Qurestion about the remote tech 2 tutorial specificly about relay satalite setup

[KoolBreeze420]

I am reading the tutorial here http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Tutorial:RemoteTech2

I want to set up my 1st relay of satellites it states "Launch your first satellite over the KSC. As you leave the atmosphere, target one of your DTS-M1s at Mission Control and activate it."

DO I have to launch a ground satellite? to sit on the ground as a mission control satellite or what does target the DTS-M1s at mission control mean something different then launch one on the ground?

[Taki117]

KSC has a built in Antenna, and you don't have to do that specifically. What you can do instead is just activate an Omni antenna (But keep in mind it has a limited range) If you use a dish you will have to select a target (This can be done before launch) and then activate it when you are clear of the atmosphere.

[Alshain]

That isn't the greatest of tutorials for what it's worth. For one thing, your first network does not need to be synchronous. If your playing career, you just don't have the parts that early. You only need to arrange your satellites high enough so that 1 can contact 2 others and they are equally spaced enough so at least one of them has contact with KSC. The same one doesn't have to be in contact with KSC the whole time.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Alshain

[Geschosskopf]

You don't need a ground vehicle at KSC. KSC in general by itself is the link to which all communications in RT eventually need to go back to. It's the red dot on the map. That's what the tutorial is talking about.

So, when you launch your 1st satellite, it needs to have a DTS-M1 aimed at KSC as soon as the satellite is out of the air. You can't open that antenna in the air, even when inside a fairing, or it will break, but you have to open it soon because the little dipole you use to start with doesn't have much range.

NOTE: It's rather inefficient to launch your geostationary satellites as probes because until you have all of them in place, you can't talk to the far side of Kerbin from KSC. This means that during your launches, you have to stay in view of either KSC or any satellite already up there, which means flying inefficient trajectories and of course can be fatal if you slip out of sight for a moment. So I find it a lot easier to send up the geostationary satellites with manned tugs and only worry about their antennae once they've been delivered to orbit, before the tug decouples and leaves them up there.

Alternatively, you can add more ground stations to Kerbin by editing the RemoteTech_settings.cfg file. This greatly simplifies matters and makes it more realistic because that's what we have here.

[severedsolo]

DTS-M1s are a terrible choice for your first sat.

My personal favourite method, is a very basic probe with a ton of batteries, and a Communotron 16. Stick it at 1250m (roughly, I sync them to a orbital period of 2hr 20minutes precisely). 5 of these are enough for 100% coverage. (you could probably drop the orbit a bit lower and get away with 4 but I find 2:20 an easy orbital period to remember) The first is launched straight up to 1250m.

Each sat also has a single DTS-M1 - but these are pointed at "Active Vessel". This gives me (roughly) 66% coverage of Mun/Minmus (only lose it at the far side, but this isn't really an issue unless you plan to land on a blind spot. For an early mission just getting down is usually good enough.) This is another reason for keeping the sats high.. greater field of vision when you come out the other side.

If you are playing Career, the advantage of this early setup is you can launch it as soon as you get probes. The disadvantage is at some point you'll need to dismantle your network/expand it if you want to go interplanetary, or land on the dark side of the Mun. It's also quite expensive (but this would be true of any satellite constellation in early career).

As long as each sat can contact each of it's next door neighbours that's fine. You don't need one sat always sitting over KSC, as one moves off the next one will come into range.

Also as others have said, KSC has a built in antennae, as long as you are in range you can contact it. No need to place a sat down, it's already done for you. (Otherwise you wouldn't be able to launch your ground sat to start with - the signal has to start somewhere)

Heres an example of my constellation/early design - the 5 craft around the edge of the "pentagram" are the actual relay constellation. I fit all craft with a Communotron 16 so they can talk to all Sats in the constellation. (This saves the massive headache of pointing dishes in the right direction before reaching orbit, or having to "guess" which one will be overhead). The RCS is for finetuning the orbital period (much easier than using engines)

TL-DR - Use antennae instead. You only need dishes if you want to go beyond LKO.

Edited October 16, 2014 by severedsolo

[KoolBreeze420]

NOTE: It's rather inefficient to launch your geostationary satellites as probes because until you have all of them in place, you can't talk to the far side of Kerbin from KSC. This means that during your launches, you have to stay in view of either KSC or any satellite already up there, which means flying inefficient trajectories and of course can be fatal if you slip out of sight for a moment. So I find it a lot easier to send up the geostationary satellites with manned tugs and only worry about their antennae once they've been delivered to orbit, before the tug decouples and leaves them up there.

Alternatively, you can add more ground stations to Kerbin by editing the RemoteTech_settings.cfg file. This greatly simplifies matters and makes it more realistic because that's what we have here.

I am launching my satellites using the KSO shuttle craft so I don't have to worry about antenna connection or remote control it will already be in a stable orbit when I release it from my cargo bay is this sorta what you meant? I haven't used the tug thing yet maybe ill play around with them would it be as efficient to rendezvous with a tug when I release the sat from the cargo bay until I have all 3 sats in orbit and talking to each other?

[Vanamonde]

This request for help with a mod has been moved to Add-on Support.

[KoolBreeze420]

DTS-M1s are a terrible choice for your first sat.

My personal favourite method, is a very basic probe with a ton of batteries, and a Communotron 16. Stick it at 1250m (roughly, I sync them to a orbital period of 2hr 20minutes precisely). 5 of these are enough for 100% coverage. (you could probably drop the orbit a bit lower and get away with 4 but I find 2:20 an easy orbital period to remember) The first is launched straight up to 1250m.

Each sat also has a single DTS-M1 - but these are pointed at "Active Vessel". This gives me (roughly) 66% coverage of Mun/Minmus (only lose it at the far side, but this isn't really an issue unless you plan to land on a blind spot. For an early mission just getting down is usually good enough.) This is another reason for keeping the sats high.. greater field of vision when you come out the other side.

If you are playing Career, the advantage of this early setup is you can launch it as soon as you get probes. The disadvantage is at some point you'll need to dismantle your network/expand it if you want to go interplanetary, or land on the dark side of the Mun. It's also quite expensive (but this would be true of any satellite constellation in early career).

As long as each sat can contact each of it's next door neighbours that's fine. You don't need one sat always sitting over KSC, as one moves off the next one will come into range.

Also as others have said, KSC has a built in antennae, as long as you are in range you can contact it. No need to place a sat down, it's already done for you. (Otherwise you wouldn't be able to launch your ground sat to start with - the signal has to start somewhere)

Heres an example of my constellation/early design - the 5 craft around the edge of the "pentagram" are the actual relay constellation. I fit all craft with a Communotron 16 so they can talk to all Sats in the constellation. (This saves the massive headache of pointing dishes in the right direction before reaching orbit, or having to "guess" which one will be overhead). The RCS is for finetuning the orbital period (much easier than using engines)

http://i.imgur.com/HApcKBZ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/SU686HY.jpg

TL-DR - Use antennae instead. You only need dishes if you want to go beyond LKO.

I Am playing career but I was going through the tutorial and the way it reads was odd I thought that it was preinstalled as well but it hints at having that one particular antenna at mission control and that seemed to hint at launching a ground sat. SO I had to ask to rid the confusion your setup seems like a lot the tutorial says it can be done with 3 sats at least for early career for latter career I could see the need for increasing this for interstellar and what not but my current needs are in the local system Kerbin, mun and minmus.I need to just get a basic system up to learn more about how this mod works then can work up to your more advanced system posted here..

[KoolBreeze420]

This request for help with a mod has been moved to Add-on Support.

I asked the question in the same area that I found another question about the same mod did I do it wrong and this is why the move?

I'm a newb what can I say?

[KoolBreeze420]

Another question is about punch cards some of the antennas have a spot where you can add punch cards I guess it comes from the Kolonization mod do I have to fill the antennas up with these cards for them to work? Specifically the communotron 88-88 and the DTS-M1 I don't believe they needed this until I added remote tech 2 any thoughts?