Good equipment list an Explorer can't live without

[uvelius]

The Diamondback Explorer can also be a fine ship for exploring, if you want to try something different; plus it's heat management is unmatched. I like it both for it's design and agility. The latter seems not to be very important when exploring, of course, but feels good, the former is essential for your picture-card photoshootings

[Loriath]

And the advice about the mass of D rated gear - it's only the "lightest" for a given module size. Often you might find that where a D module isn't available (for example if the D distributor won't power the ship's modules) the A rated module for that size module will be less massive than the D rated module in the next size up.

I agree. Sometimes an A rated module that's smaller will work better and weigh less. For example, in my ASP for exploration, I use a 3A power plant. Only 2.5 tons and enough energy to power everything. Most of my other modules are one class smaller than default, and save a lot of weight.

Side tip... I feel that the 6A fuel scoop costs a lot of money to gain 6 seconds on a refill, Vs the 6B.

One thing to keep in mind is their actual power draw and efficiency. For Example, a 5D power plant is rated at 15.3mw @ 8 Tonnes and rated D efficient, while a 4A is rated at 15.6mw @5 tonnes and B efficiency. So the same power and less heat in a smaller module can be had. A 3A is 12mw @ 2.5 tonnes and B efficiency. When building a loadout you can really play around and find lighter and more power/less heat if you watch it.

As for the Fuel Scoops, your right as it does not have a weight. And the price difference may mean the difference of maybe a better component elsewhere.

[Satsuma]

Oh, and try to avoid exploring with alcohol in your system, and don't try to watch youtube and scoop at the same time...

Chortle.

I did that last night. Explored NGC 6530 after having three really strong cocktails. There are a lot of black holes and neutron stars in that cluster. I got pulled out of supercruise three times, and took heat damage twice. Got some good video, though...

I'll add one more thing for the OP: Don't get too caught up with having to have any particular ship. The best explorer ship for you is the ship you can take out exploring. I've done short range scouting in a Sidewinder and an Eagle and made money doing it. The Eagle isn't the best scout (very limited internal compartments and a tiny fuel tank), but it was a really fun experience and it taught me a lot about fuel scooping. Mainly because I had to scoop 250 times in a 2000 light year round trip.

I'm currently exploring in a Cobra Mk III. It's a fantastic long range explorer, at a cost of under 5 million equipped. People have taken Sidewinders and Eagles to the galactic core and back.

Here are four solid explorer loadouts, all but one under 3 million (and most of that cost is in the sensor package):

• Sidewinder (shieldless)
• Hauler
• Eagle (shieldless)
• Adder

[Gorf]

People have taken... Eagles to the galactic core and back.

...done that.

Eagle (shieldless)

Mine was slightly different. The extra 833,470cr buys you one extra light year per jump. While that doesn't sound like a lot, it means your FSD will be exponentially more efficient on the short jumps. If you drop in on an unscoopable, you check the Galmap for your next star. If that one is also unscoopable, you start looking for somewhere to scoop.

I think that if you want to be a serious explorer and money is tight, you need the DBX. It's only slightly less capable than the asp, much cheaper, and is just as much fun. Only a loony would go to the core in an eagle.

[Satsuma]

Your link looks the same as mine. I'm really eager to see what's different, especially from someone who took the thing to Sag A*

For an explorer, if you're not quite at the Diamondback point wallet-wise, the traditional stepping stone is also the Cobra. It's very capable, and relatively cheap.

Here's my current Cobra, Holy Fire, which is a nice 4.5 million credit explorer setup.

When I get back, I'm probably going to refit it with a downsized and up-rated power plant, plus a smaller power distributor and a better FMU.

A more traditional explorer loadoutspends more on the FMU, strips most of the weapons, and downsizes things even more at the cost of a more expensive build.

[Loriath]

And just because I am surprised no one has said anything about it at all, I will add that one of the best tools an Explorer can add for free to any ship to make your life much easier, or if you are the least bit OCD, or you are shooting for a target Rank/Credit Amount/System visited/scanned:

Captains Log: Keep track of all your scanned systems and approximate the value of what you have scanned.

Found Here: http://scarygliders.net/captains-log/

Discussed Here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=155545

Best part is it can run as an overlay. You get a button in the upper left corner, click it and it pops up the screen, clickety click, all recorded. Values determined (low-high range, but not bonuses for first discoveries), add system notes if you like, and move on.

Its great to output a list of where you have been and what you have found.

[Gorf]

Your link looks the same as mine. I'm really eager to see what's different, especially from someone who took the thing to Sag A* :D

Sorry - I'm a bit thick and copied the address bar from the wrong tab. This is the correct link.
The main difference is the fuel scoop, whose price is offset slightly by downgrading the thrusters and power distributor on your build.

[Satsuma]

Oh! That's a cool build! The undersized fuel tank is interesting. Considering some of the tight squeezes I've had getting a Cobra with a 16T tank through some of the badlands, it must have taken a lot of very careful astrogation to fly that Eagle that far. My hat is off to you, sir!

[Gorf]

Thank you for your kind words, but I don't really deserve them. I didn't actually expect to make it there, let alone back. I just did it for a giggle. The bulk of the damage was done when trying to scan a second planet in a pair that were orbiting each other. I was going too fast and couldn't manoeuvre, and had an emergency drop. I was about 3k ly from home when it happened.

It actually wasn't too hard to do. A good exploration ship would get you 50% further per jump and get you several jumps per tank. Having only two jumps per tank means you get into the habit of scooping every jump - and if that habit is broken by an unscoopable, the change in routine prompts you to check the next system and to make an alternative plan if that's also not scoopable.

My next exploration project is to head as far up from the galactic plane as I can, to see if I can get a pic as good as Victoria G's