How to use detailed surface scanner?

[Zaknod]

I read the wiki, but I still don't understand how it works. Do I have to fly around a planet in the "blue orb"/"blue layer" in supercruise, or do I have to drop down to "orange" and glide? None of those seemed to do any good, or at least nothing notified me that they did.

Thanks for the answer in advance!

[cowinspace]

It works automatically when you scan an undiscovered planet with it installed.

[Turd Ferguson]

just target the planet/sun you want to scan and fly towards in in SC until the scanner starts working. The range at which it works depends on the size of the object you're trying to scan.

[Zaknod]

I previously landed on a planet, and it was still called "unexplored". Do I have to target it to "scan" it?

[Turd Ferguson]

Originally posted by Zaknod:

I previously landed on a planet, and it was still called "unexplored". Do I have to target it to "scan" it?

yes

if you don't target the planet the scanner won't run. it won't even run if you target a settlement on a planet. you have to target the planet itself.

[Zaknod]

Alright, thanks for the quick answer! One more thing though: Do I have some kind of notification or UI element specifically for surface scans, so I know if they are done?

[Turd Ferguson]

Originally posted by Zaknod:

Alright, thanks for the quick answer! One more thing though: Do I have some kind of notification or UI element specifically for surface scans, so I know if they are done?

yes the same pannel that shows ship scans will say "scanning", you'll hear a scanning sound...and when it's done you'll get several UI notifications as well as a sound que that the scan is done. How long it takes depends on how close you are to the thing you're scanning (and how close you NEED to be depends on size).

usually takes 10-20 seconds.

[Zaknod]

Dope! I'll check it out tomorrow. Thanks for all the help, goodnight!

[Eviscerador]

The surface scanner is just an improvement on the standard scanner. It gives you more information about the planet you scan, and also gives you 50% more credits (iirc) for each scanned planet.

I think it is the only way to list the materials in the planet.

[Thorwulfsson]

Originally posted by Eviscerador:

The surface scanner is just an improvement on the standard scanner. It gives you more information about the planet you scan, and also gives you 50% more credits (iirc) for each scanned planet.

I think it is the only way to list the materials in the planet.

That's correct, about materials. It isn't a replacement for the discover scanner, however. You can't 'honk' a system with the surface scanner to find objects, it's only for targeting objects and scanning them that way. Incidently, the range at which the disc. or surf. scanner starts to work on an object is based on its mass so the heavier the object, the further away the scan can start.

[Eviscerador]

Originally posted by Thorwulfsson:

Originally posted by Eviscerador:

The surface scanner is just an improvement on the standard scanner. It gives you more information about the planet you scan, and also gives you 50% more credits (iirc) for each scanned planet.

I think it is the only way to list the materials in the planet.

That's correct, about materials. It isn't a replacement for the discover scanner, however. You can't 'honk' a system with the surface scanner to find objects, it's only for targeting objects and scanning them that way. Incidently, the range at which the disc. or surf. scanner starts to work on an object is based on its mass so the heavier the object, the further away the scan can start.

No, it is based on the geometrical size of the object.

This is easy to see in very small and dense objects like Neutrons or black holes.

Or Y Dwarfs that are much more heavier than companion Gas giants, but the range for scanning is lower because they are smaller in diameter.

For any planet the max range you can start scanning is 1000 ls (for big gas giants)

For stars, I think the max range is 10.000 ls. Never tested in supergiants.

[hoojitz]

Are we talking about just a basic scan, or the detailed scanner module?

[HamakiBCN2]

Originally posted by hoojitz:

Are we talking about just a basic scan, or the detailed scanner module?

It's a thread from 2017, mate. The current DSS didn't even exist back then.