Newcomer / Intro How to scan this nav beacon please?

Hello,

I am doing a tutorial mission named: Exploration Mentor - Black Box Salvage.
I went to the Eravate system then I found the nav beacon:
ed-nav-beacon.png


Now, I am supposed to perform a scan on this nav beacon but I have no idea how to do that.

Can you explain me please?

Thank you.
Best regards.
 
Look on your Contact panel, on the left. Find the Nav Beacon, and Lock Target. Point your ship at it for a few seconds, until it scans.
 
Hey !

The target you have selected here is the navigation point, if you go to the "Contacts" tab you should see the actual Nav beacon, physically present in the game. That's what you want to scan :)
To scan it, simply select it and aim at it for a few seconds.

Enjoy !
 
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This does not work for me .. I've tried for 15 minutes to scan this Beacon but even while I'm staring right at it, nothing I do will scan this thing, and it does not show up under "Contacts"
 
This does not work for me .. I've tried for 15 minutes to scan this Beacon but even while I'm staring right at it, nothing I do will scan this thing, and it does not show up under "Contacts"

I can not tell from your image but are you actually in normal space or still in supercruise? You need to be in normal space to see / target / select the actual beacon.
 
I can not tell from your image but are you actually in normal space or still in supercruise? You need to be in normal space to see / target / select the actual beacon.
... and if you are in normal space ... are your sensors powered in the modules screen? you seen sensors to ... sense things :D
 
...and if you're in normal space and still don't see it, check (right hand panel, modules tab) that your sensors are actually powered up.
 
A 2 year old question but it keeps on giving.

To be completely clear, you must drop into the nav beacon's instance and scan the actual beacon. You can't scan the target marker from supercruise. Approach it at 70% throttle and when you get close enough you can disengage and drop into the instance. The nav beacon is in there, in your contacts panel.
 
Target what is shown in your picture, then drop out at it when you get the blue "safe disengage", like you do when arriving at the station. After you've dropped out, there will be a white dot on your radar. Target it and point at it for a few seconds until you get the message that it's scanned.

If you're carrying any cargo, you need to do it as soon as you drop out, then boost away as soon as you get the scan unless you want to fight the pirates. The same with illicit goods or passengers, when you need to get out before the police scan you.
 
I'm staring right at the beacon. I'm mere meters away from it, sensors powered, in normal space, it's in the center of my screen and it won't scan.

Source: https://imgur.com/m6JgpG7
Because you don't have it targeted. Select "target ahead" ("T" on the keyboard in default kb&m setup), and the targeting HUD (left of the radar, in your screenshot that's currently showing thge stylized stellar system) will change to a line model of the beacon, and the scan will start.
 
Even with it targeted on PS4, nothing happens.

EDIT: Rebooting the game got it to finally scan. This is infuriatingly bad design.

Now what? It says data downloaded, but nothing else.
 
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Even with it targeted on PS4, nothing happens.

EDIT: Rebooting the game got it to finally scan. This is infuriatingly bad design.

Now what? It says data downloaded, but nothing else.

You now have all the system data available to you in the nav panel and in the system map. When you return to supercruise all the signal sources are identified. Those things are the functions of the Nav Beacon.

BTW - I can't tell for sure but your image in post #12 might indicate that your sensors were unpowered, hence you cannot detect or target the beacon. I say this because of the messages in the top right of the HUD about your FSD and thrusters being unpowered plus the lack of shields. So you might want to check your power priorities in the modules page of the internals UI (RHS one).

Amazing that so many thousands of people manage with the "infuriatingly bad design". ;) No doubt as you climb the learning cliff of the game things will become less arcane.

Good luck and welcome. (y)
 
Even with it targeted on PS4, nothing happens.

EDIT: Rebooting the game got it to finally scan. This is infuriatingly bad design.

Now what? It says data downloaded, but nothing else.
The data has filled in the blanks and unexploreds in your Nav tab in the left hand panel, 1 on the default keyboard, this is all it will do unless you are running a mission.
 
You now have all the system data available to you in the nav panel and in the system map. When you return to supercruise all the signal sources are identified. Those things are the functions of the Nav Beacon.

I shouldn't have to go to warp to find a destination... I should have it before going to warp... This is a waste of fuel.

BTW - I can't tell for sure but your image in post #12 might indicate that your sensors were unpowered, hence you cannot detect or target the beacon. I say this because of the messages in the top right of the HUD about your FSD and thrusters being unpowered plus the lack of shields. So you might want to check your power priorities in the modules page of the internals UI (RHS one).

I unpowered everything except sensors because someone on another forum suggested sensors weren't getting enough power.

