Plotting Routes

[Myrm]

This time I'm using Captain's Log [snigger! He said "log!" ] to keep a record of where I've been. In case I get lost.

[Myrm]

I was vary puzzled when I jumped into a system and immediately smacked out of jump drive being too close to a star. I couldn't see it. Then I noticed the target image on the left of my dashboard was spinning like mad. When I lined up with the target it was just a pin prick of light, even though it was 0.13 LS away.

I found my first neutron star!

[Serinea]

yay for your first neutron star Myrm, and good luck with your trip.

Judst an fyi, this is the ship i used for my attempt at a trip to Sag A* Nihilistic Nightmares, i made it about 15Kly before getting tired and well...



I'll be taking another shot at it soonish, this time in Glutton for punishment starting from Gallileo station, in Sol now that i have access, just got to get back to the starting point. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want to track my progress or send me flames

Crossing the dark region between the spiral arm from Sol wasn't too hard as long as you head straight accross and not at an angle, i ploted to a scoopable star before the gap.

[Myrm]

Hi Serinea.

Thanks!

I made a second attempt at crossing what I believe is the "Aucock's Pocket" (that dark gap between the spiral arm that Sol is in and the next spiral arm toward the centre of the Galaxy.) First time I tried jumping across in a straight line but soon got stuck when the distances between systems started to exceed my jump capabilities. My restriction was up to about 27 LY. So I went back to the bubble and upgraded my ship to a jump capability of 33 LY and instead of going straight across the dark area I moved left along the Sol spiral arm but soon came against the same proplem. I'm now slowly moving and scanning my way back to Sol where I'll sell all my exploration data and then try attempt 3, but this time departing to the right along the spiral arm.

I added you

[Serinea]

oo, i'm sorry for misleading you then, the gap between the spiral arsms isn't the pocket i was refereing to, the Aucocks is a region of unsoopable stars on the glactic plane after you cross that gap a ways.

You can certainly make it acros the between arms gap with much les than 25LY jump, when i get back into my ship i'll be heading to Sol to start a planning trip for a Buckyball a* challange run, i'll be using Glutton for Punishment for the practice, and the run itself, though i might have to break it off mid run and not set a great time, we'll see.

If you've not done so, send me a friend request and you can track my progress for the planning run, i'll be doing the actual run in open but planning in Mobius.

[Myrm]

Ah no it's my misunderstanding. I thought that the large space between the spirals was the Aucock's Pocket. I'm currently 2000 LY from Sol on the edge of the gap. I might try another run across it whilst I'm here.

I occasionally play in Open but normally I'm in Mobius.

[Serinea]

I just got in and was setting up some extra tools, but saw you on the map briefly. You were quite high "above" the galactic plane, and that might be the source of your problems. The further you go "up" or "down" relative to Sol, the thinner the stars will be spread apart, try coming about 500LY down and then seeing if you can plot a route across the arm from there.

[Myrm]

I have to confess as to being confused by the galactic plane and how to move up and down through it.

Is the galactic plane the blue grid I see when looking at the systems? When I seem to move around the plane, or at least the blue grid, it just seems to stay relative to where i am. How do I move and up down through it? It's vary confusing trying to navigate through and around the plane.

[Serinea]

ok, here's how i think of navigating the galaxy in Elite...
The galactic plane is an imaginary flat disk that is centered on Sagittarius A*, and stretches out to the rim of the galaxy and beyond, on it you have 6 major directions...
Hubwards (towards Saggitarius A*)
Rimwards (towards the edge of the galactic disk)
Spinwards (following around the galactic disk in the same direction as the spiral arms curve in)
Widdershins (around the disk in the direction the arms spin out)
The last two are a little harder to give clear definitions of, but are Up and Down.

Some examples
Alioth, Capitol of the Alliance, is Rimwards, Spinwards, and Up from Sol
Achenar, capitol of the Empire is Hubwards, Widershins, and Down from Sol.

The grid you mentioned is a navigation grid overlayed on the galaxy, more accurate if you know how to use it, and gives you a co-ordinate for your current location. If you look at the grid you'll see three sets of numbers for each major square at your current scale, and zooming in will make these numbers finer grained. this grid is centered on Sol (0:0:0). the middle number of the grid relates to the "Up" and "Down" i mentioned above, the other two sets don't quite match my scheme, but the first is loosely Spinwards and Widdershins, and the third is loosely Hubwards/rimwards, though these transpose as you go around the galaxy.

I hope this helps. I tried mesaging you in game but the coms didn't go through

edit.. minor spelling corrections i spotted

[Myrm]

Hi Serinea

Your post was vary helpful. Thank you.

I look at the middle numbers on that grid and it said 820 or so. I couldn't work out how to zoom below that as when I used my middle mouse key it just zoomed to the grid. I then clicked and held my mouse key and sort of lifted up the grid so I was looking up at it from below. I then saw lots of stars and blue lines.

So now I am working my way down to the galactic plane.

Thanks again.