Newcomer / Intro Can't buy mining limpets

[BarbusMaximus]

Hi – Firstly I’m almost a complete noob but really enjoying the two weeks I’ve had on Elite Dangerous Horizons, despite the steep learning curve. I’ve hit an issue with being unable to restock mining limpets (controllers or prospector drones) and have spent a long time on google/here and other threads trying to work out what I’m doing wrong but with no luck. I’ve only registered on here after exhausting all other options I can see.

I bought a Controller Limpet Unit (A rating) and cargo space for my new Adder to equip it for basic mining. I play Solo and have been mining around Delkar. However, I cannot work out how to stock up on the limpet drones so cannot use them at all. Google shows that they are ammo and under the munitions tab and I wasted a few days looking for a station with a munitions tab until I found one post in one thread that said the munitions tab was replaced with “Restock” tab in an update! However, when I go into restock I can see the limpet restock option (0/7) but it is red and I’m unable to purchase any (the confirm button stays red). This is in stations that allow me to restock on gun/missile ammo in the same screen, but the limpet restock option always stays red.

So back to google and I find a few obscure posts on threads saying limpets can only be found in High Tech systems with a high population. I set my maps filter to high pop high tech and fly 7 jumps to Leesti – same issue. It won’t allow me to select any limpets in the restock menu. Some threads suggest you have to manually restock as you cannot do the usual restock all option with limpets. Try as I might I cannot find any buttons that allow this manual restocking! The issue is the same whether I buy Prospector or Collector limpet controllers. I’ve tried buying lower graded controllers, checking cargo space (10T storage) etc. Mining by hand is not fun and I have a feeling the answer is something really simple…

Can anyone help?

 

[Yaffle]

It's under 'restock' from the first menu, you do have cargo capacity?

You need about 2/3 drones of your cargo capacity to keep the drone use/material gathering ratio sensible. Remember to flush anything the drones bring back which has little worth to you, or you'll have a hold of bertrandite and when you try to bin it the drones will bring it back.

 

[BarbusMaximus]

As I said in text I have cargo capacity - presume this means a cargo rack? - mine is 8 T and only contains 1 T Osmium hence it says 0/7 in restock screen for limpets. But, as I said, it is red and I cannot highlight it or click the confirm button, which always stays red for limpets, despite allowing me to restock missiles etc in the same way.

 

[Yaffle]

Is the controller powered on?

 

[Para Handy]

As I said in text I have cargo capacity - presume this means a cargo rack? - mine is 8 T and only contains 1 T Osmium hence it says 0/7 in restock screen for limpets. But, as I said, it is red and I cannot highlight it or click the confirm button, which always stays red for limpets, despite allowing me to restock missiles etc in the same way.

Yeah - you have to click the little arrow to the side of the numerals you mention. You don't restock limpets with "restock all" for example, you have to specify the number you want. At the moment the screen says you have selected 0 from possible 7, when you use the arrow the 0 changes.

 

[Codger]

That's very odd, I've never seen it red unless I didn't have a collection limpet controller installed in my ship, but you say you do. I'm at a loss, here.

Any station that can restock, can restock limpets.

 

[Yaffle]

Just to add - limpets are limpets, they are converted to prospector/collector by the controller.

 

[BarbusMaximus]

One thing that occurred to me was I've never manually restocked, always clicked restock all button which is not available for limpets due to not wanting to fill all cargo space in one click.

Sounds dumb but which buttons do you click to select just one missile/drone etc and manually restock?

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Yeah I've tried buying both prospector controllers (E - A grades) and Collector Controllers (E - A) and same thing - it won't let me buy limpets as ammo.

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Do they work in Adders with relatively small cargo holds? As I say I'm a total noob, so it could be I'm making some other school boy error such as not having something else I need to use limpets? My refinery (4 slot) is always full processing - I thought of trying to empty my refinery but I'd have to dump painite, palladium, platinum and osmium unless someone says that is the problem for certain. Not sure how to link my adder spec but BarbusMaximus is my cmdr name in game if that helps.

 

[Para Handy]

Sounds dumb but which buttons do you click to select just one missile/drone etc and manually restock?

.

I just told you ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[BarbusMaximus]

"Is the controller powered on?"

Oh Oh! That sounds like exactly the kind of noob schoolboy error that I'd make, thanks! Don't think I ever switched one on after buying. Sadly I'm at work so won't be able to check until this evening but if that's it then I'm going to kick myself having spent hours fglying around and reading forums ​

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Sorry there's a lag in replies showing, thanks. Tried that, no luck... think it might be the old I haven't switched it on comedy noob error!

 

[Rob_the_Sparky]

IIRC (a bit hazy) red means you are out of ammo. Click on the 0/7 text and an arrow should appear. Click on this arrow and it should count up (one per click), then hit the button (confirm?) to purchase limpets.

 

[BarbusMaximus]

IIRC (a bit hazy) red means you are out of ammo. Click on the 0/7 text and an arrow should appear. Click on this arrow and it should count up (one per click), then hit the button (confirm?) to purchase limpets.

Tried that, nothing happens it just stays red.

