Newcomer / Intro scanners

[Everill]

any advice on how to get the detailed surface scanner to work once installed having had to sell the basic scanner?

 

[CaptainBastable]

I made the same mistake a few weeks ago. The detailed surface scanner works alongside the discovery scanner, so you need to have both and install them in separate slots. Once you've done that, you'll find that the detailed surface scanner kicks in as soon as you are directly facing an astronomical body and within range. (Which varies from under 5 light seconds and several hundred depending on how massive it is.)