Overheating while Fuel Scooping

[CMDRTXMan]

Hey all,

A friend CMDR and myself were discussing the overheating issue while scooping. He "CMDR Shades" was the one to discover a good fix. I am only posting this to help fellow CMDRs if they are having this issue. Also because once we discovered it and I tested following his guidelines; this is a usable fix. To add this fix may not be good if you're only jumping short distances etc.. We have been testing it for deep exploration. He is using a Cutter and I'm in a Conda both outfitted for full on combat with exploration components. He has an 8B fuel scoop (64t Fuel tank) and I have a 6A fuel scoop (32t Fuel Tank)

We were both having this huge overheating issue.. Well with have Grade 5 engineered 7A PSG and Eight A class boosters at Grade 3, plus full weapon load out and vehicle hangar.. He figgured out that if you deactivate all non-essentials that pretty much fixes all heat issues while scooping. You're able to scoop to full without worry.

We are both running 2 AFMU class 5 units just in case one needs to repair the other but that was before we tested the fix.

To deactivate the modules (different from power priority), open modules window, select the module and click on the inactive box on the top left. Do this for every non essential module. Obviously if for some reason you need/want to land on a planet make sure to reactivate your SG and boosters *Smacking a low gravity planet surface hurts...*

Hope this thread helps others..

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

My exploration vessels are generally set up to run cool anyway, so I actually end up being able to charge my FSD while scooping (for a short time).

However my PvE mission runners do suffer with mild overheating, so if possible, I try to modify my power plant to give the best possible heat efficiency and power increase possible. Sometimes enough grade 1 rolls will land you a god roll on the power plant.

But yes, reducing your power consumption will reduce heat.
Many explorers will disable shields, AFMUs, fighter bays, etc etc when not needed.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[Der Zeitgeist]

Don't forget the scanners. Things like kill warrant scanners or wake scanners can use tons of power, even if you don't use them most of the time.

 

[kofeyh]

If you are exploring outside of the bubble, simply disable all non-essential modules and (where credits permit) always fit an A rated fuel scoop. Even with a very small power plant, heat will cease to be an issue, whilst scooping, or even crashing into a star, for that matter.

This means all utilities (HSL is redundant with good power management) shields, sensors, distro, cargo scoop, planetary vehicle hanger, AFMU and so on. It physically pains me every time I see an exploration screenshot and a CMDR's shields are on. Are you being ganked by a space loach? no? turn it all off!

Unless you are being shot at, or landing, everything (non-essential) off means scooping at full speed at a star's outer terminator, and if you collide with a star, you can enter SC without taking heat damage. The more you know. o7

 

[Jimbodiah]

If your tank is almost empty, go toward the sun slowly, wait until you hit about 75% of your max scoop rate and press X (zero speed). You will stay there and fill up while not getting hotter. Disabling all non essentials is a given, you can take smaller power supply etc, saving weight.

 

[Stealthie]

We were both having this huge overheating issue.. Well with have Grade 5 engineered 7A PSG and Eight A class boosters at Grade 3, plus full weapon load out and vehicle hangar.. He figgured out that if you deactivate all non-essentials that pretty much fixes all heat issues while scooping. You're able to scoop to full without worry.

I hate to break it to you but this is not exactly news.
It's pretty-much SOP to disable almost everything while travelling with a combat ship.

Still, I guess there'll always be newbies reading who don't know this stuff.

Also, eight shield boosters?
Overkill, much?

 

[Crank Larson]

This means all utilities (HSL is redundant with good power management) shields, sensors, distro, cargo scoop, planetary vehicle hanger, AFMU and so on. It physically pains me every time I see an exploration screenshot and a CMDR's shields are on. Are you being ganked by a space loach? no? turn it all off!

My exploration vessels don't require me to turn anything off - they run cool. I can scoop and initiate hyperspace while still scooping, and very rarely get close to 100% heat. My view is that you shouldn't need to turn anything off.

My Cutter runs hot, though. I just keep out a little further from the star when I need to scoop in the Cutter.

 

[Broon]

I hate to break it to you but this is not exactly news.
It's pretty-much SOP to disable almost everything while travelling with a combat ship.

Still, I guess there'll always be newbies reading who don't know this stuff.

Also, eight shield boosters?
Overkill, much?

It's news to me. I guess I must be a noob.

I just have always dealt with whatever heat issue I have on any given ship as I scoop. Some run hot. Some don't. But rarely do I stop to scoop anyway. I scoop on the fly as I orbit the star on my way towards the next jump vector (old shadow mission tactic) so I just pull away at full speed when I get hot.

 

[Schmack]

I hate to break it to you but this is not exactly news.
It's pretty-much SOP to disable almost everything while travelling with a combat ship.

Still, I guess there'll always be newbies reading who don't know this stuff.

Also, eight shield boosters?
Overkill, much?

I must be a noob as well, never had to turn off anything while scooping or traveling. I suppose I don't run more stuff than I can find power for but then I don't PvP either. I have turned things off when the fuel got scary low and no scoop was fitted though. It would be nice to have a "turn these all off/on" button.

 

[Space Dandy]

Newbs or not this thread is nice for all the people not used to fuel scooping or just plain new to the game!

 

[Faded Glory]

Hope this thread helps others..

Whether some of us longer time players may consider this to be nothing new, I think this sentiment deserves rep...

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Just don't make the assumption that because you are in supercruise, that you can switch your thrusters off. It's a fun thing to try, just not while fuel scooping (like I did).

 

[kofeyh]

My exploration vessels don't require me to turn anything off - they run cool. I can scoop and initiate hyperspace while still scooping, and very rarely get close to 100% heat. My view is that you shouldn't need to turn anything off.

