Oh well, it was a nice idea....

[Tokay Gris]

Since I can't get the hang of docking parts of my moonbase together by thrusters, i thought I's use rovers instead.

But there seems to be a slight difference in hight with the docking ports...

So although I still like the idea, it seems the parts on Mun can be scrapped....

[Sol_Rokks_Teddy]

Get the Kerbal Attachment System mod! You can build cranes to help line up things up, no docking ports required!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/25563-0-19-1-KAS-v0-2-3-New-connector-port-system-fuel-transfer-grappling-hook-more

[Tokay Gris]

Thanks, but I'd like to try it without...

[rryy]

Always test your base on Kerbin before you actually send the modules to the Mun. Try building a dummy base by the runway to see if everything fits together well. If you want to add something to the base on the Mun, you can use the base on the runway to make sure it fits.

[Tokay Gris]

I did that and it worked there. Although the tires kept blowing once I docked.

That should have told me there was a difference in height.... Muns gravity is probably not enough to blow the tires and that tiny difference is the problem...

[Sol_Rokks_Teddy]

Thanks, but I'd like to try it without...

Without mods? Then you are gunna have a bit of a problem building off-world bases(as you have experienced). I suggest you design all your modules with a docking port on top, and a tug that can dock and lift the lower module into place. Or you can deploy and retract the landing legs over and over until you get a connection.

[katateochi]

I'd suggest using mods, without mods the best you can do is get it so it works as rryy says, on the runway or land round the space center. Then you can take it to Mun, and then find that now you're on a slight hill all that careful alignment is for nothing and you're a few annoying mm out again. A pair of Dammed Robotic hinges can be great to move a port slightly up and down and adjust angle, or just the hydraulic ram from the same mod. That or restrict your landing sites to perfectly flat areas. sometimes if you are a few mm off and using the rover idea, you can ram the thing you're trying to dock with, causing it to tip over slightly and fall back again. I've managed (with many failed attempts) to get a dock like that before. But at that point using a mod like DR seems to be actually more sensible!

[Akalaël]

Always test your base on Kerbin before you actually send the modules to the Mun. Try building a dummy base by the runway to see if everything fits together well. If you want to add something to the base on the Mun, you can use the base on the runway to make sure it fits.

Dont forget that gravity is different on the Mün. If you have a tank on wheels, or basically someting that changes its weight, you may have a correct test on kerbin, but no longer on the Mün.

This was matching perfectly on Kerbin :

[katateochi]

Dont forget that gravity is different on the Mün. If you have a tank on wheels, or basically someting that changes its weight, you may have a correct test on kerbin, but no longer on the Mün.

*snip*

oh, yeah. That's a good point. I had a very frustrating time cos of that ages ago with the old (pre stock) wheels that had really springy suspension.

And back then docking and DamnedRobotics didn't play nice, so In the end this whole problem drove me to ridiculous extremes;

[Tokay Gris]

DANG! I didn't thing of the suspension....

I didn't say I would be without Mods forever. I am trying to get it to work at the moment out of the box.

Same with docking, orbit and stuff. Once I had that roughly covered, I looked up Mechjeb.

Which actually is a great help, since my "pinpoint" landings are around five kilometers off. And still are.

Funny story, by the way... After installing Mechjeb I read somewhere that it has a docking autopilot. After an experience that took ages to dock two large fueltanks together that each had three docking ports (not the triple one) I thought "Well, let's see how Mechjeb does that... and if it works at all".

Can you guess what happened as I approached my fuel depot?

"Where is that docking autopilot?" - search google - "Oh... thats Mechjeb 2.0. Oh well.... I'll have to do it by hand. With way-off-center-RCS"

Took a while... but got it done.

