Using service bays without dismantling rockets

[haltux]

Hello,

It seems that many people are actually using service bays. When I try them, by rocket dismantles either on the launch pad or at some random point in space. I am starting to becoming mad.

What I want to do is probably the most basic usage of service bays. I want to launch a probe to an asteroid, with a grabbing unit. I am in career mode, I still don't have the large probe core. So I need a small probe core, under the grabbing unit. To do that, I want to put my probe core in a service bay (alternative ideas welcome).

So that's where I start having troubles. My core in not as high as the service bay. So I put the core first, then the service bay attached to the top of the core, then the lower part of the rocket under the service bay (and therefore not touching the core, which is stuck to the upper part of the service bay). Fine.

But then in space, at some point the rocket is dismantling itself. The upper part seems to vibrate, then the rocket breaks and the higher part (service bay + prob + grabbing unit) is detaching itself to the rest of the rocket.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Landwalker]

I've run into a similar "detachment" situation from time to time, but I've had some luck avoiding it with a particular part-placement-sequence.

1. Place the service bay first. In fact, if I'm launching a probe that's going to have its core inside a service bay (which is most probes, for me), the very first part I place is the service bay.
   
2. Put the core in second (I usually attach it to the inside of the "roof" of the service bay rather than the inside of the "floor" of the service bay)
   
3. Do not put anything on the service bay before you put the probe core in it (just precautionary)
   
4. Build rest of rocket as normal.

When I've gone this route, I seem to mostly have success in all of the parts staying attached the way they're supposed to be. No promises, but something to try. Definitely try the "service bay first" approach.

[kreutzkevic]

I use service bays A LOT and have never encountered problems like that. It seems sensible, though, to make the service bay the root part if you're going to put in probe cores and not just offset the service bay so it looks as if the probe core's inside.

Could be the AGU: the grabbing unit is notorious for buggy behavior.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/100286-BUST-Claw-Frozen-Stuck-Orbits-Breaking-Infinite-Acceleration

Edited July 14, 2015 by kreutzkevic

[KOCOUR]

Had the same problem with servicebay, but in my case it wasnt probecore but battery. One of folowing advices should help.

1.You have to be sure, that the core is attached to a propper node.

2.When/if the wobble starts, open the service bay. it will stop wobling. (Probe core might glitch out of the bay)

3. Try to fix the bay with few struts if you have them unlocked.

[Landwalker]

1.You have to be sure, that the core is attached to a proper node.

Yeah, this is basically what it boils down to. I've found that placing the parts "Bay-first" helps make sure that the probe core gets attached to the right spot, instead of ending up in some sort of weird arrangement. But at the end of the day, the problem is "something's somehow attached wrong, plz fix."

[ygarl]

Also - be sure - ABSOLUTELY totally sure - the parts going in the bay are green when letting go of your mouse button.

If I had a penny for all the times engines/batteries/parachutes/docking bays/etc etc were nooooooot quite attached but look like they are.

Docking bays are my particular bugbear (though just last night with an antenna...)

[haltux]

OK, thanks to all. Placing service bay first seems to work.

However now when I grab the asteroid my rocket spontaneously heat and explodes after some seconds... I am cursed. I will post another message in the bug section specifically on this topic.

[Landwalker]

OK, thanks to all. Placing service bay first seems to work.

However now when I grab the asteroid my rocket spontaneously heat and explodes after some seconds... I am cursed. I will post another message in the bug section specifically on this topic.

Overheating shenanigans with service bay contents is, unfortunately, a known issue (at least, I think it is. People seem to know about it. ). Not much you can do other than try, try again. If there's a way around it, I'm not familiar with it.

[Kryxal]

These days, I just make the root part a fuel tank or something, then pull a service bay subassembly out.