How to scan for resources

[Windspren]

I put an unmanned probe in a 200km 90 degree orbit. It has the scanning part and a commutron 16. For some reason it won't scan. How do I get it to scan?

Edited May 2, 2015 by Laythe Dweller

[Superfluous J]

When you say "the scanning part" do you mean the big clamshell scanner? Did you activate it?

In map mode, you have to click one of the icons on the right to see resources, and then click "ore."

[purpletarget]

You need the M700 Survey Scanner on Board, in a polar orbit. Deploy the scanner, and "perform orbital survey" to get the data.

You also need a communitron of some sort on board as well, and the survey data will transmit, very similar to science reports. The data will take a while, so make sure you have plenty of batteries or solar panels/fuel cells to download the data.

After that, the resource info should be available in the Map view.

The M4435 can operate in orbit, or on the surface, but requires the overall orbital survey above to be done first.

The surface scanning module will work anytime.

[Windspren]

When I transmit data it does it instantly but nothing happens.

- - - Updated - - -

EDIT: I'm using the M4435 and there's no option to perform orbital survey, all it says is activate scanner.

[cybersol]

When I transmit data it does it instantly but nothing happens.

After transmitting, did you try 5thHorseman's recommendation in post #2?

EDIT: I think you need to use the big clamshell like orbital scanner first

[Windspren]

EDIT: I fixed it, hyperedited a new sat up there.

[Geschosskopf]

From what I understand (as explained by Roverdude, who actually wrote the system in KSP), scanning for ore is a 3-step process.

1. Use the big clamshell thingy in polar orbit. This gives you a very vague, low-res indication of the general area where you might find higher concentrations. It takes about 10 seconds and does the whole planet. Some folks have a problem with this but I see it as an abstraction of the centuries of prior observations with ground-based telescopes, spectrometers, etc., which for some reason you don't have in the game already.

2. Land something with the surface scanner in one of the areas where the concentrations look denser. Move around measuring local concentrations to narrow down the target area. This gives results by the biome you're currently in, not a specific spot on the ground.

3. Do flyovers with the top-end narrow-band scanner to zero in on the best spots within the high-level biomes identified by the surface scanner.

Although there is usually at least a trace amount of ore pretty much everywhere, you go to all this trouble to find high-density areas becuase that increases the extraction rate. The drills overheat the longer you run them, so the faster you can suck up ore, the more you get before this becomes a problem.

[purpletarget]

EDIT: I'm using the M4435 and there's no option to perform orbital survey, all it says is activate scanner.

That would be the problem. The M4435 is the narrow beam scanner used to examine a smaller geographic area, but it can't do anything until the full survey is done with the Clamshell M700 scanner first.

[anakim]

I put an unmanned probe in a 200km 90 degree orbit. It has the scanning part and a commutron 16. For some reason it won't scan. How do I get it to scan?

uninstall kerbinside if you have , to your game, upgrade all your building if you have enought dollars, and you can scan with your scanner.After that you can reinstall kerbinside.

[Windspren]

uninstall kerbinside if you have , to your game, upgrade all your building if you have enought dollars, and you can scan with your scanner.After that you can reinstall kerbinside.

Um... I don't have Kerbinside and I don't see how that would help if I did...