I prefer to chew through a rock as fast as I can - it creates a tighter mass of chunks to collect, and I have time to start firing off prospectors to identify my next target while my collectors are finishing scooping up everything.
First time miner asks for help.
- Thread starter Remus
- Start date
I did some testing on this. Strip mining whatever was in the next roid, regardless of content, with several trips with and without prospectors. It is definitely far faster to mine using prospectors than without them. This isn't even counting the main purpose of prospectors, which is to tell you what is in a roid.
You already got plenty of answers, but I'll still give it a go 
Your Keelback may not benefit too much from it though, because it's not very agile to turn quickly between nearby rocks and a boost can close distances rather well. Also density visible from super cruise sometimes only seems to result in more normal space fog rather than higher asteroid density. There's a lot of research left to do here (including on whether resource distribution differs).
All asteroids are persistent and belt asteroids are especially predictable.
Thus you can easily map and bookmark them for frequent use.
(have a look at how the current Palladium mining CG progresses rather decently with very few contributors - I can pull 100 tons of Palladium per hour in a T6)
The value is below the body description/above the other details (depleted/low/common/major/pristine).
In belts, experience. I can share mine with you. Just drop onto the by resource tab for example to see which belt cluster asteroids can have the jackpot or are just most likely to contain enough of what you need.
It's useful as long as your distributor can handle it and you need the fragments generated faster.
In a ring it's usually best to be in the denser area so your trips from one to the next asteroid don't take too long.
Your Keelback may not benefit too much from it though, because it's not very agile to turn quickly between nearby rocks and a boost can close distances rather well. Also density visible from super cruise sometimes only seems to result in more normal space fog rather than higher asteroid density. There's a lot of research left to do here (including on whether resource distribution differs).
Yes.
All asteroids are persistent and belt asteroids are especially predictable.
Thus you can easily map and bookmark them for frequent use.
(have a look at how the current Palladium mining CG progresses rather decently with very few contributors - I can pull 100 tons of Palladium per hour in a T6)
Do a detailed surface scan on any body that shows the systems reserve value (it's a system wide value - landfall planets and belts show it as well).
The value is below the body description/above the other details (depleted/low/common/major/pristine).
Towards uninhabited space. Or in a database like https://eddb.io/body
Icy asteroids, yes. If you drop into a belt cluster, D3 and C4 had the highest value to me so far.
In rings, either already having a RES map, distance to your ship (how quickly can you point at and reach it) and/or ease of access (rotation speed and shape).
In belts, experience. I can share mine with you. Just drop onto the by resource tab for example to see which belt cluster asteroids can have the jackpot or are just most likely to contain enough of what you need.
It's useful as long as your distributor can handle it and you need the fragments generated faster.
So, after fighting against the empire all across the bubble on power play, after gaining a little fortune bounty hunting, doing some trade CG's, I've decided to get my hands dirty and start mining.
So I got myself a nice little Keelback, I know it is not the most optimal ship, but since I play alone most of the time I thought that having an escort would not bee such a bad idea.
And man do those little things pack a punch !
So questions :
Should I start mining rather on the edges of a planet ring, or more on the thick of it ?
Rather on the surface, or more in the centre ?
Is mining in an asteroid belt viable ?
How do I discover if a ring is pristine ?
Where is the most likely place to find pristine rings ?
I'm looking for Methanol Monohydrate, I guess that I will find it on ice rings ?
Wich is the most efficient way to select asteroids ?
-shape ?
- size ?
- darkness ?
Thanks a lot.
-Mine whatever damn ring is pristine metallic. Planets will generally have multiple rings and not all will be pristine metallic, if any are at all. Where you are in that ring makes no difference.
-Surface? You don't mine surfaces...drop into ring around planet, see lots of rocks floating, mine them.
-Mine pristine metallic rings only and keep the highest value resources. The "3 Ps" are a mantra for many serious miners - Palladium, Platinum, Painite
-Look it up. When in system map you can confirm a ring as metallic by looking at planet details.
-Look it up
-Methanol Monohydrate is typically mined only for missions, and yes is found in ice rings. Good for rep, not good for money early on.
-"Select" asteroids using a prospector limpet. Fire at the asteroid, see if it has nice stuff, mine it if the content suits you. The physical properties of it seem to affect absolutely jack all.
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