So I decided that I am gonna give Deep Core mining a try and I have a few questions....

[CoyoteXStarrk]

So I know that I am extremely late to the astronomically large financial boom that is Deep Core mining, but up until now I never really needed any extra money. But now that I spent the vast majority of my fortune on fully upgrading my Combat Hauler Conda I now have a ridiculously great ship.......with almost no money left to afford more than one rebuy should the worst happen for any reason. So I decided that now would be a good time to finally give mining a go. But before I go I have a few questions.

1) What ship should I use?

The tutorial videos I found had people using Asp's, Clipper's, and a Phantom. But I think I wanna use a Python in order to get the most cargo space for the materials I farm. Is that a good choice? Reddit says that it is, but I just wanted to triple check. Because I also know the tutorials say maneuverability is important and the Python is hardly a ballerina.


2) How do I know how many limpets to grab?

One tutorial said to take about 25. One said to take about 40. And the other one I found didn't mention it at all. I know I need a collector limpet controller and a Prospector limpet controller though. It just the number of limpets I need help with.


3) Do I grab ONLY Void Opals? Or is it okay to grab other valuable materials along the way?

All the tutorials focused on Opals and how to find them, but in 2 of the tutorials I found the person said to not bother with anything other than Opals because they just weren't worth it. The 3rd guy however said that you wanna grab Low Temp Diamonds, Alexandrite, and Painite because while they don't pay as much as Opals they are easier to find and still pay quite alot.


4) If the Python is a good choice for a ship will this build work?

I know its not perfect, but I am short on money and engineering materials at the moment due to me doing everything I could to my Conda. I am just using the already engineered parts that I have on hand. So I know that is is not the best build ever conceived. I just wanna make sure it will work for a few runs in order build up my credit reserves again.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

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[CMDR Karrde Sun]

Before all the meta responses..

To me it breaks down as follows:

• Do you care about min maxing and are willing to go through potential expanses of time of rng nothing (like board hopping for the last exploit gold rush)
• Do you not care about actually doing something except being a target for rng? (robigo)

If you dont mind suffering for the sake of min max, do only deep core. If you want all your time to be rewarding, go painite.

Having said.. im not sure if they've changed the deep core rate at all, because i actually found one the other day. In a painite overlap zone, you're discarding limpets (or brought too many) you fill up so quickly. But painite pays 800k instead of.. 1.5?

Thats it really. The details are standard issue. The areas to optimize are cargo space for your ideal mining session duration / core or surface choice.

 

[CoyoteXStarrk]

Before all the meta responses..

To me it breaks down as follows:

• Do you care about min maxing and are willing to go through potential expanses of time of rng nothing (like board hopping for the last exploit gold rush)
• Do you not care about actually doing something except being a target for rng? (robigo)

If you dont mind suffering for the sake of min max, do only deep core. If you want all your time to be rewarding, go painite.

Having said.. im not sure if they've changed the deep core rate at all, because i actually found one the other day. In a painite overlap zone, you're discarding limpets (or brought too many) you fill up so quickly. But painite pays 800k instead of.. 1.5?

Thats it really. The details are standard issue. The areas to optimize are cargo space for your ideal mining session duration / core or surface choice.

So basically...

Painite = You fill up quicker and will be able to cash in more often, but you make less per run.

Opals = You fill up slower and you have to spend more time looking, but you make substantially more credit per run vs Painite.


Is that right?

 

[testmate]

1. yes, maneuverability is important, and huge cargo space not so much in this case. engineered python is nice for mining in general, also the kraits or - if you have access to it - the cobra mk4! (very fun and useful core-miner!)

2. If you're doing it the first time, take some more limpets with you. you will need them, because it takes practice to indentify/eyeball the core-asteroids and you will waste limpets for prospecting. If you're good at eyeballing the right roids, 20-30 limpets are enough. 3x 10min collectors active, and a prospector only if you are sure you have a core-roid.

3. void opals are fine, but you can also go for benitoite in pristine rocky rings! the core-asteroids/ fissures are much easier to spot and benitoite sells for a very good profit, too. also low temp diamonds and some of the other stuff. depends on sell market.

4. will work. but you need no big refinery, with only some high value stuff to mine. 4-6 slots are enough. class1 prospector will do. 3x collectors. you dont need weapons at all, maybe downgrade some things like power plant, thrusters, distributor for less wight and more jump range. you don't want to fight in this anyway.