[Scotius]

*Sigh* Don't rely on MechJeb for "pinpoint landings" too much. I had this problem with my new Fuel Hauler. I mounted KAS parts on it, but for the life of me couldn't land Hauler less than 50 meters from Kethane mining rig on the Mun. Heck, my best was about 150 meters away So i tried MechJeb 2.0.7. First try: i didn't like the "Land at target" option, so after setting Kethane miner as target i clicked "Land somewhere". Effect? 156 meters away. Phew, i could do as good by hand. Second try, "Land at target" - worked as advertised: Hauler plowed straight into miner, causing a huge fireball and total loss of both ships and crews. Third try: i've manually set target coordinates, slightly different than my miner's. Effect: 34 meters away (Yahooo!), and Hauler tipping over and falling like a log (Aw, crap!). Now i have a Kerbal in need of evacuation, and still no reliable fuel delivery system. Anyone have a clever trick how to set MechJeb for landing in the general area of the target - not too far away, and not on the top of it?

[Tokay Gris]

I have a few rovers and my (now rather useless) buses.

So I drive to a location I like to land at, look up the coordinates in the mapview, type 'em in.... and drive the rover (or bus) a few clicks away.

On the Mun, this method worked so far...

[Scotius]

That's a good idea Tokay - thanks. Fortunately i do have a new rover designed, and it needs testing in low-g environment.

[Ogre]

oh, yeah. That's a good point. I had a very frustrating time cos of that ages ago with the old (pre stock) wheels that had really springy suspension.

And back then docking and DamnedRobotics didn't play nice, so In the end this whole problem drove me to ridiculous extremes;

That BobCat is fantastic! Looks like I'm installing Damned Robotics and KAS for sure now, you sold me.

[Fourjays]

*Sigh* Don't rely on MechJeb for "pinpoint landings" too much. I had this problem with my new Fuel Hauler. I mounted KAS parts on it, but for the life of me couldn't land Hauler less than 50 meters from Kethane mining rig on the Mun. Heck, my best was about 150 meters away So i tried MechJeb 2.0.7. First try: i didn't like the "Land at target" option, so after setting Kethane miner as target i clicked "Land somewhere". Effect? 156 meters away. Phew, i could do as good by hand. Second try, "Land at target" - worked as advertised: Hauler plowed straight into miner, causing a huge fireball and total loss of both ships and crews. Third try: i've manually set target coordinates, slightly different than my miner's. Effect: 34 meters away (Yahooo!), and Hauler tipping over and falling like a log (Aw, crap!). Now i have a Kerbal in need of evacuation, and still no reliable fuel delivery system. Anyone have a clever trick how to set MechJeb for landing in the general area of the target - not too far away, and not on the top of it?

Not tried the MechJeb Landing Autopilot so I don't know if it is possible, but could you use the "Land at target" option, then turn autopilot off when it has got you in the ballpark? So let it run until you get under 500m or something, then fly it manually so you don't actually land on top of the target.

[Van Disaster]

I don't know if it works off Kerbin, but I used to use the landing autopilot as a predictor & just use SmartASS to keep me pointing retrograde until chute time, and adjust trajectory with RCS & small burns. I've landed right next to the KSC pad like that.

[Scotius]

Problem is, two 50+ tons crafts each counting about 200 parts choke my system when close enough to connect using KAS cable (50 meters max). Lags are relatively tiny, allowing for docking in orbit if i set everything up early enough. But so close to the surface, while maneuvering with RCS even small hiccup is fatal - there is almost no margin of error. My Hauler keeled over because of such lag. I have to land in one go, because maneuvering near the surface is very hard.

[NeoMorph]

The land at target works better when you start from a 100km+ circular orbit. But always remember to add a bit of a fudge factor so you don't land right on top of the target craft. I usually add or subtract 1 from the middle number... so 0-6-10S 74-34-30W becomes 0-5-10S 74-33-30W and then I do land at target. Lands me right next to my target that way.

[Scotius]

That's what i did on the last try. It worked too, because Hauler landed about 30 meters from the miner. It would be perfect for setting up KAS connection...alas, Murphy's laws struck again. Now i have permanently grounded ship that did not broke even one part falling over. Unfortunately it's so heavy and broad i have no chance of raising it with landing legs and RCS. There is a lesson here: no matter how many time you've landed somewhere, things can go south in a blink of an eye. At least my hapless pilot is only a short walk away from a miner, and can visit its crew to kill some time before evac shuttle arrives

[MRab2]

For getting the rover height bang on I used air/space plane undercarriage directly underneath the docking ports. This sets the height nicely as the deployed height is a constant. Once docked, just retract the undercarriage.