Do I Need A Mining Laser?

[Old Duck]

I've seen mining lasers come up in different threads about outfitting an exploration craft. I've even seen it in one of ObsidianAnt's videos. Yet I can't tell if it's necessary. My only guess is perhaps the AFMU needs raw materials to fix damaged modules...

So is it recommended for exploration? If so, does that mean I also need a refinery and cargo space? I can't imagine it's necessary necessary, since I know some people go exploring in a Sidewinder (not much room for extras there).

If the answer is no, then why do I keep seeing it mentioned by different explorers? Are they hoping to grab some rocks while on the other side of the galaxy?

It's a newbie question, so thank you for your patience

 

[Straha Yeagar]

I've seen mining lasers come up in different threads about outfitting an exploration craft. I've even seen it in one of ObsidianAnt's videos. Yet I can't tell if it's necessary. My only guess is perhaps the AFMU needs raw materials to fix damaged modules...

So is it recommended for exploration? If so, does that mean I also need a refinery and cargo space? I can't imagine it's necessary necessary, since I know some people go exploring in a Sidewinder (not much room for extras there).

If the answer is no, then why do I keep seeing it mentioned by different explorers? Are they hoping to grab some rocks while on the other side of the galaxy?

It's a newbie question, so thank you for your patience

Nope to all of it

They have seen a surge in popularity after the events in this thread though...

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/308075-End-of-the-Road

They come in use from an exploration perspective by mining for resources in planetary rings, and asteroid belts. The resources would be used for things like Jumponium, AFMU refills, SRV Fuel, and other synthesis things. The good thing is that since you are looking for materials, they take no cargo space, and you don't need a refinery to use them.

I do carry one, though my primary use so far has just been to look at the pretty purple lights

And if you do decide on taking one, make sure you take a medium one since it has the same mass as a small, so nothing to lose, and something to gain.

 

[Old Duck]

Nope to all of it

They have seen a surge in popularity after the events in this thread though...

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/308075-End-of-the-Road

They come in use from an exploration perspective by mining for resources in planetary rings, and asteroid belts. The resources would be used for things like Jumponium, AFMU refills, SRV Fuel, and other synthesis things. The good thing is that since you are looking for materials, they take no cargo space, and you don't need a refinery to use them.

I do carry one, though my primary use so far has just been to look at the pretty purple lights

So the AFMU does need raw material? These materials, can they be found down on a planet using SRV? Also, I just want to confirm, you say we don't need anything but a mining laser to get these mats. How's that work, do I just mine asteroids, pick up mats, and they just "go" wherever they are needed?

If all I need is a mining laser, that's easy. It's the extras that usually go with traditional mining that I was worried about (limited internals).

 

[Major Klutz]

It's a less efficient backup method for gathering materials if you lose your SRV for some reason or get stuck somewhere with no landable planets.

If you're using jumponium to get into areas that you can't get out of without jumponium, you might want one.
If not, you don't need one.

 

[newman1702]

So the AFMU does need raw material? These materials, can they be found down on a planet using SRV?

In a word, yes. You can check the recipes for AFMU refills on your right hand panel under synthesis. I wouldn't worry about this too much, though, as in practice you have to be extremely careless all the time to really go through your AFMU's to the point where they need a refill in the field. It does depend a bit on your flight style, length of time spent out there without docking, and the class / number of AFM's, but in general you shouldn't need to refill AFM's very often at all. And when you do the materials aren't that hard to find.

Also, I just want to confirm, you say we don't need anything but a mining laser to get these mats. How's that work, do I just mine asteroids, pick up mats, and they just "go" wherever they are needed?

If all I need is a mining laser, that's easy. It's the extras that usually go with traditional mining that I was worried about (limited internals).

You can get two types of things with a mining laser - ore, and materials used for synthesis / engineers. Ore is handled as a commodity, goes into your cargo bay, has weight, all the normal traits commodities get. In order to get these via mining you need a mining laser and a refinery that converts the rock chunks into actual commodity that is ore. The things that drop when you hit rocks with a mining laser are materials (sulphur, vanadium, whatever) - these go into your material storage (1000 limit), and do not have weight. So in a nutshell, in order to get materials to lengthen your jump range and get yourself unstuck, you only need the mining laser; you won't be able to do anything with the pieces of rock that would normally go into your refinery and get turned into ore, but you will be able to pick up any material drops.

 

[Major Klutz]

So the AFMU does need raw material? You can use synthesis to refill it, if you use up all of the "ammo". I never have. Ideally you won't take much damage exploring.

These materials, can they be found down on a planet using SRV? Yes, which is a far more efficient way to find what you need.

