Altitude of Another Reference Body

[Voodoo8648]

I am using Remote Tech, and I need to know my distance from Kerbin even AFTER I leave Kerbin's SOI.

I need to know my distance from the Comm satellites in LKO after I leave Kerbin's influence.

How can I accomplish this? Perhaps change the reference point / body back to Kerbin after I enter say, Mun's SOI?

[Nich]

Math :\

(((sin(your angle)*your alt)^2 + ((mun alt) + cos(your angle)*your alt))^2)^.5

I think..... been forever since I have done geomoitry. Make sure your calc is set to rads or degrees which ever you use

Edited July 22, 2015 by Nich

[Pecan]

Or more simply ...

Mun's distance from Kerbin + Mun's radius + your Mun orbit altitude (see the wiki for the first two) = the furthest you'll get from Kerbin.

For other planets it'd be: Kerbin's orbital distance from the sun + target planet's orbital distance from the sun. For anything approaching a 'low' orbit, your orbital altitude will be insignificant compared to the interplanetary distance, if you care about it add the planet and orbit distances as above.

[mikegarrison]

Math :\

(((sin(your angle)*your alt)^2 + ((mun alt) + cos(your angle)*your alt))^2)^.5

I think..... been forever since I have done geomoitry. Make sure your calc is set to rads or degrees which ever you use

Remember, it's actually a 3D problem.

[pincushionman]

Remember, it's actually a 3D problem.

Yes, but only if the relevant relative inclinations are high. Otherwise the Z component has little influence, as the R components are so large.

[Nich]

No it should work in 3d as radius is a 1d scaler it just doenst give you any info about orientation. The angle has to be measured while looking in the orbital plane of the Mun though

Edited July 23, 2015 by Nich

[Voodoo8648]

thanks for replying guys, But i'm having troubles with Remote Tech. I keep losing comms, and Im trying to diagnose the problem. Is there a way to change my reference point to another body? In other words, can I change my reference BACK TO KERBIN after I enter Mun or Minmus SOI?

Or is there a plugin? I typically play KSP while in an intoxicated state and during this relaxing time, I am not that good at nor do I particularly care to perform complex calculations. Plus I really need a precise number.

[mikegarrison]

No it should work in 3d as radius is a 1d scaler it just doenst give you any info about orientation. The angle has to be measure while looking in the orbital plane of the Mun though

Nich, the point is that you need two angles (phi and theta) and a radial distance to locate the satellite around Kerbin. You need two more angles and a radial distance to locate a satellite around the Mun. And you need to know where the Mun is in it's orbit, too. Unless, of course, all the orbits happen to be co-planar.

But really, this whole questions is nearly meaningless for RemoteTech. The Mun is 10Mm away from Kerbin (more or less) so none of RemoteTech's onmi antennas will reach home. And any satellite you put halfway will sometimes be between you and the Mun (really halfway) and sometimes on the other side of Kerbin (so one-and-a-halfway). But any of the RemoteTech dish antennas will easily work from the Mun. (The only problem is that the longer range ones need to be more specifically focused.)

Likewise, for other bodies, just look at the orbits and guestimate.

[Voodoo8648]

Nich, the point is that you need two angles (phi and theta) and a radial distance to locate the satellite around Kerbin. You need two more angles and a radial distance to locate a satellite around the Mun. And you need to know where the Mun is in it's orbit, too. Unless, of course, all the orbits happen to be co-planar.

But really, this whole questions is nearly meaningless for RemoteTech. The Mun is 10Mm away from Kerbin (more or less) so none of RemoteTech's onmi antennas will reach home. And any satellite you put halfway will sometimes be between you and the Mun (really halfway) and sometimes on the other side of Kerbin (so one-and-a-halfway). But any of the RemoteTech dish antennas will easily work from the Mun. (The only problem is that the longer range ones need to be more specifically focused.)

Likewise, for other bodies, just look at the orbits and guestimate.

Please see the post just before yours. I just used Kerbin and Mun as an example. I am using RT in other ways elsewhere. I really don't want to do the math and Im not that good at it either

[mikegarrison]

thanks for replying guys, But i'm having troubles with Remote Tech. I keep losing comms, and Im trying to diagnose the problem.

A) Do you have power? You will lose the com link if you lose power.

Is there anything in the way? You can't connect through the Mun or through Kerbin.

C) Are you trying to use one of the omni-directional antennas? Don't. They don't have a useful range for Mun-to-Kerbin.

[Voodoo8648]

A) Do you have power? You will lose the com link if you lose power.

Is there anything in the way? You can't connect through the Mun or through Kerbin.

C) Are you trying to use one of the omni-directional antennas? Don't. They don't have a useful range for Mun-to-Kerbin.

Yes I have power, I have a network of comm sats in 100km kerbin orbit. Im using a directional antenna... I forget which ones, but I tried the 50Mm and the 90Mm dishes... I still lose comms

- - - Updated - - -

I don't want to turn this thread into a Remote Tech, thread. I want to keep the conversation on the possibility of changing reference points or a plugin to quickly determine altitude of another reference body

[mikegarrison]

Yes I have power, I have a network of comm sats in 100km kerbin orbit. Im using a directional antenna... I forget which ones, but I tried the 50Mm and the 90Mm dishes... I still lose comms

You need to have a dish on the comsat pointed to the probe, and you need to have a dish on the probe pointed to the comsat. (You can point them at Kerbin and the Mun, which is usually precise enough, or you can point them directly at each other.)

And of course your comsat needs to still have a path back to KSC.

It might help if you were more specific about what's going on. But in any event, I am 100% sure this has nothing to do with the distance between Mun and Kerbin, unless you are using onmi antennas on either the comsat or the probe.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't want to turn this thread into a Remote Tech, thread. I want to keep the conversation on the possibility of changing reference points or a plugin to quickly determine altitude of another reference body

If you have a vessel in active focus, and you go to map mode, and you mouse over another vessel or body, doesn't it show you a distance? {I go check} No, it doesn't show you a distance just by mousing over. But if you have your active vessel in map mode, and you select another vessel as a target, then it does show you the distance to the target. (Doesn't work for bodies, though.)

Edited July 23, 2015 by mikegarrison

[Voodoo8648]

You need to have a dish on the comsat pointed to the probe, and you need to have a dish on the probe pointed to the comsat. (You can point them at Kerbin and the Mun, which is usually precise enough, or you can point them directly at each other.)

And of course your comsat needs to still have a path back to KSC.

It might help if you were more specific about what's going on. But in any event, I am 100% sure this has nothing to do with the distance between Mun and Kerbin, unless you are using onmi antennas on either the comsat or the probe.

- - - Updated - - -

If you have a vessel in active focus, and you go to map mode, and you mouse over another vessel or body, doesn't it show you a distance? {I go check} No, it doesn't show you a distance just by mousing over. But if you have your active vessel in map mode, and you select another vessel as a target, then it does show you the distance to the target. (Doesn't work for bodies, though.)

I see now.... Very good point. I didn't know that both Probe and Comm Sat needs to have dishes... Hmm. I will try that target method next time I log into KSP... Thanks for your help!