Controlling probes

[giddonah]

Sorry if this is simple, I tried searching.

So I loaded up the stock ion powered probe and launched it into solar orbit and now I can't control it. I went back and added solar panels and lost control again.

What's the rule to controlling probes? I sent a command and waited, so it's not a time delay issue. It's not electrical power. The communication dish isn't really functional yet, right?

[Johnno]

Does it have power? Are the solar panels deployed? I don't think the stock probe has a battery.

If you run out of power, it's dead in the water (unless it has deployed solar panels). You can click top right of your screen where it says 'resources' to have the resources tab showing at all times. Does it have electricity?

9 times oit of 10 when people have issues with probes becoming unresponsive they've run out of power. Only other thing it could be really is that you've got timewarp enabled.

[Kerbolnaut]

Communication dishes aren't functional yet. Usually, loss of control over a probe is due to loss of power. My guess is that you didn't extend your solar panels? You can verify whether or not you have power on the resources menu on the upper right hand corner of the screen. You could also lose control if you're time warping and didn't realize it (control is disabled during time warp). Verify that you're not in time warp when you try to control your probe.

Edit: Looks like Johnno beat me to it.

[giddonah]

I made the solar panel mistake before, so I was sure to extend them. I'd rotate the probe and the panels would rotate towards the sun. The stock probe has two batteries on it, plus the probe body has a charge too.

I just went back (have the game minimized) and I have control again. Am I supposed to have line of site to the control station or something?

[Kerbolnaut]

You don't need line of sight. It sounds like the most likely explanation is that you were unintentionally time warping.

[giddonah]

possibly. I'll have to try it out a few times to sort it out. So there's no time delay between commands and action if the probe is way far away?

[Johnno]

possibly. I'll have to try it out a few times to sort it out. So there's no time delay between commands and action if the probe is way far away?

Only if you've installed the RemoteTech mod.

[Kerbolnaut]

So there's no time delay between commands and action if the probe is way far away?

At the moment, there's no time delay. This might change in the future, or a mod might introduce it, but since we can't make ships automatically follow course change instructions, any kind of realistic time delay would make the game nearly unplayable at present.

[SRV Ron]

I had a solar probe lock up on me last night near the sun. I could not change orientation even though the RCS was fully functional verified by seeing its thrusters functioning. Time acceleration was off since thrusters were functioning. It was just the orientation was locked up. It might have been a bug or the effect of being too close to the sun when time acceleration auto set to 1.

If you have power, a functioning SAS, etc... there should be control providing that time acceleration is off. Or, it could be a random bug.

[annallia]

While I am yet to see it in .21.1 in .20.2 I had this happen several times.

My probe had power, it had batteries, it had solar panels deployed, it was in direct sunlight, couldn't control it. Wasn't limited to probe ships either this often happened with manned vessels as well.

Usually if I waited a while control would come back to me, alternatively if I didn't want to wait going to the tracking station and back to the ship would fix it.

I always just assumed it was a bug with one of my mods.

[Willy101]

I'm doing a probe mission and having the same problem I can't move my ship, but I can kind of move it a little by holding down keys for awhile but my ship is big so mabye that's the factor?

[fourfa]

necro

[bewing]

39 minutes ago, Willy101 said:

I'm doing a probe mission and having the same problem I can't move my ship, but I can kind of move it a little by holding down keys for awhile but my ship is big so mabye that's the factor?

To turn a ship in space, you generally need a reaction wheel. Most of the probe cores have a tiny little one built in -- it will indeed take a very long time to turn a big probe using just that (but it can be done). If you want your probes to turn faster, then add more/bigger reaction wheels when you build them. But your issue is not the same as the one that was posted above. You have a little bit of control, and they had none at all.