Firstly, I just want to say that I've been getting these questions a lot so I figured that it was time to do a post about it!
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What are they?
Accordingly, wing beacons are beacons that you or a wingman can drop from your/their ship (while obviously in a wing with them). To access them, go to your holographic communications menu (while inside the game) ~ default key “2” on your keyboard ~ and go to the tab with two human-like figures (second tab in the menu). If you're in a wing, you will have a subtitle/category called, Wings, within that subtitle, there should be an “Options” button ~ press it, and within the menu you will see an option to, “Enable wing beacon.” Doing this will allow your wing man to teleport to you as long as he is Nav-Locked onto you. Additionally, the beacon will remain ON PERMANENTLY as long as you don't jump into supercruise and/or jump to another system. In order to nav-lock your wingman, simply do the same steps as mentioned above ~ except that you should select/press your wingman's name instead of, “Options.” Once more, you will see a drop down menu, select, “Engage Wingman Nav-Lock,” and voila ~ as long as your friend has his beacon on, you can jump/teleport to him.
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How do you use them?
Firstly, if you're the beacon dropper, drop your beacon inside the station or just outside of it ~ just make sure that you've arrived at your destined station/are out of supercruise/hyperspace ~ you don't need to be INSIDE the station itself... just out of supercruise/have jumped into the station's area (refer to the previous paragraph to learn how to drop your beacon). Once down, have your partner jump to you FROM ANOTHER SYSTEM. Before he jumps, he should do/know three things, 1) he should have you nav-locked, 2) he should have selected the system that he wishes to jump to (yep you still need to select your destination) and, 3) his jump range needs to be enough to reach you ~ for instance, if you're in a star system that is 21Ly away from your wingman but your wingman can only do 20Ly, he will not magically be able to jump to you... he would need to do the common method of jumping to an in-between star system and THEN jumping to you/the system that you're in. Assuming that all three criteria are met, this is what will happen
First, he will jump into the system and second HE WILL IMMEDIATELY BE TELEPORTED TO YOU ~ without ever being in supercruise! ~ #nopirates!
Also of note, If he engages nav-lock (onto your beacon) while inside the system that you're in, he will be in supercruise for a little while. In this case, he should travel (in supercruise) [in the direction of your beacon] @ FULL SPEED ~ he will eventually be teleported to you @ FULL SPEED no less ~ it usually happens a few seconds after you have passed the 6-seconds-to-station mark. In any case, it will still save him some time vs. doing it the regular way.
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How useful is it?
Now of course ~ here comes the MATH! WOOT!
Ship: Anaconda
Tonnage: 452t
Arbitrary profit per hour (pr/h): 2500 credits per tonne (cr/t)
For the Anaconda, it takes anywhere between 10 minutes and 11 minutes to do a one jump bidirectional route (back and forth trip). I've done countless timed runs for my Anaconda and basically, you're looking at about 10 minutes and 40 seconds (7.4884 minutes)[realistically] speaking. However, after timing 5 runs with one beacon engaged (my wingman was afk), the average time for me to do a single one jump bidirectional run was 7 minutes 29.3 seconds.
Before I begin, for my analysis, I will use the conservative estimate of [11 minutes]. However, I will display all of my steps so that, if you'd like punch in the same math for your ship/times runs ~ you can!
7.4884 (minutes)/11 (minutes) = 0.6808 ~ 68.08%
100-68.08 = 31.92%
Accordingly, at best (in lieu of conservative estimate of 11 minutes), having only 1 beacon down make you an additional 31.92% of your total daily earnings.
For example, in my Anaconda, in 2 hour @ 11 minutes/run, I can do 10.91 runs. Accordingly, 2500cr/t x 90.91 = 27,275cr/t/2h
In 2 hours @ 7.4884 minutes/run, I can do 16.025 runs. Accordingly, 2500cr/t x 16.025 = 40,063 cr/t/2h
Therefore, after 2 hours, @ 452 tonnes of cargo space, that equates to a difference of 5,780,176cr in just 2 hours ~ JUST BECAUSE OF ONE BEACON!
Using two beacons, after doing 5 timed runs, the average time taken to complete a single one jump bidirectional run was 6 minutes 9.7 seconds (6.16223).
Punching in the same math we get ~ In 2 hours @ 6.16223 minutes/run, I can do 19.47 runs. Accordingly, 2500cr/t x 19.47 = 48,675 cr/t/2h.
