How do I add an antenna to a rocket

[MetricKerbalist]

Hi KSP colleagues,

I understand the rudiments of constructing a rocket.  However, I am having trouble with this issue.

I have a KeralX stock rocket  I would like to place an HG-5 High Gain antenna inside of it.  Actually, I want to place three of them inside.  So I should do these things, right?

• Remove the nosecone.
• Put in the antennas.
• Put the nosecones back on.

But it doesn't look right.  In the screenshot, you can barely see the antennas on the bottom of the capsule:

So, then, please, how should I put the antennas inside this rocket?  And then, how do I deploy them when the time is right?

Thank you, everyone.

Stanley

 

 

[modus]

The antennas are not meant to be placed inside of your craft, but rather on the side/on top.

You cannot place anything on top of an antenna either. In your screenshot you seem to have placed your antennas on the bottom of your capsule or heat shield, making it impossible to (re)connect the rest of the rocket. 

(In theory it is possible to place the antennas inside of a craft, using the offset option, but then you (probably) won't be able to deploy them because they are 'trapped' inside the craft)

[MetricKerbalist]

Thank you very much, @modus, for explaining this to me.

So please look at this new screenshot:

Here, below the capsule stage, I have two HG-5 High Gain antennas attached.  That's how it is supposed to be, right?  Just to make them stand out, I have one of the antennas extended, and the other retracted.  I understand that, during flight, the antennas need to be retracted.  In fact, as an experiment, I did a flight with an antenna extended and it broke off soon after liftoff.  The retracted antenna, however, did just fine.

So now, I think, I am all set with this issue.

Stanley

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by MetricKerbalist

[modus]

@MetricKerbalistthat looks just fine

And indeed, you should not deploy your antennas (or solar panels) while in atmospheric flight.

[MetricKerbalist]

I need to ask a followup question to anyone, if I may.

When I was adding the antennas, I actually wanted to add three antennas all symmetrically space around the craft.  So I turned on three-way symmetry, but I discovered that I didn't have enough room to nicely space out all three antennas.  For the time being, that was alright and I proceeded to put two antennas into place.

For what I wanted to do, however, I needed mirror -- radial -- symmetry.  The KSPedia (page 15) shows the button to press to engage mirror symmetry, but I cannot locate that button.  In short, I do not know how to engage mirror symmetry.  I set up the two antennas on my spacecraft by eye, which I don't like doing.

Thus, KSP colleagues, my question is how does one apply mirror symmetry?

Thank you.

Stanley

[Geonovast]

There's two buttons in the bottom left that control symmetry settings.

The one on the left (red arrow) controls two things.  Radial/Mirror, and 1,2,3,4,6 or 8x symmetry.

The one on the right (green arrow) toggles between angle snap and no angle snap.

 

You can switch between symmetry type by clicking on the left one with the middle mouse button, or by pressing 'R'. 

You can toggle between 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8x modes by left clicking on it, or by pressing 'X'.

When it's a dot (like in the picture) that means you're in radial in 1x mode.  So, a single part.  Higher modes will have pie slices around the dot showing you which mode you're in.

If it's a square instead of a dot, you're in mirror mode.  You can do either 1 or 2x in mirror mode.  (Mostly used in the SPH for building planes)

 

The right button can be toggled between angle snap and no angle snap either by left-clicking on the button or by pressing 'C'.

If it's a circle around the dot, you are in "no angle snap".  A hexagon, as shown, is angle snap.  Personally I find it best to be in angle snap most of the time unless you're adjusting something's position by very small amounts.  Placing stuff in symmetry without angle snap being on puts it on at an off angle.

 

Even though you only want to place two, you likely still want to use radial symmetry instead of mirror.  Switch between mirror and radial and move the part around a bit and you'll see a difference in behavior with the part that's not attached to your mouse.

 

 

[MetricKerbalist]

Hi @Geonovast.

Thank you for explaining this.  I will check it out soon.

In my particular case, however, I did need mirror symmetry, and not radial symmetry.  That is because the two antennas are spaced somewhat less than 180 degrees apart -- perhaps something like 120 degrees.

Stanley

[Geonovast]

Just now, MetricKerbalist said:

Hi @Geonovast.

Thank you for explaining this.  I will check it out soon.

In my particular case, however, I did need mirror symmetry, and not radial symmetry.  That is because the two antennas are spaced somewhat less than 180 degrees apart -- perhaps something like 120 degrees.

Stanley

Ah, then yes Mirror would help.

There is another way to do that, though, and it's a neat trick that can also get you 5x or 7x symmetry if you ever need it.

 

You could place the antennas in 3x symmetry.  This will put them on 120 degrees apart.

Then right click on the one you don't want, click the "Remove from symmetry" button, then remove it.  The other two will stay put.  (However they'll snap to 180 degrees apart again if you try to move them.)

That is, however, how you can get the normally not selectable modes.  Place something in 6x symmetry, will be placed 60 degrees apart.  "Remove from symmetry" on one of them, remove it from the craft, then grab one of the remaining 5.  They will then snap to 72 degrees apart, or 5x symmetry.

 

[MetricKerbalist]

Wow!  Nice to know.  Thank you.