How does Exploration / D Scanner Work?

[Philip Coutts]

I'm stuck on exploration or more specifically using the D scanner. I have it set on my main fire group on my second trigger. I go into Supercruise hold down the trigger, it says it's doing something and then it says complete. What am I supposed to do next? I've yet to find any unknown planets or bodies but can I scan known planets and systems? Basically can someone do me an idiots guide?

[Neillm]

The D-scanner, or at least the basic one, only has a range of 500ls. As far as I know, this is the procedure:

1. Warp into a system.
2. You sometimes get an Unknown Stellar Body (not sure of wording) notice, if it's a new system to you, for the star you've just arrived at.
3. Fire the D-scanner, as you have been doing, to discover any unknowns within the 500ls range.
4. Any unknown you've picked up should now show in your navigation panel as 'Unknown' or similar.
5. You then fly to the unknowns and just point at them to scan and identify them. I don't think the D-Scanner plays a part here, but I could be wrong.
6. You can invest in a detailed surface scanner to get better (and therefore more lucrative) data in step 5 but I don't know if this is a passive thing or would need activating in some way.

If there is nothing in the 500ls range, you might have to resort to flying at supercruise speeds and looking for anything moving against the background of stars. If you see something like this, then it will be in the local system. You could also fly to each of the 'knowns' in the system and try the D-Scanner again to see if anything is withing 500ls of that location.

If I've got any of this wrong anyone, please correct me.

Hope this helps,

Neill.

[Philip Coutts]

That pretty much covers it, thanks. I just wasn't sure if I was doing it right but I guess I need to dedicate more time to it and fire the D scanner a lot more!

[Neillm]

That pretty much covers it, thanks. I just wasn't sure if I was doing it right but I guess I need to dedicate more time to it and fire the D scanner a lot more!

Ah...I just remembered this thread too:

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=45428

Covers it in a lot more detail than I just did.

[Brixmis]

I got 2,600 or 3,600 (can't remember which) from doing this last night and selling it back at port. Well worth it!

Unfortunately, my lasers were firing at the same time as the scanner. Oh well - was only a star, so no-one got upset

Many thanks to Commanders Bigg Badger and Nemetos for explaining it to me and talking me through it

[Flip]

Unfortunately, my lasers were firing at the same time as the scanner. Oh well - was only a star, so no-one got upset

You can assign the scanner to a different fire group.

[Nemetos]

I got 2,600 or 3,600 (can't remember which) from doing this last night and selling it back at port. Well worth it!

Unfortunately, my lasers were firing at the same time as the scanner. Oh well - was only a star, so no-one got upset

Many thanks to Commanders Bigg Badger and Nemetos for explaining it to me and talking me through it

No probs at all !!

Anytime.

[ZATZAi]

That's how it works! I've literally been flying around using the parallax effect to pick out planets in unknown systems and then flying right up to them so I can target them. Had no idea how to use the dang scanner! I hope they add that to the tutorials or some sort of game manual in the future.

I've seen Advanced scanners available for sale, I imagine they just work better than the basic scanner. But do they do the job of the surface scanner to, or would one need both an advanced and surface scanner for best results?

EDIT:

Never mind I see now from the linked thread they are independent systems with unique functions.

[Flip]

Had no idea how to use the dang scanner! I hope they add that to the tutorials or some sort of game manual in the future.

There's some information about it in the GalNet news feed you get in stations.

[Vikinger]

I have an advanced scanner and it increase the scanning range to more or less infinity no matter how distant objects are. 1 scan of a system is enough the get most objects.
Sometimes smaller objects can be hidden behind an other and then it wont be found.
So I do scans a couple of times from various angels or when I fly to an unknown object to get more data from it.

Basic, intermediate or advanced scanners find objects in a system.

target unknown object and just fly closer to it will revel some info

Then if you want detailed information you must have the detailed surface scanner as well.
But that item is not available for sale if you own a cobra :/ its a bug, and ive only seen it for sale when I was flying an sidewinder.