Relative to the 11 minute conservative estimate ~ that's a difference of 9,672,800cr IN JUST 2 HOURS!
Oh yeah and here is the percentage difference: 6.16223 (minutes)/11 (minutes) = 0.5602 ~ 56.02%
100-56.02 = 43.98% In other words ~ 43.98% OF YOUR TOTAL DAILY EARNINGS CAN COME FROM JUST HAVING 2 BEACONS!!! ~ Screw dividends!
TL;DR
Having [1 beacon] on ~ will increase your earnings (relative to no beacons/sitters) by 31.92% per one jump bidirectional run.
Having [2 beacons] on ~ will increase your earnings (relative to no beacons/sitters) by 43.98% per one jump bidirectional run.
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Amazing huh ~ well if ever you want to join us, I am, CMDR Ardavix, and my fleet is ~ Traders Anonymous ~ feel free to! Since I began the fleet, there has not been a SINGLE day that I haven't been using 2 sitters/campers (afk members with their beacons on ~ sitters/campers is the terminology). Of course I often sit/camp for them. Accordingly, join us ~ be apart of these great savings and see for yourself why we are the number one trading fleet in the galaxy (on a profit/hour basis) ~ granted, can't proove this but we do have the best methods of generating profits and of course, the best trade routes in game!
www.traders-anonymous.webs.com
TeamSpeak: uk.clanwarz.com:1155 ~ within the TeamSpeak, go to /Elite: Dangerous/Traders Anonymous
For those of you who don't want to use TeamSpeak ~ that's fine, we often don't either (especially late at night when everyone is sleeping). Everyone is welcomed ~ I, CMDR Ardavix, am from Canada (East Coast/GMT-5) but most of my crew/fleet are from Europe and GB respectively (And yes I know that GB is in Europe). We presently have 18 members but we often associate with many of our friends in game and other fleets like C.O.N.T.R.A.I.L. ~ another really nice group of guys! Accordingly, besides our members, we have an in-game connection of many-many more traders ~ hence, we are always in a wing of 3 or 4 with 1 or 2 sitters! WOOT BEACONS!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------
What are they?
Accordingly, wing beacons are beacons that you or a wingman can drop from your/their ship (while obviously in a wing with them). To access them, go to your holographic communications menu (while inside the game) ~ default key “2” on your keyboard ~ and go to the tab with two human-like figures (second tab in the menu). If you're in a wing, you will have a subtitle/category called, Wings, within that subtitle, there should be an “Options” button ~ press it, and within the menu you will see an option to, “Enable wing beacon.” Doing this will allow your wing man to teleport to you as long as he is Nav-Locked onto you. Additionally, the beacon will remain ON PERMANENTLY as long as you don't jump into supercruise and/or jump to another system. In order to nav-lock your wingman, simply do the same steps as mentioned above ~ except that you should select/press your wingman's name instead of, “Options.” Once more, you will see a drop down menu, select, “Engage Wingman Nav-Lock,” and voila ~ as long as your friend has his beacon on, you can jump/teleport to him.
------------------------------------------------------------------
How do you use them?
Firstly, if you're the beacon dropper, drop your beacon inside the station or just outside of it ~ just make sure that you've arrived at your destined station/are out of supercruise/hyperspace ~ you don't need to be INSIDE the station itself... just out of supercruise/have jumped into the station's area (refer to the previous paragraph to learn how to drop your beacon). Once down, have your partner jump to you FROM ANOTHER SYSTEM. Before he jumps, he should do/know three things, 1) he should have you nav-locked, 2) he should have selected the system that he wishes to jump to (yep you still need to select your destination) and, 3) his jump range needs to be enough to reach you ~ for instance, if you're in a star system that is 21Ly away from your wingman but your wingman can only do 20Ly, he will not magically be able to jump to you... he would need to do the common method of jumping to an in-between star system and THEN jumping to you/the system that you're in. Assuming that all three criteria are met, this is what will happen
First, he will jump into the system and second HE WILL IMMEDIATELY BE TELEPORTED TO YOU ~ without ever being in supercruise! ~ #nopirates!
