Planning for a long trip ...

[JLS1981]

Ok, so here's something I've run into on this trip that I have a question about ...

I'm currently docked at Amundsen Terminal, so I've made the first 4,000+ LY...

On my way here, I came across a brown dwarf about 300,000 LS out from the primary star, which I assume nobody wanted to spend the time to check out. The primary star was discovered.. but the dwarf and the 10 planets/various moons orbiting it were untouched.

So, I've got my name on a string of bodies... Here's the question..

I'm a PS4 player without access to some of the 3rd party tools that work directly with PC. I recorded every single one of the planets/moons on a spreadsheet to keep track of them...

Is there a way for me to manually upload this information to a star map, in order to contribute to the mapping process?

 

[Ashnak]

...
Is there a way for me to manually upload this information to a star map, in order to contribute to the mapping process?

Basically, there should be, at least ccording to the EDDB FAQ. You'll still need some system with internet access, though.

Ok, followed up the links to the EDSM FAQ (a bit harder to find than the EDDB FAQ):

How do I submit a new system for the Galactic Mapping Project?

Just write a post in the Frontier Forum here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...n-The-Galactic-Mapping-Project-Expedition-Hub

 

[JLS1981]

Basically, there should be, at least ccording to the EDDB FAQ. You'll still need some system with internet access, though.

Ok, followed up the links to the EDSM FAQ (a bit harder to find than the EDDB FAQ):

Thanks, I'll check into this option. I also contacted EDSM directly on Twitter, per their request on website for console players. I'll see what they have to say as well..

I'm a bit surprised the ability to contribute to mapping wasn't built into the game itself... A way to track your discoveries and upload them to a database at which point that mapping information would be available to anyone (even if they had to purchase the data for some credits).

 

[Susanna]

I just go back from Colonia to Shinrarta Dezrah (Jameson Mem). so - some numbers [done before I'm sure by others]:

Gal map (direct) distance Shinrarta <> Colonia 22,001 Ly

Distance travelled using Spansh route calc. 23,347 (an extra 1,346 Ly due to not being in a straight line). This is the distance as quoted in the system panel recorded before and after travelling Colonia>Shin.

Spansh quotes 124 Jumps from Colonia to Shin. [57.61Ly Anaconda plotted at 65% efficiency). https://spansh.co.uk/plotter/result...&from=Colonia&range=57.61&to=Shinrarta Dezhra

Total jumps taken 143 (21 extra required for refuelling stops)

Over a tracked/continues stretch of 2h 23min [143min] run from Skaude EY-Y b15-0 to Swoiwns HS-P b49-0 [distance between these two stars was 8,989 Ly] I averaged 62.9 Ly/min. This is with NS scanning and scanning of any other interesting bodies within the system if present (i.e. explorer mode), supercharging, refuelling and FSD repairs every ~6k, so is a representative and conservative estimate of the travel time using the NS highway [Spansh].

Typically, without using NS supercharging, it takes me between 1:10 and 1:15 per jump to jump/scoop/scan the star/check the sys map. Assuming 1:10 (best case) per jump and the theoretical maximum jump range [59.61ly] could be made every time, that would work out at 51.1ly/min.

51.1LY/min is only around 81% of the neutron star boosted travel time... I suspect the actual figure is <75%. Hence it seems that using NSs through regions where NS are fairly common, is the better thing to do.

You may get different mileage...

 

[JLS1981]

I just go back from Colonia to Shinrarta Dezrah (Jameson Mem). so - some numbers [done before I'm sure by others]:

Gal map (direct) distance Shinrarta <> Colonia 22,001 Ly

Distance travelled using Spansh route calc. 23,347 (an extra 1,346 Ly due to not being in a straight line). This is the distance as quoted in the system panel recorded before and after travelling Colonia>Shin.

Spansh quotes 124 Jumps from Colonia to Shin. [57.61Ly Anaconda plotted at 65% efficiency). https://spansh.co.uk/plotter/result...&from=Colonia&range=57.61&to=Shinrarta Dezhra

Total jumps taken 143 (21 extra required for refuelling stops)

Over a tracked/continues stretch of 2h 23min [143min] run from Skaude EY-Y b15-0 to Swoiwns HS-P b49-0 [distance between these two stars was 8,989 Ly] I averaged 62.9 Ly/min. This is with NS scanning and scanning of any other interesting bodies within the system if present (i.e. explorer mode), supercharging, refuelling and FSD repairs every ~6k, so is a representative and conservative estimate of the travel time using the NS highway [Spansh].

Typically, without using NS supercharging, it takes me between 1:10 and 1:15 per jump to jump/scoop/scan the star/check the sys map. Assuming 1:10 (best case) per jump and the theoretical maximum jump range [59.61ly] could be made every time, that would work out at 51.1ly/min.

51.1LY/min is only around 81% of the neutron star boosted travel time... I suspect the actual figure is <75%. Hence it seems that using NSs through regions where NS are fairly common, is the better thing to do.