And yet frontier have moved the spawn point for systems with potential 'hot sun' binary/ trinary because people cook (and or are triggered by a collision sound) just all the time and it's such a huge issue it required frontier to action a highly illogical change, meaning the anchor we use for jumps suddenly isn't, which pretty much craps all over the entire concept of FTL travel in Elite, because of 'heat issues'; so I tend to think your take, is the exception. Clearly the vociferous minority everyone has problems with stars and cooking 24/7.

Also 'need' isn't really a logical perspective; it's simple efficiency to turn a bunch of irrelevant modules off. Pretty much Elite 101.

My Cutter runs hot, though. I just keep out a little further from the star when I need to scoop in the Cutter.

Sure, however there's not much logic in running a shield generator 10,000 LY from an inhabited system, along with 8 shield boosters and whatever other endless modules the OP mentioned, given almost all are entirely redundant at that point.

It also translates to massively reduced fuel consumption, for those whom have a propensity for wandering away from their running game, and forgetting to return. Perhaps saving a few calls to the Fuel Rats. Just a thought.

 

[Valethar]

If your tank is almost empty, go toward the sun slowly, wait until you hit about 75% of your max scoop rate and press X (zero speed). You will stay there and fill up while not getting hotter.

Pretty much what I do. I never disable anything, and rarely ever hear a heat warning. I cant recall the last time I actually took heat damage while scooping.

I suppose if someone is impatient, it can be an issue. A little discipline and situational awareness will pretty much solve any heat issues while scooping.

 

[colprice2002]

With my exploration builds, the AFMU unit(s) are always powered off until needed.

They're power hogs, and if needed, I'll do a planetary landing before repairs. It vet exciting if you repair your thrusters in supercruise!

The other thing that helps keeping cool during scooping is a Grade A power unit. They run significantly cooler than other grades. And for exploration builds you can generally run a significantly smaller unit than the max possible - again helps with heat build-up.

 

[kofeyh]

Pretty much what I do. I never disable anything, and rarely ever hear a heat warning. I cant recall the last time I actually took heat damage while scooping.

Nice. I drop in, scoop from the star at 100% throttle as deep as I can go (I will bank-n-scan if there's a valid reason to do so) and then leave. Zero heat issues. Zero downtime. To each their own. o7

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Hey all,

A friend CMDR and myself were discussing the overheating issue while scooping. He "CMDR Shades" was the one to discover a good fix. I am only posting this to help fellow CMDRs if they are having this issue. Also because once we discovered it and I tested following his guidelines; this is a usable fix. To add this fix may not be good if you're only jumping short distances etc.. We have been testing it for deep exploration. He is using a Cutter and I'm in a Conda both outfitted for full on combat with exploration components. He has an 8B fuel scoop (64t Fuel tank) and I have a 6A fuel scoop (32t Fuel Tank)

We were both having this huge overheating issue.. Well with have Grade 5 engineered 7A PSG and Eight A class boosters at Grade 3, plus full weapon load out and vehicle hangar.. He figgured out that if you deactivate all non-essentials that pretty much fixes all heat issues while scooping. You're able to scoop to full without worry.

We are both running 2 AFMU class 5 units just in case one needs to repair the other but that was before we tested the fix.

To deactivate the modules (different from power priority), open modules window, select the module and click on the inactive box on the top left. Do this for every non essential module. Obviously if for some reason you need/want to land on a planet make sure to reactivate your SG and boosters *Smacking a low gravity planet surface hurts...*

Hope this thread helps others..

A bit of advice for you and your friend if you didn't work this one out already: A grade powerplant deals with heat better than a B/C/D/E grade. Size doesn't matter in this instance. Each ship also has it's on heat signature so some are better than others and as you've noted the power usage also matters.
Both the Conda and Cutter even with full shields and loadout should usually be able to handle most star classes, they'll struggle maybe with the blue/white ones but M/K/G/F should be fine to sit in all day without burning up.

I can also highly advise checking modifications/engineers out. Certain ones increase heat like dirty drive tuning, others reduce it like clean drive and make a lot of sense for exploration. The Low Emissions Powerplant I can highly recommend, my exploration Conda is barebones with scanners, AFMU, 4A shields, SRV bay and scoop. I use a 4A low emissions powerplant instead of a 2A but even with everything running I idle at 12% heat (See first 60 seconds of the vid link) and even fully scooping in say an M class I top out at 66-69% heat! Means I can comfortably charge the FSD on my way out whilst still finishing my scooping of the star

 

[Cupsuki]

I hate to break it to you but this is not exactly news.
It's pretty-much SOP to disable almost everything while travelling with a combat ship.

Still, I guess there'll always be newbies reading who don't know this stuff.

Also, eight shield boosters?
Overkill, much?

I was about to say the same thing but the intention is what matters

About the shield boosters, I'd like to see how they fare against Reverb Cascade XD

 

[Oss133]

I hate to break it to you but this is not exactly news.

I am impressed by how quickly this thread filled with "That's obvious. Look how fabulous I am!" Responses.

It will be news to someone so was worth sharing.

I have been playing since alpha and I still find things I didn't know. Especially as the game changes all the time.

 

[Shiro Akai]

Apart from disabling non essential systems I have found another trick to successful fuel scooping and not getting fried.

Orbit lines.

Yeah, I recently started flying with those (you can toggle them on for refuelling only). It works like this (sorry, no photos):
- when I'm about to exit in the refuelling system I set my throttle to 25%
- orbit lines are on
- approaching star I get yellow circle around it (drop point border)
- I usually scoop while having star left to me
- I set myself so my left HUD bracket touches the yellow star circle (I have modded UI colors, better for explaining here)
- like this )( )
- I can fly around the star, scoop at max or near max speed, align with next jump point at the same time
- heat does not exceed 70% (Asp)