Platinum only seems to be in 1 of 10 asteroids in a platinum hotspot.

[Lydian]

Am I missing a trick? It's taking forever and collector limpets are just busy expiring. There has to be a better way.

[Skitzo Sam]

use the hotspot finder tool and find an overlapping hotspot (2 of the same hotspots overlapping)

[ProtoShel]

My two immediate guesses are that: you're either in a Metal-Rich ring instead of a Metallic one, or you're in a system with low reserves.

[m.gregoryd75]

Not sure how well versed you are in the art of mining. Most likely you are better at it than I am. You should be mining in "metallic" rings not "metal rich" rings. When you select the planet in the map view it will tell you what the ring(s) are. From what I understand the hot spots are more for core mining not surface mining. However, I still target them just to be sure. Mostly because it helps me move in the right direction.
here is my top secret most excellent place where I do all my platinum mining so don't tell anyone.
GCRV 1568
AB 1
It is a little hot-spot on the inside of the inner ring. It is the metallic ring
and there are 2-3 stations within a jump who buy for about 250,000-280,000/ton
I can usually fill up my type 7 in about an hour and a half. But I take frequent breaks. The type 9 takes a bit longer. Worth it during the last community event. Good luck!
If I am wrong about any of this I'm sure the community will correct it.

[Lydian]

Originally posted by m.gregoryd75:

Not sure how well versed you are in the art of mining. Most likely you are better at it than I am. You should be mining in "metallic" rings not "metal rich" rings. When you select the planet in the map view it will tell you what the ring(s) are. From what I understand the hot spots are more for core mining not surface mining. However, I still target them just to be sure. Mostly because it helps me move in the right direction.
here is my top secret most excellent place where I do all my platinum mining so don't tell anyone.
GCRV 1568
AB 1
It is a little hot-spot on the inside of the inner ring. It is the metallic ring
and there are 2-3 stations within a jump who buy for about 250,000-280,000/ton
I can usually fill up my type 7 in about an hour and a half. But I take frequent breaks. The type 9 takes a bit longer. Worth it during the last community event. Good luck!
If I am wrong about any of this I'm sure the community will correct it.

I appreciate the shout out. Thanks bro. I'm just laser mining, and to be honest I've avoided it mostly up until now. I've become quite bored of exploration and looking at alternative ways to earn.

On that trip I referred to I had a pirate attack I couldn't get away from and got blasted out the sky so the whole effort was a complete waste of time. I think I need a more defensive mining ship than the type 9 (takes about a minute to turn around). It's always at the cost of cargo space though.

Thanks for the tip as I say it's appreciated.

[Lydian]

Originally posted by Skitzo Sam:

use the hotspot finder tool and find an overlapping hotspot (2 of the same hotspots overlapping)

Thanks! Where's the hotspot finder tool?

[Lydian]

Originally posted by ProtoShel:

My two immediate guesses are that: you're either in a Metal-Rich ring instead of a Metallic one, or you're in a system with low reserves.

Yes thats probably true. I think I am in a metal rich ring. So I want Metallic. Ok lesson learned thanks. I didn't know that.

[funkynutz]

Originally posted by Lydian:

Originally posted by ProtoShel:

My two immediate guesses are that: you're either in a Metal-Rich ring instead of a Metallic one, or you're in a system with low reserves.

Yes thats probably true. I think I am in a metal rich ring. So I want Metallic. Ok lesson learned thanks. I didn't know that.

You also want "Pristine Reserves".

[dwizar]

For what it's worth, I also laser mine Platinum on the hotspots from Delkar7's ring. It's my favorite way to farm money while listening to podcasts or whatever.

Random tips, assuming a complete beginner (kinda like myself):

• Use the DSS (planet scanner) to reveal the Platinum hotspots and dive into them.
  
• Use prospector limpets for all asteroids; they tell you if that asteroid is worth your time, and they also actually increase the material yield from it.
  
• Spam as much Collectors limpets as you can, not just one or two. I fill (nearly) every slots with Collector Controllers, and as many limpets as my cargo will hold (then jettison if I need room).
  
• Use as many mining lasers your Power Distributor can handle. Move all pips to WPN when mining to keep lasers as efficient as possible.
  
• Use the Contacts list to "block" certain materials so your collector limpets ignore the worthless stuff and focus on the valuable ones. I filter out nearly everything except Platinum itself when I'm mining for it.
  