Also, I just want to confirm, you say we don't need anything but a mining laser to get these mats. How's that work, do I just mine asteroids, pick up mats, and they just "go" wherever they are needed?
When you are mining, occasionally, materials will break off instead of ore. You would have to manually scoop them up with the cargo scoop. They "go" into your materials inventory with all the other materials. You can then use those materials for synthesis.

http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Materials
http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Synthesis

 

[Straha Yeagar]

The AFMU comes with "ammo" when you first buy it. When you use it, it uses the "ammo" The sysnthesis materials are only needed to refill the AFMU "ammo" untits once it has run out. These materials can indeed also be found on planets with an SRV. And yes, using the mining laser for gathering mats is exactly the same as traditional mining, and they are stored in the same way as mats collected when you are in the SRV. In order to actually use them, you need to go to the right panel and it the synthesis under the cargo tab or something like that.

So in short, yes, all you need is a mining laser to gather mats from asteroids and rings. You need an SRV to gather from planets. That said, along with what Major Klutz said, the SRV really should be your primary method of gathering, and the mining laser should be the backup. One other thing too...rings do not spawn very rare mats, you it is not possible to gather premium jumponium from mining.

 

[Old Duck]

Thank you everyone! I think I'm finally wrapping my head around all this

 

[Major Klutz]

Personally, I don't think I would ever consider bringing one.

If I was jumping into hard to reach places that I could not get to without jumponium, I would want to save every ounce of weight to extend my jump range as far as I could.
Though a mining laser weighs less than an SRV, an SRV is better at gathering mats and taking both means an extra 2 tons.
Better to gather your mats before you leave and keep track of your mats for the jumps you'll need to get back home.

If I'm not going places that require jumponium, then there's no need for one in any case.

 

[Straha Yeagar]

Personally, I don't think I would ever consider bringing one.

If I was jumping into hard to reach places that I could not get to without jumponium, I would want to save every ounce of weight to extend my jump range as far as I could.
Though a mining laser weighs less than an SRV, an SRV is better at gathering mats and taking both means an extra 2 tons.

If I'm not going places that require jumponium, then there's no need for one in any case.

Quite true and reasonable. My primary exploration focus is getting to those out of the way places that take quite a few manual distance calculations and premium jumponium to get to, and I always have my full route planned and distances calculated before I make the attempt so I can be certain of having enough jumponium to get back before I even start. Currently I am sitting on just over 100 premium jumps in my mats storage.

About the mining laser goes, on my AspX, I am at 55.5 ly max range, and would be at 55.9 without it, so I am not too terribly fussed because the pretty purple lights more than makes up for it in a nice shiny distraction

 

[Old Duck]

When you are mining, occasionally, materials will break off instead of ore. You would have to manually scoop them up with the cargo scoop. They "go" into your materials inventory with all the other materials. You can then use those materials for synthesis.

http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Materials
http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Synthesis

I learned something new - I didn't know you could craft (synthesis) your own ammunition for weapons. That could be handy in non-exploration roles. Huh!

 

[Friedenreich Xante]

Also, bear in mind that very rare materials (like Polonium or Yttrium) cannot be found in asteroid belts. Only on planets. So if it's those materials you need out there, the mining laser won't help you anyway.

 

[CMDR CHIGGY VONRICTOFEN]

I never leave home without one. *grins*

 

[Old Duck]

I never leave home without one. *grins*

Are you the guy who saved Macedonica? I've not finished that thread yet (a great read, btw). Someone did save him, yes?

 

[marx]

If we could mod mining lasers, or at least Torval's mining lance (which is a hybrid between mining and beam lasers), I'd probably carry one myself. Never hurts to have more options, after all. However, a question to those who have used them: how much effort does it take to actually get the materials you want, especially for the less common materials? For example, would refilling premium or at least standard FSD boosts with the mining laser be practical, or an exercise in futility instead?

I'm mostly asking because on a small ship like the Imperial Courier, the difference 2T and 6T makes in jump range can be very large. On mine, it would be around 4 ly.

 

[CMDR CHIGGY VONRICTOFEN]

Are you the guy who saved Macedonica? I've not finished that thread yet (a great read, btw). Someone did save him, yes?

Yah, that would be me. *blushes*

- - - Updated - - -

If we could mod mining lasers, or at least Torval's mining lance (which is a hybrid between mining and beam lasers), I'd probably carry one myself. Never hurts to have more options, after all. However, a question to those who have used them: how much effort does it take to actually get the materials you want, especially for the less common materials? For example, would refilling premium or at least standard FSD boosts with the mining laser be practical, or an exercise in futility instead?

I'm mostly asking because on a small ship like the Imperial Courier, the difference 2T and 6T makes in jump range can be very large. On mine, it would be around 4 ly.

Way less efficient than an SRV...and like others said before, not even possible to get polonium or yttrium, so no premium boosts with it alone. Arsenic, cadmium, niobium are possible, but might take forever to drop. Basic boosts no problem at all..taking into account time to land and deploy SRV and start shooting rocks, might even be quicker for the first few sets anyways...

 

[-VR- pipestein]

I never leave home without one. *grins*

Chiggy you made your bones with a mining laser I find it fitting that it is perma installed. Never said it BTW well done bucky balling out to Macedonica and saving him. It really was the best thread of the year.