Do you use maneuver nodes for circularization?

[RoninFrog]

I wasn't aware this was a thing people did until recently.  I just flew through the tutorials for the first time yesterday and was surprised that they used maneuver nodes to circularize orbits.  Is this a common practice?  I almost never use a maneuver to circularize unless I'm flying a craft with a super low TWR that will need a burn over 2 minutes or so.  I usually just pressure the Ap/Pe with throttle to see how it moves, and then fly the burn manually.  I've found it's much easier to get a circular orbit (within ~200m) that way.  

Is this standard procedure?  Have I been living under a rock for the last four years?

[Mickel]

Not usually when arriving in orbit from the surface.  Normally only if there is a chance to intercept a target with the burn.

Almost always when arriving from a transfer, particularly if I want to reach a certain plane in the one burn.

[RoninFrog]

46 minutes ago, Mickel said:

particularly if I want to reach a certain plane in the one burn.

For plane changes I always do three separate burns: capture, plane change, and then circularize.  I don't usually use nodes for any of those, although occasionally for the plane change if I don't have a good reference point with ascending and descending nodes.

I believe it's more efficient this way, but I could be wrong.  I was shocked when the tutorial had me try to circularize and change planes at the same time; I had never  considered doing that before (as usually Pe is not near An or Dn).

Edited September 10 by RoninFrog

[TheFlyingKerman]

I use a maneuver node to circularize so that I know exactly when to start my engine.

[modus]

And, together with KAC, to not shoot past pe/ap in  timewarp. 

[RoninFrog]

4 hours ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

I use a maneuver node to circularize so that I know exactly when to start my engine.

I usually get a good mental estimate by checking the TWR and then kinda toggle throttle a couple times to see how much my Pe moves and then adjust based off that.  Kinda ghetto but I've gotten used to it.  I don't remember ever doing captures any other way. 

[JeDoesStuff]

the only time i use maneuver nodes for circularization is to just find a rough estimate of when to start the circularization burn, but normally what I do is pay attention to the time until apoapsis and keep that close to 0 while circularizing so that when Ap and Pe are the same and I cut thrust my vertical speed is close to 0 too. Maneuver nodes for circularization was something i did recently while testing a micro eve orbiter, since i could test if an eva pack could make the final circularization without actually needing to deal with bringing the kerbal (just trust the process)

Edited September 10 by JeDoesStuff

[miklkit]

I never used to use maneuver nodes for that, but saw some youtubers do it and tried it.  Now I always do it because it is more efficient. 

[Scarecrow71]

I use maneuver nodes for everything.  I'm not good at just knowing when to burn and for how long, so I use the tools the game gives me.

[N_Danger]

Put me in the Maneuver Node just to get a sense of when and how long to burn to circularization bucket.

And it does let you be frugal with the delta V.

But the last seconds are manually done to fine tune the AP.

[Cracktacular]

I use maneuver nodes in my YouTube videos to communicate what I am doing, but when I am just messing around playing for myself, I try to do everything seat-of-the-pants.

 

One of my favourite flights in KSP was when I was doing the caveman level tech with the Stayputnic to the moon, I had to spin stabilize that craft and it made me realize that maneuver nodes can be a crutch you don't need necessarily. I do use them for more complex burns, but I suggest to all you fellow players to just wing it and see how accurate you can be without the maneuver nodes tool