Exploration Sidewinder Help!

CMDR Jay Stones

CMDR Jay Stones
Hey guys sorry if this is in the wrong place, I'm new on here.
I'm wanting to go exploring in a sidey, preferably to take me as far as Sagittarius A.
Does anybody have any tips for how to kit out a sidey for 1 million or less that will be up for this challenge.
I'd also preferably like to be able to have a vehicle bay if possible.

Thanks in advance :)
 

Caldeon

C

Flyinspaghetti

Flyinspaghetti
I'd speak to this guy:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=214222

One thing though is if you want to do it for "less than a million" you got to ditch the advanced discovery scanner as that will be 1.5 mill alone. You should be able to come up with a build that costs 750k if you do that however the problem is if you do that you'll have to go around and scan stuff yourself from a 500 ls range.
 

CMDR Jay Stones

CMDR Jay Stones
Flyinspaghetti said:
I'd speak to this guy:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=214222

One thing though is if you want to do it for "less than a million" you got to ditch the advanced discovery scanner as that will be 1.5 mill alone. You should be able to come up with a build that costs 750k if you do that however the problem is if you do that you'll have to go around and scan stuff yourself from a 500 ls range.
Click to expand...
Yeah I forgot to mention that I am happy to not spend the extra 1.5 mil as I want to go out and explore everything I can.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Caldeon said:
Hmm that we be these:

BDS + DSS: https://coriolis.io/outfit/sidewinder/0p0t3F0l3d3s3f1--02-2o3u2i2h.Iw1-EA==.Aw1-EA==

or only BDS + SRV: https://coriolis.io/outfit/sidewinder/0p0t3F0l3d3s3f1--02-2ov6B62h.Iw1-EA==.Aw1-EA==

Would invest 2,2 Million though, because then you have the ADS with infinite range:

https://coriolis.io/outfit/sidewinder/0p0t3F0l3d3s3f1--02-2ov6B62f.Iw1-EA==.Aw1-EA==
Click to expand...
What do you guys think about keeping the bds and the srv and swapping the shield gen for a detailed planet scanner
 

CMDR Jay Stones

CMDR Jay Stones
yeah i suppose i'll keep th3e shields just incase, which setup would you say to go with, the planet scanner or the srv?

and plus could someone point me in the direction of where to make a thread i can post on daily showing people pics of where i am and what i've found,
 

Iron Orchid

Iron Orchid
Caldeon said:
Then you have to be very careful when landing without shields. You should try that before you depart. But i wont recommend landing without shields.
Click to expand...

Fd have supposed to have fixed the bug that always causes damage when landing without Shields.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

CMDR Jay Stones said:
yeah i suppose i'll keep th3e shields just incase, which setup would you say to go with, the planet scanner or the srv?

and plus could someone point me in the direction of where to make a thread i can post on daily showing people pics of where i am and what i've found,
Click to expand...

Depends what you want to do. I would take both scanners if your are planning to scan everything (increases your return when you sell the data.) If you decide to go further collect jump materials before you leave.
 

goemon

goemon
CMDR Jay Stones said:
Yeah I forgot to mention that I am happy to not spend the extra 1.5 mil as I want to go out and explore everything I can.
Click to expand...

i earned my first exploration AspE via exploring in an Adder - without a Advanced Discovery Scanner. I still recommend a Intermediate Discovery Scanner.

SRV or Detailed Surface Scanner is up to you - if you like to drive for a change, SRV is great on longer trips. If you like to fly around System or above surfaces, DSS is for you. ATM i personally would prefer a DSS above a SRV - but i anyway wouldn't do a long trip in a ship i can't fit both.

i recommend doing a first "short" trip, to check whether you like exploring at all, and to test your build. take a trip to the eskimo or veill nebula, or to one of the hypergiants close by (for exampel: betelgeuze).

enjoy!
 

Satsuma

Satsuma
Also, ask yourself why, specifically, a Sidewinder? If it's simply to get out exploring sooner, then absolutely. Fit a fuel scoop and a DSS and go nuts! But near the bubble. You can take a trip out a few thousand light years and come back with enough data to get you in a really nice exploration Cobra, or something like that. The Cobra's got much longer legs than the Sidewinder, and it's got far better internals as well as being a much more survivable ship, when you do get interdicted on the way home.