You may get different mileage...

When time is my priority, I'll definitely use the cone boosts for travel. I'm taking the long route, but I'm not bypassing as many opportunities to check around in star systems, which is currently my goal (with Colonia and Sag A being the ultimate destinations).

And I can add time on to my travel currently, because I'm a console player and as FDev did not include star mapping directly into the game (a way to index/search discoveries) I'm manually logging anything uncharted on a spreadsheet.

A response from EDSM finally came.. and, I can register visits to known systems. That's it. LOL

So, until those of us lowly lifeforms who play console have other options, I suppose I'll keep my own records.

 

[Vandaahl]

Did you know there are a number of outposts along the way to Colonia ? One is situated in the eagle nebulae if I remember correctly. ....Just encase you need them.

Flimley

Actually, a lot of nebulae have an outpost, not only the ones along way to Colonia. Orion for instance has one too.

 

[JLS1981]

Actually, a lot of nebulae have an outpost, not only the ones along way to Colonia. Orion for instance has one too.

First one I'd been too was the Elephant's Trunk Mine. Actually a pretty interesting station.

 

[JLS1981]

Finally made it.. definitely quite a trip, but a cool one.

Left Cook Gateway on 02/05/3304 at 08:10:03 UTC..

Touched down in Jaques Station, Colonia a few moments ago.. 02/11/3304, 16:36:13 UTC.

Put my name on more than a hundred bodies along the way (some of them untouched water or ammonia worlds) and only had one incident between a couple of stars that tried to cook me.. heat sinks saved the day, AFMU repairs to the modules that got hit the hardest..

But I'm here!

I appreciate all of the contributions to this thread, especially the addition of shields to the ship and the tip on the Colonia Connection Highway.

Thanks guys and gals!

 

[Wolfman]

Good luck on the trip.

Once you get to Saggy A don’t forget to go see the other big black hole - the Great Annihilator.

Then... if you are feeling good and confident set off for Beagle Point. You might as well join that fairly exclusive club since you’ll be half way there. It’s a great view back to Sol from there.

Also if you do go that far and are even remotely diligent about checking stuff out as you go, you will find that you suddenly have enough cash for your Anaconda plus some serious credits to kit it out with when you get back. Also you’ll probably rack up enough points to get Elite exploration and come join the never-ending sales event at Jameson Memorial.

Fly safe CMDR.

 

[JLS1981]

Good luck on the trip.

Once you get to Saggy A don’t forget to go see the other big black hole - the Great Annihilator.

Then... if you are feeling good and confident set off for Beagle Point. You might as well join that fairly exclusive club since you’ll be half way there. It’s a great view back to Sol from there.

Also if you do go that far and are even remotely diligent about checking stuff out as you go, you will find that you suddenly have enough cash for your Anaconda plus some serious credits to kit it out with when you get back. Also you’ll probably rack up enough points to get Elite exploration and come join the never-ending sales event at Jameson Memorial.

Fly safe CMDR.

I learned quite a lot on this trip, so yes I've got Beagle Point on my radar after visiting Sag A. It's quite a trip, but I'd like to be able to say I've been there and back. lol

 

[Bryan K]

Having just completed the trip to Colonia myself, I can impart at least one good tip. Use this:

https://www.spansh.co.uk/plotter

Sorry if someone already posted it. This tool shaved a few hundred jumps off my trip, and saved my sanity. I set it to 70% efficiency. Just watch your fuel. If your jump range is high enough, it’ll just take you from one neutron star to the next without a fuel stop, so watch for that.

 

[JLS1981]

Having just completed the trip to Colonia myself, I can impart at least one good tip. Use this:

https://www.spansh.co.uk/plotter

Sorry if someone already posted it. This tool shaved a few hundred jumps off my trip, and saved my sanity. I set it to 70% efficiency. Just watch your fuel. If your jump range is high enough, it’ll just take you from one neutron star to the next without a fuel stop, so watch for that.

Nice, I like that. I'm still debating on whether or not I want to use neutron jumping.. I've done it just to play with it, but I came out to Colonia without it, or even FSD boosts for that matter.

I'm thinking I'll stick with that. I took this trip in relaxed stages and I saw a lot on the way.. made some pretty good profit just on the way to Colonia too.

The only reason I would use any kind of boosting is if it becomes necessary out towards Beagle Point...

So to that end, anyone who's been there... Can the trip be made without boosting jumps, or do I need to plan for that?

 

[Schmack]

The time required to remap my jumps and do the things required to get FSD boost seems greater than making the extra jumps. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but if the already plotted route was just used for the boosted FSD range (removing a jump or so at a time), it would be much more lucrative from a time perspective. I basically avoid the boosts due to the time sink involved.

 

[NW3]

Just want to run this by a more experienced group. I've gathered a lot of information in these forums..

