Running out of power transmitting science

[shadragon]

Been playing KSP for a day. I have the second level of upgrades which has the science bay, but no batteries, solar panels or anything I can use to extend the power supplied by my single pilot compartment.

I collect the science, extend my antenna, but when I want to transmit I get an alert telling me I don't have enough power to send the whole science package.

I must be missing the obvious. Can anyone assist?

Cheers.

[JedTech]

Put a parachute on and come back home. When you've landed, move your mouse to the very top-center of the screen and choose the option to Recover. You will be awarded all science that you've captured.

Edited August 23, 2016 by JedTech

[dncky]

32 minutes ago, JedTech said:

Put a parachute on and come back home. When you've landed, move your mouse to the very top-center of the screen and choose the option to Recover. You will be awarded all science that you've captured.

This. Or if you're set on transmitting for contracts or something you will have to collect more science and upgrade till you can spring for some batteries

[shadragon]

Perfect answer. Thank you.

[qoonpooka]

1 hour ago, dncky said:

This. Or if you're set on transmitting for contracts or something you will have to collect more science and upgrade till you can spring for some batteries

The science Jr. isn't the only source of science, either. You have enough power to send things that aren't materials observations. (Crew reports and EVA reports come to mind).  it'll eat up most of what you do have, though, so having some other way to generate science for transmission is key.  The lift-stage liquid engines have alternators in them, as does the basic jet engine, so they'll generate EC while you're thrusting.

[Superfluous J]

If you don't care about the actual science you can right click the antenna and turn off the "revert transmission without power" functionality. You'll get less total science from the experiment (It's math. I don't feel like explaining it but it's a thing) but - presuming you can regenerate power in some way - you'll eventually get it sent off and complete your contract or whatever.

But for actual science retrieval, yes. You want enough battery power to transmit it in one go or you want to bring it back, and bringing it back is almost always better.

[ForScience6686]

Hold off on transmitting until you can recharge the batteries.  Otherwise you'll be dead in space, or you'll bee lugging around a hefty mass of batteries.  Just save the results until recovery.

[OhioBob]

Although it probably won't help in this case (since you have no solar panels), another possible solution is to send the science one experiment at a time rather than all at once.  This works if your battery capacity is too small to make one large transmission, but you have the means to recharge the batteries between each individual transmission.  Instead of clicking on the antenna, right-click on the probe core/command pod that stores the science.  There should be an option that says something like "Review Stored Data".  This brings up pop-up window for each experiment with a send icon that allows you to transmit one at a time.

[foamyesque]

Put more than one pod on the spacecraft.