How do you mine in early game?

[galandar42]

I'm a relatively new player, still in the starting Pilot's Association systems. I've done trading mostly, and salvaging, but I would like to try my hand at mining before leaving this system. Some of the posts I've read are rather old, and I'm not sure if they still hold true. Besides that, I play Legacy Horizons, so I don't know if everything applies from the regular game there as well. At any rate, I'm trying to figure out how find specific minerals. I've read about Pulse Scanners, but I can't seem to find one. I bought a Hauler and outfitted it with a refinery, a mining laser, and a limpet controller, and I've shaved some gravel off an asteroid or two, but I don't know how to go about finding the specific ore that is required by my mission. I know a lot of people ignore mining altogether, and I don't see myself having a career in it, but I would just like to know how.

[Sighman]

Minerals are specific to certain ring types. E.g. Tritium is found in icy rings.

If you let us know what the mineral is, we can help.

[galandar42]

Thanks Sighman. That is interesting on a couple of levels. The mineral I am specifically looking for at this point is lepidolite. I recall in one of the posts I was reading that ice asteroids are not mineable, but that post was from 2018, so I take it things have changed since then? Is there documentation anywhere (Pilot's Handbook maybe) that lists which minerals are likely to be found in which ring types? Lastly, is there any way to tell from a distance the type of ring around a planet? Is that info in the galaxy map?

[Sighman]

Are you going to asteroid belts (where there are maybe 7 rocks) or the rings around gas giants and planets, where there are trillions of the things?

Ice rocks are most definitely mineable.

The system map shows you the composition of each ring once you've scanned the system/bodies. Planets/gas giants can have up to 3 rings.

Lepidolite is found in Metal-Rich rocks. (See here: https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteMiners/comments/a61r9s/post_33_list_of_minable_resources/)

However, you can just buy Lepidolite from markets.

[KILLINGJOKE]

At the start - I spent quite a bit of time in the Pilot's Federation Starter Systems. Just getting used to how things worked. Eventually I would venture out to other systems to do deep core mining. Then selling it to the local Fleet Carriers. All the while being careful never to dock at any Station - thus retaining my Starter Systems Permit. I'd research the ring types in the target systems for best results.

When you feel comfortable enough that would be my suggestion for a solid start and quite a few credits.

[galandar42]

Thanks to you both for the informative input! I don't know why I didn't think to look at the system map for the ring composition Also, didn't realize you could keep the Pilot's Federation permit as long as you don't dock at a station. Thanks again!

[veracsthane]

https://inara.cz/elite/outfitting/#tab_outfittingslot4

-if you want to do mining you need a medium ship for storage
-you do not need a sheild it can be 2 size smaller so if you have a 6 size slot you need a 4 size sheild at most.
-abrastion blasters is needed
-seismic charges launcher is needed
-pulse wave scanner is needed
-mining multi limipit is needed

the pulse wave scanner is a toggle like the discovery scanner you ping it until you see glowing rocks. i personaly turn on the night vision so you can see the change more clearly from the ping.

you goto the rock and use a prospector limpit see what resource it has. you have to press t to ping the prospector limit and it shows you in the hud what it scanned. press 1 and goto the far right menu and click it if you cant find it to press t on the limpit.


use this to find the best mining spots until you find one you get used to and gets you the biggest profit.
https://inara.cz/elite/nearest-bodies/?formbrief=1&ps1=Procyon&pi40=2&pi41=50&pi30=1&pi31=0&pi32=0&pi33=0&pi34=0&pi35=0

use this to find where to sell
https://inara.cz/elite/commodities/

https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Miner#Materials
use this to find which material you even want to mine with the commodities above. it tells you which ring types to even use to find the material you want to mine if you scrool down to marterials it wil ltell you the teir for the material the teir 4/5 are the ones that have the highest pay out.

edit in because this might be relevant. you dont need a discovery scanner at all you might need a surface scanner though. you should be able to just goto the nav becon in the location you find using the site above and get the planet info i think it also gives the ring info too. i havent payed enough attention to know this but the listed locations after scanning the ring give you the best spots to actually mine in the ring.

[veracsthane]

if you dont have a medium ship get a A rank fsd and a discovery scanner maybe a surface scanner and just fly around for a day or 2 scanning everything

addler is pretty good for it do that until you get an asp scout for the fsd range and save up what ever medium ship you want. -edit in* the asp scout is the cheapest and can be used for both scouting and mining until you get something better with more cargo space im pretty sure you can scout while you fly to sell materials you mined in it some systems are worth 1m to scan and you can do it while using a fuel scoop to get fuel to jump. the ship its self is bad but if you are new you need $$$

also because stock ships are bad make sure to get enough $$$ for 2 of them. it doubles or in the case of large ship nearly triples getting it kited out with rank a gear

https://inara.cz/elite/outfitting/#tab_outfittingslot4
use this to find a location where you are with the ship compotent you need.

note things like life support are useless in most cases. you want them to have the lowest possible tonnage so you can jump as far as possible

for scouts and miners you need everything as light as possible the only thing that really really matters is the fsd and power plant. maybe thrusters if you want to move a little faster. a B rank power plant can be better if its lighter and meets your power needs.

[galandar42]

Wow! Thanks Veracsthane for the comprehensive instructions! That should cover everything I need to know! I don't know that I'll go for a career as a miner, although I have read posts from players who have really got into it. I just wanted to make sure I knew how in case I ever wanted to. Thanks again!

[veracsthane]

Originally posted by galandar42:

Wow! Thanks Veracsthane for the comprehensive instructions! That should cover everything I need to know! I don't know that I'll go for a career as a miner, although I have read posts from players who have really got into it. I just wanted to make sure I knew how in case I ever wanted to. Thanks again!

just dont forget to grab a surface scanner to scan the rings. i edited it all a bit to clarify somethings. i honestly dont recall if the nav beacon gives you the ring info.

the resource extraction points are not safe and you will be attacked by priates. they are bounty hunter spots mostly. the pirates in other marked space scan you see you have nothing but limpits and leave and dont come back so you can mine in peace.

[veracsthane]

also youll notice this which is why i didnt say it but the seismic charge fissures which is where the money is at and deep surface deposits which i find to be a waste of time are invisible until the prospector limipit is used there are additional deposts you need the abrasion blaster for after you crack the asteroid.

[KILLINGJOKE]

Originally posted by KILLINGJOKE:

At the start - I spent quite a bit of time in the Pilot's Federation Starter Systems. Just getting used to how things worked. Eventually I would venture out to other systems to do deep core mining. Then selling it to the local Fleet Carriers. All the while being careful never to dock at any Station - thus retaining my Starter Systems Permit. I'd research the ring types in the target systems for best results.

When you feel comfortable enough that would be my suggestion for a solid start and quite a few credits.

While still in the Starter Systems I was using a Krait Mk II for deep core mining in out outer systems. Averaging roughly 75 to 100 million each trip just selling to Fleet Carriers. It worked out well. While still keeping my permit I even did a trip to Colonia in a DBX. Came back and bought an Anaconda for kicks. You can do quite a bit (anything you want) while still getting a hold on the basics.