Ships Exploraconda Outfitting Quandary

[ChipStar65]

I've been rigging my 'Conda for heading way out into the deep black for the first time, and following a lot of recommendations I've read, I'm replacing my beefier modules with lighter ones to extend jump range. However, when looking to swap in a lower-rated and lighter 6D Power Distributor (PD) for the 8D that is my default, I find I can no longer boost -- the warning says the Capacitor has insufficient charge, but the Engine capacitor column is topped off. Pips are set 2,4,0. My Thrusters are 7D, and maneuvering thrusters work just fine, ship accelerates to max non-boost velocity with no issues using the smaller PD. Only the boost fails. The Outfitting UI shows that the 8A Power Plant has more than sufficient juice for all my modules even with all at Priority 1 (useful given that bug going around). All modules have been engineered in various ways. The 6D PD is one I pulled from a Python I stripped and sold, where it worked just dandy.

Thinking that perhaps the 6D PD and the 7D Thrusters were somehow incompatible, I replaced the thrusters with a spare 6C unit I had in storage. The boost again failed with the same alert message, Insufficient Capacitor Charge, though all 3 capacitors columns were maxed.

Putting the configuration back to default (8D PD and 7D Thrusters), the boost works just fine as before, but this shaves a couple LY off my max jump range.

Am I missing some arcane outfitting regulation here? Or does this sound like yet another product of the April Update/Bugfest?

 

[Bigmaec]

The Anaconda needs ~29 or 30 mj energy (=capacitor charge) from the Distributor to boost.
A 6D PD has 26 mj energy. You need to apply at least g1 engine focused to it, then you can boost again.

 

[Ceekay]

Don't get obsessed with squeezing the last 0.1 LY out of an explorer as you need a ship that will survive the next accident/mistake etc that happens.

AFAIK the power plant can only be repaired at a station so I'd suggest armoured + thermal spread as it has additional power, improved integrity and better efficiency for a modest increase in mass. Mod the shields with low power enhanced and don't go too small as a high g landing can collapse an undersized shield.

Mod the DSS with increased coverage for faster planetary scans, supercruise assist is worth a look if you want to DSS at distant planets, a dual SRV bay as it's a long way to go for a replacement.

 

[Interstellar Overdrive]

Don't get obsessed with squeezing the last 0.1 LY out of an explorer as you need a ship that will survive the next accident/mistake etc that happens.

17.2 will get you to Beagle Point, 41.4 to Ishum's Reach. Only a few stars require extreme jump ranges.

 

[ChipStar65]

The Anaconda needs ~29 or 30 mj energy (=capacitor charge) from the Distributor to boost.
A 6D PD has 26 mj energy. You need to apply at least g1 engine focused to it, then you can boost again.

This makes good sense, thanks. I don't recall seeing any information to this point, just trying to work with the individual module specs.

RE: Exploration tips -- not at all what this thread is about but thanks anyway.

 

[Shnyrik]

when looking to swap in a lower-rated and lighter 6D Power Distributor (PD) for the 8D that is my default, I find I can no longer boost

You can actually go as low as 4D and still boost if you have access to The Dweller for engine-focused engineering.

 

[ChipStar65]

You can actually go as low as 4D and still boost if you have access to The Dweller for engine-focused engineering.

The 6D was already in storage but not engineered as Engine Focused, so that will be another reason to visit The Dweller.

 

[RumRunner]

This - just enough engineering to make it boost. I also tested mine on planets up to 2.0 gravity just to see where I could safely land without damage.

The Anaconda needs ~29 or 30 mj energy (=capacitor charge) from the Distributor to boost.
A 6D PD has 26 mj energy. You need to apply at least g1 engine focused to it, then you can boost again.

 

[Bigmaec]

This - just enough engineering to make it boost. I also tested mine on planets up to 2.0 gravity just to see where I could safely land without damage.

Remember: you can additionally apply the "stripped down" experimental for a bit of extra range.

 

[Northpin]

This is the last incarnation of my exploration / light combat Anaconda. Heavily engineered, but as you can see, it does boost with a 5A PD.
Easily converted to long range miner - just put cargo racks in all size 6 and 7 slots for 320t cargo, replace the FSD booster with another size 5 collector and the fuel and repair limpets with prospector and refinery.
If you dont have access to primatics you can go for an reinforced plain 4A

 

[ChipStar65]

This is the last incarnation of my exploration...Anaconda...

