Collector Limps explode?

[MaraJade]

So I'm wondering why this happens all the time. I load up for mining and off I go. I blast away at the rock, use my collector limps, no prob, they scurry about in a symphony of fury as they collect all the mining bits. Now I go to a nav. beacon and destroy a ship, it drops a bunch of materials. I open my cargo scoop, deploy those little collector limps and almost every one of them collect 1 items and then some how explode, sometimes even smashing into the side of the ship. Why? is this a bug? Why do they collect rocks and last till out of fuel or on some occasionally smash into the asteroid, but when I use them to collect materials, they mostly only last for 1 pickup?

I just don't understand.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

The limpets don't work too well if you are moving quickly. No speed problems with mining fragments, but canisters will be destroyed if you are moving too fast.

 

[Argus Leadhead]

Another thing to consider is how fast your ship is moving. Anything over 5m/s seems to cause the Limpets to explode when they try to bring back the loot, for me at least.

Learned that the hard way trying to pick up a load of low temp diamonds that I 'convinced' a miner to drop. Thought I had about 20 tons until I realized they were being smashed because I was moving too quickly.

As stated above though, targeting something then sending out a collector turns them into a single use limpet, but they move much faster than if you have no target selected and they're in 'collect all the things!' mode.

 

[sicksuntzu]

they also fly into things and can die :/

 

[Moonax IRL]

I did not know about the targeting. I've been doing that. I will try it without targeting and see what happens. Thank you!

Thats your problem right there, if you target an item they retrieve that item and self destruct, it you don't target anything they will last their described lifetime retrieving multiple items during that period. Its pretty simple and intuitive when you get the hang of it but I understand how it can be confusing at first. Just fire off your limpets, open your cargo bay and chill.

Edit- When mining I find it's best to give them a bit of room to operate in and I rarely have any issues.

 

[Roqinn]

They also can't dodge those big rocks you are mining. Find a spot on the asteroid that isn't moving to much and mine that spot. Otherwise you will lose limpets when the asteroid rotates and hits your limpet. You would think they could move around those things, but they can't for some odd reason. It was a pain in the butt when I was mining out at Jaques.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

It's not so much that limpets don't dodge asteroids, it's that the fragments end up inside the roid when it rolls over top of them.

 

[Necronaught]

Carry lots of limpets. like 90 percent of your cargo capacity if you are mining. Those prospectors will soon wear you down.

 

[ahiredgun]

On a side note did you know torpedo can lock on to limpets.
....and follow them where ever they go.
Oh rest in peace innocent asp picking up materials you died for science.