On the other hand, if you simply love the Sidewinder and want to join Frawd in the #SideyLyfe club, then fit a fuel scoop and a DSS and use your 2000 ly exploration trip to earn the credits for an ADS, and then take your Sidey to the core. There's a famous star orbiting Sagittarius A* called S2 (or Source 2). It's far enough away from Sagittarius A* that it would be difficult to find by parallax shift*, and your ADS will let you find it. Likewise, the Great Annihilator (which is living proof that astronomers have the souls of poets) has a pair of black holes, and an ADS is basically required to find the second.

*This is how we do it when we don't have an ADS: You supercruise around in a straight line looking for stars that move. The ones that do are actually in the system you're in, so you fly towards them and honk them. It's time consuming but fun, but it's not very good at finding black holes...
 

CMDR Jay Stones

CMDR Jay Stones
Satsuma said:
Also, ask yourself why, specifically, a Sidewinder? If it's simply to get out exploring sooner, then absolutely. Fit a fuel scoop and a DSS and go nuts! But near the bubble. You can take a trip out a few thousand light years and come back with enough data to get you in a really nice exploration Cobra, or something like that. The Cobra's got much longer legs than the Sidewinder, and it's got far better internals as well as being a much more survivable ship, when you do get interdicted on the way home.

On the other hand, if you simply love the Sidewinder and want to join Frawd in the #SideyLyfe club, then fit a fuel scoop and a DSS and use your 2000 ly exploration trip to earn the credits for an ADS, and then take your Sidey to the core. There's a famous star orbiting Sagittarius A* called S2 (or Source 2). It's far enough away from Sagittarius A* that it would be difficult to find by parallax shift*, and your ADS will let you find it. Likewise, the Great Annihilator (which is living proof that astronomers have the souls of poets) has a pair of black holes, and an ADS is basically required to find the second.

*This is how we do it when we don't have an ADS: You supercruise around in a straight line looking for stars that move. The ones that do are actually in the system you're in, so you fly towards them and honk them. It's time consuming but fun, but it's not very good at finding black holes...
Click to expand...

To be honest i spent most of yesterday working up the money to get this exploration sidey, after putting a mill into it i took a short trip out of the bubble and turned back around haha, seemed to heat up real quick and can only jump 3 times without scooping, which i quickly almost lost my ship because i kept getting brown dwarfs, i came back and kitted up a cobra and i've just hit betelgeuze.

For anyone reading this who wants to explore in a Sidewinder, be careful you dont do what i did and almost lose my ship within 20 jumps.
 

goemon

goemon
CMDR Jay Stones said:
To be honest i spent most of yesterday working up the money to get this exploration sidey, after putting a mill into it i took a short trip out of the bubble and turned back around haha, seemed to heat up real quick and can only jump 3 times without scooping, which i quickly almost lost my ship because i kept getting brown dwarfs, i came back and kitted up a cobra and i've just hit betelgeuze.

For anyone reading this who wants to explore in a Sidewinder, be careful you dont do what i did and almost lose my ship within 20 jumps.
Click to expand...

well, there is a learning curve "even in exploration" - heat management, power management, routeplanning... basically you can turn off moduls like power distributor, shields and everything else you don't need outside ethe bubble via right hand channel, and you'll run much less hot. also, a class powerplnt helps.

but grats to your cobra, and enjoy your trip!
 

Cmdr Frawd Digger

Cmdr Frawd Digger
I like your style OP. Exploring in a sidey is a real challenge but is loads of fun. Personally I have ADS, DSS and fuel scoop. I think you need all three (certainly the fuel scoop) to go exploring. The ADS and DSS help maximise the credits you make on the adventure.

You are lucky in that you have 4 slots to fill. When I left the bubble the sidey only had three. You can either put a shield or an SRV hanger in the fourth slot. You only really need an SRV if you're going to areas with low star density and need to collect jump mats. I have been reliably informed that SRVs are loads of fun however.

But since you said you're going to the core maybe shields would be better. And since FD has warned us that things may not be too safe out there in the black...shields?

Personally i would take an SRV but then that's just because I have never owned one... ;)

Cmdr Jermus is also currently flying a sidey way out in the black...his 4th slot is an SRV but he is also trying to make it to BP. Talk to him about joining the Sidey Appreciation Society.

Good luck on your adventures. Keep us informed as to your where-abouts and maybe we can have a meet up.

