Mining Tips?

KaizoMK · Jul 12, 2015

I'm delving into mining, which is strangely alluring. I'm going in with a t9 and an exploration setup (about 380 cargo space. I got some questions!

-I've already found just finding a pristine metallic ring to be an ordeal, which is why I'm leaving civilization. Is that really necessary? What's the best method for finding a system that has them?
-How exactly does the mining laser work? Do I shoot at asteroids until nothing comes out anymore? Does having more than one speed up the process or net you more minerals? Does it matter where you shoot the asteroid?

Any answers would be fantastic, along with any other nuggets of wisdom.

ozrix84 · Jul 12, 2015

1. You don't need to leave civilisation to find pristine metallic. Check it out
2. Yes. Buying a prospector controller and limpet munitions makes life easier. You'll see the composition of the asteroid on your HUD. It doesn't matter where you shoot it.

How I do it is find a system with pristine metallic rings that has multiple high tech systems around it. First, I cruise around said high tech systems and collect bulletin missions that pay for rare ores. Then I fill up the cargo bay to the rim with limpets, head out to the metallic ring, shoot out two collector drones and start scanning asteroids with prospector drones. Rinse repeat. I recommend you ignore Indite, Bertrandite, Galite.

Steve50 · Jul 12, 2015

If you have 380 cargo space this is how I'd do it.

Fit 2 mining lasers (highest class you can, as they mine the ore faster)
A refinery with at least 8 bins (ideally 9-10)
At least 2 collector modules that can run 2 limpets each. (More if you like)
At least one prospector module

With 380 cargo space I'd load up with 300-350 limpets then head out to the pristine metallic ring. Enter the High RES and then turn away from the nav point and boost for a few mins until you are 30-50k away from the marker and thus much less likely to get pirates.

Then send a prospector limpet towards an asteroid. You can mine what you like but I only mine high quality ore, so nothing less than painite, platinum, palladium, gold etc. if the prospector shows good ore, send out all your collector limpets and then blast the asteroid until the prospector reports the asteroid is depleted.

Repeat until you run out of limpets or your cargo bay is full.

Tip 1: always check for mining missions before departing
Tip 2: if you just docked with ore and are planing to logout, do not sell your ore, leave it there and when you play next you might immediately get some mining missions that you already have the ore to fulfil.

Quineloe · Jul 12, 2015

I would not mine in a type9, a lot of time spent mining goes into flying to the next asteroid. Doing that in the least agile ship in the game sounds horror.

Banzz · Jul 12, 2015

There is definietely good tips here, i think i'll head to one of those system with Annie and give it a go. I did not think of using more than 1 Collector in a loadout.

Is equipping several mining lasers worth it ? I remember noticing a difference in extracting speed between class 1 and class 2, but no speed up with more than 1 laser.

KaizoMK · Jul 12, 2015

@osrix, you are a bloody hero with that imgur link. Thank you.
@steve, is RES necessary? I was planning on hitting the belt itself to avoid pirates altogether. Does leaving the center point 50k still give the same yields as the RES point? I also noticed no difference between two lasers and one as far as mining speed. Is it indeed faster?
@quineloe, your concern is well warranted, but I feel like milling around for a long time and then going in for my huge payout. Plus I'm sick to death of trading already but I don't want to sell the t9 until I'm in annie town.

Captain Hammer · Jul 12, 2015

I like this Python setup with Mining and it was suggested to me to have 4 class 2 mining lasers on it.

JetJaguar · Jul 12, 2015

Just things from my experience mining: (not necessarily 100% accurate)

1) Prospectors are not needed, just zap the rock until a chunk comes out and look over at the contacts window to see what minerals the Rock contains.

2) Big, odd shaped, Rocks that are spinning quickly like to kill collector drones. Pick a good angle before you start mining.

2) Mining in systems with with a pristine ring and a high tech station seems to be skewed so you cant make easy money. (eg the pristine rings in these systems have terrible yields)

3) It is not necessary to mine at a "RES". I have found they yield no more or a higher quantity of metals/ minerals than just some random spot on the ring. In fact the random spot on the ring is far safer.

4) Pristine does not mean it's good. You may have to search through many Pristine rings/systems before you find some good yields.

5) Rocky rings don't seem to yield any more Panite (the most valuable mineral) than Metal rings.

