Maximize science harvest with lab?

[royying]

I am a beginner in career mode, I want to know how to maximize science point harvest except recover the craft every time, it is too costly.

Now I dock the science probe to my orbital lab station and put all science result to lab data

Does 1 data point equal to 1 science point after the lab processed?

and how much science point will I loss with this method?

Thanks

[FullMetalMachinist]

This post by @Snark lays out pretty much everything there is to know about the mobile processing lab. 

Edit: One thing that he doesn't mention is that when you research the result to get data, the conversion rate changes depending on the situation of the MPL. For example, a lab landed on the Mun will give more data for a given result than if the lab were in orbit around the Mun. There is a conversion penalty for labs that are on the surface of Kerbin, so that you get very little science data for a given science result. This only applies to the conversion from result to data. The conversion from data to points is always 1:5.

Edited February 4, 2016 by FullMetalMachinist

[Armisael]

Each data point is converted to 5 points of science. You don't lose any science - you can still bring the experiments back for full value.

Note that the lab does require scientists and lots of power in it to work, and it takes a while to generate that data.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Armisael

[Wemb]

One other thing to mention is that while this will maximise your returns, it isn't the fastest way to proceed - it takes a long time to convert science like this, and you'll be able to complete the tech tree faster by bring the data striaght back home.  If you need cash - then launching satellites and driving tourists around will help.

Wemb 

[FullMetalMachinist]

31 minutes ago, Wemb said:

One other thing to mention is that while this will maximise your returns, it isn't the fastest way to proceed - it takes a long time to convert science like this, and you'll be able to complete the tech tree faster by bring the data striaght back home.  If you need cash - then launching satellites and driving tourists around will help.

Wemb 

While this is true for the game clock, it's not always true for real world game time. Some people have limited free time and don't want to spend it grinding out all the science from Mun/Minmus. In that case it's quicker (real world time) to run one mission to Mun/Minmus each, dump the science in a lab, and time warp until you have science points coming out of your ears. 

This isn't what everyone likes, but like I said, some have limited free time. 

[Laie]

6 hours ago, royying said:

... how to maximize science point harvest except recover the craft every time, it is too costly.

Do you know that you don't have to recover the experiment?

A Scientist Any Kerbal on EVA can take the results off an experiment (experiment="science part"). Move the Kerbal close to the experiment in question and right-click the part. When boarding a pod / capsule / cockpit, the data will automatically be taken off the Kerbal and stored in the pod. The experiments can then be used again to collect more science (some need to be reset, which again requires a scientist).

Slight problem: Most crew modules cannot store duplicate results. While you can collect (e.g.) several temperature readings from here and there, you cannot store two readings from the same experiment+situation+biome in one capsule. Sole expception is the lab, which can hold an infinite amount of duplicate results. That's why my biome hoppers tend to have three one-person modules instead of one three-person module. (cue the discussion whether one really needs to return three results or if fewer will do.)

 

Edited February 4, 2016 by Laie
I stand corrected.

[Evanitis]

Just now, Laie said:

A Scientist on EVA can take the results off an experiment (experiment="science part"). Move a scientist close to the experiment in question and right-click the part. When boarding a pod / capsule / cockpit, the data will automatically be taken off the Kerbal and stored in the pod. The experiments can then be used again to collect more science (some need to be reset, which again requires a scientist).

I also heard that the results can be re-processed for even more data if you move the lab. I was suggested that science from the same data can be gained again in different 'places' like landed on Mun, Mun orbit, Minmus orbit, etc.

I never tested this, as I feel the lab provides too much sci, even without such extreme measures.

[FullMetalMachinist]

9 minutes ago, Laie said:

A Scientist on EVA can take the results off an experiment (experiment="science part").

Any EVA Kerbal can take any result from any experiment, not just scientists. Scientists are only important for goo and materials bays (to reset the experiment).