EDIT: the good void opal spots seem a bit "overcrowded" with all the mining going on there, so thats another advantage to go somewhere completely else, like a rocky-ring for Benitoite! you should be able to find and mine 2 core-roids in about 10min

 

[madmax_2069]

i use a ASP explorer for mining, its a decent starter ship for mining, it does lack storage though (only hauls 96), but its more than enough to net you over 100 million credits a run (especially if you know where to sell). while it's not the most maneuverable ship, it does just fine if you know its limitations, i've not had any issues flying in to blast off void opals or to collect them manually if need to.

i usually max out my cargo with limpets (which again in the Asp explorer is only 96), but you usually want to grab as many limpets as you can hold (dumping a few if you need to)

grab void opals, grab low temp diamonds, grab painite

you can use a python, its going to cost a bit to buy it and outfit it, if you lack the cash for a python mining build you can buy and fully outfit an asp explorer for around 25 million.

 

[CoyoteXStarrk]

1. yes, maneuverability is important, and huge cargo space not so much in this case. engineered python is nice for mining in general, also the kraits or - if you have access to it - the cobra mk4! (very fun and useful core-miner!)

2. If you're doing it the first time, take some more limpets with you. you will need them, because it takes practice to indentify/eyeball the core-asteroids and you will waste limpets for prospecting. If you're good at eyeballing the right roids, 20-30 limpets are enough. 3x 10min collectors active, and a prospector only if you are sure you have a core-roid.

3. void opals are fine, but you can also go for benitoite in pristine rocky rings! the core-asteroids/ fissures are much easier to spot and benitoite sells for a very good profit, too. also low temp diamonds and some of the other stuff. depends on sell market.

4. will work. but you need no big refinery, with only some high value stuff to mine. 4-6 slots are enough. class1 prospector will do. 3x collectors. you dont need weapons at all, maybe downgrade some things like power plant, thrusters, distributor for less wight and more jump range. you don't want to fight in this anyway.

EDIT: the good void opal spots seem a bit "overcrowded" with all the mining going on there, so thats another advantage to go somewhere completely else, like a rocky-ring for Benitoite! you should be able to find and mine 2 core-roids in about 10min

1) Well I already own a Python. Thats the main reason why I was going for it. Saves me having to buy a new ship. Though I guess I could sell it for a Krait?

2) Okay so more limpets than that. Got it.

3) Benitoite? I will remember that. Thank you.

4) When you say 3x collectors what do you mean?


Well for my first trip I think I am just gonna go pick a random set of rings and just try it out. My first trip doesn't need to be a goldmine. I just need to get the hang of it.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

So basically...

Painite = You fill up quicker and will be able to cash in more often, but you make less per run.

Opals = You fill up slower and you have to spend more time looking, but you make substantially more credit per run vs Painite.


Is that right?

Yes but its a grey area. There are painite miners constantly boasting about their credits per hour.. im not exactly sure what earns the highest. Might be worth confirming on r/eliteminers. My best guess without formal testing myself is theyre pretty close but rng can change the winner (rng content percentage on painite makes a difference if youre racing to win),

Its more about experience to me.. no not complely fail on deep core the main thing you do is space coverage.. ie. boosting. Rp mining i left my go at deep core only with one core... :/

 

[Bigmaec]

1) Whatever ship you like. Larger ships = more cargo space, less nimble. Distributor is negligible for core mining, so no point in using a big-distro ship.
Hardpoint placement is also not relevant, as you only need one seismic charge and one abrasion blaster.
I like the FDS as Budget Miner.

2) I always fill up the cargo hold with limpets -10% and then drop them as needed if my hold is full. Better having some limpets too many then not enough

3) I won't bother with anything except Void Opals, mostly because sometimes you need to bring the stuff to two different starports to get maximized pay.

4) Your Python build would work.
But I would use more collector limpets, more shields and less cargo. Switch the shield for a 5A, add at least one more collector limpet.

 

[CoyoteXStarrk]

1) Whatever ship you like. Larger ships = more cargo space, less nimble. Distributor is negligible for core mining, so no point in using a big-distro ship.
Hardpoint placement is also not relevant, as you only need one seismic charge and one abrasion blaster.
I like the FDS as Budget Miner.

2) I always fill up the cargo hold with limpets -10% and then drop them as needed if my hold is full. Better having some limpets too much then not enough

3) I won't bother with anything except Void Opals, mostly because sometimes you need to bring the stuff to two different starports to get maximized pay.

4) Your Python build would work.
But I would use more collector limpets, more shields and less cargo. Switch the shield for a 5A, add at least one more collector limpet.

Is there a reason why less cargo is okay? I thought that I would want as much cargo space as possible? More materials right?

 

[Bigmaec]

Is there a reason why less cargo is okay? I thought that I would want as much cargo space as possible? More materials right?

Less cargo means more collectors (faster) and more shields to bring your stuff safely to port
Also I am quickly bored, so even my biggest core miner has barely 300 tons of cargo space.

 

[jeffkren]

Don't target the rocks when you use collector limpets, I blow off all the surface deposits first after the core blows and find a good spot to use them... Yeah I thought they only picked up one item at a time, with nothing targeted they stay active first time I used them. So 2-4 per core, core is about 12-16 units avg.

