Anyone else going RCS-less?

[r4pt0r]

I think the docking magnet strength could be toned down a bit. docking is way to easy with it as it is.

I think those that say docking is hard actually mean to say that orbital rendezvous is hard.

[Red Iron Crown]

I think those that say docking is hard actually mean to say that orbital rendezvous is hard.

I've heard some report that they find docking harder than rendezvous, and they're using the terms correctly as near as I can tell. Mystifying to me, I find rendezvous more challenging, though less satisfying, than docking.

[problemecium]

I can dock without RCS, but it's more of a chore than it is to just bolt some RCS blocks on the ship.

As of 0.24, I've foregone RCS on my heavy lifters in favor of the Vernor engines, but I still use it on small landers and tugs.

[Lysergic]

I hate translation keys. I've tried docking with them but it's nearly impossible for me. I just don't get what key does what - and it doesn't help that it's hard to tell the orientation of my spaceships.

[Red Iron Crown]

I hate translation keys. I've tried docking with them but it's nearly impossible for me. I just don't get what key does what - and it doesn't help that it's hard to tell the orientation of my spaceships.

Camera in chase mode is essential, oriented so that you're facing forward the same direction as the docking port. It starts making sense then.

[cantab]

Like some others, I've docked on main engines once or twice and that was once or twice enough. So unless I have something that absolutely won't be docking with anything ever, I give it RCS thrusters. Though I often find just the pod suffices for monoprop.

[Jouni]

Docking with almost balanced RCS is probably the best part of KSP. It's the ultimate combination of precise control and freedom of movement. It's also something that Kubrick got wrong in 2001: The Blue Danube is way too fast and aggressive for docking.

[Fithian]

I'm like a drunken Russian when I dock, I really need RCS, cameras, rope, grappling hook, glue...whatever I can get my hands on really

[Akalaël]

I use RSC from the pods only, but I actually need this RSC fuel to dock...

How can you people dock whithout RSC (at last for the final few meters) ?

[Red Iron Crown]

How can you people dock whithout RSC (at last for the final few meters) ?

Very careful alignment before the final nudge into place, along with enthusiastic use of docking magnets.

[Sean Mirrsen]

I use RSC from the pods only, but I actually need this RSC fuel to dock...

How can you people dock whithout RSC (at last for the final few meters) ?

The final few meters is easy. The problem is getting yourself aligned. If your ship is more than some twenty tons, you'll have a heck of a time putting yourself on the right trajectory and at the right speed to come within those last few meters. Once you're there though, it's easy enough. Especially if what you're docking to has RCS.

[Akalaël]

I agree, the final few meters not really matters.

Damnit, I'm old school, I just give an impulsion of RSC and that's it !

[kujuman]

*sigh* I'm old enough to remember when RCS was all you needed...

I'd also like to say that I dock very hard and very fast...it's pretty reckless. I generally use RCS to trim my close encounter to < .1km and then try to slow down right next to the target with my engine, basically leaving RCS to turn and thrust the last few meters.

Edited July 29, 2014 by kujuman

[NecroBones]

I use RCS for translating and docking, yes, but I keep it turned off most of the time otherwise. The exception is when I'm trying to turn a very large ship. Doing that with torque alone sometimes tests my patience (as in, it just takes too long).

[razark]

I use RCS for translating and docking, yes, but I keep it turned off most of the time otherwise.

Same here.

The exception is when I'm trying to turn a very large ship. Doing that with torque alone sometimes tests my patience (as in, it just takes too long).

The only large things I've built are stations. I'll use RCS if I need a big attitude adjustment, but if it's something small, I just wait and move it gently. I figure do it once, rather than overshoot and keep wobbling back and forth with PIO.

[EdFred]

When I RV/dock I generally do a burn to get my RV at 100-200m, and make my relative velocity 0. Once there I get the craft I'm docking with to about 10-20m, and kill my relative velocity to 0 again. Then select the respective docking ports, and control from here/set as target, and align both craft to the the pink circle. Tap the shift/x button to get my relative velocity to 0.2m/s, turn off SAS on both craft, sit back and watch. Sometimes my docking port is 180° from the thrust vector, so it's 0.2 m/s, spin it 180° and coast on in. RCS just adds mass.

[ThreeMartiniLaunch]

I put RCS on every manned ship. The pods all carry monoprop and the thrusters are massless, so why not?

This.

It takes a tiny fraction of a monopropellent unit to dock a small manned lander so no need to add tanks, just rely on what's in the pod. Further, as others have mentioned, RCS is very handy on interplanetary transfers. Plus, there have been a few instances where that few dozen extra m/s of d-v were lifesavers.

If I have an unmanned ship that is going to dock, it gets RCS and monoprop tanks. The only real problem I have is how much monoprop I have to put on the ship. Docking even an orange tank with a probe core takes less than a single unit of monopro, but I have to put two 40 unit tanks on. There should be a 5 unit tank or something.

[Lysergic]

I struggle with the ship I am trying to dock to rotating below me. Or am I doing this wrong??

[Wanderfound]

I've heard some report that they find docking harder than rendezvous, and they're using the terms correctly as near as I can tell. Mystifying to me, I find rendezvous more challenging, though less satisfying, than docking.

For me, rendezvous is trivially simple (match inclination, higher orbit to slow down, lower orbit to speed up; how hard is that?) but docking is a time-consuming chore much of the time.

A lot of my docking antipathy is due to the fact that my first space station got heavily hit by 23.5's docking port bugs, though. Nothing more frustrating then spending half an hour trying to get two unwieldy station sections together, only to eventually realise that the docking ports aren't working.

[Wanderfound]

I struggle with the ship I am trying to dock to rotating below me. Or am I doing this wrong??

1) Switch control to the target before docking and turn on its SAS or whatever to kill any pre-existing rotation.

2) Try not to create any new rotation by ramming the target. You should be moving at about 0.1m/s when the docking ports connect, and you should try to line it up well enough that they connect on the first attempt.

[Tortoise]

In other words: You dock with the main engine.

I do that sometimes, but the regulations of my space program requires that all commercial crafts that need to deliver something (Life support, kerbals, etc.) to my space-station in orbit, needs to incorporate RCS even if it won't be used.

I usually use less than 4.0 RCS hen docking anyways. I do most of what you said in the main post.

[lammatt]

RCS is pretty much dead weight most of the time to me unless i have to dock in your mission

otherwise,

i always fly RCS-less

[KSK]

I can reliably rendezvous without using RCS, which is helpful for early game kerbal rescues. Likewise, I can do Mun / Minmus landings, just using the main engine. For docking, I definitely prefer having RCS for fine control.

[Bilfr3d]

RCS? I absolutely love it. Makes modular base building on Minmus a dream

[TeddyDD]

On the contrary, I do not use SAS to rotate the vehicle