[1.4] StageRecovery - Recover Funds+ from Dropped Stages - v1.8.0 (March 11, 2018)

[FlexGunship]

thanks for the amazingly quick reply! I wasn't deploying them when I decoupled but I will try that now and report back with whether it solves the problem

EDIT: Ok so using parachutes was a bad idea, it was two radially attached stages and as soon as the parachutes deployed they just swung together and exploded...

on the plus side, it was a pretty cool explosion

EDIT (again): ahah! one of them apparently survived so must have not been completely splatted.

For what it's worth, I LIKE the challenge of recovering stages; it mirrors the real engineering challenges of safely detaching, distancing, and decelerating highly-entrained objects. All real challenges!

I think it was the RealChutes mod that allowed you to delay the deployment of a chute. With a couple sepatrons and delayed chutes, I think you'll be in good shape!

[Holyvision]

I think it was the RealChutes mod that allowed you to delay the deployment of a chute. With a couple sepatrons and delayed chutes, I think you'll be in good shape!

I use this and RealChutes 100% of the time, and this is correct. Just install RealChutes and set your parachutes for recovered stages on a 5-10 second delay, and just stage them with the decouple for a easy recovery.

I always stage the chutes with the separation, sometimes when I don't activate the chute first I would not get the recovery by just having the part attached. This could be something to do with RealChute; regardless though, I don't care as it is more realistic and makes the most sense anyway!

::EDIT::

As an aside, sometimes have a parachute help to yank-off a separation stage is just the trick to have a clean separation on those more.... imaginative ship builds. But 99% of the time just set them to a delay.

[Argonicus]

Never-mind, reinstall helps me

Edited April 29, 2015 by Argonicus

[Honeybadga]

Is there a way to move the icon to the stock toolbar when I have the one from blizzy installed? Couldn't find anything in the config.txt. I've installed Stage Recovery after I've installed blizzy's toolbar.

[magico13]

Is there a way to move the icon to the stock toolbar when I have the one from blizzy installed? Couldn't find anything in the config.txt. I've installed Stage Recovery after I've installed blizzy's toolbar.

Not currently. It's on my list of things to do, but I can try to get it done later today and post it as a development release.

[Honeybadga]

Not currently. It's on my list of things to do, but I can try to get it done later today and post it as a development release.

Kewl beans

[vardicd]

Magico13, just curious, I get a lot of notices from SR saying my dropped stages were recovered, but this one or two parts were damaged beyond reusability, yet the impact speed shows green. Is that just a random, doesn't matter how many parachutes is on it function, a bug, or do I just need more chutes?

[magico13]

Magico13, just curious, I get a lot of notices from SR saying my dropped stages were recovered, but this one or two parts were damaged beyond reusability, yet the impact speed shows green. Is that just a random, doesn't matter how many parachutes is on it function, a bug, or do I just need more chutes?

Hm, impact speed isn't colored by which region of the speed limits you're in, I should do that (I didnt add the colors, it was a pull request (an awesome one)). The stage is landing faster than the minimum cutoff so there's a chance of losing parts (but you still get the funds). Basically if you recover 75% based on speed, there's a 25% chance per part that the part is too damaged to be reused and has to be sold for scrap metal.

If you want the all or nothing system KCT used, go into the SR settings and change to the flat rate model or turn up the minimum cutoff. But basically you need more chutes. It should be noted that SR's calculations are higher than reality with the new aero, but chutes are also really unbalanced in the new aero. Real Chutes still works precisely.

[vardicd]

Hm, impact speed isn't colored by which region of the speed limits you're in, I should do that (I didnt add the colors, it was a pull request (an awesome one)). The stage is landing faster than the minimum cutoff so there's a chance of losing parts (but you still get the funds). Basically if you recover 75% based on speed, there's a 25% chance per part that the part is too damaged to be reused and has to be sold for scrap metal.

If you want the all or nothing system KCT used, go into the SR settings and change to the flat rate model or turn up the minimum cutoff. But basically you need more chutes. It should be noted that SR's calculations are higher than reality with the new aero, but chutes are also really unbalanced in the new aero. Real Chutes still works precisely.

Lol, I meant the landing speed was 'safe' not literally green in the sense of the message being green, but that would be a cool function. I actually like the idea of slightly random part failures if the stage doesn't have enough chutes, so that doesn't bother me. I just wasn't sure if that was the cause or if something else was going on. Thanks.

[magico13]

Lol, I meant the landing speed was 'safe' not literally green in the sense of the message being green, but that would be a cool function.

I'm pretty sure the messages that pop up through the stock message system are green if the speed is less than the upper cutoff, and orange-ish if they're above that (they were red, but it was hard to read). I should use a yellow color if the speed is in-between. (Oh, fun idea! Have the color scale with the speed, so slower is more green and faster is more red/orange. But that might result in some weird middle colors).

[vardicd]

I'm pretty sure the messages that pop up through the stock message system are green if the speed is less than the upper cutoff, and orange-ish if they're above that (they were red, but it was hard to read). I should use a yellow color if the speed is in-between. (Oh, fun idea! Have the color scale with the speed, so slower is more green and faster is more red/orange. But that might result in some weird middle colors).

