Konfused about Kethane

[SnappingTurtle]

I've been trying to start a Munar Kethane mining operation and I'm not really familiar with how it works. I've done it separate stages. I have a mining lander on the Mun that has mined some Kethane and filled its tanks. I've also landed a heavy converter a few meters away from it. Is there a way to get the fuel from the tanks to the converter, perhaps by landing a Kerbal? Thanks.

Edited June 9, 2013 by SnappingTurtle

[Darren9]

You need to dock to transfer fuel, unless you add more mod parts. My favourite is the KAS (Kerbal Attachment System), you get a winch with 100m of rope to connect/dock ships and you need to EVA a Kerb and grab the connectors and attach them. Quantum Fuel Transfer allowed transfer through a "magical" beam between unconnected ships, not sure when that was last updated.

[Procyon]

KAS, when you get it attached, you can transfer fuels and such? Lik a fuel line/hose/powercable?

[JacaByte]

KAS is like a virtual docking port based on what I've seen, so you can simply move fuel between whatever tanks you wish.

I tried both KAS and the quantum fuel system, I liked KAS the best; the quantum fuel system has to be attached to tanks of the same type, and will only transfer fuel between the tanks it's connected to from what I've gathered. KAS doesn't do this, with KAS it's as though the ships that are connected together are docked, so you can move any resource between two ships.

[Procyon]

THAT make a kethane mining base more realistic. land near your storage tanks, hook up a fuel line, and off you go. I now have a plan

[SnappingTurtle]

I managed to land my converter unit and connect with QFTS. I tried transferring from one of the tanks on my mining unit directly to the converter module on the converter unit but that doesn't seem to work. It looks like I'd have to put a Kethane storage tank on the converter which kind of makes it pointless except that I wouldn't have to put the drills on the converter. Will KAS allow Kethane to flow directly into the converter?

My final plan for this is to have a station of liquid fuel tanks above the Mun and have a third lander unit that could transfer fuel from the converter to the station and land again repeatedly.

To do resource transfers with KAS do I just have to put a radial connector port on each craft?

Edited June 9, 2013 by SnappingTurtle

[Pontiac]

I use the Lazor system to transfer refined fuels to and from other vehicles. My current all-in-one refinery drinks electricity, and that is with something like 48 RTGs attached to it. I had to build a lander with batteries. With the Lazor system, I just need to be within 500m of my landing spot, and I can transfer what I need to the ship I need.

[SnappingTurtle]

I don't understand KAS. I attached a winch with a connector on the end of it to my ship and when I went to EVA it gave me the option to unplug, which just left the connector on the floor as debris.

Edit:

I had the plug on the wrong way :3

This is fantastic I managed to connect a miner to a converter and the kethane is flowing directly up through the drills to the tanks and into the converter. KAS is my new favourite plugin. With the ability to transfer different resources to different bits you could get some real moon basing going.

Edited June 9, 2013 by SnappingTurtle