Heat as a Stealth Mechanic

Obviously I appreciate the need to control heat buildup to prevent damage at high temperatures.

But in the distant old days I seem to recall that heat sinks were something a smuggler would use to reduce infrared signature and reduce the chances of being scanned.

Is that something that's still in the game? I'm looking at doing a bit more smuggling while I grind Empire rank, and previously I've just relied on speed getting through the docking gate.
 
Speed is still your best tool.

I've seen NPCs use heat sinks against other NPCs, and I lose targeting for a short while, so I guess the NPCs do also.
 
Silent Running and heat has the same impact it always has, your signature will be reduced but its not an invisibility cloak so authority ships will still spot and steer towards you if they visually spot you.
 
Obviously I appreciate the need to control heat buildup to prevent damage at high temperatures.

But in the distant old days I seem to recall that heat sinks were something a smuggler would use to reduce infrared signature and reduce the chances of being scanned.

Is that something that's still in the game? I'm looking at doing a bit more smuggling while I grind Empire rank, and previously I've just relied on speed getting through the docking gate.

It's still there, however, NPCs fully ignore your signature once they got a lock on you once in the instance. They will only lose lock at 8km+. You can go silent before they lock on to you (includes cool running) to avoid a scan but once they have scanned you there is no escape except boosting 8km away. ALot of times, NPCs jump into your instance fully locked on like bounty hunters or cops in certain scenarios.
 
thank you, you just answered a problem I've been wondering about. I got shot out after using silent running after the pirate had scanned and locked on to me. Having never attempted it before I wasn't sure how that worked.

It's still there, however, NPCs fully ignore your signature once they got a lock on you once in the instance. They will only lose lock at 8km+. You can go silent before they lock on to you (includes cool running) to avoid a scan but once they have scanned you there is no escape except boosting 8km away. ALot of times, NPCs jump into your instance fully locked on like bounty hunters or cops in certain scenarios.
 
It's still there, however, NPCs fully ignore your signature once they got a lock on you once in the instance. They will only lose lock at 8km+. You can go silent before they lock on to you (includes cool running) to avoid a scan but once they have scanned you there is no escape except boosting 8km away. ALot of times, NPCs jump into your instance fully locked on like bounty hunters or cops in certain scenarios.
At stations, you can break a scan by just boosting. You don't have to get 8km away.
 
At stations, you can break a scan by just boosting. You don't have to get 8km away.
I highly doubt that boosting alone breaks the lock. They do stop scanning though when you are too far away for the K- and M-Scanner, however, they still can target ylu and will attempt to scan you when there is no station obstacle in the way and you are close enough.
 
I highly doubt that boosting alone breaks the lock. They do stop scanning though when you are too far away for the K- and M-Scanner, however, they still can target ylu and will attempt to scan you when there is no station obstacle in the way and you are close enough.
Interesting subject. Could it be that the law enforcement ships outside stations have a narrow cone of view? Boosting may break that line of sight enough to disrupt their scan?
 
Replying to the topic, my DBS is so cold that if park outside the stations, NPC security ships will just sit and "stare" at me for minutes at a time before giving up and flying away. No "Scan Detected" unless I turn off SR, and then I get scanned.
 
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