Science lab, transmission vs stored reports

[SnappingTurtle]

I used to not bother with career but for the new update I started one. I launched a science getting craft with goo, material bay, science lab, antenna and a crew pod that's meant to return and I'm not sure how to get the most science.

Since I can store reports and return them it seems I can get more science from doing that and cleaning the experiments with the lab. Or should I get the science, up it with the science lab and transmit it, then do the experiments again and store them in the crew pod. But what seems to happen whenever I transmit all my data is that it transmits the stored stuff too so each time I enter a new biome it seems I'm going to lose them. Or can I get max science just from transmitting?

Thanks.

Edited April 3, 2014 by SnappingTurtle

[Starstrider42]

If you don't have a way of returning the science lab itself to Kerbin, you get the most science from transmitting each experiment until you hit the transmission limit (and there is one: depending on the experiment, the lab-boosted limit ranges from 30-75% of the maximum allowed science for that biome), then doing the experiment one more time and storing it in your crew pod. DO NOT "transmit all data", instead ask to review the stored data, then pick and choose which ones you want to transmit (it's the same window as when you first take the data, except scrollable; hit "store" to do nothing and hang on to the already-stored data).

If you can return the science lab to Kerbin, then don't transmit at all. Store multiple copies of each experiment in the science lab (unlike the crew pod, there is no conflict between "identical" experiments) and return them all. 3-4 copies should be enough to max out your science, and 2 will get you close enough for all practical purposes.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Starstrider42

[SnappingTurtle]

Thanks Starstrider I think I understand now. In a normal pod it seems I can store multiple EVA reports. Is that the only type of experiment I can store multiple of in a normal pod or is it one experiment per biome or something?

[Starstrider42]

One experiment per experiment type per planet per biome, yes. So, for example, two "Kerbin Grasslands" EVA reports will give you a warning that you have to throw away one.