Experiment Storage Unit use

[antipro]

Hi,

I did a couple of journeys, one on Ike and the other on Gilly, I did several experiments there, aftertwards I detached a little probe, with an ESU containing all the data, from the main ship and sent it back to a MPL orbiting Kerbin; apart the convenience to have a button that collect all the experiments with 2 clicks, what's the advantage to have an Experiment Storage Unit instead of to use the command module storage capability?

Edited January 28, 2017 by antipro

[Snark]

34 minutes ago, antipro said:

apart the convenience to have a button that collect all the experiments with 2 clicks, what's the advantage to have an Experiment Storage Unit instead of to use the command module storage capability?

Mainly that it's small and has a very low mass, much lower than a command pod.  Thus, you can send it back unmanned, which means you can have a very tiny, lightweight probe to carry it, which can get lots of dV from a small amount of fuel.

Also, it's useful because it can do the science-collection thing even unmanned, i.e. it doesn't need an EVA kerbal to do the transferring of the science.

Thus, for example, suppose you wanted to retrieve science from the surface of Eve, but you didn't want to have to build a big lander that can carry a kerbal down and back.  You could design an unmanned ship that goes down to the surface, collects all the science, then transfers the science into an ESU.  Then you have an ascent stage whose payload to orbit is just the ESU:  that can be a lot smaller than if you have to lug a Mk1 command pod all the way up.

It's also useful as a message-in-a-bottle kind of thing for multi-destination missions.  Suppose you have a big "grand tour" type of mission, where you've gone to Duna and Ike to collect all kinds of science, and then you plan to go straight to Jool from there, before you go home to Kerbin.  And suppose you want to get the science back to Kerbin earlier.  Well, just include a small unmanned probe with ESU as part of your mission.  After you're done with mining Duna and Ike for science, you transfer all the science into the probe, then launch it homewards before the big mothership heads to Jool.

[DD_bwest]

you dont need a kerbal, so you can send upmanned craft, pop results into the container and send it  on a reentry path to recover from the surface for the full science value

[antipro]

that's what I did: my main ship was guided by RC-001S module. The probe was guided by OCTO2.

excuse me, but I still cant get it, please be patient.

my target is just to store data into something the most lightweight possible and send it back to MPL to get an outstanding amount of science points.
To land on kerbin for recover the science data is unnecessary as the small amount of science points compared to those provided by MPL.

I've already did it, 2 times, Ike and Gilly, using the ESU, so after I realized that even Probodobodyne units can collect experiments,
I'm wondering if I can build the probe without the ESU.

the probodobodyne OCTO2 mass is 0.04t and can collect data while
the ESU mass is 0.05t, its volume is bigger and doesn't have controls.

So why I've attached an ESU to my OCTO2 mini probe? I mean if the OCTO2 can collect data, why have I to add another stuff to do the same work?

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by antipro

[FullMetalMachinist]

16 minutes ago, antipro said:

I mean if the OCTO2 can collect data, why have I to add another stuff to do the same work?

Are you using mods? That'd be why. 

[antipro]

ah! no I'm not using any mods.
I've just tested it, I was wrong, the OCTO2 is not capable to store data. my fault sorry.

only the RC-001S module can do it, anyway is the same, if I use RC module to drive the probe, why have I to attach an ESU too?

 

ESU Collect All vs Transfer to RC module

Edited January 28, 2017 by antipro

[WanderingKid]

49 minutes ago, antipro said:

only the RC-001S module can do it, anyway is the same, if I use RC module to drive the probe, why have I to attach an ESU too?

First, ESU comes up way earlier in career mode than the RC-001S, so there's that.  The ESU is also significantly cheaper.  So, if you're in sandbox, there's basically no reason to care, at least about using a single ESU without anything else if you're using the highest end probe cores.  As an example of caring in Career, one of the ways I was boosting my early science was using 'Mun Bombs', basically 20k funds rockets that would land in a biome on Mun, snag all the science I could use, stuff it into an ESU, and ship that ESU (+Heatshield, OKTO, Battery, 3 panels, an antenna, +Ant+Oscar) home.  By lightening the payload on top I kept cutting costs on that rocket until it came close to being equivalently valued to a re-usable Mun Lander that needed refueling.

However, for another use, I'm currently playing with a lander that uses a 2 man landing can, 2 ESUs, and is bouncing around Minmus collecting 3 copies of all the data.  Why 3?  One set is going to be sent back to Kerbin for analysis. The other two are going to be fed into two different research centers on Minmus to produce yet more science (and eventually funds).  ESUs are great ways to get multiple copies of the same data for different uses as well.  It's a bit clicky to get it all done, but it saves you a lot of repeat visits.

[Snark]

1 hour ago, antipro said:

only the RC-001S module can do it, anyway is the same, if I use RC module to drive the probe, why have I to attach an ESU too?

You don't.

ESU is useful there for two reasons:

• It's available a lot earlier in the tech tree than the RC-001S.
• It's only a 0.625m form factor, which is relevant for reentry and atmospheric ascent

The first of the two is probably more of a big deal.  The 1.25m probe core is way the heck up at the top of the tech tree-- doesn't get unlocked until pretty late.  ESU is early.

[AeroGav]

It's also good for early career game science aircraft, where you are covering a lot of biomes/taxying over space centre to grub from every building. 

Very tedious to have to get out and collect off each instrument every time, then clamber back into cockpit.  If you're actually flying when doing this, it's downright hazardous.     Even the 100% transmit stuff, antennas now snap off in a light breeze, and besides it takes ages to generate enough electrical power for one crew report (Jeb must have a way with words, or a fantastic line in banter).

So it's fab to just bind this storage module to an action group, and just instantly collect everything, including all your crew reports, and cash in on landing.

[Snark]

5 minutes ago, AeroGav said:

Even the 100% transmit stuff, antennas now snap off in a light breeze

Well, if you use one of the deployable ones, yes.  That's why one generally doesn't use those on planes.    Either use the Communotron 16-S, or else one of the fixed relay dishes inside a fairing (the RA-2 fits neatly inside a 1.25m fairing), though admittedly those become available somewhat later in career.  Really, the 16-S is the poster child of airplane antennas.

But yes, this is a very handy usage for early aircraft, so nice not to have to keep landing the darn plane so as to clamber out and collect the science.