Trouble with a gigantor solar array boom

[Bolide]

I'm trying to build a somewhat large solar array for a planned space station mission soon, but for some reason, whenever I have four arrays on one of the arms it gets a crazy bounce and makes my rocket explode. I have a rockomax hub linked to a modular girder adapter which is then linked to a TR-2V stack decoupler. That is linked to 55 or so octagonal struts. I've tried with and without 8 heavy strut connectors as well as the decoupler and variations thereof. Any help would be appreciated. I can't seem to get this thing to stop bouncing uncontrollably and self destructing.

[3_bit]

Just... don't use all tiny struts. Other than that, it could be game physics at it's current state.

[Mokmo]

Instead of the 88 octogonal struts, you could use the modular girders. But it will still bounce like crazy, even in the real world this would be under tremendous torque stress.

[Zephram Kerman]

Yeah. Use the longer trusses, and brace them with overlapping struts. That helps some, but it still wouldn't be rigid enough to fly up to orbit. However, it's possible to make pyramid-shaped towers that are very nice and rigid. The I-beams look good for this.

[Bolide]

I intend on mounting the actual rockets around it and using them to help support the torque on the arm. I'll definitely try to use the girders though. Thanks for the tips.

[Sirrobert]

Cut the thing in half and dock in orbit.

[Bolide]

That's the problem, the last few times I've actually been able to get it to dock my designs have disintegrated on contact. Bear in mind I was traveling at about .5m/s at most too. I realize it's a learning process which is why I came here.

[NoMrBond]

If you're looking for something more roundish (going by the stacked octagonals?) then maybe consider the KOSMOS-TKS package and use the Balka-Truss sections

The four solar booms on the station below are only 6 balka truss sections long (with 2 solar wings each), the Gigantor XL's aren't anywhere that big though.

If you're wanting to stay stock, one thing you can do is to mount round (z-500) batteries on the sides of the rockomax station hub (underneath the clamp-o-trons), which accept surface mounts, so you can run struts from them (the batteries) as far along your boom as possible from outside your hub. That'd give you a wider connection that wasn't from the base of the boom structure itself.

Edited June 23, 2013 by NoMrBond

[NoMrBond]

Home for lunch so pictures.

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The stock girder and/or balka truss give assembles (with 4 panels) of sub ~30 parts (including struts). The octagonal based arm is ~90 parts without anything even on it so that would play merry hell with your game.

You can make the battery+clamp+strut on one side, then alt+click it (on the battery) to make a subassembly copy to place around the other three sides of the rockmax station hub.

Edited June 24, 2013 by NoMrBond

[Bolide]

Oh, I like that. I'll definitely look into that mod. Thanks!

[Bolide]

I'm not really sure how to change this to answered so if a mod could do that I would appreciate it.

[Guest]

I'm not really sure how to change this to answered so if a mod could do that I would appreciate it.

Edit your OP and change the drop-down.