Do you retract station solar panels before docking?

[Tiron]

Wait what? There is a repair ability on EVA Kerbals?

Well for wheels obviously, but I think for Solar Panels too, give me a sec to make sure

Edit: I Guess that's a no. I swear you used to be able to repair them...

Edited July 28, 2013 by Tiron

[Bigulp]

I have had some weird oscillations tear parts and kerbals off my station, even destroy entire stations. Retracting doesn't help in this situation.

[TheHengeProphet]

Ever since I had a violent docking due to docking magnets which tore off a couple panels, yes. Lesson learned: don't trust the equipment to be safe.

[NoMrBond]

Even had the panels extended on their struts when I docked them to the main hubway

[blacksheep1775]

It takes me hours to get something built that can fly where I want it to go (and another few to get it there), so I usually take the precaution of closing my panels.

[bogpad]

... And, do you have your panels attached to couplings so you can replace them when you bust them up?

omg, dis is de smartest ding EVER!

Why the hell didn't I think about that yet! I totally will do that on the next ship where broken solar penals can actually be a problem, and I will design a ship merely for replacing every kind of solar panel on other spacecraft! Thanks for that idea op!

[ComradeGoat]

I design my stations so that the panels are well away from the docking area. Also, they're modular: if I break them, they can be replaced.

Here's my current LKO station, receiving a shipment of rocket fuel:

Note the solar panes are well clear of both the main docking area and the larger docking ports above it.

[ComradeGoat]

also F5... use it.

No! Shall not.

[Ferrit]

Due to poor design choices on my first major space station the solar panels were danger close to the docking ports. There was just enough room to fit a vehicle between the them (and did so with a very carefully balanced vehicle) but most of the time the risk of unwanted translation when rotating or vice versa was too great and I cowardly/sensibly retracted the panels. When the various mods are updated for .21.1 the next station will be much better thought out

[Fleb]

After an EVA where a Kerbal violently at random, flung himself off a ladder, and went sailing through all my deployed solar panels, I prefer to retract them I have to say. It was an awesome sight at least.

[Epthelyn]

I usually retract the panels closest to the docking port if there are any. Usually though, I make sure the panels aren't near the ports and anything I dock comes in at 90* to the target rather than through the panels. Besides, I can always relaunch the solar module (Spacejunk +1)

[gunhammer]

i made the mistake of destroying a space station after having my solar panels collide with a docking station. dont ask how it got so horribly out of hand. TT^TT

[Forgettable]

I don't use panels on my stations anymore to reduce the part count but when I did use them, I would usually leave them extended. I believe there were only a few times that I retracted them before docking. If I remember right, I only broke a panel once and I used a quick-save to undo the damage. One time as I was completing a nice, smooth docking maneuver, I came in very slowly and then stopped moving apparently for no reason. It took me a few seconds and a couple of long presses on the H key to figure out that I was contacting a panel, and pushing the entire station through it, without breaking it. I was somewhat surprised that the panel could withstand that and it caused me some frustration because I then needed to straighten up the station again and restart my approach. I wasn't very good at docking then, so it was a big deal to have to do that.

Side note: I should really build a purely aesthetic station with lots of panels, cupolas, and satellite dishes.

[HeadHunter67]

I find myself retracting my station's panels if I have any idea that there might be a bad docking. Glad I did, too - because my refueling module came within centimeters of a collision with the station. If the panels were out, they'd have been broken.

Edited July 29, 2013 by HeadHunter67

[draeath]

Solar panels? What solar panels!?

Oh. I thought that was confetti to celebrate my arrival!

[esinohio]

Or do you cowboy it? And... if you cowboy it, how many panels have you broken? And, do you have your panels attached to couplings so you can replace them when you bust them up?

Oh man oh man, my docking isn't always the smoothest operation and most of the time I'm praying not to destroy the whole station. As for the panels, I tend to retract them just because I've gotten in the habit of making some weird designs lately and have lost many a Kerbal smacking into those panels, followed by a module or two... then boom! Weeeeee!!!!

[Jenteb07]

I just place the solar pannels far enough of the places where I have to dock my spacecraft on, no retraction for me.

[Sapphire]

Solar panels? What solar panels!?

Oh. I thought that was confetti to celebrate my arrival!

I'm laughing like crazy picturing this...

"HI GUYS!" *crash* *tziiing* "I'M HERE WITH THE SUPPLIES!" *smash* *crunch*

[Galacticruler]

I cowboy it. I haven't broken any so far.

Same thing here.

[Rjhere]

I always "cowboy" my dockings then, but i have never destroyed any solar panels

[MockKnizzle]

I just design my space stations so that my solar arrays are well clear of any external docking ports, and I don't have to worry.

[RogueMason]

I've always left the panels open on stations, because the crew need access to the microwave, obviously. However, I did manage to knock a total of 3 large panels off once when I didn't decelerate enough. One panel came away from the station, and the other two were located on, err, the second... solar... array...

*ACTIVATE TACTICAL FACEPALM*

[annallia]

My current station (first attempt at building an entire station in VAB, and putting it in orbit in one launch) has 1 broken solar panel. Normally I don't retract them, they are far enough away from the docking ports that I don't need to but this one I clipped the panel on my approach somehow. Also this station has high power requirements and not very many batteries so I kinda have to leave at least 1 panel open.

Fortunately this station orbits the sun rather than Kerbin so it is never actually on the dark side.

[Johno]

Y'know, it simply never occurred to me to retract them . . . the asteroid belt of broken metal around my stations probably says that I should have! :embarrassed:

In reality, it's only been recently that I learned about action groups, so I guess it's no biggie - I'd have had to switch to the station then hunt for all the panels.

My next generation station for 0.21 will soon be launched, and it will have its panels a good long distance away from the docking ports.