Multiple relay probes on one rocket but I can only control one

[SmarmyNarwhal]

Hey folks. I'm trying to get into placing relay probes now. I wanted to place a series of them around Kerbol so that I can communicate more easily from other planets. I wanted to try loading a rocket with three of the relays, set up a resonant orbit, and just drop them off one by one. I've watched videos of it being done and it looks pretty slick. So I made a probe as a subassembly and smacked three of them on the end of a rocket:

(Yes this is wildly unstable and shakes like crazy when I launch, but it does reach solar orbit. This is the first version that didn't collapse under its own weight. If you have advice for how to more firmly attach the probes, I wouldn't be opposed.)

The problem I am having is that when I start separating the satellites, they aren't treated as separate craft. One of them is treated as the root craft and I can fly it, but the others are just treated as space debris. I went to the tracking station and had to mark junk to even find it. I've been trying stuff like this on and off for about a week and I just can't figure out how to have multiple separately controllable craft in one build.

[king of nowhere]

1 hour ago, SmarmyNarwhal said:

(Yes this is wildly unstable and shakes like crazy when I launch, but it does reach solar orbit. This is the first version that didn't collapse under its own weight. If you have advice for how to more firmly attach the probes, I wouldn't be opposed.)

don't strut boosters to each other, it creates problems. strut boosters to the main body of the ship. and it appears you are using 3 rockets strapped together in the middle, strut them tightly. it would be better to have one single rocket with a bigger payload fairing containing all three satellites, clipping must be terrible; but maybe you don't have the technology unlocked

 

1 hour ago, SmarmyNarwhal said:

The problem I am having is that when I start separating the satellites, they aren't treated as separate craft. One of them is treated as the root craft and I can fly it, but the others are just treated as space debris. I went to the tracking station and had to mark junk to even find it. I've been trying stuff like this on and off for about a week and I just can't figure out how to have multiple separately controllable craft in one build.

do you have multiple probe cores in your satellites? because i can't see one. if there is indeed a probe core on each one of the three, then i have no idea. stuff is generally marked as junk if you can't control it.

[SmarmyNarwhal]

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it would be better to have one single rocket with a bigger payload fairing containing all three satellites

There actually is one rocket under that big mess. I've tried designing something with a big fairing that has the probes inside, but I can't figure out any way to lay them end to end with structural stability. I have all the fairings unlocked but it's more of a design issue than anything.

 

Quote

do you have multiple probe cores in your satellites?

Yup. They all have a Probodyne OKTO2 underneath the relay dish. It's pretty weird.

[lemon cup]

51 minutes ago, SmarmyNarwhal said:

There actually is one rocket under that big mess. I've tried designing something with a big fairing that has the probes inside, but I can't figure out any way to lay them end to end with structural stability. I have all the fairings unlocked but it's more of a design issue than anything.

Hi there, not sure about the probe control issue but I might be able to help with the design issue! You can stack all three probes on top of each other inside one fairing with this trick.

Go to your settings menu (the one in the in-game pause menu has this option so no need to revert to main screen if you don’t want to) and turn on “Advanced Tweakables”. This presents many new options on parts’ right click menu. 

Remove one of your relay sats in such a way that clicking it’s engine picks up the entire thing (this requires that your vessel’s root part be located below your sats) and leave it to the side in the VAB for now. Now select a good size fairing and place it on top of your vessel, and make it the root part using the “Reroot” tool. Right click the fairing and enable “Interstage Nodes”. 
(Note: this may very well necessitate redesigning your launch vehicle as you may find yourself needing less boosters and cores since you will no longer be working in 3x symmetry).

Now choose a small decoupler and you’ll see you have lots of attach nodes floating in space above the fairing. Put the decoupler on the lower most node, and then grab the satellite you set aside and put it on the decoupler. Voila! Now duplicate the sat (alt+left click) and continue until you’ve stacked three together, using the remaining floating nodes. For more compact form factor, You can use the Move Tool to slide them downwards until they are nearly touching. Then it’s just a matter of building your fairing and revising the launch vehicle.

