Maneuver Node lock on

[PTGFlyer]

So in Science mode where I'm testing my stuff, I have the ability to lock on to the maneuver node (or prograde, retrograde, or any of the other six cardinal directions). What needs to be upgraded to what levels to allow this in Career?

[Superfluous J]

8 minutes ago, PTGFlyer said:

So in Science mode where I'm testing my stuff, I have the ability to lock on to the maneuver node (or prograde, retrograde, or any of the other six cardinal directions). What needs to be upgraded to what levels to allow this in Career?

Your Kerbals. Specifically your pilots. At level 0 they can turn on SAS. At level 1 they can lock pro/retrograde. At level 2 they can do the other directions. At level 3 they can do maneuver nodes and targets. I think.

Probe cores that are higher in the tech tree are similar to pilots. The better the core, the higher its level. Generally. It's listed

[bewing]

I think 5thHorseman slightly misunderstood the question. If you have a Level 2 (or 3) Tracking Station, and you have full control of your craft, then maneuver nodes are unlocked. To have full control of your craft: you either need to have a pilot onboard, or if you are playing with CommNet turned on, you need to have communications back to Kerbin, or if you are playing with CommNet off, then you need to have a probe core on your craft.

 

[PTGFlyer]

8 hours ago, bewing said:

I think 5thHorseman slightly misunderstood the question. If you have a Level 2 (or 3) Tracking Station, and you have full control of your craft, then maneuver nodes are unlocked. To have full control of your craft: you either need to have a pilot onboard, or if you are playing with CommNet turned on, you need to have communications back to Kerbin, or if you are playing with CommNet off, then you need to have a probe core on your craft.

 

No, he got the question right.

[PTGFlyer]

So it has become even MORE important to keep Jebediah alive.

[Gargamel]

6 hours ago, PTGFlyer said:

So it has become even MORE important to keep Jebediah alive.

Just cheaper, as you wont have to hire a new pilot.   And you still have Val.    In career they all start off lvl 0. 

[PTGFlyer]

I meant because Jeb is my highest ranked pilot, as I’ve alteady made some decent progress. He’s up to 2 stars, Val has 1, and everybody else has zero.

[Geonovast]

Grab a bunch of rescue contracts... free level 1 kerbals!

[Rocket In My Pocket]

A great way to level up Kerbals is to do a Mun orbit> Minmus orbit> Solar orbit> Return to Kerbin with a "bus" full of low level Kerbals.

I think it get's them all to level 3 and like a 1/2 and it's super easy.

Edited November 11, 2018 by Rocket In My Pocket

[PTGFlyer]

My main priority is getting some solar panels so I can get my Comsat network up and running.

 

[Gargamel]

6 hours ago, PTGFlyer said:

My main priority is getting some solar panels so I can get my Comsat network up and running.

 

Hmmm, yes.... but your avatar is pretty dark.  Too soon. 

[PTGFlyer]

Just now, Gargamel said:

Hmmm, yes.... but your avatar is pretty dark.  Too soon. 

I think I just put that on Google about five years ago and it automatically connects to these things. Just never bothered to change it to a Skunk Works thing.

[jpinard]

What exactly does the maneuver node lock on and target lock do when your kerbal hits level 4 or you have advanced probe that has them?

[bewing]

3 hours ago, jpinard said:

What exactly does the maneuver node lock on

It is possible to create maneuver nodes that have a combination of burns in multiple axes. For example, both prograde and normal. It is also true that any maneuver node you create will require you to burn before you reach the node. One other true thing is that "prograde" (for example) moves as you burn, so if you lock prograde, then your craft has to slowly turn as you burn -- to keep pointed in the (changing) prograde direction.

So, Maneuver Lock can fix all of these things. Once you create a maneuver node, the game calculates the vector direction of all the components of the burn. If you lock your craft onto that vector, and burn the exact amount of deltaV that it says, your resulting orbit will look exactly like the one that was precalculated.

