KSP Interstellar Extended Continued Development Thread

[DoubleUU]

I'm still having trouble understanding how to set up a power network.  There aren't a lot of guides that detail how the antennas work when setting up the relays (at least not that I could find).  Here's my problem.  I have a power satellite generating power output with a Gyrotron and a large FELA.  I have a second satellite with just a gyrotron and a large FELA and I'm trying to set it up to relay power from the first satellite.  If I turn on the receiver I receive a ton of power and it shows I'm connected to satellite 1/1.  If I deactivate the receiver and link it for relay I receive no power and the connected satellites is 0/1.  What am I doing wrong?

 

Here is the satellite with the receiver activated:

 

 

And linked for relay:

Edited March 4, 2017 by DoubleUU
Added screenshots

[brygun]

There are a few different parts. The primary currently in use is probably from a mod "MRS Rechargeable Battery, Radial" with has 600 units. I could switch over to the stock batteries like the radial 400 unit stock one. 

 

Currently running a test with more battery

[brygun]

There are a few different parts. The primary currently in use is probably from a mod "MRS Rechargeable Battery, Radial" with has 600 units. I could switch over to the stock batteries like the radial 400 unit stock one. 

 

Currently running a test with more battery

 

Test result added just more battery to buffer as suggested. Brought Total Battery to just over 9,000. Test shows promise in finding the solution.

 

At the above x10,000 warp the sudden drainage started but not as bad. At x 50,000 there was an ongoing drainage of the Liquid Hydrogen while also showing some variation in the battery level. No less than around 90% at the worst and bouncing back to 100%. Still, that is showing that the timing of the power isn't matching all the activity. 

 

 

Suggestion: Instead of trying to rebuffer the batteries, which will have different mods, can you change how the time warp buffer for the cyro tanks work?

 

Edited March 4, 2017 by brygun

[icecold951]

This probably has been brought up, but I can't find it. You can't leave a ship in warp flight to cruise along while you do something else. I keep getting that it forgets the warp drive is on, so it leaves me cruising in normal space at extreme speeds. Is there a fix for this, rules to how to avoid this bug, or anything but keeping the same ship continuously active without having to exit warp flight?

[brygun]

Ran my test again. This time going from 4,000 battery to 12,000. There is also 6,000 "stored energy" in capacitors. Also put at least one small radiator panel on each cryo tank as extra insurance vs heating up of the tank shell. Same issue that above x 10,000 warp it goes into a boil off. Up to x10,000 warp the reactor and solars keep the electrical level full. So it seems to lay in the difference "clock ticks" going on between the cryo tanks and electrical.

 

Is anyone else able to use these cryo mods and the mod "Amp Year"?

 

[FreeThinker]

9 hours ago, DoubleUU said:

I'm still having trouble understanding how to set up a power network.  There aren't a lot of guides that detail how the antennas work when setting up the relays (at least not that I could find).  Here's my problem.  I have a power satellite generating power output with a Gyrotron and a large FELA.  I have a second satellite with just a gyrotron and a large FELA and I'm trying to set it up to relay power from the first satellite.  If I turn on the receiver I receive a ton of power and it shows I'm connected to satellite 1/1.  If I deactivate the receiver and link it for relay I receive no power and the connected satellites is 0/1.  What am I doing wrong?

 

Here is the satellite with the receiver activated:

 

 

And linked for relay:

 

Regarding documentation, have you seen the topic on beamed power on the wiki?

 

When linked for relay, the ship basicly tells other transmitters that it is standby for receiving power which can be relayed by ANOTHER transmitter set to Relay. So you need at least 2 parts, a receiver set to relay and a transmitter. Exception to this rule are parts that contain the dishers or consist of many minature dishes like the phased array which is technally an array of many minature dishes working together as a single unit.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2017 by FreeThinker

[DoubleUU]

7 hours ago, FreeThinker said:

 

Regarding documentation, have you seen the topic on beamed power on the wiki?

 

When linked for relay, the ship basicly tells other transmitters that it is standby for receiving power which can be relayed by ANOTHER transmitter set to Relay. So you need at least 2 parts, a receiver set to relay and a transmitter. Exception to this rule are parts that contain the dishers or consist of many minature dishes like the phased array which is technally an array of many minature dishes working together as a single unit.

Also, in playing around I was able to create what I think is the maximum power output of 2880GW (20m QSR @ 21% + 20m large FELA).  It seems the limit on the amount of power that can be received by a 20m large FELA is about 40GW.  Is that also the limit of what can be relayed using those antennas?

