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Trying to wrap my head around satalites


kithylin

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Okies, ever since the satellite system and the relay antennas and all of that came into KSP I've been working on trying to set up a deep space relay network of science transmission and control and communications on distant planets and systems. I was mostly successful branching out then got rather far out and reached a point where I'm not connecting how I expect it and I'm terribly confused and need help.

Okay there's different antennas of different strengths that can connect at different distances. I get that part.

So I started out with lots of the smallest antennas on small satellites attached to a probe core with batteries and solar panels. I've put them in various orbits around kerbin at various heights. They work, I have about 5 or 7 of em orbiting Kerbin, and one laid down landed on kerbin on the opposite side from KSP as a relay. So far, this part works great. Anything I launch from KSP now has full ground control while within kerbin. The signal bounces across various antennas and they relay and sometimes go through multiple to talk back to KSP if it's like, on the other side of the mun or the back side of kerbin. So all this is fine. So then I unlocked the longer distance RA-15 antenna. I put that in orbit at 68,000 km from kerbin, almost right at the very edge of the kerbin system. Expecting in my mind that since this one can reach further into space, that it would mean if I put another RA-15 orbiting say, Duna, it would act as a direct uplink to the kerbin system. Then I could put multiple smaller short range ones orbiting Duna.

Well, this kind of works. I put a small satellite with a RA-15 on it orbiting almost as high as possible around Duna. It makes a connection all the way to KSP, but.. it connects direct, and sometimes when kerbin orbits so that the KSP ground station is on the other side from where duna is, I get a drop in connection. The RA-15 "uplink" from Duna never tries to bounce through the RA-15 I have orbiting kerbin. I don't understand why.

I then tried putting another RA-15 in very high orbit around Dres. This one also connects direct to KSP. And if the sun or something is blocking direct line of sight, it drops connection. when it can still reach Duna.. it should be able to bounce through Duna's RA-15 -> Kerbin's RA-15 -> Kerbin local network. But it doesn't.

What am I doing wrong here? Why do these distant antennas connect direct instead of bounce through other systems? If they would relay through other systems then I would have more contact with KSP-Ground-Home a lot more often. I even tried putting a RA-15 in orbit very high around Jool system. That one's the worst.. it's only able to communicate with home when their orbits are close enough and half of the time it can't connect to home because it's too far away. But yet it's pleanty close enough to Dres.. it should be able to connect through like this: Jool -> Dres -> Duna -> Home. But again, it doesn't either.... scratching my head and about to abandon the game at this point thinking the antenna system is borked and doesn't work.

EDIT: If the relays and bouncing and routing doesn't work like I think it should there... then what's the point of having any smaller antennas what so ever if they can't connect to anything? If this is how it works then all the ships I send in to deep space (Jool or beyond) will just have the largest antenna possible onboard and connect direct to KSP, and lose signal if it gets out of range or Kerbin's turned around. Seems stupid to me. I thought we could set up an extensive relay network and make it so we can always control all of our ships from anywhere in the system once setup right... but apparently not.

Edited by kithylin
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As a general guideline, a satellite will contact KSC if its antenna is able to connect to it, even with minimum signal. Otherwise, it'll try to connect through closest (and reachable) relay. Some of the other advice:

-stronger antenna should be placed on orbit, weaker antenna is placed on surface

-change your vessel type as "relay" for all your satellite

-set commnet view as "network" (click the icon on the upper left in map view)

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What is the level of your tracking station?

Do you have any 'regular' antennas on your relay satellites?

 

Mixing relay and non-relay antennas on a relay satellite can make a crucial difference:

Quote

When considering the antenna power of your vessel, Direct Antennas and Relay Antennas combine to give you a 'Power' to calculate Signal Strength back to the KSC, however, if a different vessel is connecting through you to communicate with the KSC the Direct Antennas are disregarded in any calculations made.

Source: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/CommNet

 

Whether you are out of range or if there is a different issue is hard to tell, BUT i believe that in many cases the RA-15 is too weak to connect to connect to Kerbin through Duna (not sure though). Either way - pictures of your crafts and orbits would greatly help :wink:

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There are tons of ground stations on kerbin, so you should not need anything for low orbits. The relay is only needed for going to the mun and beyond with probe cores. Anything with a crew in it can man itself without needed a satellite relay. Just put 3-5 satellites in a 2000km orbit with the largest relay dish you have unlocked, and they will make connections possible for other planets.

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