Mk1 vs Mk2 Illuminators

[Stigy]

Do you also find Mk1 Illuminator more useful ? In my rovers Mk2 almost everytime light up only 10-20 meters when Mk1 at least triples the distance.

[Garbonzo]

I think that Mk2 illuminators are more useful, as the Mk1 tends to flood out the ship, or what I'm trying to see. I mostly use them for knowing what position my ship is at night in orbit, or on lander, so I don't really need or want to light up the whole surface if Minmus.

[Tex]

I use either one for different purposes. Sometimes the Mk2 Illuminator looks better, say, as the headlights in a car-type rover vehicle.

Specifically, the Mk1 is meant to have a stronger beam used to illuminate things at longer distances- This is useful for when you want to perform a landing on a celestial body either at night, or simply if you want to have a better judgement of where the ground is and what the slope looks like to fine-tune the landing. Mk2s are what I mount on crafts for docking in low-light situations because it illuminates crafts fairly decently without making everything blindingly bright.

[MKI]

I use mk1 for landing and docking. Mk2s for everything else.

The distance is cool but if things are close its not useful. Since the only time I need to light up anything at 30+ meters is docking and landing.

I have thrown better lights on rovers, but even they don't really need that great of light besides maybe infront if you can't turn fast or anything.

[quasarrgames]

I use mk1s for color! Or at least i did before kerbpaint...

Mk2s just kind of cast a scalar haze of light that doesn't really color anything. But mk1s cast a nice intense cone of light, so you can place 2 on a ship and give it a nice gold/purple/whatever you want sheen.

[FlyingPete]

Mk1 is a headlight, meant for seeing long distances. Not very useful at short range as it washes out any surface detail.

Mk2 is more of a floodlight. Doesn't shine very far but covers a broader area.

I sometimes equip rovers with one of each to give low and high beam lights.

[FyunchClick]

Do you also find Mk1 Illuminator more useful ? In my rovers Mk2 almost everytime light up only 10-20 meters when Mk1 at least triples the distance.

One is a searchlight, the other is a floodlight.

The searchlight is good when you use them for landing lights or headlights on rovers, because you can light up terrain a long way away.

The floodlight is good for illuminating cargo bays, lighting up your ship exterior, or providing light around your ship while landed, generally lighting up a work area.

Btw, in the VAB you can right click them and change the RGB levels, so you can change colors or even intensity if you feel they are too bright.

[Maukse]

One is a searchlight, the other is a floodlight.

The searchlight is good when you use them for landing lights or headlights on rovers, because you can light up terrain a long way away.

The floodlight is good for illuminating cargo bays, lighting up your ship exterior, or providing light around your ship while landed, generally lighting up a work area.

Btw, in the VAB you can right click them and change the RGB levels, so you can change colors or even intensity if you feel they are too bright.

Just... +1 ! Nothing to add)) for manned rovers, mk1 in front, mk2 on sides.

[problemecium]

Also seconding FyunchClick.

I use the Mk2 for self-illumination, e.g. in cargo bays, and the Mk1 for when I need to spot something far away such as a landing spot or docking port.

[KerikBalm]

I use both for landing at night.

Mk1 shows me when I'm getting close, and Mk2 when I'm *really* close.

[xtoro]

Mk1 for landing, but for lighting up the ship itself I use the Surface Lights mod which adds 3 nice little lights that can also change color.

[Stoney3K]

Mk1 for landing, but for lighting up the ship itself I use the Surface Lights mod which adds 3 nice little lights that can also change color.

Surface Lights? Use Aviation Lights, they even have the fancy red beacons and flashers, so you can put a red/green/yellow/flash marker around your docking ports and tell everyone which way is actually up!

Near Future Electrical also has a few very nice omni lights which I use a lot for stations.

[xtoro]

Surface Lights? Use Aviation Lights, they even have the fancy red beacons and flashers, so you can put a red/green/yellow/flash marker around your docking ports and tell everyone which way is actually up!

Near Future Electrical also has a few very nice omni lights which I use a lot for stations.

I have used aviation lights on planes but for ships I prefer how the surface lights shine.

[luizopiloto]

MK1 works better as landing lights...

MK2 for self illumination...

[Thanny]

I mostly use the Mk2 lights to illuminate docking ports on the ship, so night-side rendezvous are not absurdly difficult. The Mk1 lights are generally landing lights and rover headlights, though I've also used them on asteroid fetchers (along with Mk2's, so I can avoid washing things out when close in).