Weird middle colors be d@^^n'd, full speed ahead with this idea! I like it! :sticktongue:

[psykofunk]

So I'm not real clear on how powered recovery is supposed to work. If a put a drone on the stage like the instructions say, once I decouple that stage just turns into a new ship and the game never tries to destroy it, leaving me to have to manually fly it home. Am I setting it up wrong?

[magico13]

once I decouple that stage just turns into a new ship and the game never tries to destroy it, leaving me to have to manually fly it home. Am I setting it up wrong?

The game should try to delete it if it's still flying through atmosphere (so not landed) and you're focused on a craft that over 22.5km away from it (the new physics range). Additionally, the decoupled stage has to be below about 22km in altitude, above that and it will still appear in map mode, but won't be physically loaded.

Basically, the decoupled stage must be flying, be below 22km altitude, and be over 22.5km away from the active vessel, in addition to the probe with SAS, fuel, and TWR>1 requirements. If you're still having trouble, let me know and I'll try to help

Hmm, the TWR is no longer correct anymore with 1.0. Looks like I'll need to calculate the thrust at sea level as well as the ISP at sea level when accounting for TWR and dV.

[psykofunk]

be below 22km altitude

That's the problem. The stage I'm having the issue with is the final stage that gets me into Kerbin orbit. Once decoupled, it is in orbit itself. Oh well, only like 6-8k lost for an unrecovered mainsail stage.

[magico13]

That's the problem. The stage I'm having the issue with is the final stage that gets me into Kerbin orbit. Once decoupled, it is in orbit itself. Oh well, only like 6-8k lost for an unrecovered mainsail stage.

Yeah, StageRecovery only works on suborbital stages that are deleted by KSP. For things still in orbit you're on your own. SR just acts to give you back some of what you'd lose from the limitations of the game engine, it's not meant to replace normal flight or do any sort of autopilot, sorry.

[Ratzap]

That's the problem. The stage I'm having the issue with is the final stage that gets me into Kerbin orbit. Once decoupled, it is in orbit itself. Oh well, only like 6-8k lost for an unrecovered mainsail stage.

You can add recovery capability to orbital stages but of course it adds to the mass and cost. A radial mounted probe core, battery and a fuel reserve are all you need. Or you can build recovery tugs to rendezvous with debris, collect it and bring it back.

[Vladthemad]

Did 1.0.1 break this? I seem to be having some issues after the update today.

[Ratzap]

Did 1.0.1 break this? I seem to be having some issues after the update today.

It appears to have done so yes. No recoveries happening on launch.

[vardicd]

Did 1.0.1 break this? I seem to be having some issues after the update today.

I don't think I've noticed any issues since the update, can you give more info? what are your issues?

[BlackTalos]

Did 1.0.1 break this? I seem to be having some issues after the update today.

I will echo this, it seems the 1.0.1 Update, which has tweaked parachutes, has now "disabled" parachutes for SR.

The mod no longer seems to recognize parachutes.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't think I've noticed any issues since the update, can you give more info? what are your issues?

Do you use powered recovery? Or other chutes than the Radial parachutes? The issue might be linked to Radial-mounted parachutes only?

[JocMeister]

First of all, big thank you for your work. I´ve been using Stage Recovery since the 0.9 release. I´m having a blast trying to design my rockets to as reusable as possibly.

Just wanted to echo what some have already reported. SR is no longer working with the latest update. Regardless of the number of parachutes everything seems to be hitting the ground at 100+ m/s.

[magico13]

Thanks for the reports everyone! When I get home later today I'll try to quickly do a fix for 1.0.1. If people are having success, it's likely because they're using RealChutes. Assuming RealChutes works for 1.0.1, then SR should communicate with it pretty much the same way it has before, meaning it'll still give proper results. But it sounds like something's messed up with Stock chutes for now.

[BlackTalos]

Thanks for the reports everyone! When I get home later today I'll try to quickly do a fix for 1.0.1. If people are having success, it's likely because they're using RealChutes. Assuming RealChutes works for 1.0.1, then SR should communicate with it pretty much the same way it has before, meaning it'll still give proper results. But it sounds like something's messed up with Stock chutes for now.

Always wanted to get RealChutes but never got around to it. I will get that now and confirm that it corrects the issue.

As i said just 2 posts above, Squad have made some modifications to Parachutes, which most likely is the source of issue here. From the 1.0.1 change-log:

• Parachute heating/burning.
  
• Added an option to clamp the lower bound of the deploy pressure of parachutes.
  
• Adjusted parachutes to open at a slightly higher atmospheric pressure.
  As always, thank you for the good work on one of my only "can't ever do without" mods =P
  

- - - Updated - - -

I can confirm: Just added RealChutes and the exact same vessel no longer has any issues with recovery of stages. And now i can also enjoy RealChutes

[Sufficient Anonymity]

Hang on? This is working for people with RealChutes? Because having just looked through its thread, it sounded like RealChutes itself was broken by the update.

[magico13]

Hang on? This is working for people with RealChutes? Because having just looked through its thread, it sounded like RealChutes itself was broken by the update.

I was originally just guessing that, but when I looked at the Real Chute thread I also saw they were having issues. Likely what's happening is that RC parachutes work for SR's "recovered" stages but don't work on actual craft when actually deployed. A fun disconnect between calculation and reality, since SR just looks at RC's numbers.