Engineers Sensors engineering for explorers... which one?

CMDR Spadino

CMDR Spadino
Hi folks! So, I freshly wiped my commander some weeks ago. Now, I'm getting my Asp Explorer, 'Bravo', freshly outfitted and engineered. I still have to earn access to many engineers, but by now, I'm focusing on the most easily yo get, as I want to be back in the dark as soon as possible.

I'm struggling in decide which modification is better for the sensors. I already modified the Surface Scanner for a fast scan, but I would like to know if the sensors will affect also the super-cruise or just the normal-space scanning. At first, it seems that a lightweight modification would be better, however a wide-angle mod also could be great, if it means that I can scan a planet or a star in a not so straight direction.

Yes, I could test it all by myself but, as a near fresh commander, I don't have anymore so much resources and materials...

Any advice?

Fly safe,
CMDR Spadino
 

Straha Yeagar

S
As an explorer, I pondered these questions as well, and tried both fast scan, and long range for scanners, and wide angle and lightweight for sensors. Long story short, for me, it was no contest, not even close...Long Range Scanner, and Lightweight sensors.

From an exploration point of view, if one has an ADS, and especially and in particular a DSS, then the Sensor angle is pretty much meaningless since it does not really do anything...the DSS serves in the sensor capacity. Besides, since we can only scan one object at a time, how tough is it really to align with the object?

As far as fast scan vs long range on the DSS...I can see the fast scan being beneficial for an explorer that only scans things that are scannable right at the jump in point, but for those that will fly out to scan things, the long range very quickly makes up in flight time any gains from the fast scan.
 
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goemon

goemon
straha20 said:
As an explorer, I pondered these questions as well, and tried both fast scan, and long range for scanners, and wide angle and lightweight for sensors. Long story short, for me, it was no contest, not even close...Long Range Scanner, and Lightweight sensors.

From an exploration point of view, if one has an ADS, and especially and in particular a DSS, then the Sensor angle is pretty much meaningless since it does not really do anything...the DSS serves in the sensor capacity. Besides, since we can only scan one object at a time, how tough is it really to align with the object?

As far as fast scan vs long range on the DSS...I can see the fast scan being beneficial for an explorer that only scans things that are scannable right at the jump in point, but for those that will fly out to scan things, the long range very quickly makes up in flight time any gains from the fast scan.
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i can only back that. lightweight sensors, as alligning shouldn't be a problem in SC.

as for DSS - i have a fast scanner for exploration, as i like to get close to the bodies i scan for the visuals anyway. i have a longrange scanner for searching for pristine metallic rings.
 

Straha Yeagar

S
goemon said:
i can only back that. lightweight sensors, as alligning shouldn't be a problem in SC.

as for DSS - i have a fast scanner for exploration, as i like to get close to the bodies i scan for the visuals anyway. i have a longrange scanner for searching for pristine metallic rings.
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As do I, but the long range gives me the option to get close, or scan and move on.
 

CMDR Spadino

CMDR Spadino
Thanks so much, guys! Indeed, very good points! I'll try with both fast and long range, but already modded my sensors as light weight.

See you in the dark,
CMDR Spadino
 

domaq

domaq
I too prefer long range. Having done short trips with both, the long range provided more options. You can scan standard M-class secondary stars from as far as 18kls. When you do fly inside max range scans, you will find even the long range will be faster than standard. Finally, long range allows you to stay further outside of planet gravity wells so you speed up faster going to the next one.
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The one place fast scan worked better was after flying to a gas giant to scan all the little moons. If that's your thing, maybe fast scanner is better. I prefer HMCs and the like that are usually on their own but spread out.
 

Ziggy Stardust

Ziggy Stardust
Fast scans. If you scan a gas giant, you're already near the moons.

And long range scanner takes longer than a fast scanner, so flying towards a target it won't make much difference. The only upshot I can think of for long is staying out of gravity wells, but again, to really be affected, you'd have to be close.

So fast seems the most efficient.
 
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Straha Yeagar

S
Ziggy Stardust said:
Fast scans. If you scan a gas giant, you're already near the moons.

And long range scanner takes longer than a fast scanner, so flying towards a target it won't make much difference. The only upshot I can think of for long is staying out of gravity wells, but again, to really be affected, you'd have to be close.

So fast seems the most efficient.
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As I said, fast scan vs long range kind of depends on one's style. If one is a completionist, scanning the 12 rocky moons of the gas giant that is 2200ls from jump in, then, yeah, fast scan is likely better if one is wanting to get all the moons too. For me, I am not a completionist, but do scan most gas giants. With my long range scanner, I can snag most gas giants that are within 2500ls of jump in without moving from the primary star. That is way faster than having to fly within 1200ls to get the fast scan. Long range is also quite handy in scanning a secondary star that is a long way away...being able to scan an O class at 300,000ls is much faster than having to fly 150,000ls to get in fast scan range. I have also found that snagging all the bodies in close range to the jump in point is faster with long range as it involves less zig zagging around and avoiding gravity wells.

I have used both fast scan, and long range on my AspX, and for my style, the long range fits way better by a long shot.
 

