Easiest way to upgrade Drones?

[Mr. Blonde]

I got the blueprint for the T2 Drone. I'd like to take my old drones, deconstruct to get the parts back, and then build the new drones.

Is there an easy way to get my old drones into my inventory? They are non-stop running routes of supply/demand.

[Markus]

I just stopped my cupboards from wanting something. That worked out. But a nicer way, like calling them back to station would be awesome

[Mr. Blonde]

Originally posted by Markus:

I just stopped my cupboards from wanting something. That worked out. But a nicer way, like calling them back to station would be awesome

I just upgraded all my lockers to the new super sized ones, so its gonna take awhile to fill them up and get the drones to chill. Dont wanna have to turn off the supply/demand for each locker, i have so many :(

[DonPedro]

i created a new locker that demanded t1 drones, and had my drone stations supply them. That worked!

[Mr. Blonde]

Originally posted by DonPedro:

i created a new locker that demanded t1 drones, and had my drone stations supply them. That worked!

Clever! Thanks!

[Charax]

You can automate almost the entire process:
1) Set all your drone ports to SUPPLY: T1 Drones and DEMAND: T2 Drones
2) Find a nice flat space (or make one). Put down a locker and DEMAND: T1 Drones
3) Set up a bunch of recycling machines, as many as you like.
4) Put down 3 Lockers:
- Demand: Explosive Powder
- Demand: Super Alloy
- SUPPLY: Iron
5) Put 1 or more auto-crafters in range of the 3 lockers, set to auto-craft T2 drones and SUPPLY: T2 Drones

=====================

- Grab your T1 drones from the first locker and shove them into the recyclers (for some reason when I set the recyclers to demand T1 drones and the locker to supply it didn't work)
- run down the line hitting all the buttons
- grab everything that drops and dump it in the Dump Locker (the one supplying Iron)

T1 drones give you Iron, Circuit Boards and Rockets. the Iron gets dumped out into your base somewhere, while the autocrafters use the circuit boards, rockets, explosive powder and super alloy to craft the T2 drones that then get pulled into the drone ports

You can automate this even more if you don't mind mods, there's one that auto-dumps recyclers into a nearby chest, which speeds up the whole process even more

EDIT: Actually scratch that - autocrafters can pick up from the ground so you can just sit there pressing the recycle button all day (got them to accept drones in the end) - even easier, 1-click upgrading!

[ClayburnGriffin]

Does this work? Seems like the drones are all too busy flying around to stop and get taken to a locker. Would I have to shut down the system somehow?

[Charax]

worked fine for me, you can also just grab them manually out of the drone ports and shove them in the locker

[ClayburnGriffin]

They don't ever seem to be in the drone stations though. They're all flying around doing jobs. Do they have to be idle to get picked up or will they get nabbed eventually?

[gbfiremoth]

Using the the supply t1 demand elsewhere worked for me, but it took a while and I made a few T2s to help take the logistics burden off the t1s before it started working. Though, from perusing the discussion board it seems I had far fewer drones running errands than others on here.

[ClayburnGriffin]

I turned off the demand for my trade rockets, so that let everything fill up and the drone activity died down. Then it seemed to start working.