Can you not use a docking port on something without a control unit?

[Krisism]

I've spent literally hours to the point of near anger trying to dock these two fracking things. But Im now getting the impression that it is not ever going to happen. They just rub up against each other, no magnetism... Waste of hours flying this crap around only to find this out Can anyone confirm? Then at least I can say it was like 3 hours wasted to learn one small thing about a game.

I had modules which I'm putting together that have regular stock docking ports. No control modules because they've been put in position by cranes, and why add a part when you shouldn't need one. For obvious reasons I try and always reduce part count. Anyone else run into this?

[Strategia]

I don't know if that's how docking ports work, but the obvious solution, which many people use in lieu of cranes, is to have a small probe tug that can move uncontrollable modules around. Depending on where you are (in Kerbin orbit it's just one simple launch, but Jool's another matter entirely), it could salvage your mission.

[Krisism]

Hmm, now the question is how to do that without wheels on things. Or it would be REALLLY nice is there was some sort of radial decoupler that didn't leave little parts behind (then you could just jettison wheels and remove after in position).

[Cykyrios]

Docking ports should always work, whatever the parts they're connected to (if any, but I haven't actually tried to dock to a single docking port, floating alone in space...).

Maybe if you can post a screenshot of your issue, we could find a solution?

Some basic checks meanwhile: are the ports the same size? Are they placed properly? (i.e. not reversed, and attached at the proper node, since it's easy to misplace them in the VAB/SPH)

[barrivia]

I had this happen to me too once. I had an unpowered, unmanned station part in orbit. I sent up another part still attached to it's launcher and they just wouldn't dock. I chalked it up to using the small cylindrical structural piece (one without fuel). It seemed to be the common component that prevented docking.

[Krisism]

Hey Cykyrios,

It should work I've docked plenty of times in orbit and literally all around where I am trying to do it now. Come to think of it, I know I have docked with non-controlled modules. I think this one is just bugged. They're both the standard size docking port, both on the right way and no collision issues with what they are connected to.

I quicksave like 5 times a minute now because of all the little things. The first attempt it looked like it was going to go, then both modules imploded into each other instantaneously... after being completely still and no momentum. Thankfully I had the quicksave, but afterwards its like they just completely lost their functionality.

Oh well, I guess it's time for ANOTHER redesign. I absolutely hate to do it, but I guess I'll have to build the entire base on Kerbin before doing it somewhere else. Just seems like a bigger waste of time and certainly not the Kerbal way

[FITorion]

I'm fairly certain that when docking came out that uncontrollable craft "debris" with docking ports could not be docked to. I don't remember that ever changing. If it has that's wonderful... but I haven't ever checked because I always have a control module on anything I'm going to dock...

Also the ports once undocked from take a bit of time and distance before they reactivate and can be docked to again. Not sure if that's relevant to your situation.

[Johnno]

I just did a quick and simple ground test and could dock anything together. I had 4 different 'rovers', one controlled and powered, one controlled but unpowered (ran out the stored battery power), one powered uncontrolled and one uncontrolled unpowered. The controlled & powered rover I used as main could dock fine with all of them. I however don't have persistant debris enabled and this was all done on the runway after launching and decoupling all of them (moved them apart from eachother before testing).

So I can't 100% confirm that it would work for stuff that's been counted as 'proper' debris, ie having been 2km away from anything else with persistant debris enabled.

However, you might want to check your quicksave/persistant files to look at the docking ports in question and see if they're just bugged, rather than this being an overall game code/design issue. There is a docking bug that someone posts a new question about nearly daily. I've yet to have it myself but looking into your files find the ports in question and look at attached/state. Are they attached properly and what does the state say. A quick search on the forums should give you threads with solutions.

[OdinYggd]

Strange. I've docked to uncontrollable fuel tank bundles a few times now. Literally just fuel tanks with a docking port on top, you only get one shot because if you miss it goes into an uncontrolled tumble.

Although docking objects like that is a great deal harder because you can't set it to hold still for you, in older versions at least it could be done.

Probably worth testing this to see if it still does. Although you cannot directly control craft without some type of probe body or a mechjeb, I would think that the docking port would still work correctly.

Got pics of your setup?

[Catullus]

I just did a test in orbit. Ejected a docking port with nothing attached to it, then sent up a small docking tug. Docked them just fine, magnets worked as usual.

[Johnno]

Try this, from another thread I was participating in:

Posted by kujuman

HOW TO FIX THE DOCKING PORT

1. Go into the persistent.sfs file

2. Search for a line which says "state = Acquire"

3. Change to "state = Ready"

4. Load up the game and dock with the port nearby.

[Krisism]

Johnna I'm gonna try that this evening - it would explain what I saw. I think the issue I had must be related to the states of docking and acting just like if you had just undocked (as someone mentioned earlier). I have indeed docked un-manned/controlled modules and was just upset with the bug/whatever I was dealing with - need to change this title or better yet let this thread die off Thanks to all the ppl who tried to help or gave info!

[arvin]

Try this, from another thread I was participating in:

Posted by kujuman

Thank you so much! I was devastated after I sent my assembly rover, science module and hab module to the mun only to find out they wouldn't dock! Testing on the runway worked fine but after a landing on the mun i tried to assemble the whole thing and at first it worked but then all of a sudden nothing happened.

[monophonic]

Hmm, now the question is how to do that without wheels on things. Or it would be REALLLY nice is there was some sort of radial decoupler that didn't leave little parts behind (then you could just jettison wheels and remove after in position).

Glad that your problem got resolved. For future reference though, the tiny stubs left by radial decouplers will evaporate as soon as you visit another craft. Unless that changed with 1.0 but I don't think it did.