant so tons of power for everything! And it has a pretty decent jump range so that would make a perfect miner/explorer. Will see if I can find a station that sells one, but no hurry, still working on the AspX.

Talking of which, when you have all the mining gear, a fuel scoop, shields and an SRV hangar on board, the 20Mw gets used up very quickly. To make it work I downgraded the fuel scoop to a 5B to allow me to upgrade the power distributor to a 4B, leaving me 0.03Mw spare! Will see how that goes when I finally get back to that painite hotspot, tho I found some landable planets on the way there, so I had a look at them before I started the mining. Sure enough 2 of the planets are covered in geological formations so will be down on them farming materials for a while....

Honestly, the whiners who complain there is nothing to do in this game must have had their fun genes damaged by cosmic radiation! There is so much new stuff to do it's going to take me a long, long time to not even come close to exhausting all of the possibilities

 

[Speedcuffs]

Yes, the Krait Phantom looks awesome in Coriolis, it has a 7A power plant so tons of power for everything! And it has a pretty decent jump range so that would make a perfect miner/explorer. Will see if I can find a station that sells one, but no hurry, still working on the AspX.

Talking of which, when you have all the mining gear, a fuel scoop, shields and an SRV hangar on board, the 20Mw gets used up very quickly. To make it work I downgraded the fuel scoop to a 5B to allow me to upgrade the power distributor to a 4B, leaving me 0.03Mw spare! Will see how that goes when I finally get back to that painite hotspot, tho I found some landable planets on the way there, so I had a look at them before I started the mining. Sure enough 2 of the planets are covered in geological formations so will be down on them farming materials for a while....

Honestly, the whiners who complain there is nothing to do in this game must have had their fun genes damaged by cosmic radiation! There is so much new stuff to do it's going to take me a long, long time to not even come close to exhausting all of the possibilities

Play about with your power priorities.
Turn SRV hanger off until you actually need to use it.

 

[Para Handy]

Y......... when you have all the mining gear, a fuel scoop, shields and an SRV hangar on board, the 20Mw gets used up very quickly. To make it work I downgraded the fuel scoop to a 5B to allow me to upgrade the power distributor to a 4B, leaving me 0.03Mw spare!.........

Well I think you need to learn a bit about your power usage. As @Speedcuffs says, alter your module power priorities and you will see that your 20Mw goes a long way.

What I do (and others have different methods) is make the Fuel Scoop lowest priority (5) and the same priority for Docking Computer if fitted then the FSD next up (4) and if mining then Cargo Hatch to next up (3) as you need that when mining but I have it as (5) otherwise. I have the SRV Hangar at (3) but disabled in flight. Obviously in mining you need the Refinery, Controllers and tools to be powered so I set these to (3).

So when your hardpoints are deployed, if the resultant power draw is over 100% then lowest priority modules are disabled in turn. Hence Fuel Scoop can always be at 5 as you can't use one if the hardpoints are deployed. ... You can play about to get the hang of it.

 

[WinterKing2112]

Well I think you need to learn a bit about your power usage. As @Speedcuffs says, alter your module power priorities and you will see that your 20Mw goes a long way.

What I do (and others have different methods) is make the Fuel Scoop lowest priority (5) and the same priority for Docking Computer if fitted then the FSD next up (4) and if mining then Cargo Hatch to next up (3) as you need that when mining but I have it as (5) otherwise. I have the SRV Hangar at (3) but disabled in flight. Obviously in mining you need the Refinery, Controllers and tools to be powered so I set these to (3).

So when your hardpoints are deployed, if the resultant power draw is over 100% then lowest priority modules are disabled in turn. Hence Fuel Scoop can always be at 5 as you can't use one if the hardpoints are deployed. ... You can play about to get the hang of it.

Awesome advice, thank you.

 

[WinterKing2112]

Well I think you need to learn a bit about your power usage. As @Speedcuffs says, alter your module power priorities and you will see that your 20Mw goes a long way.

What I do (and others have different methods) is make the Fuel Scoop lowest priority (5) and the same priority for Docking Computer if fitted then the FSD next up (4) and if mining then Cargo Hatch to next up (3) as you need that when mining but I have it as (5) otherwise. I have the SRV Hangar at (3) but disabled in flight. Obviously in mining you need the Refinery, Controllers and tools to be powered so I set these to (3).

So when your hardpoints are deployed, if the resultant power draw is over 100% then lowest priority modules are disabled in turn. Hence Fuel Scoop can always be at 5 as you can't use one if the hardpoints are deployed. ... You can play about to get the hang of it.

Downsizing from Porkchop to the AspX has forced me to learn some new tricks, so I am very glad I did it.