How many people know how to dock?

[timsfitz]

Docking took me a few launches to get right. Had to look up tutorials a lot. Basically, I didn't have a good grasp of the nav ball. Once I understood that it all came together... Haha

[liweih]

Just easy as making a piece of cake. Well, it took me two weeks to actually dock something when started to learn docking, but after that, it was just practicing and experience. The heaven rewards those who work hard.

[Pecan]

Should we all point out to minority that can't dock at the moment that a) not caring is fine as long as you're having fun, if you want to learn remember we ALL* had to learn and "You're human - if a thing is humanly possible then it is possible for you"

[*Even those who say "first time and every time" weren't born with the skill]

[Madrias]

I hate docking, but I can do it in a pinch if I have to. Had to learn it to strap fuel cans underneath my SSTO's after they made orbit.

[Voculus]

no it's not. I understood the basics before I ever started with KSP. A year playing KSP on a near daily basis and I still can't dock.

Lack of fine motor controls, no sophisticated programmable joystick, etc. etc. all make it a lot harder to impossible.

Replies like yours are less than useless, they are intended (or if not come across as such) to make people who don't find it easy feel like we're useless idiots who can't even do the simplest of things.

No offense intended, but if after a year, you're still unable to dock, then there is a piece of the puzzle you're missing, or a part of the concept you're misunderstanding. Docking is fairly easy to do if you have a grasp of the rendezvous mechanics.

[GusTurbo]

Something that helped me learn how to dock was an Apollo style mission to the Mun. You start in a position very close to craft you're trying to dock with, so you can really get a feel for moving around your target.

[Whackjob]

[Wooks]

http://i.imgur.com/AQy3EPz.png

Whackjob, what are u doin, stahp.

[kelmv]

This. 100%. I have no idea why, but it seems like 9 out of 10 times my rendezvous is on the dark side of whatever planet or moon I'm orbiting. Tangential note: "Dark Side Rendezvous" would be an awesome band name.

May have already been mentioned, but you can put 3-4 of the small batteries with the little green lights around a docking port. They work better than headlights since they surround the port and they won't change any as the angle between your headlamps and ports changes.

Plus it is more battery power, so what isn't to love?

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

My method of I am docking to a controllable craft is to get within 50m, point both crafts directly at each other and use a little shove from the engine, you will slide in and since you aligned the docking ports previously you don't have to move sideways in order to dock, I find it much simpler.

[TranquilTempest]

My method of I am docking to a controllable craft is to get within 50m, point both crafts directly at each other and use a little shove from the engine, you will slide in and since you aligned the docking ports previously you don't have to move sideways in order to dock, I find it much simpler.

Works for ports aligned with your center of mass and thrust, but when that's not the case it's much easier to use RCS and the docking port alignment mod.

[Dimetime35c]

I can dock but I prefer to use mechjeb to do it. If your having trouble with the actual met up process I'd say use mech. But use the manual met up option. It will walk you step by step through the whole burns and nodes. Once you have that down you can start doing it without enabling the mechjeb helpers. I found that was best for me cause it felt like I had someone there walking through it with me that explained what burn happens when and why it's needed.

[Wooks]

I can dock but I prefer to use mechjeb to do it. If your having trouble with the actual met up process I'd say use mech. But use the manual met up option. It will walk you step by step through the whole burns and nodes. Once you have that down you can start doing it without enabling the mechjeb helpers. I found that was best for me cause it felt like I had someone there walking through it with me that explained what burn happens when and why it's needed.

Be advised: MechJeb eats monopropelant fuel like crazy on docking maneuvers, ships that can dock manually with fuel to spare can found itself depleted halfway a maneuver with MJ. In case you want to use MJ bring moar fuel than needed.

[Amaroq]

To the O.P.: I can dock now, fairly easily. But it was a heckuva skill to master.

My very first attempt at docking, I didn't consider orbital inclination, so I wound up trying to "dock" two vessels which were inclined about 135 degrees off from each other. (Hint: it doesn't work. )

After I got orbital inclination down, I started using Maneuver Nodes to get myself in position for things ... but then I found that I could make close fly-bys but not quite get to docking. One particularly frustrating time, I got within 7m, but ran out of RCS and found myself drifting away.

Eventually, I got to the point of bumping and thumping, but eventually getting it done ... and man, that first success is one of the best feelings the game has to offer!

And now, I can plot a maneuver node to within 0.2km, zero out my relative motion, and bring it in like a pro. It just takes time: its a skill one has to master.

The best piece of advice I can give is, "quit trying to do anything in Low Kerbin Orbit". Docking is much much easier with a larger orbit (because the vessels are curving more slowly). Seriously, practice docking by setting up a circular orbit at 1000km instead of 100km, and you'll get the hang of it much more quickly.

[Trann]

Heh. "Bumping and thumping." I like it. We've all been there.

Now, I'm sliding and gliding, often turning off SAS just to watch it pull me in.

/humblebrag

[EndOfTheEarth]

If you need help learning how to dock, the two best things you can do are run one-way interplanetary probe missions, and learn to dock with something that's already attached to your rocket--like bringing a fuel tank into orbit with you that's covered in docking rings, decoupling it, then docking with as many of the rings as possible. Master both, and you have 70% of the skills needed for docking. The other 30% is that rendezvous burn that takes you from a close pass to staying close long enough to dock.

