RemoteTech2 Question - Power usage

[Sokar408]

To anyone out there who uses RemoteTech2. How come that no matter how many batteries I put on my probe, it always ends up powerless when kerbin blocks the sun. Keep in mind the probe in question is in geostational orbit, not that I see that as important, but I don't know everything.

I have added 3000 battery power over 3 different versions, and they all seem to run drain on power at the same spot, despite there not being an other stuff added to them. I'm very confused

EDIT: On a side note. Can someone explain antenna and dishes for me? I mean what are the antenna good for if you got dishes?

Edited November 14, 2013 by Sokar408

[ManaaniWanderer]

Have you tried turning off the antenna?

[Bengsch85]

What antenna/dishes do you have on it? I can run a pair of omni antennas and 2 smaller dishes at the same time with a pair of gigantors and 3000 battery storage. And they are in geostationary for me as well. If you are running big dishes you will most likely need some power generation besides solar to supplement it.

[Sokar408]

What antenna/dishes do you have on it? I can run a pair of omni antennas and 2 smaller dishes at the same time with a pair of gigantors and 3000 battery storage. And they are in geostationary for me as well. If you are running big dishes you will most likely need some power generation besides solar to supplement it.

I guess I might just not have the necessary power... Time to go all out!

On another note. Can someone explain antenna and dishes for me? I mean what are the antenna good for if you got dishes?

[Mokmo]

You have to run a little math.

Batteries > (Antennas + Probe Body + Anything else) * time in darkness

To give you a frame of reference, on a circular, equatorial orbit, the worst time in the dark can be 10¾ minutes (out of 30½) at 70 km altitude. or 73 minutes (out of 12½ days!) at Minmus' height (47 000km).

Batteries aren't that heavy once you consider it. Just be sure they're recharged when you hit darkness. The standard deployables should do the trick.

[mkt8989]

I'd have to agree with the sentiment though, the power usage of the antennae seems extremely unrealistic. The game's not exactly about realism, but the fact that a reasonable number of batteries can't support a few dishes without going dead overnight is a bit annoying.

[Bengsch85]

I use antennas for links between my 5 sats in geostationary orbit. They are omni directional so I don't have to point them at another craft but the biggest one only has a 5,000km range so its only good around kerbin orbit. I use dishes then to relay long distance to the next network ie. my Mun network where the antennas relay in Mun orbit again. It took some trial and error for me to figure it out as well.

[Mokmo]

I guess I might just not have the necessary power... Time to go all out!

On another note. Can someone explain antenna and dishes for me? I mean what are the antenna good for if you got dishes?

Antenna: one on the ship, talks to anything that has the range, can be hundreds of things at once. Much shorter range, mostly communications around a single planet, sometimes can reach its moon.

Dishes: Points at something: Another ship, a planet, a moon. Talks to all antennaes inside its transmission cone and range. (Assuming they have range too, and point back at it) Much longer ranges, this is how you call other planets.

Don't go for the big dishes if it only needs to go a short distance. For example, a DTS-M1 (the middle dish in the stock ones), has a very large 45 degree cone that covers all of Kerbin when pointed from Minmus. The big dish doesn't cover Jool when pointed from Kerbin. You can see the cones pointed at planets by using the second remotetech button in map mode.

[Demon_82]

The biggest dishes have a consumption of more than 5 units of electricity per second (5'17 and 5'70). You must pack a lot of battery power, or some RTGs, to keep them working by night. Real life dishes for that distances usually have smaller power requirements, but also send information much slower than the ones in game to need less power.

[MisterFister]

Don't go for the big dishes if it only needs to go a short distance. For example, a DTS-M1 (the middle dish in the stock ones), has a very large 45 degree cone that covers all of Kerbin when pointed from Minmus. The big dish doesn't cover Jool when pointed from Kerbin. You can see the cones pointed at planets by using the second remotetech button in map mode.

Ok. So, how would you suggest establishing comms with Jool?

[DerekL1963]

Just tossing something out here... do you have sufficient solar cells to recharge the batteries entirely during 'daylight' hours?