Another begginer with RT

[Adik3714]

Hi you experienced,

I hope you don't mind helping to another RemoteTech noob . I've set up quite stable Keosynchronous Satellite Network with three satellites (COM 1, COM 2, COM3). Each one has three Comms DTS-M1 dishes (Two for neighbors and one for Mission control) moreover there's Reflecton KR-7 for whatever uses (active vessel for now). Ok don't ask me why I made this design I just felt it could work and it quite did. Then I've launched and placed even one more satellite (POCOM 1) to "polar orbit" 90 degrees from "keosynchronous" orbit - (three dishes Comms DTS-M1 are targeted to three satellites from Keosynchronous orbit + Reflecton KR-7 for my unmmaned mun mission) => Connected to KSP - even though I did not targeted the three Reflectons KR-7 from "keosynchronous" orbit back to POCOM 1. Here I don't get it. Do the satellites really need to be targeted each other to work properly? Because here it seems they don't.

Everything is "dished" properly and I am ready for that first unmanned mun mission - maybe just flyby (who knows) I have one satellite placed (Reflecton KR-7) and I launched the rocket, did an orbit and targeted COM 1 (the nearest) everything's cool and I flew towards the mun. Then I tried to switch my target to POCOM 1, that I set up for these longer journeys, and immediately I lost my connection. So I tried to target the dish from POCOM 1 (so far targeted to active vessel) back to my Mun Probe and nothing - still no connection even though POCOM 1 was connected to KSP through COM 2; it just could not connect to my probe. Don't get it! Never mind I load my save and went on with pointing at COM 1. The rest of the mission I had a connection but my target was constantly auto switching among COM 1, COM 2 and finaly even POCOM 1. I did my mission but I don't know how! => I'm tired. If it is confusing - I'll try to upload some pictures but maybe my mistakes are obvious from my description. Ranges were fine.

THANKS

[Whovian]

You're using the Comms DTS-M1 dishes? Those have a line of sight of about 25Ëš (or something like that; it's been a while since I used Remotetech); therefore it was probably just another satellite drifting into their line of sight and hence allowing communication.

[Adik3714]

So every-time when another satellite gets to my line of sight my probe is gonna switch to it regardless of being targeted on something else? And is the line of sight defined even in Y axis? Because that POCOM 1 was above my probe and maybe it did not fit the angle. Anyway I thought that the angle is rotating automatically. Do I have to rotate my ship to get good angle? I'm really thinking about uploading some pics but before that I'll go trough it again, maybe I'll understand. Does anyone know about some secret tutorial pages? I know the core that I googled but it didn't give me much detailed info.

[hab136]

Check out the RemoteTech Player's Guide. There's also tons of youtube videos.

When you aim a dish, it aims a circular cone at that target. It can communicate with that target, or anything within the cone. It will pick your target first, but if that target is blocked or doesn't provide a connection back to Kerbin, it will pick another within the cone.

If you're at the Mun (or Minmus), you can just target "Kerbin" and it will automatically pick a sat around Kerbin. Same for sats around Kerbin - you can target "Mun" or "Minmus" instead of specific ships, and then anything within that cone around the moon will get a connection.

For Kerbin/Mun/Minmus, this works will with the DTS-M1 dish, which has a wide angle (45 degrees). The KR-7 has a 25 degree angle cone. The Comm 88-88 has a 0.06 degree angle, so needs to be really far away in order to have the cone surround a planet.

BTW the DTS-M1 is significantly lighter than the KR-7 and reaches all the way to Minmus; aside from looks there's not a real good reason to use the KR-7.

>even though POCOM 1 was connected to KSP through COM 2;

I don't think it was. COM2 was connected to COM1, COM3, Mission Control, and Active Vessel, right? That means POCOM1 will have a connection only while you're controlling POCOM1 (while POCOM1 is the active vessel), but when your Mun ship is the active vessel, POCOM1 won't have any connection because COM2's "active vessel" dish is now pointing at your Mun ship.

Omni antennas will connect to everything within range automatically; it's a good way to keep your comm sats talking to each other without having to point individual dishes. You only need one omni per ship, regardless of how many ships it's talking to.

[viktor19]

You should get RemoteTech XF. It makes life a lot easier and also more realistic. Real space probes automatically try to regain connection if they lose it.

[Adik3714]

Thank you guys. I checked it again and I think that the "active vessel" option messed things up for me and confused my mind. Now I know what it does and what was wrong. I know omni but I play career and science for comutronn 32 is still in progress. I also realize the difference between dish and cone. If I use cone, do I still need to have the free dishes on the satellites around Kerbin orbit targeted back on my probe? Good manual would be priceless I watched YT and also read the Guide but still... One doesn't want to admit that you need bunch of dishes on one satellite to cover all needed stuff. I'll take a look at the XF mod. Thanks. I hope one day I'll help someone who starts with this

[hab136]

If I use cone, do I still need to have the free dishes on the satellites around Kerbin orbit targeted back on my probe?

If you have a satellite aimed at "Mun" and your probe is somewhere near the Mun, pointed at "Kerbin", that will work. You don't have to specifically point at your ship.

As of 1.6.0 (Jan 11, 2015), every dish aims at a cone, even if you point at a specific ship instead of a planet.

So, if you have a sat around Kerbin pointing at "Ship A" which is at the Mun, then "Ship B" at the Mun which is pointing at "Kerbin" would be able to talk through that sat.

[Adik3714]

Got it. THX