Remote-tech problems. No connection...

[asger8907]

Hello guys. This is my first time ever posting a forumpost. I just needed to post this time because I'm currently running a career mode series on my YT channel! I don't really have much to write here because the following video explains my problem perfectly!

Thanks you guys so much!

Regards - Asger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6G6-Ga7shg&feature=youtu.be

[Alshain]

I need more information than the video showed.  Specifically about the KOCS-1 satellite. Get us a picture of that, including it's targeting setup.  Since you are dealing with directional antennas, make sure you turn on the 'cone' option in the bottom left corner of the map screen and get a picture of that as well.

Since you directly targeted a satellite, it may be possible to still recover that new unit, I suspect KOCS-1 has a more generic targeting and isn't reaching the new unit.  If it KOCS-1 is targeting Kerbin, the new unit may not fall in the directional cone of KOCS-1. If that is the case, simply re-targeting that KOCS-1 at the new unit should bring it back to you. (Hopefully KOCS-1 has more than 1 line of communication to KSC).  Omni-directional antennas do not suffer from this problem because they have a 360 degree cone.  However their range suffers for it.

One other bit of information about cones to be aware of is that cones expand outward from the source and continue to get wider until they hit their range limit.  Higher directional antenna have more narrow cones, but higher range.  They are designed for use with the outer planets. For example, if you used a CommTech-1 in cone mode close to Kerbin, it would produce a very narrow cone which could miss your communication satellites until it traveled out as far enough that the cone widened around your satellite orbit..  Watch out for this pitfall.  This can be avoided by using direct targeting mode instead of cone mode (i.e. do not target a planet) however if that satellite should become obstructed, you could lose communications unless another just happened to be in your cone.  Ideally you want your probes to use cone mode so it can grab whatever satellite is visible, but you need an appropriately sized directional antenna.  It's a very elaborate system, but a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.

On another note, I highly recommend learning to use the flight computer in case you lose connection like that.  You can plan a maneuver and then execute it from the flight computer before you arrive and it will automatically perform the maneuver even if it loses connection (as long as you send the command before it loses connection).  That way if you lose connection you don't fall back in the atmosphere waiting on the connection to come back.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Alshain

[ExplorerKlatt]

You need to target the cs-1 satellite to the new launch. 

[asger8907]

Alshain thanks for the info! I actually think this is the problem and i'll get back as soon as i've checked up on it!

Again thank you!

EDIT: The KOCS - 1 is identical to the KOCS -2!

Edited July 20, 2016 by asger8907

[asger8907]

3 hours ago, Alshain said:

I need more information than the video showed.  Specifically about the KOCS-1 satellite. Get us a picture of that, including it's targeting setup.  Since you are dealing with directional antennas, make sure you turn on the 'cone' option in the bottom left corner of the map screen and get a picture of that as well.

Since you directly targeted a satellite, it may be possible to still recover that new unit, I suspect KOCS-1 has a more generic targeting and isn't reaching the new unit.  If it KOCS-1 is targeting Kerbin, the new unit may not fall in the directional cone of KOCS-1. If that is the case, simply re-targeting that KOCS-1 at the new unit should bring it back to you. (Hopefully KOCS-1 has more than 1 line of communication to KSC).  Omni-directional antennas do not suffer from this problem because they have a 360 degree cone.  However their range suffers for it.

One other bit of information about cones to be aware of is that cones expand outward from the source and continue to get wider until they hit their range limit.  Higher directional antenna have more narrow cones, but higher range.  They are designed for use with the outer planets. For example, if you used a CommTech-1 in cone mode close to Kerbin, it would produce a very narrow cone which could miss your communication satellites until it traveled out as far enough that the cone widened around your satellite orbit..  Watch out for this pitfall.  This can be avoided by using direct targeting mode instead of cone mode (i.e. do not target a planet) however if that satellite should become obstructed, you could lose communications unless another just happened to be in your cone.  Ideally you want your probes to use cone mode so it can grab whatever satellite is visible, but you need an appropriately sized directional antenna.  It's a very elaborate system, but a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.

On another note, I highly recommend learning to use the flight computer in case you lose connection like that.  You can plan a maneuver and then execute it from the flight computer before you arrive and it will automatically perform the maneuver even if it loses connection (as long as you send the command before it loses connection).  That way if you lose connection you don't fall back in the atmosphere waiting on the connection to come back.

Brilliant! You sorted the problem (or brainfart) that caused me all sorts of problems! Thank you loads!

[Alshain]

One other thing I forgot to mention in my earlier novel.  You can use Active Target to always target the craft you are flying (whatever craft that may be).  This is useful so you don't have to keep re-targeting satellites but should never be used exclusively.  Rather a network should be set up to bounce the signal around the planet, and you can have an active target antenna on each of those, eventually you will want satellites capable of using cone mode aimed at all the planets you intend to visit and maybe even orbital networks there to bounce the signal around it.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Alshain