Ziggy Stardust

Ziggy Stardust
straha20 said:
As I said, fast scan vs long range kind of depends on one's style. If one is a completionist, scanning the 12 rocky moons of the gas giant that is 2200ls from jump in, then, yeah, fast scan is likely better if one is wanting to get all the moons too. For me, I am not a completionist, but do scan most gas giants. With my long range scanner, I can snag most gas giants that are within 2500ls of jump in without moving from the primary star. That is way faster than having to fly within 1200ls to get the fast scan. Long range is also quite handy in scanning a secondary star that is a long way away...being able to scan an O class at 300,000ls is much faster than having to fly 150,000ls to get in fast scan range. I have also found that snagging all the bodies in close range to the jump in point is faster with long range as it involves less zig zagging around and avoiding gravity wells.

I have used both fast scan, and long range on my AspX, and for my style, the long range fits way better by a long shot.
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Oh alright, fair enough. [mad]

Too be honest, I've only been ELW, WW, AW hunting with it. And doing that I've found the fast is best. The long range won't increase the range that much since most are scannable only when you're 100ls or so away from them. :)
 
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Straha Yeagar

S
Ziggy Stardust said:
Oh alright, fair enough. [mad]

Too be honest, I've only been ELW, WW, AW hunting with it. And doing that I've found the fast is best. The long range won't increase the range that much since most are scannable only when you're 100ls or so away from them. :)
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If ones primary focus is things that are ~1000ls away and with long range still having to be within 200ls, then yeah, I can see fast scan being beneficial.

Like I said, I go after a wide variety of things, including gas giants and secondary stars, so if that is more ones style, then ling range certainly had its place.
 

CMDR Spadino

CMDR Spadino
So, I wish to thank all fellows explorers that had contributed with the thread. I engineered two DSS, one for fast scan (4g, as all 5g tries was far worse than my very lucky 4g...), the other for long range (5g). After some trials, it seems that I liked both very much. I'm currently on my own path with Bravo, my newly engineered AspX (54+ max range), targeting Colonia, not without visiting each support outpost between it and the Sol. I'm not following a straight path, exploring sometime the very top or very bottom far the galactic plane, or between the arms...
Currently, I have fitted the Fast Scan then, when reach Colonia, I'll transfer the Long Range module to there and swap, before to visit again Sagittarius A* and proceed to the other side. This way, I can truly experiment and found which fit better my style.

However, I already feel that the LR is far better to scan dangerous bodies - WD, NS... - as you can scan farest the scaring jet cones exclusion orbit...

See you in the dark,
CMDR Spadino
 

khaos526

khaos526
I just haven't found the fast scans to really be that great. It seems to almost take just the same amount of time than it did without the G5 fast scan. Might be a matter of perception, but I really haven't seen a big speed increase...
 

CMDR Spadino

CMDR Spadino
Well, it's faster, for sure. I can even scan planets accelerating onto it. But, probably, I'll found the long range mod more useful. I tried it a while, before going "fast", and I really enjoyed it. Maybe, I'll let the "fast" on my passenger dolphin, for scans in the mid of some rush passenger sightseeing missions, which was my first idea...
Now I'm roughly a third way to Colonia. I'm traveling fast due to the high jump range, yet I'm exploring and enjoying the trip, so I'm not in any rush. By now, the fast scan is helping.
 

L.S Algir

L.S Algir
Hi there,

beeing in the modification of my explo ship , I was wondering the same thing as OP . While sensors lightweight was quite the obvious mod , choosing between fast scan and long range for the DSS is quite less simple .
My big question is that when I try to chose my mod , I don't see any drawback except for mass , when the engineer tells me that a fast scan would lower the range and a long range would increase the needed scan time.

So is that only for normal space sensors or are they some hidden drawbacks . In other words , despite what is written in the modification possible results window , does fast scan really reduce DSS range and does long range really increase scan time ?

Thanks
 

Ralph Vargr

Ralph Vargr
Long Range on both ADS and DSS.

I waste enough time in supercruise.

That difference between 80-100 light seconds, and less than thirty light seconds for small bodies, can be quite a time saver.

There is nothing like saying {redacted} you! to Frontier, when they won't let you do micro jumps. :)
 

CMDR Spadino

CMDR Spadino
So, after a long exploration trip to Colonia with the Fast Scan DSS, I switched to a Long Range DSS and heading toward, once more, to Sagittarius A* (maybe, Thargoids will be kind to me if I do not mess with them...). I have to say that I definitely enjoy more the Long Range one. Being able to scan very far objects is way better to me that the slight faster Fast Scan. The difference in time it's not so good, and for close objects it's almost unnoticeable. This is quite remarkable for scan that far away lonely gas giant or companion star...
When you are approaching a big HMCW and your scanner start scanning at 540Ls (which mean that in normal circumstances, for the same planet, it will start at 195Ls), it's an HUGE advantage. It's very time saving, as you do not need/have to approximate if your following objects it's on a very different vector. So, it give me more freedom in trace an elegant path across the system. It also frees me to those frequent deceleration/acceleration sequence, as I can stay more on 60-70% SC speed.

Thanks to all for the help. Fly smart, fly safe!
CMDR Spadino

EDIT - Beeing able to scan an M star from 16000Ls it's very funny!
 
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Amargosa

A
Fast Scan DSS, no contest. When you find a completely unexplored new system, it'd be really annoying to leave some moons for others to imprint their names on, so every single rock must be scanned, which requires being close to the parent planet anyway.
 
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