M700 Survey Scanner

[Jestersage]

Is the M700 Scanner pretty much "useless" once it had scanned the planet in question? As in, once scan, I can retract it or even destroy the scanner, and all the data are still retained right?

[Magzimum]

Sometimes the ore-overlay is not visible anymore. Personally, I then use the scanner to make it visible again. There may be easier options, but this is how I do it.

Also, since v1.2 I always put a relay antenna (or multiple antennas) onto the satellite, so that it has Moar Functionality as a relay satellite. Both relays and scanners work best in polar orbits.

[Blaarkies]

1 hour ago, Magzimum said:

Sometimes the ore-overlay is not visible anymore. Personally, I then use the scanner to make it visible again. There may be easier options, but this is how I do it.

Also, since v1.2 I always put a relay antenna (or multiple antennas) onto the satellite, so that it has Moar Functionality as a relay satellite. Both relays and scanners work best in polar orbits.

Map view, focus planet(double click planet, or press tab until you find the correct planet). On the right hand side of your screen is some buttons, one give more info about the planet, the other give resources/ore info. click it, click on the Ore type(...it's just Ore in stock) and it shows again, from anywhere really, you dont even need a craft in that SOI anymore.

Scanners work ONLY in polar orbits, right? At least the M700 does, but i guess you could leave the hex spinning scanner there to pinpoint some good ore landing site so the relay dishes are an excellent idea. There are some interesting ways to send a M700 to another planet and reach a polar orbit without using many orange tanks worth of fuel

[bewing]

If you don't have enough (or plan on being able to get enough) fuel to get to another CB with the same scanner, then yes, the scanner becomes basically useless. Usually, I put the scanner on a decoupler on an interstage fairing, with a klaw under it. Once I've scanned, I decouple the worthless scanner, and the klaw comes to life. At that point, the former scanner sat becomes a klaw-equipped spacetug instead.

[Jestersage]

Took me a while to realize CB = Celestial Body = Moon/Planets.

I was thinking of mounting it in the Service module of my spaceship instead of on a separate satellite, but wondering if that was smart or not. Hmm....