 

[Stealthie]

1) What ship should I use?

Python, Krait Mk2 or, if you're on a budget, AspX.

2) How do I know how many limpets to grab?

As many as you can fit in your cargo hold.

Limpets cost (IIRC) Cr101 each.
The ability to locate one extra deep-core 'roid will pay for approximately 198,000 limpets.
You can afford to dump them to make space for ore.

3) Do I grab ONLY Void Opals? Or is it okay to grab other valuable materials along the way?

For optimal profit, there's little point in mining anything other than VO's.

4) If the Python is a good choice for a ship will this build work?

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

coriolis.io

If it's got Collectors, a Prospector, a Refinery, a DSS, a PWA, a seismic launcher and an abrasion blaster it'll work.

Bear in mind that the best place to sell VO's (or any ore) might be several jumps from your mining location so a fuel-scoop can be useful.

Here's my mining Python: https://s.orbis.zone/39qr

+EDIT+

While I'm at it, here's the alternatives:-

Krait Mk2: https://s.orbis.zone/39qu
AspX: https://s.orbis.zone/39qx

 

[CMDR X]

This little ship made me 21,300,000 cr in 35 minutes, from one Void Opal rock (13t)!

Without the SLF it can go up to 83,200,000 per run if you fill her up and prices don't drop.

Not too shabby for a 14 mill potato.

 

[Vandaahl]

Actually, a Python is a pretty poor ship to mine in, especially when you put an abrasive blaster in the nose cone of the ship. If you need to scoop up stuff manually and keep the weapon deployed, then the weapon will knock your stuff away from the scoop, making scooping a long mini game. I know you are using limpets, but quite often shards end up close to roids, causing your limpets to crash and burn. Normally I scoop those pieces up manually. Also , turn rate is bad as well as the visibility. A Krait is my preferred miner.

I always fill up half the amount of free cargo space I have with limpets. More then once my cargo hold ended up full by the time my limpets were depleted.

Oh, one more thing, when you set your charges, back off at least one click, or you'll be mining a re-buy screen (don't ask me how I know...).

 

[Aashenfox]

Lots of good advice here, may I mention something equally important. When you first start, it will be frustrating as you waste prospectors on brightly shining roids that turn out not to be cores. It will take you several sessions to get the hang of spotting core roids reliably, try not to get disenchanted, when it clicks, you can spot them a mile away. Give yourself a chance to learn, the ice ones are particularly hard to differentiate because of 'imposters!' . Good luck!

 

[CoyoteXStarrk]

Okay so I went out and found an Alexandrite hotspot and I am still having trouble finding the right rocks, but I have 29 Alexandrite, 14, Void Opals, and 16 Grandidierite after about 45mins of searching random rocks trying to get the hang of recognizing the right ones.


Is that good, bad, or about right for a first timer?

 

[Codger]

Okay so I went out and found an Alexandrite hotspot and I am still having trouble finding the right rocks, but I have 29 Alexandrite, 14, Void Opals, and 16 Grandidierite after about 45mins of searching random rocks trying to get the hang of recognizing the right ones.


Is that good, bad, or about right for a first timer?

It’s better than I did my first time out.

 

[CoyoteXStarrk]

It’s better than I did my first time out.

Well I think I got very stupidly lucky. The 4th rock I prospected was a Void opal one and just one boost away was an Alexandrite one.

Also I THINK I might be getting the hang of finding them now. I have noticed the last 2 I found were able to be seen from much further out than the others. They were brighter than the closest ones even though they were further away. Doe sthat make sense or am I nuts?

 

[Aashenfox]

Okay so I went out and found an Alexandrite hotspot and I am still having trouble finding the right rocks, but I have 29 Alexandrite, 14, Void Opals, and 16 Grandidierite after about 45mins of searching random rocks trying to get the hang of recognizing the right ones.


Is that good, bad, or about right for a first timer?

It took me about 6 hours (3 x 2 hour sessions) getting a bit better each time. Now I recognize them from distance and do not need a prospector to confirm the imposters (the ice one has some unique visual details which once you see cannot be unseen).

I was looking for advice on this myself and never found a good guide, but I reckon I can do one myself now, I might do that tonight actually.

 

[Aashenfox]

Well I think I got very stupidly lucky. The 4th rock I prospected was a Void opal one and just one boost away was an Alexandrite one.

Also I THINK I might be getting the hang of finding them now. I have noticed the last 2 I found were able to be seen from much further out than the others. They were brighter than the closest ones even though they were further away. Doe sthat make sense or am I nuts?

It makes sense, but in Ice rings there are two imposters, which from a distance are very hard to differentiate, they will frustrate you sometimes for a while.