That looks like a very sweet ship! The loadout itself is extremely educational, thanks for posting it.

 

[ChipStar65]

Thanks for all the input, Commanders, I'm almost finished with my mods, just have Bill Turner to pay off to do Sensors and some other stuff, so I rigged J's Sojourner up for all-out deep core mining, had a blast (pun intended) cracking rocks and picking Bromellite scabs off of other rocks. Found my first Alexandrite and Void Opals, and one lonely little Low Temp Diamond. Total haul 17M+, a personal best for me. I'm hooked. Best thing is my mama-load system has at least two other icy rings to plunder -- neither are Pristine but also not Low or Depleted Reserves, no qualifier in the system map data, which I take to mean it's still a decent source, if not the best.

The only thing that seems out of place with the mining mechanics, though, is that both the Subsurface Displacement and Seismic Charges are not "smart" projectiles. Given that here in the 21st, we have smart munitions that can target a flea's zits at 5 miles, why in the 31st is using those tools like using a dang slingshot?!? Ah, well, it does increase player satisfaction to get a good strike on a fissure or whatnot, so that's a plus.

 

[baqar79]

This is the last incarnation of my exploration / light combat Anaconda. Heavily engineered, but as you can see, it does boost with a 5A PD.
Easily converted to long range miner - just put cargo racks in all size 6 and 7 slots for 320t cargo, replace the FSD booster with another size 5 collector and the fuel and repair limpets with prospector and refinery.
If you dont have access to primatics you can go for an reinforced plain 4A

Oh wow, your build is very close to mine in terms of design considerations:

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

Haven't seen many others take advantage of lightweight engineering and the super efficient 0E boosters to improve their exploration ships.

Also I hope that you had a lot of Proto Radiolic Alloys before you started....otherwise I have a lot of empathy for what would of been a painfully long collection process

EDIT: Kind of liked what you did there with the mining laser (I'm not even using those small weapon slots), at least gives you a way to collect materials if you lose your SRV's

 

[Northpin]

It's done for quite some time already - she took part in Explorer's Anchorage CG, but with 6d shields and slightly different weapon loadout.
Indeed. the mining laser is there for materials collection (Macedonica's Principle) and the Rail as a mean to dump fuel - just in case.

 

[Belan]

Below is a thread where a few of us were experimenting with a engine focused engineered 4D Distributor and 5D Thrusters last year. I managed to get a boost with 27.02 MW (ED Shipyard has 27.01 MW as bare minimum for boost.) It took every ounce of the engine charge, and once it read full I still had to wait 1/2 a second before I could boost again. Of course this is solely for Min/Maxing jump range while still maintaining boost, and the gains probably aren't worth it for the average user.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/boost-your-anaconda-with-a-4d-distributor.409647/

 

[Sgt-Major Malfunction]

Old tip, applying lightweight engineering to the sensors is one of the biggest LY range gains for an Anaconda and other large ships. If the range isn't maximum, you visit more systems and potentially make more discoveries, so don't worry about maxing it out.

 

[ChipStar65]

Old tip, applying lightweight engineering to the sensors is one of the biggest LY range gains for an Anaconda and other large ships. If the range isn't maximum, you visit more systems and potentially make more discoveries, so don't worry about maxing it out.

Yes, tip already liberally applied, thanks nonetheless. I replaced a number of very heavy combat-focused modules with lesser and lighter versions, engineered almost all for lighter weight, and now have a proper long-jumper -- 51.8LY fully loaded with 128T, and over 60 when trimmed to minimum mass. This is a bit of a compromise because I'm also rigged for deep-core mining and am carrying dual SRVs and a fighter bay (for the occasional interdiction that gets contentious, and generally gadding about the galaxy) but as you say, the routes provide numerous opportunities for discovering systems for bankable data and perhaps some firsts along the way. My run-in trips have included finding numerous pristine icy ring systems that proved quite lucrative in VOs and LTDs, and I am currently engaged exploring the Guardian bubble in the vicinity of Synuefe EN-H D11-96 (the Zende company's new locus) for the Ram Tah/Meene mission, about 3/4 done. It's exactly what I wanted out of J's Sojourner, and she complies with gusto.