Newcomer / Intro Rare and normal commoditys questions

[Chrisard]

I've got a tricked out cobra I've been doing rare commodity runs with. The money is good, however there are plenty of pirates on my route. I've got 56 cargo slots so anything less than rares seems kinda like a waste. I'm make a little less than a mill an hour (not the best but it will do for now).

I'm up to around 6 mill but i'm thinking the asp isn't going to give me enough extra cargo space to start trading common commodities, and the Type-7 seems like it may be the next step but at 17 mill that's a lot of cobra runs.

My question is at what point does it become more profitable to trade common commodities vs. rare ones. I would base this on number of cargo slots need (stab in the dark but around 100 maybe). Or another way would be to ask if there is any ship cheaper than the type-7 that can effectively run common commodity runs.

 

[InMemoriamSirocco]

If you downgrade the shield on an Asp to a Class 3 module, you can max out your cargo to 120 tons, which is more than a Type 6 can carry.

You should have about 14 million before you do that.

 

[cmdr lowest]

If you downgrade the shield on an Asp to a Class 3 module, you can max out your cargo to 120 tons, which is more than a Type 6 can carry.

You should have about 14 million before you do that.

Or buy a type 6 (1m CR) and remove the shield for probably about the same. You're flying around shieldless in your Cobra at the moment aren't you?

I had a T6 with a shield and got 100T of cargo.

 

[Chrisard]

No shield on my cobra, but it can also outrun most anyone who interdicts me (esp if I submit immediately). I assume that even in an asp your still talking about trading rares, I don't know what a good normal commodity gets you, around 1000 per ton or so. Around 120k per trip (one way) i'm not sure if It's worth investing unless I wanna run higher risk rare runs.

 

[mistohise]

T6 is generally seen as the rare/normal switch point. So, around 100 units of cargo.
Based on my previous rare cluster runs, I'd tend to agree. I can make more with a selected route of normal commodities.
We're really talking theory here, though, as in each case you'd have to properly concentrate on the routes to ensure you were maxing them out, and I don't tend to do that because I'm too easily did..ooo shiny.

 

[Markoz]

I'm using a T-6 with 104 units of cargo.

All modules are upgraded to D grade, except the FSD, which is an A4 and the Power Plant is a C3.
The main reason that my Power Plant is a C3 is that it stops the the FSD from heating above 97%. The D grade i was often seeing 107% to 110%, which made escaping an interdiction near the NAV Beacon at a star very hard to get away.

I am still looking for a great trading route, which is the 'Holy Grail' of being a trader.

Note. I refuse to run without a shield generator! I have had a couple of close escapes where if I didn't have them, I would have lost my ship and all it's cargo.

One more thing. I currently have 30 million cr, and I did try the ASP and a T-7 for trading. I think I had the ASP set up to carry about 110t, but it was very expensive to run, so I returned to my T-6. The T-7 is very S L O W, and escaping after being interdicted was very hard. During 1.1 Beta, I tried the T-9. Oh brother, it got worse, but at least you can heavily arm it. :/

 

[Chrisard]

so far my shieldless cobra has survived on out running anything that comes after me (i did have a viper interdict me twice and by the second escape he had me at around 20% hull...didn't bother to hail me either...lazy pirate). What do you do in a type 6? I know your not gonna fight it out, but can you actually get away before being toasted

*edit Also when doing runs with a T-6 what kinda of profit do you pull from from a full cargo bay? Am I correct in thinking it's about 100k?

 

[mistohise]

Around 100k per load is common, you can probably get more if you search out optimum runs.

 

[the100thmonkey]

The trade route I'm running to Yembo and back would net just over 600kcr/hour were I doing it in a T6. I imagine there are better routes, but I have reasons for this one in particular.

 

[Chrisard]

I have no doubt that that monkey can smoke that thing....but can he roll it?

 

[cmdr lowest]

*edit Also when doing runs with a T-6 what kinda of profit do you pull from from a full cargo bay? Am I correct in thinking it's about 100k?

That's the skill with trading. Trying to find a margin beyond 1K per T.

I'm currently running metal to Yembo for the community goal and geting 1400K per T one way so in my T6 I'm getting 140K+

The return trip is pretty rubbish though as Yembo doesn't sell much of anything that I can sell. I make about 40-50K on the return leg. But it's about 200K every 10-15 mins so about 600K per hour. It's not bad and does beat rare trading by a long margin.

The profits on rares is very good but the time you spend flying around all the systems picking up 7 of this and 4 of that. Not worth it when you get to T6 levels of cargo hold to fill.

 

[Troy Manstarr]

Do the rares run in a T6 between Leesti/Diso and Eravate, and you will make 13K+ per tonne.
My combined Explorer/Rares Trader T6 "only" has 32 cargo space, but has a range that is nearly 30LY, so I can fill up the cargo with the rares from the above 2 systems, and deliver it to Eravate in about 6 jumps. 32 * 13.7K means about 438K+ per trip. I don't bother filling up going from Eravate to Leesti/Diso, so I get maximum range and can do the journey in fewer jumps.

 

[Almighty Bob]

Chris, I held onto my cobra for two months mainly because of the speed. When I tried full on all takers murder spree, the CMDR asps killed me and my credit balance. I have kitted out an asp with top FSD and thrusters. 4x multis and 2x beams. All else is weight saving.

I have 84 cargo space and have not been caught after a dic ing yet. An Asp is worth it. the view is better it just takes a short time to adjust.

 

[Chrisard]

I'm starting to eye the Clipper pretty hard now. I like the asp but most pirates roll in cobra's and while with some practice I could prob hold my own against them, but thats also a time sink if i have to fight off every pirate (i assume npc pirates don't pose much of a threat as most so far have been small fighters)

*with 19 mil in the bank and squire with empire (and a naval mission waiting for me) I'm thinking this cobra may last me till i go drool all over a Imperial clipper, god bless the Impire

 

[cmdr lowest]

I'm starting to eye the Clipper pretty hard now. I like the asp but most pirates roll in cobra's and while with some practice I could prob hold my own against them, but thats also a time sink if i have to fight off every pirate (i assume npc pirates don't pose much of a threat as most so far have been small fighters)

*with 19 mil in the bank and squire with empire (and a naval mission waiting for me) I'm thinking this cobra may last me till i go drool all over a Imperial clipper, god bless the Impire

NPC pirates can come in many shapes and sizes. I've been interdicted by Asps, Anacondas and even a Federal Dropship (which I thought was weird) but yeah, for the most part it's smaller ships - mainly vipers I find.

 

[Chrisard]

i think an asp is about as big as i've had after me so far, but I really only notice if 1. they are fast enough to open fire on me, or 2 they are a player. While both npc's and players can be seen on the radar moving into position, NPC's have the unique ability to spawn/exit/enter hyperspace directly behind my ship and instantly interdict me and most of the time i just submit and boost before I ever even see the npc that interdicted me. All this only gives me more pause when considering slower ships for trading, while avoiding interdictions is the fastest way to deal with them I worry about prolonged conflict when running isn't an option