As an Example of the sort of Yields you can find: The system I am currently mining in gives me Gold, Silver, Osmium, Plat, Palad, in every rock I mine. It is usually mixed with Indite, Galite, Bertrandite. Occasionally I will get a Pure Gold or Silver Rock, or one that is mixed high metals, like Silver and Palladium in one Rock. Every 10 Rocks or so I normally find some Panite.

I can make about 1.5 Mil in 1 hour 15 mins, or so. (Type 7 / 168 tons / 4 mining lasers / 4 Collector limpets / 9 bin refinery)

This is the Best I have seen so far. Most other Pristine metal rings I have investigated seem to be just Indite, Galite, Bertrandite , Cobalt , uranium etc with the occasional Gold and Silver etc.

(just discovered there is a difference between Metal and Metallic rings...worth baring in mind)

Lewis N Clark · Jul 12, 2015

Captain Hammer said:
I like this Python setup with Mining and it was suggested to me to have 4 class 2 mining lasers on it.

My mining Python has a nearly identical config to yours. Two class 2 mining lasers deplete a rock so quickly that I can't imagine much advantage to having 4.

Steve50 · Jul 12, 2015

KaizoMK said:
@osrix, you are a bloody hero with that imgur link. Thank you.
@steve, is RES necessary? I was planning on hitting the belt itself to avoid pirates altogether. Does leaving the center point 50k still give the same yields as the RES point? I also noticed no difference between two lasers and one as far as mining speed. Is it indeed faster?
@quineloe, your concern is well warranted, but I feel like milling around for a long time and then going in for my huge payout. Plus I'm sick to death of trading already but I don't want to sell the t9 until I'm in annie town.

Not totally necessary but in a RES you'll get higher yields of ore and mainly far far less junk like bertrandite, indite and other trash that's not worth mining. There is a ore yield bonus if you are inside a RES. so I go in and boost waaaay away from the nav point. I've noticed no difference between ore yield 1k from the point and ore yield when 50k from the nav point. ..just less pirates

ExRex · Jul 12, 2015

Here are some great links for more info on mining:
how to mine for dummies:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=164372

and reddit.com/r/eliteminers is also very helpful!

Steve50 · Jul 12, 2015

I disagree with prospectors are not needed. I've done runs with and without them just to see the difference and my mining efficiency was vastly higher with them, so I always use them now.

KaizoMK · Jul 12, 2015

Thanks again for the advice, guys. In my limited experience applying said advice I've found:

-prospector drones make your life SOOO MUCH easier. I fire one off and don't even have to get close to it to find I don't want to mine it.
-that said, get the A1 prospector, as it seems to kill the last one you send out, making it unfeasible to fire off multiples and check them all.
-lasers do stack, although I don't know in what way....2 medium lasers seem pretty sweet
-four seems to be the sweetspot of collector drones...any less is irritating to wait for, any more doesn't get you a decent yield per drone and you run out too fast.

Is there a difference in asteroid size? I can't seem to discern one.

Quineloe · Jul 12, 2015

My anaconda mines with 6 collectors out and I can turn 100 limpets into 350t of cargo, ie my max capacity. If you run out of limpets before your hold is full I guess thats the travel time I was talking about. How big is your cargo hold and are you running A rated collectors for the full 12 minutes or are you losing many collectors early?

KaizoMK · Jul 12, 2015

Quineloe said:
My anaconda mines with 6 collectors out and I can turn 100 limpets into 350t of cargo, ie my max capacity. If you run out of limpets before your hold is full I guess thats the travel time I was talking about. How big is your cargo hold and are you running A rated collectors for the full 12 minutes or are you losing many collectors early?

I'm running A3 limpets, maybe that's the issue.

drhay53 · Jul 12, 2015

I see alot people saying that prospectors are not necessary; while technically they aren't necessary for finding out what's in an asteroid, they are a gigantic boost to cr/hr. You have to get really close to hit the asteroid with the laser, and then you have to check your contacts screen. You also have no idea how much of the rocks are the metal you're interested in.

If you hit it with a prospector from a couple of KM away, you can skip it and head to the next asteroid at least 30 seconds to a minute sooner. You should always, always use prospectors if you're trying to maximize efficiency. I'll ignore an asteroid if it's 5% gold sometimes, they're not really worth all the effort.