However, it also creates new problems. If you burn at the wrong time or too slowly, then your maneuver node gets recalculated, and the vector moves. So it's not really a stationary vector. And it can move really fast, and in unfortunate directions. Also, if you created a sloppy maneuver node, then sometimes you can get an even better resulting intercept by burning prograde instead. You can never get a better result than your precalculated maneuver by using a maneuver node lock.

3 hours ago, jpinard said:

and target lock do when your kerbal hits level 4 or you have advanced probe that has them?

Target lock is super nice for docking and grabbing things. If you do it right, it can automatically keep the docking ports of both the target and your current craft pointing exactly at each other. All you have to do is apply a little forward velocity and then sit back and watch as the two vessels dock each other.

However, it is often true that at the very last second before docking, the docking port magnet and SAS will fight each other and fling the two vessels violently apart. So you often want to turn off Target SAS just before the craft touch.

[Snark]

7 hours ago, jpinard said:

What exactly does the maneuver node lock on and target lock do when your kerbal hits level 4 or you have advanced probe that has them?

What bewing said.

Short version is that maneuver lock points you in the direction of your maneuver node (if there is one), and target lock points you straight at your target's location.

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, Snark said:

What bewing said.

Short version is that maneuver lock points you in the direction of your maneuver node (if there is one), and target lock points you straight at your target's location.

Hmmmmmmm, I think it points you in the orientation for your manoeuvre not actually at the node. I think of the node being the point along the orbit at which the manoeuvre takes place but the crosshairs on the navball is the orientation you must thrust in.

Edited July 30, 2019 by Guest
Trying to find wording that’s not confusing

[Snark]

7 hours ago, Dale Christopher said:

Hmmmmmmm, I think it points you in the orientation for your manoeuvre not actually at the node. I think of the node being the point along the orbit at which the manoeuvre takes place but the crosshairs on the navball is the orientation you must thrust in.

Well yes, that's what I meant. Sorry, I assumed that was obvious; the "location" of the node itself is pretty much irrelevant, there's no reason why anyone would ever want to point at that.

is simply "what direction do I burn," which is obviously very useful. Executing a node consists of centering the navball's crosshairs on and then burning until the burn meter reaches zero.

[jpinard]

22 hours ago, bewing said:

It is possible to create maneuver nodes that have a combination of burns in multiple axes. For example, both prograde and normal. It is also true that any maneuver node you create will require you to burn before you reach the node. One other true thing is that "prograde" (for example) moves as you burn, so if you lock prograde, then your craft has to slowly turn as you burn -- to keep pointed in the (changing) prograde direction.

So, Maneuver Lock can fix all of these things. Once you create a maneuver node, the game calculates the vector direction of all the components of the burn. If you lock your craft onto that vector, and burn the exact amount of deltaV that it says, your resulting orbit will look exactly like the one that was precalculated.

However, it also creates new problems. If you burn at the wrong time or too slowly, then your maneuver node gets recalculated, and the vector moves. So it's not really a stationary vector. And it can move really fast, and in unfortunate directions. Also, if you created a sloppy maneuver node, then sometimes you can get an even better resulting intercept by burning prograde instead. You can never get a better result than your precalculated maneuver by using a maneuver node lock.

Target lock is super nice for docking and grabbing things. If you do it right, it can automatically keep the docking ports of both the target and your current craft pointing exactly at each other. All you have to do is apply a little forward velocity and then sit back and watch as the two vessels dock each other.

However, it is often true that at the very last second before docking, the docking port magnet and SAS will fight each other and fling the two vessels violently apart. So you often want to turn off Target SAS just before the craft touch.

Wow that's awesome!  Thank you!

[Reinhart Mk.1]

On 11/11/2018 at 7:59 AM, PTGFlyer said:

So it has become even MORE important to keep Jebediah alive.

you can always be cheeky and just take a recruited pilot with you somewhere that unlocks said pilot enough, duna and ike would level a kerbal up to lvl 3 I think, but im just spitballing here