Frawd
 

Satsuma

Satsuma
CMDR Jay Stones said:
To be honest i spent most of yesterday working up the money to get this exploration sidey, after putting a mill into it i took a short trip out of the bubble and turned back around haha, seemed to heat up real quick and can only jump 3 times without scooping, which i quickly almost lost my ship because i kept getting brown dwarfs, i came back and kitted up a cobra and i've just hit betelgeuze.

For anyone reading this who wants to explore in a Sidewinder, be careful you dont do what i did and almost lose my ship within 20 jumps.
Click to expand...

A 3 jump tank is a little slim, but it's not bad. On Distant Worlds, I never needed more than 3 jumps in my tank, and once I return to the bubble I think I'll downgrade my fuel tank for greater jump range. There are tricks that you learn while exploring: I get paranoid when I'm at 50% fuel - if my fuel hits that point, then I'll open the map and make sure I can make it to a scoopable star. I also scoop every scoopable star I encounter, all the way to full. It's cheap insurance.

On the heat issue: It sounds like you're flying with a D-rated power plant, for low mass. A-rated power plants have much better heat tolerance, so they'll help keep you from overheating. In my Cobra, for instance, I'd typically run about 97% heat while scooping with my D-rated plant. When I upgraded to a smaller A-rated plant (less mass than the big D I was using before), my heat dropped to about 67% while scooping. Unfortunately the Sidewinder doesn't have a good option for getting a smaller A-rated power plant, so you're stuck with the choice between either less mass and needing to be very careful, or more mass with more forgiving heat characteristics. Personally I'd go for the A-rated power plant.

Another thing: I still haven't gotten back to the bubble, so I don't have any experience with Engineers, but it might be worthwhile to grind up a longer range FSD. The Sidewinder doesn't have the greatest jump range even with an A-rated FSD.
 

Jermus

Jermus
CMDR Jay Stones said:
To be honest i spent most of yesterday working up the money to get this exploration sidey, after putting a mill into it i took a short trip out of the bubble and turned back around haha, seemed to heat up real quick and can only jump 3 times without scooping, which i quickly almost lost my ship because i kept getting brown dwarfs, i came back and kitted up a cobra and i've just hit betelgeuze.

For anyone reading this who wants to explore in a Sidewinder, be careful you dont do what i did and almost lose my ship within 20 jumps.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to learn that you have tried your hand at exploring and sad at the same time because you have abandoned the Sidey [sad], already.

Still, I'd like you to meet SID, my explorer Sidey. It took me as far as this already:



and I hope it will take me much further; all the way to Beagle Point.

The only downside to my current setup is that you have to be really, really, really careful when landing, so maybe in a next build I will trade in the Detailed Surface Scanner for a set of shields (and maybe this isn't a bad idea at all, as right now I am really vulnarable. One trigger happy pirate and I can start all over again :eek:).

Do I regret getting out in a Sidey? Nope! :D It is a wonderful ship, and despite the avarge jump sequence of two jumps before scooping (you really were lucky to get to three...) you still can make it to a little over 500 Kylie per hour.

The overheating is not that bad, just remember to throttle back before entering a system, and think (really, I mean think, take deap breath and above all: don't panic) before acting when you notice that you've entered a system with a binary+ star, and that you are exactly in between these hotties... This is why, in a next build, I would leave out the heat sink launchers: In the heat of the moment you absolutely forget where the button for activating these things are and so you loose valuable seconds that you could have used to flee the hotspot before experiencing heat damage :).

Anyway, when you are back in the bubble you can always buy yourself a surplus sidewinder and join the Sidey Appreciation Society for some fun flying while you are in the buble. After all, you did start exploration in Sidey :cool:!

Fly safe,
CMDR Jermus
(who is scheduled to be back in the bubble for early 3303 - provided his faithful Sidey manages to reamain in one piece...)​
 

CMDR Jay Stones

CMDR Jay Stones
okay guys i feel this is gonna be a daft question, but after being out in the cobra for a day, i've hit the bubble done some trading and i now have enough for an advanced discovery scanner, and after reading through everyones comments i've started to feel abit sad to have sold the sidey without giving it much chance.

my plan is to get the sidey back but... is it worth the 1.5 mill to get the advanced discovery scanner. how much more will it help me, and how much more income will i get from having it( will it pay off?)

thanks

jay

* plus what do you guys think of this setup
https://coriolis.io/outfit/sidewinder/0p0t3F1l3d3s4f1----2qv62fB6.Iw1-EA==.Aw1-EA==
do i keep the shields or have a afm instead
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom