Beginner's Notes on Remote Tech 2 in Career

[DDay2021]

Hmmm, at that height all 3 satellites should be able to communicate with each other and the Mun with no problems if you are using the GX-128, the only concerns that I would have would be a) the cone of the GX-128 is only .005 degrees wide, I don't know if you would get 100% coverage of Kerbin at that altitude, there may be blind spots trying to communicate with KSC. At that altitude you experience 828 seconds of nighttime and you would need almost 2400 units of battery for each GX-128. Without knowing your satellites you may be running out of power.

At that altitude I would look at using EXP-VR-2T omnidirectional antennas to communicate with KSC, and possibly a smaller directional dish to communicate with the Mun. http://ryohpops.github.io/kspRemoteTechPlanner/ may help plan the Kerbin coverage. Best of luck.

[alkopop79]

Wow, thanks!!!! The satellites have plenty of charge and never run out. I guess the GX-128's beam is just too narrow, I will try another dish. Which antenna would you recommend for Kerbin-Mun communication?

Edited February 25, 2015 by alkopop79

[undercoveryankee]

Wow, thanks!!!! The satellites have plenty of charge and never run out. I guess the GX-128's beam is just too narrow, I will try another dish. Which antenna would you recommend for Kerbin-Mun communication?

DTS-M1 (rectangular folding dish; 45-degree cone) or KR-7 (small fixed dish; 25-degree cone).

[alkopop79]

Problem solved: stupidly I didn't realise that right-clicking the dishes you can select a target. Ever since I select target, I can reach the furthest point of the Kerbal system. The three satellites around Kerbin, plus one keosynchronous com sat all have multiple big dishes that can reach the furthest corners. One more thing: I find it difficult to control my satellites with Remotetech. There's a mapper sat around Duna and I whenever I try to switch on the SAS for manual control, it turns on for a second then turns off again after the elapsed delay (about 1.45m). Without the SAS it's almost impossible to orient the satellite and set the right inclination and orbital period. Any ideas why?

[mudkest]

Problem solved: stupidly I didn't realise that right-clicking the dishes you can select a target. Ever since I select target, I can reach the furthest point of the Kerbal system. The three satellites around Kerbin, plus one keosynchronous com sat all have multiple big dishes that can reach the furthest corners. One more thing: I find it difficult to control my satellites with Remotetech. There's a mapper sat around Duna and I whenever I try to switch on the SAS for manual control, it turns on for a second then turns off again after the elapsed delay (about 1.45m). Without the SAS it's almost impossible to orient the satellite and set the right inclination and orbital period. Any ideas why?

Do you have the flightcomputer set to hold some direction(orbit prograde or whatever) I think sas will not turn on if it has a directional input from flightcomputer. Might be easier to use the flightcomputer for the burns when the satalite is around duna, with command lag and all

[alkopop79]

I will try that, thanks!

[ThreeMartiniLaunch]

I think you're going a little overkill on the number of antennae you are using. For your satellites in LKO, all you really need is one Communotron-16 and one DTS-M1. Point the DTS-M1 at the active vessel and you're good to go. My satellites come in at just under 10k funds. That's the satellite, the launch, overkill on batteries and solar panels, the whole shebang.

The same satellites will work for your Munar leading and trailing satellites, but with Mun's SOI just under 2.5Mm, it's a little tight. I'd just as soon put three or four in a relatively high Munar orbit. Again, one Communotron-16, and one DTS-M1 pointed at Kerbin. The cone is wide enough that it will hit your entire LKO array.

And you don't need a manned launch. Just start your “gravity turn†way late. I start mine at 25km, then level out when apoapsis reaches about 2/3 or 3/4 of your desired altitude. 450km is the altitude of my current array – 2 hour orbital period. You'll still be in range of KSC to circularize. I've got an array of five satellites, but I think you can do it with three. I just got the timing wrong and wound up with five.

And the lower the altitude, the better. It may take an extra satellite or two, but it insures those narrow cones of the more advanced antennae will hit your whole array when pointed at Kerbin.

My first array was eight satellites at 100km. I just launched one every two hours and it came out to a perfect, equilateral octagon. But at 10k funds per satellite, who cares if you've got a couple extra?

TML

[Coga19000]

Nice tutorial, man. And just a tip; at your first orbits (they will most likely be done by probes), or on unmanned part tests on orbit, use the leftover Delta -v to get it to an orbit as high as possible below 500 km. You did use the always open antenna to get it up there anyways, and it can serve as a short- range gateway to other probes until your geostat network is complete.

Also, you can actually get money from communication sat placement ;from 0.90 onwards, some contacts require you to place a probe at a certain orbit. You may not choose that orbit, but hey, it's money. And the orbits generated are actually quite interesting positions ;they give quite some coverage despite their elliptical nature

[mrclucks]

Installed RT2 a couple weeks after starting KSP because I work with satellites and SPACE!!

