Do I need satellite relays around Minmus ?

[psvialli]

Very new to KSP  and could do with some help!

I have sent an unmanned rocket to Minmus but I always lose coms  and end up with a dead rocket  i cannot control 

So my question is so I need to launch satellite relays around Minmus as well as kerbin ?

Many thanks

 

[magnemoe]

You will loose radio contact behind Minmus unless you have an relay satellite. 
However it sounds to me you don't have an antenna just the build into the probe, if sending an satellite give it the small relay antenna and the satellite is now an relay 

[psvialli]

No   - not on the dark side as lose contact before that 

Yes you are correct ill add one now as that must be my issue , I presumed the remote guidance would be long enough reach. 

Thanks

[Vanamonde]

This question about how to play the game has been moved to Gameplay Questions. 

Also, welcome to the forum, psvialli.

Also, make sure your relay sat antenna has greater range than the probe or you'll lose contact with it, too. 

[Kryxal]

The inline antenna and level 3 tracking station should do the trick, at least when you're not blocked by Minmus.

[magnemoe]

22 minutes ago, Kryxal said:

The inline antenna and level 3 tracking station should do the trick, at least when you're not blocked by Minmus.

I believe you are right, but he might not have an level 3 station, its always nice to leave two satellites in high orbit around an body for relay.
Even at level 3 no antenna has an cut out inside Kerbin SoI, remember trying to catch an asteroid and forgot the  antenna. 
This is why you have small docking ports on ships, they work a bit like usb ports. 

[Greenfire32]

If you want uninterrupted communication with Kerbin for unmanned flights, you'll need at least 3 relay satellites in orbit of Minmus to maintain a line no matter where you are on the planet.

If you want acceptable communication with Kerbin, you'll only need 2 relay satellites in orbit. You will experience some downtime, but it will be minimal.

You don't need comm sats in Kerbin orbit, because Kerbin has many ground stations on its surface that will bounce the signal to the KSC for you. Kerbin basically comes with a free comm network as a default.

Geosynchronous orbit is the preferred method because it makes maintaining a comm network easier, but it's not necessary. And If I remember right (and I might not), I'm not sure that Minmus geosync orbit is even possible because the altitude required is outside the sphere of influence (a game limitation). Or maybe that's the moon?...I forget which...

Edited December 12, 2018 by Greenfire32

[Superfluous J]

FWIW I take the first 4-5 satellite contracts given for any world, and put relays on each of those satellites. That gives me probably 99% coverage which is just fine so long as you're comfortable doing the occasional burn with the limited control offered by your probe core sans comms.

[bewing]

You probably have a Communotron 16 antenna, but you need to "extend" the antennas to make them work. Look in the context menu for the antenna. If you do that, you will have communications all the way out to Minmus.

[Xurkitree]

On 12/12/2018 at 11:15 PM, Greenfire32 said:

Geosynchronous orbit is the preferred method because it makes maintaining a comm network easier, but it's not necessary. And If I remember right (and I might not), I'm not sure that Minmus geosync orbit is even possible because the altitude required is outside the sphere of influence (a game limitation). Or maybe that's the moon?...I forget which...

It the Mun which has the limitation due to its tidal locking - Minmus Synchronous Alt is iirc 336 km ASL

[Gargamel]

I also like putting up a strong relay network (3 sats) in orbits as far out from minmus as possible.    That way, I only need the 3 sats to cover the entire Kerbin SOI, instead of nine, if you only do low orbit clouds around Kerbin/Mun/Minmus.   There might be some theoretical blindspots with this setup, but I have yet to encounter them. 

[XtraChrisP]

I like to put a relay sat in a highly eccentric (like, 100 km - edge of SOI) polar orbit.  You get a crazy amount of hangtime and any relay sats on the far side of the moons will get a pretty good luck at the polar relay.

[GRS]

Better save than sorry, just make a relay around Minmus, Minmus could also end up blocking your relay, you wont need such in Mun, which is tidelocked.

[Fearless Son]

On 12/12/2018 at 9:45 AM, Greenfire32 said:

Geosynchronous orbit is the preferred method because it makes maintaining a comm network easier, but it's not necessary. And If I remember right (and I might not), I'm not sure that Minmus geosync orbit is even possible because the altitude required is outside the sphere of influence (a game limitation). Or maybe that's the moon?...I forget which...

Geosynch orbiting communication satellites is often undesirable, depending on the planet one is orbiting them around.  For example, trying to orbit Duna at geosynchronous altitude will virtually inevitably have an encounter with Ike, the gravity of which will slingshot one or more of them out of their orbital positions.  In other places, the gravity of the body is sufficiently small that geosynchronous altitude would be greater than their sphere of influence, negating the orbit entirely (not realistic but some concessions have to be made to a reasonably performing simulation.)

Generally, it's a better idea to have satellites that are equidistant on the same orbit at a stable altitude (which may or may not be geosynchronous.)  Ideally three, since each one of them will be able to trace a direct (and fixed) line of sight to the other two, and between the three of them they can see every point on the surface of the body they orbit.