Electric Line Distance Limit?

[Jeff]

Got a 49% magnetic field and ran the wire to a 98% mine about 450 units away. I used wood walls at power poles to keep the line from the ground. When I get to the mine and it attaches to it, the power line turns from blue to red. Any ideas?

[Rockin' Shawn]

Hmmm...have you used one single line? If so, try running multiple connected lines over that distance. I usually plop down a new line roughly every 20 units or so. Something else you could try would be put down a line, a battery, line, battery and so on. Not sure if that'd make much of a difference though. I usually just plop down the wires on the ground and connect them to the back of my base.

[OutsidR]

Try solar cells and batteries at the site.

[Nails]

sometimes that means you dont have enough power.

[Gumsk]

There is a 400u limit, but that's per segment, and you sound like you're using multiple segments. Your description sounds like you either don't have enough power or you are trying to connect two different bases.

[Jeff]

I ran the line in about a half dozen segments over 450ish units. The line is blue until I connected to a device. I did run about a hundred units and then connected to a battery. That worked, but I tried running to a second battery another 100u and then a third. The first and second worked, but not the third.

I've used solar panels, but my last base (Class S Oxygen base with 8 gas extractors (67,000 O2 every 6 hours), 67 supply depots, 84 solar collectors, 1.845 million kp storage) was a bit much. Thought my next would use a lot less equipment with the electromagnetic generators.

[Gumsk]

Yeah the problem is not line length. When that happens, it turns purple and prevents you from placing the line at all. What you are describing I can only think of in two occurrences:

1) Not enough power. You have enough power for everything except the extractors, but once you connect to those, the total power draw goes over your supply and the whole base powers down and turns red.

2) The extractors are not registered as part of the same base as the power. This can happen with two bases or if you somehow built the extractors outside your base boundary and they are unassociated with any base. In these cases, only the wire touching the extractors will turn red; the rest will stay blue.

There could be more instances, but those are the ones I can think of right now.

[MockTwo61]

Yeah the anse3r is comedy "I cannae get any mair powerrr captain, she needs a few more power cells and maybe a WHOLE array of solar collectors I'm no a bloody miracle worker." said Scotty never.

[Jeff]

The second is true, Gumsk. Two bases. One with the magnetic field and the other with minerals. The game places these two areas far from each other. What am I supposed to do? I tried testing the magnetic field close to the edge of the base, but it was only 8%. Solar panels would be higher. There must be a way. Can't keep on putting out so many solar panels.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2131414606

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2131423851

[Gumsk]

How far apart are they? As long as they are within 1,000u of the base computer, you can extend your base boundary to reach both. Someone around here has better instructions than I can type on my phone.

[Rexxer]

All pullable things like (1) electric wire, (2) supply pipe, (3) transporter cable, has a maximum segment length of 200 u. The initial base radius is only 300 u. You have to specifically extend the base radius beyond 300 u to get to 400 u or whatever up to 1000 u which is the maximum base radius.

Beyond 200 u, you can chain electric wire (which easily snaps to itself very intuitively) and supply pipe (which doesn't yet snap to itself, but will still connect if you place the ends close enough to each other). If you go a hair beyond 200 u, the little light shining on the end of your wire will go from green to red. In that case you must end one segment and start another.

Teleporter cable does NOT chain. You cannot directly connect teleporter cable to itself to go beyond 200 u. The only way to get teleporter service beyond 200 u is to build a way station with 2 teleporter pads...one pad which is the end of the first segment, and one which is the beginning of the next segment. Usually I put some housing around those way stations.

[Jeff]

Okay, I deleted everything and measured the distance between hotspots to only be 400u. Placed a Base Computer in the center (200u away from each hotspot). Built the Electromagnetic generators and ran towers about 75 to 100u away from each other to carry the power line across the landscape (and to add realism). Then I built the extractors and hooked up the power cable and BAH! (red lines). What's wrong?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2131852535

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2131851955

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2131851538

[Gumsk]

That many red lines usually means you don't have enough power.

[Captain.Jartyk]

Red line means there is no power, or too little power.
Check on the generator, (press E on it) and see how much is being produced, and what the need for the grid is, connect more generators if needed, also check that you have placed them at the correct type of hot spot, and near its center
.

[Jeff]

Okay, I see the problem (was a naval electrician for six years and on to industrial for 15 years afterwards). There is a power loss over that much cable. The power plant is producing 1843 kp, but at the end it only has 142.

Added additional lines to eliminate the loss. By the third wire the entire system went from red to blue. When I had a total of 10-12 wires, I got a perfect power transfer of 2,015 kp from the generators to the extractors 400u away.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2131923454

[Rexxer]

Originally posted by Jeff:

Okay, I see the problem (was a naval electrician for six years and on to industrial for 15 years afterwards). There is a power loss over that much cable. The power plant is producing 1843 kp, but at the end it only has 142.

You will get a more accurate reading of the power differential if you mount a battery and check its meter, it will tell you exactly how many kW you are short also without having to run out to the generators. Red line means either you accidentally deleted a supply line or you don't have enough power, usually the latter. Those extractors eat up a lot of power.