 

Yes, I did read that and it it's a great overview of how it works but it lacks a bit of step by step (reread it and realized I misunderstood the section on relays... thought all I needed was an antenna PLUS a gyrotron to make up a receive/transmitter combo). 

I'm feeling pretty dumb for not having considered that two antennas were required so thanks!  That seems to have done the trick.  There still doesn't seem to be any indication that a relay is functioning though. For instance, I couldn't figure out how to tell when the relay was in line-of-sight of the power satellite.  I had to just keep checking the map.  Is there an indication that a relay is connected to something (either a power producer or consumer) that I'm missing?

Also, I've been playing around trying to figure out the upper limits and I was able to create a power station that transmitted what I think is the maximum possible 2880GW (20m QSR @ 21% and 20m large FELA).  However, it seems that the maximum power that can be received by the large FELA is 40GW.  Is that also the limit of what can be relayed? 

Edited March 4, 2017 by DoubleUU
Clarity and updated

[Temeriki]

Cross posting from the main thread

Last night I updated from kspie 12 to 12.9.  My science lab landed on minmus changed its maximum stored data value to 1000 (down from 10000).  I havnt unlocked the upgrade for the science lab yet, was my original install borked letting me have 10k before the upgrade or did something get borked when I updated, playing career.

Also it doesnt seem the particle accelerator is included anymore?
Poking around more in the advanced config part of the new lab it says its going to be depreciated?

[brygun]

Another thought on what is happening in my tests is that in high time warp it doesnt seem to match the battery levels it doesnt seem to be working with the capacitors. This might be an Amp Year mod related issue.

The simplest thing I can think of is to add either a divisor based on high time warp conditions ( 1:warp/10,000) or see what happens if the clock tick is adjusted to a similiar ratio.

Mostly it works at up to x 10,000 so power/battery should be enough. 

As always thank you for your time in making and supporting the mod.

[DoubleUU]

Moved to other thread.  Sorry.

Edited March 4, 2017 by DoubleUU
I'm a bonehead

[icecold951]

1 minute ago, DoubleUU said:

Is it just me or do the Attila and VASIMR engines not work with MechJeb autopilot?  Both engines fire without being close to the maneuver node.  I have a simple ship with an Attila engine.  Once it's in orbit if I try and use Manuever Planner to change my orbit, like raise my apoapsis, when I engage the autopilot it will point to the maneuver indicator and then immediately fire the engines even though the burn is only 26s and the node is 30 minutes away.  It only does this with these two engines that I've found.  Is this a known issue?

 

Several engines have that issue. I think the issue is that mechjeb asks the engine it's thrust, but some engines don't calculate that before you feed power to them. Thus, Mechjeb assumes a very low thrust and fires early.

[DoubleUU]

27 minutes ago, icecold951 said:

 

Several engines have that issue. I think the issue is that mechjeb asks the engine it's thrust, but some engines don't calculate that before you feed power to them. Thus, Mechjeb assumes a very low thrust and fires early.

Ah, got it.  I guess that makes sense.  I'll have to be careful then.  I'm a terrible and lazy pilot so I use MechJeb for autopiloting a lot.  It's strange to me that BetterBurnTime seems to calculate the correct burn time but MechJeb can't or doesn't.  It would seem to indicate that maybe MechJeb could be "fixed"?

[Meson_Ray]

In 1.2.2 with KSPI-E 1.12.9 with fuel switch 2.4.3 the closed cycle gas core engine only has some of the propellants available (hydrazine not being one). That combination worked in 1.2.1 with an older version of KSPI-E. Are there only some propellants available for the closed cycle engine?

 

I have done a clean reinstall of both KSP and all installed mods, any suggestions?

[StarConquest]

I dont know if this is a mod compatibility error, or a function that was removed since I last played, but my solar panels aren't generating waste heat? They are the 1x6 photovoltaics. I do run quite a few mods, and want to know whether or not this is a glitch or an intended function before I start removing mods to find the issue. 

[brygun]

4 minutes ago, StarConquest said:

I dont know if this is a mod compatibility error, or a function that was removed since I last played, but my solar panels aren't generating waste heat? They are the 1x6 photovoltaics. I do run quite a few mods, and want to know whether or not this is a glitch or an intended function before I start removing mods to find the issue. 

