Detailed Surface Scanner

[Mr.Sharku]

Is this still needed?
I have an ADS that scans the system and when I get in range scans the planets.
However. When I look at info on the planets I just get a bare minimum.
No details of composition, nothing on the rings but dimensions.
Also wondering how I find "Points of Interest" on planets.
I'm out about 2500ly from the bubble and have scanned a lot of systems and planets,
but nothing of detail.
Also unable to look at the Surface Map after scan is complete.

 

[Ginger chris]

I think you need the Detailed Surface Scanner for erm... Detail of the surface through scanning... Sorry couldn't resist, maybe a bit harsh!

As for POI, if you fly over the planet close enough, you should see a blue circle superimposed over the surface image on the scanner, that indicates that you are close.

 

[Bartizan]

Is this still needed?
I have an ADS that scans the system and when I get in range scans the planets.
However. When I look at info on the planets I just get a bare minimum.
No details of composition, nothing on the rings but dimensions.
Also wondering how I find "Points of Interest" on planets.
I'm out about 2500ly from the bubble and have scanned a lot of systems and planets,
but nothing of detail.
Also unable to look at the Surface Map after scan is complete.

Without the DSS, you are not actually scanning individual bodies like stars or planets/moons. The ADS is just "honking" the system for a general look. For exploration data, this is very minimal data. No first discoveries and such. To see POIs, you need to be pretty close to the surface but not below 2kms. Definitely need to be below orbital cruise altitude. The DSS doesn't matter for POIs, but if you're out that far exploring, you probably should have taken a DSS.

 

[Skyflyer]

Without the DSS, you are not actually scanning individual bodies like stars or planets/moons. The ADS is just "honking" the system for a general look. For exploration data, this is very minimal data. No first discoveries and such.

You can actually do a surface scan with a discovery scanner if you do not have a DSS by keeping the planet/star in your sights and fly close to it (level 2 scan). But you will not get the detailed information that you get with a detailed surface scanner (level 3 scan). You can also get first discovery without a DSS if you do a normal surface scan. But if you just honk then you will of course not get any surface information or first discovery. You can easily test this by turning off your DSS and scan a planet and see what information you get. Then you can turn it on again and scan it again for detailed info.

Having a DSS when you scan will also give you twice as much credits when you sell the data so it is highly recommended to buy a DSS as an explorer as soon as you can afford it.

 

[Ginger chris]

Having a DSS when you scan will also give you twice as much credits when you sell the data so it is highly recommended to buy a DSS as an explorer as soon as you can afford it.

This, regardless of other considerations, is key. Exploring makes so little money in terms of time invested, you'd be seeing yourself off without one. I agree with Bartizan, I would highly recommend you turn back for one, especially if you intend to be out for any length of time. What ship are you flying?

 

[Mr.Sharku]

Yes. I've been scanning the planets but other than High Metal Content, Ammonia World, Water World, etc, not getting much else info.
I'd made a short trip in the other direction last year. Only out 1k LY, but it did credit me with 1st Discovery on those planets I'd scanned that had not been scanned, previously by another.
Oh well. I'd thought the DDS had been eliminated when the ADS started scanning planets for me. :]

"Any day you learn something is a day not totally wasted!"

 

[Ginger chris]

I'd be careful, if you learn too much new information, it may push some old information out of your head....

That's my excuse anyway!

 

[Nagual]

The simple way to remember it is that the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced system scanners can all scan stellar bodies ie Stars, Planets and Moons etc. A Detailed Surface Scanner is required for more information about the object being scanned inc materials etc.

First Discovered By tags do NOT require the DSS.

 

[Sapyx]

The Discovery Scanner gives you a "level 1 scan". Level 1 scans tell you the object is there, and some very basic statistics about it - type, mass, orbital properties.

The simple way to remember it is that the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced system scanners can all scan stellar bodies ie Stars, Planets and Moons etc. A Detailed Surface Scanner is required for more information about the object being scanned inc materials etc.

First Discovered By tags do NOT require the DSS.

First Discovered By tags do not require a DSS, but they do require you to do a surface scan of the star or planet in question - that means flying up to them until you get within scan range (this range varies directly with the radius of the object in question, from thousands of Ls for stars down to 5 Ls for neutron stars, black holes and tiny moonlets) and pointing you ship at them, with the object selected as the navigation target, until the scan completes. The object then changes from "UNEXPLORED" to the object's name. Doing all this without a DSS gives you a Level 2 scan, doing this with a DSS gives you a Level 3 scan.

The Detailed Surface Scanner gives you two things:

- Extra credits. The Level 3 Scan bonus increase can vary anywhere from 50% to 1000%, depending on the "quality" of the planet being scanned - generally, bigger is better. And remember, the 50% First Discovery bonus is 50% of the total scan value, so the difference between a Level 2 discovery bonus and a Level 3 discovery bonus can be considerable. Exploration pays a pittance any way you look at it, but it pays even less of a pittance without a DSS.

- Extra information. The Level 3 scan now tells you the materials present on the surfaces of landable planets, and their probabilities - so if you're hunting specifically for vanadium for a FSD boost, you can now know for certain which planets will be worth hunting on and which will be a waste of time. The rest of the "extra information" you get with a level 3 scan, in terms of atmospheric density and composition, planetary internal structure, etc, is currently not "useful" in terms of in-game relevance, it's just flavour text - but may be useful down the track when we can actually land on atmospheric worlds, or deploy mining rigs for deep mining. But until then, all it adds is a little extra stuff to go "Oooh, Aaah" at.