I'm interested in a trip to Colonia and then on to Sag A from there, before coming back to the bubble. I'm about to upgrade an ASP explorer to a grade 5 FSD... I've got an advanced discovery scanner, detailed surface scanner, vehicle bay with SRV, heat sinks and I'm configured for distance.. D rated internals, A rated FSD, and so on..

So here's my question... Aside from outfitting the way I have for distance, is there anything else I really need to consider before I set off?

I'm running no weapons and shields, it's purely for exploration.. should I rethink that?

I recently went to Colonia on the Enigma Expedition and am halfway to Sag A* in my AspX. Your build sounds pretty good. I didn't pack any weapons, but I usually take a shield on exploration trips, because I may need it when I'm near the bubble. I turn it (and a lot of modules) off, once I'm deep in the black, to cut down on heat and speed up fuel scooping.

Here's my build, but the jump distance (due to engineering) is actually 46.5 lys. I take a big fuel scoop, because it really speeds up travel. I also outfit a Docking Computer (because the last thing I want to do after a long trip is futz around with docking when I'm tired and out-of-practice), but you should probably take something more useful or leave the slot empty.

https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/asp...weloBhBmSQUwIYHMA28QgIwV0A=&bn=Into the Black

Consider following the waypoints for the Enigma Expedition; they were well-chosen and you'll see some great systems that you might otherwise miss. There are even a couple of inhabited systems on the route, in case you have a neutron star "mishap" like I did.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...ia-for-Charity-and-for-with-CMDR-DoveEnigma13

Also, you'll get a lot more first-found systems, if you travel above or below the galactic plane. I've first-found dozens of neutron stars and valuable terraformable planets, water worlds, etc. by traveling through systems which are not on the direct route. It's a great way to maximize your exploration data credits with lots of extra bonuses.

 

[Arvel Yael]

Fit the biggest fuel scoop you can. I used one with a 752t/s scoop rate.

Fit two AFMUs, so that when one gets damaged you can use the other to repair it .

 

[Susanna]

snip
If you want to use the Neutron Highway though, those stations are so far off the Neutron fields that it's usually a choice of using either one or the other (or use the Highway until you need to drop into one of the stations for repairs). Personally, I've never found the Highway to be that much of a time saver (might be with an AspX, though - compared to the FSD size, they scoop really slow).

Curious... Are you saying that you can fuel scoop from a neutron star? I thought that by definition of what a neutron star is composed of that it doesn't have any hydrogen that would be scoopable?

I'll have to check to see if my fuel scoop activates next time I'm supercharging in a neutron star... But I don't think it does.

 

[NW3]

Curious... Are you saying that you can fuel scoop from a neutron star? I thought that by definition of what a neutron star is composed of that it doesn't have any hydrogen that would be scoopable?

I'll have to check to see if my fuel scoop activates next time I'm supercharging in a neutron star... But I don't think it does.

Correct, you can't scoop from a neutron star.

I use neutron star boosting to add excitement and variation to my exploration trips, but they don't actually save much travel time. They do pay well, if you've never visited that one previously and the first-found bonuses add up, if you're in an area that hasn't seen a lot of explorers pass through.

 

[crushdepth]

Just want to run this by a more experienced group. I've gathered a lot of information in these forums..

I'm interested in a trip to Colonia and then on to Sag A from there, before coming back to the bubble. I'm about to upgrade an ASP explorer to a grade 5 FSD... I've got an advanced discovery scanner, detailed surface scanner, vehicle bay with SRV, heat sinks and I'm configured for distance.. D rated internals, A rated FSD, and so on..

I'm comfortable with using fuel scoops now and confident about making this trip, mostly.. lol

So here's my question... Aside from outfitting the way I have for distance, is there anything else I really need to consider before I set off?

I'm running no weapons and shields, it's purely for exploration.. should I rethink that?

Any advice from folks who've traveled some great distances, problems they encountered and gear they wish they'd taken...

Thanks!

Buy the smallest D-rated shield that will fit.

Get into the habit of throttling down before your FSD count down finishes. At some point it will stop you face-planting into a neutron star.

 

[Susanna]

Correct, you can't scoop from a neutron star.

I use neutron star boosting to add excitement and variation to my exploration trips, but they don't actually save much travel time. They do pay well, if you've never visited that one previously and the first-found bonuses add up, if you're in an area that hasn't seen a lot of explorers pass through.

I timed a two and a half hour stretch over about 9000ly while travelling back from Colonia and found that NS charging is about 20 to 25% faster than regular jumps. You need to be in a fairly rich field of NSs though so that every jump is to another NS for it to be a benefit. As an aside, I wondered whether having a fuel bonus would be useful in this scenario? Would it reduce the number of refuelling stopped you would need to make by increasing the number of jumps from a full tank?

 

[JLS1981]

I've already made it to Colonia.. and I agree, the docking computer IS a nice break once you arrive. lol

My next stops are Sag A and Beagle Point..

My AspX is also engineered with 52 LY max... I seem to average about 46-48 Ly jumps.. so after doing some research, Beagle Point should be no problem to make unassisted. I'm not interested in boosting.