I noticed that some solar panels now have text describing them as having radiators on the reverse side. Thus they might be able to cool more than the weak solar energy but also of use in cooling the whole ship. Go to assembly and check the description including the right mouse button details.

[StarConquest]

20 minutes ago, brygun said:

I noticed that some solar panels now have text describing them as having radiators on the reverse side. Thus they might be able to cool more than the weak solar energy but also of use in cooling the whole ship. Go to assembly and check the description including the right mouse button details.

They do indeed say they have a passive radiator on the other side. My main concern is that they don't create the waste heat resource once placed, though that may simply be the mod creator's way of saying 'your only radiator this early on is not good so instead we will make these low tier solar panels not create waste heat.-

Edited March 4, 2017 by StarConquest
EDIT: I just tested a molten salt reactor without any radiators. Waste heat was a stat, but it did not build up over a long timewarp.

[Nansuchao]

1 hour ago, StarConquest said:

They do indeed say they have a passive radiator on the other side. My main concern is that they don't create the waste heat resource once placed, though that may simply be the mod creator's way of saying 'your only radiator this early on is not good so instead we will make these low tier solar panels not create waste heat.-

The Waste Heat mechanic was removed from solar panels a long time ago. Actually only reactors, engines and beamed power can increase your Waste Heat.

[StarConquest]

1 minute ago, Nansuchao said:

The Waste Heat mechanic was removed from solar panels a long time ago. Actually only reactors, engines and beamed power can increase your Waste Heat.

Thank you.

[icecold951]

5 hours ago, DoubleUU said:

Ah, got it.  I guess that makes sense.  I'll have to be careful then.  I'm a terrible and lazy pilot so I use MechJeb for autopiloting a lot.  It's strange to me that BetterBurnTime seems to calculate the correct burn time but MechJeb can't or doesn't.  It would seem to indicate that maybe MechJeb could be "fixed"?

I too use Mechjeb. It isn't lazy. Too many later missions become support roles, like taking fuel to an orbiting ship. I've done plenty of manual fights, that I have nothing to prove. And Mechjeb still requires you to understand the how and why things work.

 

But for this, Mechjeb probably isn't the problem. It is engines without a calculated burn time. Mechjeb probably can't fix that. The author of interstellar has to make engines report their data, so that Mechjeb and others have information to work with.

[DoubleUU]

1 hour ago, icecold951 said:

I too use Mechjeb. It isn't lazy. Too many later missions become support roles, like taking fuel to an orbiting ship. I've done plenty of manual fights, that I have nothing to prove. And Mechjeb still requires you to understand the how and why things work.

 

But for this, Mechjeb probably isn't the problem. It is engines without a calculated burn time. Mechjeb probably can't fix that. The author of interstellar has to make engines report their data, so that Mechjeb and others have information to work with.

Good points on MechJeb use.  I just prefer designing and plannings missions over the actually flying part.  If it wasn't for MechJeb it's unlikely I'd still be playing.

I did some more testing an although BetterBurnTime was calculating a burn it seems like it is pretty inaccurate so I guess the problem you explained is pervasive.  I would guess if it was solvable someone would have done it.  I would think that the usefulness of these affected engine's is directly impacted by the inability to calculate an accurate burn time.  I'm still suspicious that the problem is me but it seems that for once it's probably not.

[Nansuchao]

The problem is that those engines has variable throttle and ISP. KER, MechJeb, Better Burn Time and any one reading add on cannot easily read them.

[DoubleUU]

I think I understand the issue and it's an interesting problem.

Edited March 5, 2017 by DoubleUU

[CptTrips]

On 1.3.2017 at 10:40 AM, CptTrips said:

Hello,

for several days I try to get the IR-Telescope working. But somehow I can´t manage to find anything with He4. Maybe I´m just a bit thumb, can pls someone post a picture from the cryostat-tank which I´ve to connect to the telescope? And is it possible that in my game this part is missing? Everything else is there. Tried a new Game in Sandbox and couldn´t figuere it aut there too.

Thx in advance.

 

Hello again,

it would be really nice if someone could help me a little bit. Sorry if I´m annoying

 

Edited March 5, 2017 by CptTrips

[FreeThinker]

53 minutes ago, CptTrips said:

Hello again,

it would be really nice if someone could help me a little bit. Sorry if I´m annoying

 

He4 or Helium4 is current the standard LqdHelium

[JohnAqua]

I'm wondering, how did you make that flow chart? It seems really good, but I can't find anything that allows making flow charts that look that good.