However, I think Prof Yaffle may have nailed it, I may not have selected Prospector on in the equipment list. I will try it tonight and feedback.

At least I didn't post my idiotic mistake in a public forum or anything... oh, er...

 

[Yaffle]

I hope I am right.

Otherwise we may need a video of what you're doing, which should help either saying what you should be doing, or a rather odd bug report.

Good luck.

 

[Chris Simon]

Tried that, nothing happens it just stays red.

However, I think Prof Yaffle may have nailed it, I may not have selected Prospector on in the equipment list. I will try it tonight and feedback.

At least I didn't post my idiotic mistake in a public forum or anything... oh, er...

(I just skimmed through the replies, so sorry if that was the first thing pointed out)
If you have a controller (no matter which one) you can buy limpets even if it's currently powered off.
If the "restock limpets" option stays red, it simply means you don't have any cargo space. (check your inventory in the right panel. Maybe you're full on mission reward commodities, or something.)

 

[CMDR Mr. Boombastic]

Not in-game so here is somebody else's screenshot I found:

Spoiler

If I remember correctly and as has already been pointed out you need to click on RESTOCK --> LIMPET CONTROL --> right arrow (or left(?) if you want to start from the max value) until you have the desired number of limpets before pressing CONFIRM.

Also I think it will show how many you are allowed e.g. if 0/7 means 7 is the maximum number of limpets you can have (with the number before the / showing how many you have selected so far). If it's showing 0/0 then your cargo rack is full or you don't have one fitted.

 

[Winterwalker]

I think cargo racks only happen in even numbers (2 ton, 4 ton, 8, 16, 32 ..) so you have at least one ton of something in cargo?? Interesting to know what it is. A bug in buying limpets might be rare but some commodities are newer (engineers related), at least possible something in cargo is introducing bug somewhere (don't sell it .. yet .. it if it's something important .. let us know first?).

You're doing everything right .. In any station (giving restock) 0/7 suggests you have seven spaces left in cargo (and 0 limpets). Power on/off in controller shouldn't make a difference.

What "political state" is the system in? You can find out by putting a mouse over the system in galaxy map .. you get things like boom, lockdown, outbreak, election, civil war .. some services do get turned off by some political states but I never heard of this one. You COULD be about to teach us miners something important!?

A bit of mystery this one.

 

[BarbusMaximus]

OK, shame I thought not switching it on maybe the problem and is exactly the kind of error I think I have made somewhere. Yeah, prior to mining I did do a lot of Boom Data transfer missions but had no cargo hold at the time (attracts interdicktors)so assumed the physical rewards were simply lost in space?

I now have an 8T cargo bay, I also tried dumping my beloved docking computer and replacing it with another 2T cargo space to see if that helped, but the same thing happened. Not able to restock as it stays red with my current 8T cargo bay and , I currently have 1t of osmium in it so the restock page says 0/7 limpets equipped which seems to suggest that is not the issue? But I’ll have a look for rogue mission rewards – however, I’ve been mining the old way and have collected several tonnes of various metals and sold them without an issue so I think my cargo bay is empty or my refinery would complain it had no-where to put the refined painite when it made a tonne?

Or maybe when you have no cargo bay they go somewhere else blocking up limpet space?

 

[BarbusMaximus]

See above, I have 1 tonne of osmium in my hold, hence the red 0/7 in restock menu. I have a mining laser - tried all that - changing lasers, cargo holds, looking at power draw (it's fine). Buying a missile launcher, flying out of station, firing off a few missiles and returning - it them allows me to restock all missile but I couldn't work out how to just buy 1 or 2 missiles and I know restock all is not available for limpets?
I really don’t think I’m going to teach you experienced miners anything, my gameplay has been limited to a few boom data delivery missions in a winder before buying by current white van – no combat or anything else really. I think it is more likely I'm doing something really obviously wrong, like the switch it on thing. I might try switching it on and off IT Crowd style but I have tried all the various grades E-A. Could it be I have the wrong cargo or limpet controller? i.e. a number 1 controller won’t work with a 2 cargo bay?

I’ve tried many outfitting stations and it is always the same.

If I can’t get the answer tonight I’ve got 500k so if I trade in my White Van I can scrape a cobra III, although I wanted to get a million first. I’ll try that to see if it just my Adder that’s bugged if I have enough left for a refinery.
If that fails I guess I need to work out how to open a ticket with mods…

 

[Para Handy]

S

................

If I can’t get the answer tonight I........…

You just need to read the answers we gave you about clicking the arrow-heads next to the numbers in the restock screen. You have even got a screen-shot (from bombastic) to help you....


[alien]

 

[Winterwalker]

No .. I think you've done everything right ..

You said your refinery is full .. does that mean bins full full .. to 100% (and powered off)? or you mean just assigned a material? (if the cargo rack somehow thinks it's expecting something from the refinery maybe it can't count how many spaces available properly?)

Ratrher than raising a ticket you can open a post here .. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php/105-PC-Mac-Bug-Reports
You might get a reply from support that might shed some light.

Have you tried going to another station, a different restock shop?