This thread was very helpful to me after my dozen launching trying to use RT2 effectively and was a big reason for why I put up a more effective and broader coverage satellite constellation.

At one point I had 5 keostationary satellites in more or less perfect positioning and were able to connect with each other as a stat, as well as 5 mini constellations (15° seperation of inclination, basically looked like an atom) with 3 satellites each where I was able to control any craft around kerbin using only the omni directional 600k antenna!

Now since i have installed KSP interstellar and use reactors, generators, and microwave transivers, I've reworked my network to combine them. I haven't found a guide which combines both mods and was wondering if you could take a poke at it

[celem]

While im not about to write a guide due to time limitations, I have mixed RT/Interstellar mods and combined them onto multipurpose satellites so i'll mention a couple of things.

In the version of interstellar I was using at least theres no cones or directional line of sight implemented on your microwave relays, just one mounted in any orientation on a satellite provides relay to its full LoS. It took me a while to realise this and saves a lot of work, the MW relays are big and constructing something with omni-directional relay panels is an exercise in creating lightweight structure just to fit it all on.

When working with interstellar and the power generation at least I found it easiest to leave all the reactors on Kerbin rather than launch them (due to the thermodynamics of the interstellar mod, its far easier to get decent efficiency in Atmosphere). Even when you account for the loss in power suffered by transmitting from the surface of Kerbin to LKO you will wind up with more usable power than if your reactors are in orbit festooned with vacuum-based radiators. This is at least true with the lower Interstellar tech, fission reactors and so on. I built my reactors as massive rovers in the SPH, launched to runway and drove them out to a big trailer park about 5km away from KSC. (so they dont load at launch)

I then launched RT relays into a constellation much like the OP guide and just added a single MW relay to each satellite. If you are doing this in a career setup with tech tree unlocks then you tend to find that you already have an RT net up by the time you unlock MW relays or even begin to need them. To this end I tend to place a Jr docking port onto my original generation of RT relays to allow me to later mount a MW relay without replacing the network entirely. Its actually a lot of fun planning maint missions to upgrade your hardware and cheaper in funds than a replacement network. The same practice of leaving a docking port open also allows you to upgrade to larger RT dishes as they are unlocked without constantly launching entire vessels.

On the OP, excellent guide. Bonus points for Trojan satellites which are an excellent way to cover natural satellites like moons.

Edited March 20, 2015 by celem

[mrclucks]

Warning: i play sandbox so science and funds arr mythical to me

Figuring out that power relays and transmitters didn't need to be pointed at anything was the easiest part of KSPI for me, and whenever I need recovers I use the small ones and just have them pointed in every direction.

I usually start my power grid with a couple 3.5 fission generators on the ground, launch my power/com sats, then launch an uber generator up in space (usually takes half an hour or so due to lag) with fuel that will last at least a thousand days.

My greatest problem is fueling an antimatter reactor consistently, even when I have upwards of 30 antimatter collectors .

Oh, and I always have an AI core attached because who doesn't love a non-kerbal guided ship under your control?

[Amedee]

RT2 will add contracts for setting up a communication network.

Currently I am setting up a 4 satellite LKO network (776km or 1.5h orbital period) and I'm getting paid for it.

[Sedado77]

GREAT Thread!!! Didn't learn anything new... but Worth it!!!! Thank you!!!!!

Also, GREAT video tutorials!!!

[Geschosskopf]

GREAT Thread!!! Didn't learn anything new... but Worth it!!!! Thank you!!!!!

Also, GREAT video tutorials!!!

Well, thanks. The OP is now fairly obsolete so is no longer on the sticky list of tutorials, but comments made along the way have really been spot on.

[csx23]

REMOTE TECH 2 IN A CAREER GAME

<snip>

Hello,

I just installed this mod, I have an idea as I've been reading about it on reddit & its own official wiki, watching YouTube videos and so on but still it's priceless to have it altogether in one page with pictures so thanks very much for this guide, much appreciated. I will be following your guide now trying to build it...

A small note: in one of the pictures you mention "2x DTS-MA ANTENNAE", from what I see (or lack thereof) in R&D tech tree and from my google searches, it seems like a type, it is actually "2x DTS-M1", isn't it? If it is MA please let me know where to get it. never mind - I noticed later in the text you mention "time to build the KGN satellites. These need 6 DTS-M1 antennae" which clears it up.

So my updated note is: perhaps you might want to fix the typo in the picture - otherwise great, tutorial, thanks for sharing this!

Cheers

Edited October 16, 2015 by csx23

[djanniferro]

I myself used to configure and install a satellite dish using the service here http://mapszoom.com/satellite-dish-installation.php
everything is easy to choose which satellite is to configure your antenna and your place of installation and the system will instruct you where to turn the mirror antenna and the angle at which it's simple.