Amazing that so many thousands of people manage with the "infuriatingly bad design". ;) No doubt as you climb the learning cliff of the game things will become less arcane.

Lots of people using a thing doesn't make it good design. I found numerous forum threads of people having this same problem spanning years, but being that they're old, I was unable to comment in them. And given I had a lock on the thing before and it didn't scan, that also supports the argument it's bad design.

People make do with bad design all the time en mass. Like XBOX360's or Switch's interface.

Take the sensor panel for example, there's no legend. Just random shapes with no explanation. I'm especially finding slowing down from warp to be infuriating, since there's a huge delay on it, and I always overshoot my target by so far, that I have to go back to warp to get close enough. And then I end up putting up with sub-light for 6-10 minutes just to avoid doing it again.

Or how about how the GUI target for the nav beacon doesn't actually point to the nav beacon? That's pure nonsense.
 
I shouldn't have to go to warp to find a destination... I should have it before going to warp... This is a waste of fuel.



I unpowered everything except sensors because someone on another forum suggested sensors weren't getting enough power.



Lots of people using a thing doesn't make it good design. I found numerous forum threads of people having this same problem spanning years, but being that they're old, I was unable to comment in them. And given I had a lock on the thing before and it didn't scan, that also supports the argument it's bad design.

People make do with bad design all the time en mass. Like XBOX360's or Switch's interface.

Take the sensor panel for example, there's no legend. Just random shapes with no explanation. I'm especially finding slowing down from warp to be infuriating, since there's a huge delay on it, and I always overshoot my target by so far, that I have to go back to warp to get close enough. And then I end up putting up with sub-light for 6-10 minutes just to avoid doing it again.

Or how about how the GUI target for the nav beacon doesn't actually point to the nav beacon? That's pure nonsense.

1 . You misunderstand my information. Signal Sources are only shown in superluminal speed travel, you can not see these signals when in normal space. You see them reported as Unidentified Signal Sources which resolve on targetting - however by interrogating the nav beacon these are resolved without targetting once you return to superluminal travel.

2. Sensor display icons are explained in the manual.

3. Newcomers have been given a supercruise assist module which should stop you having overshoot issues. I don't waste a slot with one, reduce speed to 75% before your time to go reaches 0:07 and your speed will be regulated to stop overshooting.

4. Navigation markers are displayed adjacent to the actual physical thing they are markers for.

In general your comments are normal for someone new to the game, there is a lot to get to grips with, persevere and you will hopefully enjoy yourself. I don't know about bugs / glitches in consoles (I am on PC), although I have never experienced a power issue like you seem to have had - we tend to work-around the frustrations caused by bugs since the game is worth the effort . You might not think so, in which case, sorry.


EDIT: One further thing just occurred to me - was this "scan the nav beacon" part of a tutorial? I ask since in the tutorials certain things are not enabled until specific points so maybe that was your initial problem. - Just a guess.
 
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The NAV Beacon icon shown in your HUD is usually not the actual beacon but a representation of where the NAV Beacon can be found (wall-o-text):

The actual NAV Beacon itself will usually display as a WHITE icon in your Sensors display, almost straight ahead of your ship, usually near center but often slightly off to one side or the other and often a little bit high or low. Pointing the ship at it and designating it as a target (I use the "Target Ahead" button) will start a scan of the beacon which will take several seconds to complete. As the scan progresses, in the TARGETING Panel left of the HUD where it says NAV BEACON you will also see a spinning "wait" icon and hear a "scanning" sound-effect. When the scan completes the "wait" icon will stop spinning and you will hear a different "scan completed" sound-effect. You can now open the NAVIGATION tab in Panel #1 to see all of the system's planets, belts, current USS, etc. listed there.

It should be noted the NAV Beacon must remain in FRONT of your ship as the scan proceeds so you should SLOW DOWN or even STOP while your ship completes the scan. It should also be noted that other nearby ships will scan YOUR ship as you are scanning the NAV Beacon. If those other ships are Pirates and you have Cargo, you might be attacked for your cargo.

The way I do it: Drop in on the NAV Beacon and STOP. Point the ship at the white, NAV Beacon icon in the Sensors display (usually almost straight ahead, about 2 Km), designate the white NAV Beacon icon as a target using the "Target Ahead" button and then drive slowly toward the icon as the scan progresses. When the scan completes go full-throttle, BOOST past the NAV Beacon (don't run into it) and try to re-enter Supercruise. You will be mass-locked and the SC indicator will usually fill up slowly but, keep BOOSTing and you will eventually re-enter SC. Immediately on entering SC you can throttle down to zero (32 Km/sec) and examine Panel #1>NAVIGATION tab. o7
 
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