Guide / Tutorial Beginner's Guide to Scooping Starshine.

[Dharrch Streynjer]

Hi there commanders.
I've been at this a few dozen hours now and still I get caught out from time to time so I thought I'd post my experience gained wisdom for you beginners out there.

Firstly, always try to fit the largest possible Fuel Scoop. This doesn't affect your max jump distance in any way as they all weigh the same, nothing, and a larger scoop mean less heat generated and faster refuelling.
I know, I know. You can't always go large, especially if you're trading and you need that extra cargo space so how do we compensate for that. Simply put. You go slower and don't use the scoops full scooping capacity.

The safe way to enter an unknown system is also the best method for maximising scooping.
1, Set up a button for 25% throttle
2. Engage FSD at full throttle, and when you are in FrameShift hit the throttle 25% button. If you think you are likely to enter a system within the range of a Neutron star or a collapsed star (ie: Black Hole). Then throttle to 0 and forget the rest of this tutorial because you are in a special case scenario. Once in the system make a u-turn and engage the jump drive...
You won't see the speed indicator shift but when you break out of FrameShift the new speed setting will be in place.
3. Bring the view of the star's exclusion zone to just below your HUDs dash and wait for the scoops fill rate to reach optimum, then throttle to zero. (Optimum scoop can be ascertained by watching the temperature gauge. just before the percentage of max heat starts to raise you have your optimum scoop rate.)
4. Some point before you are full go to max speed and wait till the scoop disengages before engaging the FSD for the next system. It helps to steer away from the star too. Keep an eye on the heat sensor. If you start getting damage then let off a heat sink, if you have one.

Fly safe Commanders.

o7

 

[leifhansson]

Perhaps it should be mentioned, that different ships react different in relation to the position you´re scooping in. The ASP needs to have the sun on its bottom side to keep the heat consumption at bay, other ships stay cooler, when the sun is above the cockpit. You have to try, which is best for you. Personally I´m scooping every (scoopable) star when flying by on a route, since you have to wait for the FSD to cool down anyway. This will only work with high grade fuel scoops, low grade are to slow for that. Also you have to take care not to get to deep into the corona or you risk an emergency stop which will very likely cause heat damage. If your socks start to smoke, it is time to leave... Fly safe, cmdrs o7

 

[Black Rose]

Instead of 25%, just hit X as soon as you enter Jump. When you come out of hyper space you are stopped dead. You can then scan if you like, then hot key that 25% speed, tilt your nose up until just a bit of the sun's corona across your dash and fuel up. Now I have a 3A on my Asp Explorer and the max fuel I get is around 174.0. I hang there until 80 degrees then hit full throttle and head for my next jump point. The Asp is pretty sturdy and while I don't recommend a steady dose of it, it can handle up to 120 degrees before you start getting damage. I have a 4A on my Python and usually can fill up without slowing down. Max fuel feed is 327.0

 

[JetsonRING]

I agree that on most of the ships, especially the smaller ships a CMDR will want to fit the largest A-rated fuel scoop possible. I usually use the largest optional slot on any of my ships for a shield generator and then the next slot for the fuel scoop. On really large ships I can go a size smaller for instance, my Corvette has "only" a 6A fuel scoop and still tops off the tanks before I can line up my next jump. Yes, I scoop at every star I can, you never know when you will run into a string of 3 or 4 un-scoopable stars.

When I enter a system I note which direction I need to fly around the star so that I am making the shortest possible line around the star toward my next jump since large, A-rated fuel scoops can usually fill the fuel tank before I line up my next jump. I always position my ship topside-in towards the star mostly because it is easier to see up through the canopy than it is to see down through the deck and I place the exclusion line above the "scooping gauge" that appears in the upper part of the HUD. The position of this line changes somewhat depending on the ship for example, the DBX runs so cool I can almost ride the exclusion line. My positioning also depends on which scoop I am using and the ship's modifications since usually, the more heavily modified the ship, the easier it gains heat but if I am using a huge fuel scoop the ship scoops so fast I am out of there before it gets too hot.

Usually I can scoop at 100% throttle but if low on fuel or have a slow scoop (like in the DBX) I will slow to 75% or even 50% throttle. I will even slow to 25% throttle if I am almost out of fuel since I do not want to go too far around the star past my destination target. I try to time scooping so that when the tank is full I can turn directly away from the star toward my next jump-target and so escape the "hot-zone" as quickly as possible.

One other piece of advice is to always try to minimize your time spent scooping fuel. Often you enter a system and start scooping fuel only to have some pirate start with the "I have come a long way for what's in your hold!" so minimize your fuel-scooping time and if you get that message just pop a heat-sink and immediately (if you can line your ship up) hit the Hi-Wake switch. You can do this inside the hot-zone if you use a heat-sink. o7