Mining / limpet question

zipline

zipline
Hi cmdrs,

I'm planning on trying out some asteroid mining, so in addition to a prospecting limpet controller and a few collector limpet controllers I am going to need some limpets. Now I have never even used limpets before as when I go mat hunting in USS's I just manually scoop.

Now I understand that the limpets themselves are generic and take up cargo space i.e. 1 limpet per ton and in total I will have 96 tons of cargo space and hope to return from my trip with that full of goodies ... not half full with unused limpets!

So in your experience, how many limpets should I take out with me, and what do you normally do as your cargo space starts filling up with goodies if you haven't used all your limpets i.e. do you jettison the last of your limpets and collect your final few tons manually, or deploy them all and time it correctly, or other?
 

GunnerBill

GunnerBill
I'd take 65 limpets.

You'll use a few limpets up before running out of space and having to dump some limpets. But if you are really unlucky with them suiciding or you don't find anything then you'll still have plenty.

When you dump them remember to Jettison (abandon) or your active limpets will just pick 'em back up!
 
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Stabby_Dave

Stabby_Dave
I usually take about 50, but I core mine and only use prospectors when I know a rock has fissures.

Consensus seems seems to be to take pretty much as many as you can and dump them if you get full.

AFAIK, If you just use "jettison", rather than "jettison and abandon", your other limpets should pick up the ones you've dumped if there's any space left.

[EDIT]

Ninja'd ;o)
 
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GunnerBill

GunnerBill
Stabby_Dave said:
AFAIK, If you just use "jettison", rather than "jettison and abandon", your other limpets should pick up the ones you've dumped if there's any space left.
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The only problem with that is that I found they generally stop what they are doing and pick up the limpets even if there are ore chunks. Because the dumped limpets are closer.
 

Ethaidan

Ethaidan
Depends on what type of minjng. You'll need more limpets for core mining then with lasers - you can use loads looking for cores. There is no harm in taking too many, they are cheap and you can jetison them when you need space. For combined core-laser mining at this weeks CG I have been taking 76 limpets with 96t of cargo space and have been jetisoning 6-20 each run - filling up with ~70t of CG material with ~24t of core goodies.
 

Dash

Dash
Take more on your first trip out as you'll burn through them prospecting. When you've got a hang of spotting the right asteroids you can reduce the number you waste. I tend to take 50 for a haul of 100tons and I always have plenty left over. Given the amount of money you'll make (assuming you make it back to base safely), you can probably just jetison a bunch if they're taking too much space.
 

zipline

zipline
Thanks cmdrs,

Yes, I am planning doing core mining so taking just seismic charge launcher and abrasion blaster with me.

I forgot to ask: If there are deposits I am not interested in, if I add them to my ignore list will collector limpets ignore them too as I understand it is important not to select any contacts when sending out the limpets?
 

Ethaidan

Ethaidan
zipline said:
Thanks cmdrs,

Yes, I am planning doing core mining so taking just seismic charge launcher and abrasion blaster with me.

I forgot to ask: If there are deposits I am not interested in, if I add them to my ignore list will collector limpets ignore them too as I understand it is important not to select any contacts when sending out the limpets?
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Yes. Put the rubbish on ignore and do not select any fragment when launching collectors.
 

VR SenseiMatty

VR SenseiMatty
In the Omega Sector CG I'm using around 30-40 limpets per hour (collectors and prospectors) and I have 110 ton space.
I suggest you to take 70 at least and if you run out of cargo space just abandon the unused ones little by little. It's not an economic loss so don't be bothered..
 

zipline

zipline
Limoncello Lizard said:
Map your collector limpet controllers to the same fire key as your mining lasers or abrasion blaster, so you'll only ever deploy collectors when you need them.
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So let's say I take 2 collector controllers wiith me that can keep limpets running for say 5 minutes. When I first fire abrasion blaster, 2 limpets will be deployed but on subsequent fires no limpets will be deployed until the 5 minute timer on the first 2 limpets expire or they get destroyed, is that correct?
 

Ashnak

Ashnak
zipline said:
So let's say I take 2 collector controllers wiith me that can keep limpets running for say 5 minutes. When I first fire abrasion blaster, 2 limpets will be deployed but on subsequent fires no limpets will be deployed until the 5 minute timer on the first 2 limpets expire or they get destroyed, is that correct?
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Yes.

Although I run it differently, with tools on primary and collectors on secondary fire.

But: take A-rated controllers, they get both a larger range and longer lifetime.

As for the number of limpets: in the current CG with a very nice ring, I came to take 50 limpets for 96 tons of cargo space. That ususally comes out to +-5 limpets, i.e. either dump five near the end or synthesize one load to top up the collectors. With a less generous ring, you will need more - both from the prospectors you ned to find the rocks as well as the limited lifetime of the collectors between good rocks.
 

Guardian Kaiser

Guardian Kaiser
I deep core mine in a krait mk2 with 160 cargo space and I always take 80 limpets. I usually still end up jettisoning about 20 of them depending how suicidal my limpets are feeling that day. If you time everything right, you should never have to manually scoop anything and be leaving with a full hold plus full refinery for an extra 5 or so tons.
 

Psychomorph

Psychomorph
As people said, better take more and jettison if space gets limited.

In addition you can synthesize limpets with materials, such as Iron and Nickel, 10 pieces of each for 4 limpets or so. You collect these materials on planets with the SRV, but it takes time and is a grind in itself (you can carry 300 pieces of each material max).
I only did it to have some room for improvisation and it happened that I ran out of limpets several times (they expired too often) and could still reach maximum mining yield, because I synthesized them (including rockets), but if you know what you're doing (confirming fissures on Asteroids visually, without shooting prospectors into each potential), you should essentially not run out of limpets if you fill 50% of your hold with them, you will in time begin to jettison them rather. Since they are cheap it's worth it, rather than be forced to return with half empty rack.

As mentioned, you will maximize your success if you learn to read the scanner properly to identify potential deep core composites right away and then confirm fissures visually by observing the Asteroid. At this point I don't waste any prospectors any more as I used to.



Guardian Kaiser said:
I deep core mine in a krait mk2 with 160 cargo space and I always take 80 limpets. I usually still end up jettisoning about 20 of them depending how suicidal my limpets are feeling that day. If you time everything right, you should never have to manually scoop anything and be leaving with a full hold plus full refinery for an extra 5 or so tons.
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What optional component do you sacrifice for the extra 32?
 
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