[Vanamonde]

learn to dock with something that's already attached to your rocket

You mean like the docking trainer I made?

[AlamoVampire]

I'm trying to learn how to dock and i want to know if it's so difficult only for me or it's a thing, and eventually some tips and advices.(just don't link the Scott Manley video)

in all honesty: my solid advice: download and use the current version of mechjeb. Now, before you say you do not want to mod, or mechjeb is cheating or anyone else chimes in with that nonsense, hear me out.

I used to have issues with docking. Sure, I could catch the rocket in question, but, I never could quite make a solid docking. I was always coming in way to hot and would over shoot. Sure, I could eventually dock, but I would be sorely low on fuel, if not flat out, so I read every tutorial, watched as many videos as I could, including Scott Manleys videos. I finally broke down and got mechjeb. Boy, what a wondrous move that was. I plugged it onto the same rocket I had just tried to dock with, and used its ascent guidance to throw me into orbit, then, I told its rendezvous planner/autopilot to set me up with a rendezvous, and it took the reigns again. I watched it as it took MY ship, and did everything it had to to get me to an intercept. Then, I told its docking autopilot to take over, and kept watching. It taught me where I was correct in what I was doing, where I was wrong and everything in between. MechJeb is both a wonderful teacher <since it uses YOUR designs to do its thing > and a wonderful tool to see the vital stats that, for what ever reason Squad prefers to leave OUT of the game...

in short: vital stats + teaching tool + autopilot = win

[roosterr]

I cant believe how frustrating it used to be, now I cant believe how easy it is.

The best thing I did was watch MANY how to videos. You will start to see common denominators in all of them, create your own understanding, and after about 5 successful dockings you will have it down to a system and it will become fun.

Be persistent and it will click for you, hopefully soon.

[roosterr]

in all honesty: my solid advice: download and use the current version of mechjeb. Now, before you say you do not want to mod, or mechjeb is cheating or anyone else chimes in with that nonsense, hear me out.

I used to have issues with docking. Sure, I could catch the rocket in question, but, I never could quite make a solid docking. I was always coming in way to hot and would over shoot. Sure, I could eventually dock, but I would be sorely low on fuel, if not flat out, so I read every tutorial, watched as many videos as I could, including Scott Manleys videos. I finally broke down and got mechjeb. Boy, what a wondrous move that was. I plugged it onto the same rocket I had just tried to dock with, and used its ascent guidance to throw me into orbit, then, I told its rendezvous planner/autopilot to set me up with a rendezvous, and it took the reigns again. I watched it as it took MY ship, and did everything it had to to get me to an intercept. Then, I told its docking autopilot to take over, and kept watching. It taught me where I was correct in what I was doing, where I was wrong and everything in between. MechJeb is both a wonderful teacher <since it uses YOUR designs to do its thing > and a wonderful tool to see the vital stats that, for what ever reason Squad prefers to leave OUT of the game...

in short: vital stats + teaching tool + autopilot = win

And yes, use mechjeb. Despite your philisophical concerns if any, mechjeb will handle all of the repetitive things for you such as obtaining stable orbits. I am not suggesting you use the docking feature of MJ either (dont). This will allow you to spend your focus and energy on the docking aspects. Once you have mastered docking, dump mechjeb if you wish.

[SkyHook]

Docking since 0.16. Throwing my keyboard out of the window since 0.16.

[The Destroyer]

in all honesty: my solid advice: download and use the current version of mechjeb. Now, before you say you do not want to mod, or mechjeb is cheating or anyone else chimes in with that nonsense, hear me out.

I used to have issues with docking. Sure, I could catch the rocket in question, but, I never could quite make a solid docking. I was always coming in way to hot and would over shoot. Sure, I could eventually dock, but I would be sorely low on fuel, if not flat out, so I read every tutorial, watched as many videos as I could, including Scott Manleys videos. I finally broke down and got mechjeb. Boy, what a wondrous move that was. I plugged it onto the same rocket I had just tried to dock with, and used its ascent guidance to throw me into orbit, then, I told its rendezvous planner/autopilot to set me up with a rendezvous, and it took the reigns again. I watched it as it took MY ship, and did everything it had to to get me to an intercept. Then, I told its docking autopilot to take over, and kept watching. It taught me where I was correct in what I was doing, where I was wrong and everything in between. MechJeb is both a wonderful teacher <since it uses YOUR designs to do its thing > and a wonderful tool to see the vital stats that, for what ever reason Squad prefers to leave OUT of the game...

in short: vital stats + teaching tool + autopilot = win

Same here. I used MJ since like... 0.14. The dawn of plugins. It taught me how to fly. In 0.17 it was screwing up a transfer to other planets, so I ditched it and flew myself. I learned a lot from MJ.

[Brofessional]

Does anyone actually use the docking mode?

I just set the camera to chase mode and use my left hand for WASDQE and my right hand for IJKLHN, occasionally moving my right hand to the mouse to check perspectives.

I wonder if I should learn to use the docking mode, but I've been doing it that way since like .16 or .17 when the first docking mods showed up.

[AlexinTokyo]

I have never used the docking mode.

Does it give you anything other than the ability to switch wasd between rotation and translation?

[Seret]

Does anyone actually use the docking mode?

I just set the camera to chase mode and use my left hand for WASDQE and my right hand for IJKLHN, occasionally moving my right hand to the mouse to check perspectives.

Exactly the same here.