Also of note, If he engages nav-lock (onto your beacon) while inside the system that you're in, he will be in supercruise for a little while. In this case, he should travel (in supercruise) [in the direction of your beacon] @ FULL SPEED ~ he will eventually be teleported to you @ FULL SPEED no less ~ it usually happens a few seconds after you have passed the 6-seconds-to-station mark. In any case, it will still save him some time vs. doing it the regular way.
--------------------------------------------
How useful is it?
Now of course ~ here comes the MATH! WOOT!
Ship: Anaconda
Tonnage: 452t
Arbitrary profit per hour (pr/h): 2500 credits per tonne (cr/t)
For the Anaconda, it takes anywhere between 10 minutes and 11 minutes to do a one jump bidirectional route (back and forth trip). I've done countless timed runs for my Anaconda and basically, you're looking at about 10 minutes and 40 seconds (7.4884 minutes)[realistically] speaking. However, after timing 5 runs with one beacon engaged (my wingman was afk), the average time for me to do a single one jump bidirectional run was 7 minutes 29.3 seconds.
Before I begin, for my analysis, I will use the conservative estimate of [11 minutes]. However, I will display all of my steps so that, if you'd like punch in the same math for your ship/times runs ~ you can!
7.4884 (minutes)/11 (minutes) = 0.6808 ~ 68.08%
100-68.08 = 31.92%
Accordingly, at best (in lieu of conservative estimate of 11 minutes), having only 1 beacon down make you an additional 31.92% of your total daily earnings.
For example, in my Anaconda, in 2 hour @ 11 minutes/run, I can do 10.91 runs. Accordingly, 2500cr/t x 90.91 = 27,275cr/t/2h
In 2 hours @ 7.4884 minutes/run, I can do 16.025 runs. Accordingly, 2500cr/t x 16.025 = 40,063 cr/t/2h
Therefore, after 2 hours, @ 452 tonnes of cargo space, that equates to a difference of 5,780,176cr in just 2 hours ~ JUST BECAUSE OF ONE BEACON!
Using two beacons, after doing 5 timed runs, the average time taken to complete a single one jump bidirectional run was 6 minutes 9.7 seconds (6.16223).
Punching in the same math we get ~ In 2 hours @ 6.16223 minutes/run, I can do 19.47 runs. Accordingly, 2500cr/t x 19.47 = 48,675 cr/t/2h.
Relative to the 11 minute conservative estimate ~ that's a difference of 9,672,800cr IN JUST 2 HOURS!
Oh yeah and here is the percentage difference: 6.16223 (minutes)/11 (minutes) = 0.5602 ~ 56.02%
100-56.02 = 43.98% In other words ~ 43.98% OF YOUR TOTAL DAILY EARNINGS CAN COME FROM JUST HAVING 2 BEACONS!!! ~ Screw dividends!
TL;DR
Having [1 beacon] on ~ will increase your earnings (relative to no beacons/sitters) by 31.92% per one jump bidirectional run.
Having [2 beacons] on ~ will increase your earnings (relative to no beacons/sitters) by 43.98% per one jump bidirectional run.
-------------------------------------------------
Amazing huh ~ well if ever you want to join us, I am, CMDR Ardavix, and my fleet is ~ Traders Anonymous ~ feel free to! Since I began the fleet, there has not been a SINGLE day that I haven't been using 2 sitters/campers (afk members with their beacons on ~ sitters/campers is the terminology). Of course I often sit/camp for them. Accordingly, join us ~ be apart of these great savings and see for yourself why we are the number one trading fleet in the galaxy (on a profit/hour basis) ~ granted, can't proove this but we do have the best methods of generating profits and of course, the best trade routes in game!
www.traders-anonymous.webs.com
TeamSpeak: uk.clanwarz.com:1155 ~ within the TeamSpeak, go to /Elite: Dangerous/Traders Anonymous
For those of you who don't want to use TeamSpeak ~ that's fine, we often don't either (especially late at night when everyone is sleeping). Everyone is welcomed ~ I, CMDR Ardavix, am from Canada (East Coast/GMT-5) but most of my crew/fleet are from Europe and GB respectively (And yes I know that GB is in Europe). We presently have 18 members but we often associate with many of our friends in game and other fleets like C.O.N.T.R.A.I.L. ~ another really nice group of guys! Accordingly, besides our members, we have an in-game connection of many-many more traders ~ hence, we are always in a wing of 3 or 4 with 1 or 2 sitters! WOOT BEACONS!!!
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