Am I doing it wrong? (Planetary transfer alarm clock)

[boriz]

So. I go to the tracking center and set an alarm for a Duna transfer, and wait while it time warps. The time warp stops, the alarm signals the launch window, I launch to LKO and circularise. Then I set a planetary transfer manoeuvre using the manoeuvre tool, and now I have to wait another 29 days in orbit! Is that right or am I missing something?

I mean, 29 days? Doesn't that mean the alarm went off 29 days too early?

Is there some way to get the alarm to go off 29 days later, or some other workaround? Frankly, warping 29 day in orbit is like a strobing headache. I'm not epileptic, but if I were...

[Superfluous J]

Are you using mods?

I don't know of a way in the stock game to launch into orbit and then create a maneuver node that will automatically set up a transfer, and no way to create a maneuver node and then discover later that it's 29 days in the future.

[boriz]

This is not stock? Are you sure?

I have Scatterer, MechJeb2, controller config (for my PS4 Dual Shock controller), a science alarm, err ... I think that's it. I wouldn't use any 'performance enhancing' stuff or new parts. It's just not my bag.

[GluttonyReaper]

Just had a check, and yep: it's there, this is a stock tool. I had no idea this existed until now, apparently it was added in the final major version (1.12)! Unfortunately, after a little messing around and a quick google, it looks like that's just how it works, unfortunately. It seems it's capable of producing some transfer to other bodies, but not necessarily a particularly fast one... I'm not sure if it's optimising for dV or what? It even seems to struggle with the Mun and Minmus - I gave it a go from a pretty simple circular orbit, and in both cases it wanted me to wait multiple days for a transfer, which definitely doesn't seem right, and there's no real way to tweak it...

You're better off with the Transfer Window Planner mod, which is presumably what the stock version was watered down from (the modder who created it was working for Squad around that time), or I think MechJeb has its own tool for automatically doing transfers?

EDIT: Now that I think about it, TWP doesn't actually auto-create manoeuvres for you... but it would at least give you the right times.

Edited July 9 by GluttonyReaper

[king of nowhere]

On 7/9/2024 at 1:15 AM, boriz said:

So. I go to the tracking center and set an alarm for a Duna transfer, and wait while it time warps. The time warp stops, the alarm signals the launch window, I launch to LKO and circularise. Then I set a planetary transfer manoeuvre using the manoeuvre tool, and now I have to wait another 29 days in orbit! Is that right or am I missing something?

I mean, 29 days? Doesn't that mean the alarm went off 29 days too early?

Is there some way to get the alarm to go off 29 days later, or some other workaround? Frankly, warping 29 day in orbit is like a strobing headache. I'm not epileptic, but if I were...

the transfer maneuver tool is garbage. you are much better off learning interplanetary travel and planning the maneuvers for yourself.

 

[Zhetaan]

On 7/8/2024 at 7:15 PM, boriz said:

So. I go to the tracking center and set an alarm for a Duna transfer, and wait while it time warps. The time warp stops, the alarm signals the launch window, I launch to LKO and circularise. Then I set a planetary transfer manoeuvre using the manoeuvre tool, and now I have to wait another 29 days in orbit! Is that right or am I missing something?

I mean, 29 days? Doesn't that mean the alarm went off 29 days too early?

Is there some way to get the alarm to go off 29 days later, or some other workaround? Frankly, warping 29 day in orbit is like a strobing headache. I'm not epileptic, but if I were...

As I understand it (and while there is research on this, it's not exhaustive because people have found it so infuriating), the alarm signals the very beginning of a transfer window, not the optimum transfer time.  The optimum transfer time is sometime later:  in your case, apparently, that would be 29 days later.

Since you already have MechJeb installed, I suggest using the transfer window planner that comes with it.  I have generally found it to be accurate.

[Scarecrow71]

On 7/9/2024 at 7:54 AM, GluttonyReaper said:

EDIT: Now that I think about it, TWP doesn't actually auto-create manoeuvres for you... but it would at least give you the right times.

I prefer to use MechJeb's planetary transfer maneuver node function.  Not only does it create the node and calculate the dV needed, it tells you how far into the future the node is being created.  It isn't perfect...but this is KSP, so nothing is ever perfect, right?