Why do I need to deploy weapons to use the wake scanner?

[DjVortex]

The wake scanner isn't even on a hardpoint, so why do I need to deploy weapons in order to use it? I am only gathering data, not planning on attacking someone. It makes no sense.

The problems should be rather obvious. I suppose I am lucky that so far the worst that has happened is getting a fine from an overly cautious flight controller.

I tried to figure out if there's a way to use the wake scanner without deploying weapons, but doesn't seem possible. There doesn't seem to be an option to map a key to it, and selecting to not deploy weapons on pressing the fire button just causes the wake scanner to do nothing (unless I manually deploy weapons).

 

[Riverside]

IIRC the warning to stow hardpoints is just ambient chat & in practice it can be ignored with no consequence.

You can test this for yourself by deploying hardpoints & waiting to see what happens (eg enter the station & dock with hardpoints deployed etc) to gain confidence in what you can get away with & what actually triggers a fine/bounty/station defence.

Alternatively, if you are just wake scanning obviously those wakes will all be some distance from the station, you could retract hardpoints as you fly between them & deploy for long enough to do the scan to roleplay placating the traffic controller

It is good practice to be aware when your hardpoints are deployed, it affects your ability to wake out, uses more power on your ship & increases fuel consumption. There are times when this can be important but in general the environment does not care whether your weapons are stowed or not.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

For a bit of extra safety, make sure you're in Analysis Mode - the wake scanner works in either, but your weapons won't.

 

[metatheurgist]

Fun Fact: The utility mount is referred to as a tiny hardpoint internally.

You don't get fined for having weapons out, it's just an advisory. Put the scanner on it's own firegroup or switch to analysis. it's own firegroup is safer imo.

 

[DjVortex]

Well, I just got fined 500 CR. It happened on one of those new Odyssey settlements (although I'm still on Horizons), so maybe it's exclusive to them.

 

[Riverside]

Well, I just got fined 500 CR. It happened on one of those new Odyssey settlements (although I'm still on Horizons), so maybe it's exclusive to them.

If that was at a ground base I guess the fine was for being in a trespass zone for too long.

Learning what you can & can't get away with is an important part of the game, figuring out how to pay off fines & bounties (or having to wait out notoriety) is a part of that.

 

[DjVortex]

I got a message warning me to put away the weapons, and then I immediately got the fine. And I was pretty far from the base because I was scanning a wake (I think it was something like 3-4 km away from the base). And it's not like I was just hovering there for minutes on end, I was moving towards the wake.

Maybe I should try to repeat it and save a video capture of it as proof. (Although that would be a chore. I need to install some software to do screen capturing. Nvidia's own software is fine for this, but I don't have it installed, nor really would even want it, as it's just a waster of space and resources. Oh man...)

 

[Brrokk]

The wake scanner isn't even on a hardpoint, so why do I need to deploy weapons in order to use it? I am only gathering data, not planning on attacking someone. It makes no sense.

The problems should be rather obvious. I suppose I am lucky that so far the worst that has happened is getting a fine from an overly cautious flight controller.

I tried to figure out if there's a way to use the wake scanner without deploying weapons, but doesn't seem possible. There doesn't seem to be an option to map a key to it, and selecting to not deploy weapons on pressing the fire button just causes the wake scanner to do nothing (unless I manually deploy weapons).

Yup. It took me two days from fitting a wake scanner to being able to scan a wake.

 

[SlickPBW]

A travesty indeed.

 

[deleteduser]

.

 

[metatheurgist]

Well, I just got fined 500 CR. It happened on one of those new Odyssey settlements (although I'm still on Horizons), so maybe it's exclusive to them.

Yes, it's different for Ody settlements, it's a big fat clear warning unlike the warning from space stations. But why are you wake scanning at Ody settlements?

 

[DjVortex]

Often when I see a wake I scan it to get the data, useful for some engineer upgrades (or for trading for the necessary data for those upgrades).

Doesn't everybody do this? How do they get that data?

 

[Riverside]

Often when I see a wake I scan it to get the data, useful for some engineer upgrades (or for trading for the necessary data for those upgrades).

Doesn't everybody do this? How do they get that data?

There's nothing wrong with scanning wakes for data, although there may be some other issue with your technique if you are getting fines.

I get virtually all my data mats from scanning data points & mission rewards, then using mats traders to top up ones I am low on with more common ones. I get lots of small fines & bounties and just pay them off as I go, effectively exchanging credits (easily obtained) for mats (more scarce).

 

[metatheurgist]

Sure, but I don't bother around planet bases only space stations. Already takes long enough to leave a grav well without stopping to scan wakes. And Ody bases have clear no weapon zones so you can't just nuke active bases without penalty.

 

[Brrokk]

Often when I see a wake I scan it to get the data, useful for some engineer upgrades (or for trading for the necessary data for those upgrades).

Doesn't everybody do this? How do they get that data?

They don't, they just moan about not having it later. ;-)

 

[Sunyavadin]

I tried to figure out if there's a way to use the wake scanner without deploying weapons, but doesn't seem possible.

Simple enough, don't mount any weapons. Just the scanner.
Deployment will then only deploy the scanner.

 

[Jmanis]

Well, I just got fined 500 CR. It happened on one of those new Odyssey settlements (although I'm still on Horizons), so maybe it's exclusive to them.

Odyssey bases are different in that they have no-weapons zones, as opposed to stations and horizons bases which only have no-fire zones.

 

[K Olley]

Simple enough, don't mount any weapons. Just the scanner.
Deployment will then only deploy the scanner.

Like my Asp, it still gets a warning

 

[Sunyavadin]

It does indeed, but no chance of misfiring.

 

[Sunyavadin]

Side note, I was introducing a friend to the game last week who got quite frustrated at how she got a fine for firing her weapons inside a station, and I had to walk her through docking again and getting rid of it.