 

[osser]

Yes.
5 char.
what Sapyx says.
5 char

 

[Ozram]

It's very useful for seeking out specific materials both on surfaces and belts.

 

[newman1702]

You can actually do a surface scan with a discovery scanner if you do not have a DSS by keeping the planet/star in your sights and fly close to it (level 2 scan). But you will not get the detailed information that you get with a detailed surface scanner (level 3 scan). You can also get first discovery without a DSS if you do a normal surface scan. But if you just honk then you will of course not get any surface information or first discovery. You can easily test this by turning off your DSS and scan a planet and see what information you get. Then you can turn it on again and scan it again for detailed info.

Having a DSS when you scan will also give you twice as much credits when you sell the data so it is highly recommended to buy a DSS as an explorer as soon as you can afford it.

That has nothing to do with a discovery scanner, you can do a level 2 scan without one.

 

[MattG]

Worth also pointing out that you won't get any Journal "Scan" events if you don't have a DSS installed - which will be used by almost any 3rd party software you might currently be using, or want to use in the future.

 

[Mr.Sharku]

Well. I was on the way out to break the 5k from start barrier to get an invite from Dr. Palin.
Since I was 2500 out already I continued. I had my fully geared up conda out doing 26.7ly jumps.
Wasn't in much hurry and intended on going to Sag A. But I turned around at 5100ly and came back fast,
without much scanning. I reconfigured the conda so it's now doing 41ly jumps, added a dss and AFM units.
Also added 2 more heat sink launchers since the 2 I had were just barely enuf.
Anyway I'm headed back out in a day or so but had one other question.....
POI's. When I mentioned them early in the thread, I was told to fly low over the planet surface and watch for the blue circle.
My question is... Is there a way to see if anything is on the planet/moon without flying over every surface of the planet at 200mps?
That could take a loooong time!

 

[varonica]

My question is... Is there a way to see if anything is on the planet/moon without flying over every surface of the planet at 200mps?
That could take a loooong time!

The answer is....no.

And yes it does take a long time.

Edit: yes you can tell if a planet has volcanic features by checking the system map after scanning with a DSS, and the percentage of minerals, for instance if you were after Polonium you wouldn't search on planets that didn't have it in the list after the DSS. However it won't tell you where to find them, minerals are ok I guess, they are all over, but volcanic features and alien ruins are persistent, they only appear in specific locations, so you have to fly around to find them Check the geyser and fumarole thread to get some more help if you intend searching for them.

Edit 2, I can manage a steady 400mps in my un-engineered Cobra using boost properly, it's about the only thing I would really ever bother engineering for, so if you can engineer your thrusters for better speed I suggest doing so.

 

[disorganise]

My asp runs around 380m/s after thruster engineering. 460ish on boost iirc. But....it still takes a loooong time to move around a planet

 

[varonica]

My asp runs around 380m/s after thruster engineering. 460ish on boost iirc. But....it still takes a loooong time to move around a planet

Well, it is a planet right? I generally stick to major features, if I can't find any checking those I move on, circling the planet is just not an option,even if we had a way to properly track progress mapping wise.

 

[Witcher 7]

Worth also pointing out that you won't get any Journal "Scan" events if you don't have a DSS installed.

Will the DSS scan and find the location of alien Barnacles or other objects that don't show on your scanner like POI? If not, will it at least keep the marker of where you found an alien barnacle the ship's computer?

Also, if the system doesn't have a nav beacon the ADS reveals the planets as Unexplored until you fly to them. I'm guessing you still need to fly to individual planets to reveal their names with a DSS?

 

[disorganise]

Will the DSS scan and find the location of alien Barnacles or other objects that don't show on your scanner like POI? If not, will it at least keep the marker of where you found an alien barnacle the ship's computer?

Also, if the system doesn't have a nav beacon the ADS reveals the planets as Unexplored until you fly to them. I'm guessing you still need to fly to individual planets to reveal their names with a DSS?

First part....no. DSS does not locate POI's. The alien ruins were added as a special POI when you get within 1000ls (same as for convoy beacons) but you don't need a DSS for that.
And no....it won't keep markers either. It has been asked many times to implement planet markers However.....if you install and use TCE (Trade Computer Extension), it will pop up a little mini map and show you direction and stored locations. Only within about 100km though, but it's something

Yes. You need to scan bodies to get their names. The DSS just adds more info and corresponding discovery credits.

One point to note.....2.3 implemented a change in the journal so that scans without DSS do now write out information to the log so tools like EDD, TCE, Captains Log can still detect and update.

 

[Witcher 7]

And no....it won't keep markers either. It has been asked many times to implement planet markers However.....if you install and use TCE (Trade Computer Extension), it will pop up a little mini map and show you direction and stored locations. Only within about 100km though, but it's something

One point to note.....2.3 implemented a change in the journal so that scans without DSS do now write out information to the log so tools like EDD, TCE, Captains Log can still detect and update.

Thanks and will the TCE show locations of alien ruins, generation ship, etc. within 100 kms on its Find Location panel and/or ship's sensor? Or does it only keep track of sites that you found yourself - i.e., doesn't help to locate sites that you haven't found yet?