A funny thing happened on the way to Minmus

[Gene.243]

I was playing along taking a probe to Minmus when I noticed my electric power was dropping.  Looked at my probe yes I have solar panels.  I'll try pointing them at the sun while I'm coasting.  ... No sun.  I picked a path that is in Kerbal's shadow.  Put the probe in hibernation to reserve the last 10%.  Don't know what to do.  Maybe the sun will appear.  

[Gene.243]

The sun arose...Battery charged,  not enough antenna.  Probe heading for deep space.  

Edited August 8, 2018 by Gene.243
oops

[DJWyre]

One thing I have a gripe with is the relative effectiveness of antennas as you progress through the career mode.

True, you can easily complete the tech-tree without leaving Kerbin's SOI, but you frequently get Duna/Eve missions before you have the probe-tech to perform them.
You work to fix this but end up with a near-fully upgraded KSC and too-advanced tech level before you can send capable probes to other planets. By which point the science you get from these probes is of little importance. Career mode really needs to push you out of Kerbin sooner (OP Minmus science doesn't help).

Edited August 8, 2018 by DJWyre

[Gene.243]

I have a better antenna that I'll try.  I just used a basic one.

[magnemoe]

12 hours ago, Gene.243 said:

I was playing along taking a probe to Minmus when I noticed my electric power was dropping.  Looked at my probe yes I have solar panels.  I'll try pointing them at the sun while I'm coasting.  ... No sun.  I picked a path that is in Kerbal's shadow.  Put the probe in hibernation to reserve the last 10%.  Don't know what to do.  Maybe the sun will appear.  

Has run into this multiple times, its why you never ever set an crash trajectory towards the mun, not on Minmus missions however, but had an ship shutting down ISRU outside the orbit of Minmus because ellipse. 

Generally it passes, exception is Mun operations there you might end up first in ellipse then pass behind Mun. 
Another fail is rovers, rovers only need solar panels on top, however then launching against an full Mun so your rover will face away from the sun, and yes impact trajectory

 

[aleis]

12 hours ago, DJWyre said:

One thing I have a gripe with is the relative effectiveness of antennas as you progress through the career mode.

True, you can easily complete the tech-tree without leaving Kerbin's SOI, but you frequently get Duna/Eve missions before you have the probe-tech to perform them.
You work to fix this but end up with a near-fully upgraded KSC and too-advanced tech level before you can send capable probes to other planets. By which point the science you get from these probes is of little importance. Career mode really needs to push you out of Kerbin sooner (OP Minmus science doesn't help).

If you have a pilot no need for antenna link back to kerbal

 Which follows what could have happened in real life space launches if we were willing to "just build them bigger". Probes are easy to make and launch, manned missions are big but low tech. Upgrade the launch pad and VAB and with just about any tech level you can go anywhere.....you just need to embrace you inner Kerbal and just add more booster!

Also you can setup relay satellites, takes work but again by design.

Or you can mix and match a mission. Build a manned ship that hangs out in orbit around the planet with enough fuel to get home and an antenna, and have a couple remote probes that detach. The kerbal in system can control as long as you have a link to his ship.  It all depends on your play style but I like fact that you have to figure out how to design a mission with a limits more than just do I have the tech and parts to do whatever 

Edited August 9, 2018 by aleis
Speeling

[DJWyre]

Mainly meant probe missions, but yeah.

On topic: Edit, ignore me if you saw what was here before, completely wrong.

Edit edit: Where the KSC is when you burn for Mun is important if you don't have a relay network set up;
Ideally you want Mun in a position where, when you make your burn, it's around 90 degrees ahead of the KSC, so that your encounter is about 90 degrees ahead of that. This means that the burn occurs when the probe comes over the KSC (or as soon as it gains control from it). This means that when you reach Mun, Kerbin's rotation means that you still have a direct connection to the KSC for when you make your capture burn.

Edited August 9, 2018 by DJWyre

[MisterKerman]

Second post... lol.

[Red Thought]

On 8/8/2018 at 7:50 PM, DJWyre said:

One thing I have a gripe with is the relative effectiveness of antennas as you progress through the career mode.

True, you can easily complete the tech-tree without leaving Kerbin's SOI, but you frequently get Duna/Eve missions before you have the probe-tech to perform them.
You work to fix this but end up with a near-fully upgraded KSC and too-advanced tech level before you can send capable probes to other planets. By which point the science you get from these probes is of little importance. Career mode really needs to push you out of Kerbin sooner (OP Minmus science doesn't help).

Yeah game is not very polished is it?