The popular guide to mining

[MadDogMurdock]

Great guide but where's the FDS!?

I'm fairly new to mining but the FDS is awesome for it.
5 Hardpoints to cover mining and combat needs.
Enough slots to run a class 4 refinery and 7 collectors.

Basic 64T cargo.
The choice is shields or an extra 32T cargo.
I've fitted military armor and taken the extra cargo.

I also find that 1/3rd limpets is enough if you allow them to collect the fragments before you move to your next target. Prospectors have a longer range, so you don't need to move to find your next rock if your collectors are still busy with the last one.
The easiest way to lose your drones is to move out of range, so don't do it. Wait until they're done.
Selecting slower rotating, and rounder rocks, also reduces the chances of collectors crashing into the roids.

It's been a nice change of pace, the income is nice and steady, and interdictions come often enough to keep my combat rating ticking over.

 

[Malkevin]

There is a noticeable omission though - it skipped over tiny mining ships and went straight to the large end of "small" and medium-sized ships. Mining in tiny ships is actually fantastic money when you're starting out.
(I thought this mattered enough to mention because combat income and some other money-makers are out of your reach at this very-early stage of the game. Mining is a low-cost low-risk way to rapidly build capital and learn flight skills)

For very small mining ships, such as a Sidewinder, you don't use a prospector or collectors, just a refinery, a mining laser, and a cargo rack. That's as little as $12800 credits of equipment - less than the cost of one tonne of palladium or platinum, so you can afford that equipment very early in the game.

Meh, a size one collector is only 200 creds more than a size one cargo rack, and manual scooping is so fiddly and time consuming its not worth the extra two tons of cargo space IMO.

With that said I've quickly cooked up a few builds for the cheap ships, ordered in cost:

Sidewinder:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/sidewinder/02D2D2D1D1C1D1C2l1800021o0100C2.Iw1-EA==.Aw1-EA==

Eagle:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/eagle/02D3D3D1D2D2D2C2l181800021o00C2.Iw1-EA==.Aw1-EA==

Hauler:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/hauler/02D2D2D1D1C1D2C2l000202021nC2.Iw19A===.Aw19A===

Adder:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/adder/02C3D3D1D2A3D3C2m1717000202021nC2P4.Iw1+kA==.Aw1+kA==

Cobra III:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_iii/03C4D4D3D3A3D4C2m271818000203032201C2P4.Iw1-kA==.Aw1-kA==

Cobra IV (mining might actually be something the IV is better at than the III):
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...718181800020303482202C701P4.Iw18SQ==.Aw18SQ==

Type-6:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/type_6_tr...D4C2l2l00000204044822C701P4.Iw1-kA==.AwiMIypI


I would actually recommend new miners upgrade to an Adder as soon as they can, because size one mining lasers are pretty terrible - size twos consume twice the power but actually mine about 3.5 times faster.


And yes, the FDS is awesome gravy.

 

[Lance 'Spacecat' D.]

Thanks for the designs, Malkevin. I hadn't considered going prospector-less and using the lightest shields. As per doing it without a collector... *shudder* The very thought makes my fur stand on end... In a few days I'll separate the ship designs in 'light / medium / heavy miners' then. And thanks for pointing out the federal dropship to me. Being shamelessly imperial I considered it on par with an Asp and twice the price, but it's true the tougher hull and armaments help.
I came up with this mining dropship design, with 5 collectors and a decent 112 cargo:

https://coriolis.io/outfit/federal_...504Ce03C01rP4.Iw18aQ==.Aw18aQ==?bn=Mining FDS

If I start getting into the fighting/mining hybrid designs, I'll never be done I'm afraid.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

+1

What an excellent guide! I think from now on, instead of typing my own advice, I'm just going to link to yours.

One thing, you may want to change the subtitle to "There's gold in the thar hills!"... it's a bit funnier

 

[Lance 'Spacecat' D.]

Whew, big update done today.
-More ship designs, now split in small/medium/big ships.
-I've added advice and tips to dodge space pirates, now they more stubbornly appear when one arrives in a belt. But don't panic! And bring your limpets.
-I had a friend who kept losing limpets due to targetting ore chunks. So one full page to explain collector behavior.

 

[Lance 'Spacecat' D.]

I have a question for fellow miners out there. I haven't touched ice rings very much but... any of you had luck finding low temperature diamonds? Were you in belts or rings?

Aaaand for the pros: Anyone can comment on the differences between 'mining in a belt' and 'mining in a ring'? (Besides there being obviously a lot fewer rocks in belts)

 

[Sevanje]

Ice rings, for low temp. diamonds. If you cherish your time, you should give up on that. No difference in belt/ring, except the mentioned one. That RNG for miners is more and more a pain in the spine for miners.

 

[Ouberos]

I have a question for fellow miners out there. I haven't touched ice rings very much but... any of you had luck finding low temperature diamonds? Were you in belts or rings?

Aaaand for the pros: Anyone can comment on the differences between 'mining in a belt' and 'mining in a ring'? (Besides there being obviously a lot fewer rocks in belts)

I'm not a miner but a high class Diamond thief.

However, the other day I did try to match my experiences of Diamonds being prolific in NPC to Diamonds in the wild. It seems they aren't very prolific at all.

Very experienced miners have said same.

My suspicion is that given the amount of NPC hauling them, they ARE prolific somewhere.

Where exactly is a very good question.

 

[bubbabenali]

I have a question for fellow miners out there. I haven't touched ice rings very much but... any of you had luck finding low temperature diamonds? Were you in belts or rings?

Aaaand for the pros: Anyone can comment on the differences between 'mining in a belt' and 'mining in a ring'? (Besides there being obviously a lot fewer rocks in belts)

The most Diamonds I found so far in one 128t go is 9 in a major recourses ring.
But they are just a nice bonus, the money comes from mining missions for Bromellite, Mathan Crystals and Lithium Hydrid.

 

[Lance 'Spacecat' D.]

Small update today!

Kudos to ChicagoChad and the folks at the EliteMiners reddit who gave me some advanced mining tips, now on page 17.
Also, I found low temperature diamonds for the first time, during the christening run of a new mining python (got sick of the mining clipper's short jump range) and so I promptly named that new ship the 'Diamond in the rough'