Sorry I know this is not exactly the question you asked but I know lots of people don’t know how to do this and it really comes in handy. Who knows it might somehow fix your control problem too 

[SmarmyNarwhal]

1 hour ago, lemon cup said:

Right click the fairing and enable “Interstage Nodes”. 

I have been watching videos for days seeing people with these cool, reinforced internal structures and all I keep thinking is "what kind of girder is that and how did they attach it?" THIS is what I was trying to learn how to do. I was able to go back to my original design but now it is much more sturdy and aerodynamic. Additionally, this solved my issue with controlling the individual probes too, so big thanks for sure.

[Spricigo]

In that image you have the satellites clipping into each other. It seems possible that some probecores were actually being destroyed during staging, thus leaving only debris instead of fully functional crafts.

[JadenKing]

On 10/27/2020 at 5:11 PM, SmarmyNarwhal said:

Hey folks. I'm trying to get into placing relay probes now. I wanted to place a series of them around Kerbol so that I can communicate more easily from other planets. I wanted to try loading a rocket with three of the relays, set up a resonant orbit, and just drop them off one by one. I've watched videos of it being done and it looks pretty slick. So I made a probe as a subassembly and smacked three of them on the end of a rocket:  https://github.com/hkalexling/Mango

(Yes this is wildly unstable and shakes like crazy when I launch, but it does reach solar orbit. This is the first version that didn't collapse under its own weight. If you have advice for how to more firmly attach the probes, I wouldn't be opposed.)

The problem I am having is that when I start separating the satellites, they aren't treated as separate craft. One of them is treated as the root craft and I can fly it, but the others are just treated as space debris. I went to the tracking station and had to mark junk to even find it. I've been trying stuff like this on and off for about a week and I just can't figure out how to have multiple separately controllable craft in one build.

 Struting boosters to each other, won't create any problems if there enough space between them. Try to move them a little bit lower

Edited November 3, 2020 by JadenKing
Mango

[Wobbly Av8r]

My experience with "probed, but uncontrollable" sub-vessels is with recoverable boosters. While it has only happened a few times and seems sporadic (so my advice is anecdotal at best) it might solve your loss-of-control issue:

The solution I've found, prior to releasing or separating from any "probe-equipped sub-vessel", is to utilize the "Configure Naming" option on the "extra" probe's PAW (Part Action Window, the right-click contextual menu) and rename and designate each as a "Relay" as well as setting it to a priority of less than the default (which is 10). While this is probably achieved most efficiently during construction in the VAB/SPH , it can be accomplished in flight as well prior to separation. When done properly, this should not change the name of the overall vessel, which has a priority of 10. [If one of the probes is the "primary" controller, then only rename the other two...]

I found that occasionally, when I did not take these steps, I would have a vessel with a probe lack any ability to control - but it was, IIRC, classified as "Debris" by default regardless of having a probe with power and antenna attached.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Wobbly Av8r
I type, I submit, I re-read... and I'm amazed that even I can't understand it!

[SmarmyNarwhal]

5 hours ago, Wobbly Av8r said:

The solution I've found, prior to releasing or separating from any "probe-equipped sub-vessel", is to utilize the "Configure Naming" option on the "extra" probe's PAW (Part Action Window, the right-click contextual menu) and rename and designate each as a "Relay" as well as setting it to a priority of less than the default (which is 10). While this is probably achieved most efficiently during construction in the VAB/SPH , it can be accomplished in flight as well prior to separation. When done properly, this should not change the name of the overall vessel, which has a priority of 10. [If one of the probes is the "primary" controller, then only rename the other two...]

That seems like a pretty logical approach so I'll try this if I have similar issues in the future. I'm sure the fact that my relays were clipping a lot wasn't helping.

Also a followup, when I was able to get this all working with lemon cup's suggestion, I was able to get my first solar probe array as well as another one around Duna (solar array shown below).

[Wobbly Av8r]

That looks pretty sweet - a lot of work that will pay off!

I don't know about others, but I always appreciate knowing how things worked out, so thanks for that...