Need help with Supercruise Approach.

[DelayedReaction]

Hi Guys,

This has been bugging me for a few days now and it's not happening consistently otherwise I would be able to work out what was causing it.

When I'm approaching an orbital in supercruise, I can be anything from 1k to 2k or more out, i'll start accelerating, keeping my speed in the blue at all times, and at a seemingly random point along the journey the speed indicator will max out and no amount of reversing seems to stop it, i've tried moving away from the target as I thought it might be something to do with moving from one gravitational pull into another but it wasn't 100% successful.

Most of the time this happens at around 1.2kLs out but has happened further out, It will usually happen again at around 400Ls which causes me to overshoot.

What am I doing wrong?

[HazCat]

Are you repairing all damage (including ship integrity) when you're in dock? Not just using the "repair damage" option, but going into the repair screen and selecting the top right entry?

I can't prove this, but I swear that some ships are programmed to behave oddly if you don't keep up with the minor maintenance. Both Asps I've outfitted and flown would have a similar issue with locking into full thrust if I didn't keep on top of the integrity repairs. But usually it happened inside the orbital or on final approach.

[DelayedReaction]

every time I dock I repair/refuel if it's available.

[Falcon_D]

Hello,
Ship integrity I believe only shows up in the repair menu.
When I go in to a station in SC, I don't look at the speed indicator. I look at the time to destination indicator and try to keep it at 6 or 7 seconds. Sometimes due to some gravitational disturbance the speed just shoots up. Then you've got to compensate.
Reverse throttle has never worked for me.
I fly with a HOTAS, so my hand is always on the throttle adjusting speed.

Have fun, fly safe. o7

[DelayedReaction]

Hello,
Ship integrity I believe only shows up in the repair menu.
When I go in to a station in SC, I don't look at the speed indicator. I look at the time to destination indicator and try to keep it at 6 or 7 seconds. Sometimes due to some gravitational disturbance the speed just shoots up. Then you've got to compensate.
Reverse throttle has never worked for me.
I fly with a HOTAS, so my hand is always on the throttle adjusting speed.

Have fun, fly safe. o7

I only glance at the speed indicator to check i'm on the blue-line, I use a HOTAS as well so ditto on the constant throttle-hand. The only way i've found to compensate is to turn massively off-course and eventually the speed brings itself back down, but it looks so out of place, it's not consistent either, it just seems to happen.

[Loriath]

Set a button or combination that sets your speed to 75% throttle. This is the Auto setting and if you set this speed when your are more than 7 seconds out, you should not over speed/overshoot (unless you fly by the spot due to lack of attention).

If the speed still does what you explain even with hands off the throttle and set to 75% then there is something else happening.

[Cometborne]

One thing I know that can cause the effect of the ship decelerating "with no apparent reason" is crossing asteroid belts in SC, these do not show up on the scanner in SC. I managed to verfiy the theory once by doing an emergency exit, and found myself near asteroids. However, the repair bill for that action was big, and if I had been a little faster, it may have been insurance screen time.

However, I am wondering why you try to keep speed in the blue section during SC. I have bound F1-F8 to the speed settings from 100% to -100%, and if the target is far enough away (>100 Ls is my rule of thumb), I just go for 100% throttle and then wait for the arrival ETA to drop to about 7 seconds. At that point, I go for 75% throttle, and then wait for the disengage ready message. If the target is close to where I drop out of hyperspace, I simply do 75% throttle all the way.

The point where you need to throttle down depends a little on the ship type, big ships like the Python I am currently flying or the Type 7 I used for CGs do well on 6 seconds; with the Cobra Mk III I used for most of my earlier playing, I already had to throttle down at an ETA of 8 seconds.

This "75% at 7 seconds" methods works well both for approaching stations and approaching planets and moons for detailed scans. It may look a little scary at first, but it works. However, it does not work that well if you want to do a planetary landing after a long SC run, I am still experimenting to find a good approach for this.

[Cmdr Chemtrail]

I know what you mean. It usually happens to me when the wife, kids, or cats want some attention lol.

Im using a cobra mk3 atm and have been slowing to 40 % thrusters at the 7 second mark. (My Verity voicepack has 10% thrusters speeds)
I then adjust speed as the indicators drop towards the blue. Your speed can be quite a bit higher so long as both lines hit the blue at the same time.

Thanks for the 75% tip Cmdr Cometborne I'll be giving that at try!

I've also found that disengaging between the planet and station leaves you much closer to the stations letterbox

[Phillipus]

My golden rule of thumb when approaching a station - when the time indicator hits 7 seconds throttle back and then keep that indicator at 6 seconds by staying in the blue zone until reaching the station. If the indicator goes above 6 seconds I can apply a bit more throttle if required. If the indicator drops to 5 or 4 seconds then I keep in the blue zone but divert away from the station until it comes back to 6 seconds.

[DruiD]

Another method ..
- Have Throttle fully pegged until the time - reaches 10 seconds.
- IMMEDIATELY THROTTLE DOWN to whisker past the middle of the blue (wherever that is)
- 10 seconds will rapidly drop to around 6, sometimes 5..
- Dont touch throttle .. glide all the way in on 6...

Other than that, if your confident its not your doing with the throttle, maybe lag or some other factor....