Problem with first launch (decoupler question)

[Captain Wolf]

I am having problems with with my first launch.  Particularly with decouplers.  When I make a rocket like this it works fine:

Parachute
Command Module
Fuel Tank
Engine

But when I add a decoupler anywhere it the stack, I get an error message that my thrust / weight is zero.  It's like it doesn't want me to use decouplers anywhere.  What am I doing wrong?  

[Periple]

Check your staging. Maybe the decoupler is in the first stage? 

[Captain Wolf]

No, I added the decoupler between the CM and the FT.  When it is there, t /w goes to zero.  When it is not, its says about 5300.  I tried other builds, and the decouplers never work.  Always makes t / w zero.

[The Aziz]

If you could drop the picture from your VAB that would be nice.

[Captain Wolf]

I could tell it was a glitch, so I just restarted a new campaign and everything is fine with the decouplers now.  Moving forward, is this the best place to post these kinds of questions?  There are a lot of subforums.  

[Periple]

4 hours ago, Captain Wolf said:

No, I added the decoupler between the CM and the FT.  When it is there, t /w goes to zero.  When it is not, its says about 5300.  I tried other builds, and the decouplers never work.  Always makes t / w zero.

Yes but how is it staged? If it’s staged before or with the engine, dV will be reported as 0.

 I’m pretty sure it’s something like that because decouplers do work as you’d expect, generally speaking!

[Captain Wolf]

Ok, I think you and Periple may be right after all.  I was more concerned with the location of the decoupler and not paying much attention to the staging .  I'll mess around with this more later.  But everything was working fine when I restarted a new campaign. 

 

 

[Vanamonde]

1 hour ago, Captain Wolf said:

 Moving forward, is this the best place to post these kinds of questions?  There are a lot of subforums.  

This general sub is fine for now. We're all getting used to new stuff and asking questions.  

[Tallenn]

It's probably the staging. You likely have the decoupler staged before or on the same stage as the engine. The game is not particularly intuitive in setting the staging the way that makes the most sense. Rather, it seems to basically add things to the bottom as they are added to the ship, regardless of WHERE on the ship they are added.