Q about scanning Asteroid belts
- Thread starter Kalearne
- Start date
I hope somebody answers this question as I need to know the difference between scanners, like surface scanner and other scanners
Discovery scanners let you explore unknown celestial bodies. Bind them to a firegroup, press and hold (even in SC) and you will ping the neighbourhood for contacts.
Basic - 500Ls range
Intermed - 1000Ls range
Advanced - Whole system
Surface scanners let you scan a body again for an exploration bonus. Data sells for more too
EDIT:Surface scanner is useless without one of the Discovery scanners
I've noticed the unending ping cycle with asteroid belts as well. Not sure if it's a bug or by design. I've noticed no benefit to letting it go on and on.
So I could use a basic scanner and a surface scanner together. Ok I understand that, but if you mean body as singular or body as in system?
I just want to make sure before I spend 2 mil on equipment
You need to keep your ship pointed at the "Unknown" item until the scan finishes.
Target the item and fly close enough (for belts: less than 5LS) until it says "Scanning" in the lower left hand corner of your cockpit instruments. Don't move away now.
Wait until it says "Analyzing" and then changes to "Star XZY Belt A 2". This can take a while (about 20-30 seconds I guesstimate. Better quality scanners won't help, they just seem to increase the distance a bit).
Now you're done. If it shows a "Name" (not "Unknown") already you seem not be able to scan it again, even with a surface scanner (AFAIK).
Just don't bother now, due to a server glitch it always restarts when it says "Analyzing".
Target the item and fly close enough (for belts: less than 5LS) until it says "Scanning" in the lower left hand corner of your cockpit instruments. Don't move away now.
Wait until it says "Analyzing" and then changes to "Star XZY Belt A 2". This can take a while (about 20-30 seconds I guesstimate. Better quality scanners won't help, they just seem to increase the distance a bit).
Now you're done. If it shows a "Name" (not "Unknown") already you seem not be able to scan it again, even with a surface scanner (AFAIK).
Just don't bother now, due to a server glitch it always restarts when it says "Analyzing".
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There appears to be lots of issues with the transaction servers right now. Everything should complete after one scan (ping), but instead the body can often come up as undiscovered and start the scan sequence again. You can either wait, I was seeing almost 10 scans before a validated response from the server or stop playing for now and hope the server maintenance tomorrow morning helps.
@snotface, body was meant to mean singular i.e. asteroid belt, planetoid, sun etc. You can scan each with just the basic discovery scanner (i.e. detailed surface scanner disabled or not owned) and earn credits for them at a station cartographic - then scan them again with the surface scanner later (once purchased or powered up) and earn more credits. I'm not sure you earn any more doing this than scanning once with both the basic discovery and detailed surface scanners combined.
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There is some kind of bug with clusters, in my experience. Whenever the scan finishes and displays the name, it start scanning again and again and again unless I aim my ship away from it. I've ticketed the issue. And I'm not talking about right now, I've seen this behaviour for quite some time now.