Can't dock

[DrDress]

I am new to the whole docking-thing. I've docked once in the toturial. So I'm starting light with a simple rocket with a small ship it can decouple. Both the rocket and the ship contains a command computer, docking ports and solar panels. So I just try to detach the ship, turn it around and then dock it to the rocket docking port which is positioned right behind the decoupler.

I get within 1m, but obviously it does't work. But why?

 

 

 

I've pasted a screenshot, but I'm not sure that it can be seen...

 

Edited January 6, 2016 by DrDress
Couldn't see my screenshot

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Your picture isn't showing up so it's hard to say. (Try using Imgur)

Are both docking ports facing the right way?

Have you tried moving a little further away from the ship and trying again? Sometimes it's a little wonky if you disconnect and reconnect one after another.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Rocket In My Pocket

[ElWanderer]

Your screenshot is hosted on mail.Google.com, so we can't see it.

Do you get any signs of magnetic attraction when the ports get close?

If no: it's most likely one or both of the docking ports are mounted the wrong way around as already suggested. It's easily done and a common error.

If yes: you should be able to dock. If you have SAS on, turn it off (both vessels) as it'll fight against the docking magnets and make things much harder.

[DrDress]

 

I've made the dockingports physically touch each other now.

 

This is how the ports look. It's a Clamp-O-Tron Shielded Docking Port and a Clamp-O-Tron Docking Port. Can someone tell me if the are pointing the right direction?

 

[steve_v]

IIRC you'll need to be a certain distance away from the port you want to dock to before the 'magnetic' docking mechanism will re-engage, I cant remember exactly what it is but 10m or so should do it. Also set "control from here" on docking port of the craft you're controlling, and "set as target" on the port you're docking to.
I still can't see that screenshot - the forum doesn't host images, so you'll need to upload it somewhere publicly visible and link to it or use the URL with the "insert other media" button. Try imgur or postimg.org

Edited January 6, 2016 by steve_v

[DrDress]

Come on!

 

You still can't see my images? I can...

Edited January 6, 2016 by DrDress

[steve_v]

9 minutes ago, DrDress said:

You still can't see my images?

Correct.

Where are you uploading them to?

Edited January 6, 2016 by steve_v

[sumghai]

19 minutes ago, DrDress said:

Come on!

 

 

You still can't see my images? I can...

The reason only you can see your images is because you're currently logged in to your Google Drive. None of us here have your Google account credentials, so we can't see your screenshots.

Please re-upload your photos to a public image host like imgur, and then link to it in your post.

[Rocket In My Pocket]

Just tried it on the ground with two rovers, no problems at all.

So it doesn't seem to be a problem with the ports themselves. Hope that helps some.

Silly question but...you did open the shield on the shielded one right?

Maybe this will help since you seem to be having trouble uploading a pic:

Green is the right side (The docking side), Red is the wrong (The side you attach to the craft's hull). Best of luck!

Edited January 6, 2016 by Rocket In My Pocket

[DrDress]

Thanks for all the help! I really can't see what's wrong.

 

I'll try the pics again, hope it works this time:

http://imgur.com/g0vr2kf

http://imgur.com/vOgUBqD

[steve_v]

Ahh, the standard (not shielded) docking port still has a decoupler attached - it'll be blocking docking.

Switch to that craft, right click the docking port and hit "decouple node" to detach it (then try to get it out of the way), use a stack separator instead (decouples on both sides) or loose the decoupler altogether - you don't need it, since you can just undock then redock to the same port. ED. actually, no - shielded docking port won't work. Just stick the probe directly on the docking port and use the "decouple node" trick to detach it, then spin around and dock.

Edited January 6, 2016 by steve_v

[DrDress]

I think it might be because of the decoupler in front of the port

[Rocket In My Pocket]

1 hour ago, DrDress said:

I think it might be because of the decoupler in front of the port

Looks like it from the pic, is it still attached or just floating about? Perhaps you can get it out of the way somehow?

[Snark]

1 hour ago, DrDress said:

I think it might be because of the decoupler in front of the port

Yes, as @steve_v pointed out, that's exactly the problem.  It's obstructing the port.

One thing to bear in mind:  there are decouplers and there are stack separators.  These serve a similar purpose, but they work differently:  when a decoupler blows, it stays attached to one of the two separated things (the side opposite the direction the little triangle is pointing), whereas when a stack separator blows, it detaches from both sides.

Therefore, decouplers are useful when you need to separate something that you're throwing away (like a spent booster stage), but they're not a good choice when you're keeping & using both of the separated things (which is in your case).  If you want to separate them and use both things afterwards, a stack separator is a better choice, since it detaches from both of them and therefore isn't hanging around and getting in the way afterwards.

In the particular case of your ship here, though, you can actually do even better than that:  as steve_v has already pointed out, you can just attach your probe directly on top of the rocket's docking port, without any decoupler or stack separator at all.  When you want to separate them, just right-click on the docking port and choose "decouple" and it will let go.

In other words:  a docking port can stick to anything (not just other docking ports) if you do it in the vehicle editor.  Once you're in flight, and after you decouple it, then it can only be re-coupled to another docking port of the right size.

[MagicFireCaster]

yep is the decoupler, if you can remove it the whole thing will work, if you have separators it would be better to use them instead of decouplers