• All limpets are destroyed if you're further than like 1KM from them; don't zoom away to the next asteroid while the collectors are still working.
  
• Face your ship slightly upward so that your cargo is "facing forward". This way, the collectors can run "into you" instead of having to "fly below, and then up".

[Lydian]

Originally posted by dwizar:

For what it's worth, I also laser mine Platinum on the hotspots from Delkar7's ring. It's my favorite way to farm money while listening to podcasts or whatever.

Random tips, assuming a complete beginner (kinda like myself):

• Use the DSS (planet scanner) to reveal the Platinum hotspots and dive into them.
  
• Use prospector limpets for all asteroids; they tell you if that asteroid is worth your time, and they also actually increase the material yield from it.
  
• Spam as much Collectors limpets as you can, not just one or two. I fill (nearly) every slots with Collector Controllers, and as many limpets as my cargo will hold (then jettison if I need room).
  
• Use as many mining lasers your Power Distributor can handle. Move all pips to WPN when mining to keep lasers as efficient as possible.
  
• Use the Contacts list to "block" certain materials so your collector limpets ignore the worthless stuff and focus on the valuable ones. I filter out nearly everything except Platinum itself when I'm mining for it.
  
• All limpets are destroyed if you're further than like 1KM from them; don't zoom away to the next asteroid while the collectors are still working.
  
• Face your ship slightly upward so that your cargo is "facing forward". This way, the collectors can run "into you" instead of having to "fly below, and then up".

That's a good list. I'm kinda doing most of that. I had no idea you could filter out the stuff you don't want to collect though. Through the contacts list? How do you do that?

[dwizar]

After you've started lasermining the asteroid and the fragments are floating around, those fragments will also show in the ship's Contacts list (same menu that you request Docking Access from).

You can select those fragments and "Add METAL to Ignore list" to have the limpets ignore them entirely, and you can un-ignore the same way.

After I've mined for a few minutes, I check my cargo inventory for the "Average Price" of the metals I've just refined - and I jettison and ignore anything below a certain value threshold (~40k). I basically only pickup the Platinum and Osmium of an asteroid and move on to the next.

[Lydian]

Originally posted by dwizar:

After you've started lasermining the asteroid and the fragments are floating around, those fragments will also show in the ship's Contacts list (same menu that you request Docking Access from).

You can select those fragments and "Add METAL to Ignore list" to have the limpets ignore them entirely, and you can un-ignore the same way.

After I've mined for a few minutes, I check my cargo inventory for the "Average Price" of the metals I've just refined - and I jettison and ignore anything below a certain value threshold (~40k). I basically only pickup the Platinum and Osmium of an asteroid and move on to the next.

Awesome I had no idea. I'll try it next time. So you've done that on the first asteroid, and then it remembers that for the next until you un-ignore it again, or you need to do it every time you laser a new target?

[funkynutz]

It remembers. Anything you put on the ignore list, stays there until you take it off.

[Lydian]

That beats having to eject unwanted build ups in the refinery and cargo hold endlessly. Thanks for taking the time to explain :)

[Lydian]

Originally posted by m.gregoryd75:

Not sure how well versed you are in the art of mining. Most likely you are better at it than I am. You should be mining in "metallic" rings not "metal rich" rings. When you select the planet in the map view it will tell you what the ring(s) are. From what I understand the hot spots are more for core mining not surface mining. However, I still target them just to be sure. Mostly because it helps me move in the right direction.
here is my top secret most excellent place where I do all my platinum mining so don't tell anyone.
GCRV 1568
AB 1
It is a little hot-spot on the inside of the inner ring. It is the metallic ring
and there are 2-3 stations within a jump who buy for about 250,000-280,000/ton
I can usually fill up my type 7 in about an hour and a half. But I take frequent breaks. The type 9 takes a bit longer. Worth it during the last community event. Good luck!
If I am wrong about any of this I'm sure the community will correct it.

Well, I went to this system and mined at that platinum hotspot thanks. Much better experience in the Metallic ring. What cargo capacity do you get in the type 7? I can't stand the type 9 for mining. The Krait MKII is nice and shieldless In my build it's up to 160.

[Lydian]

Originally posted by funkynutz:

It remembers. Anything you put on the ignore list, stays there until you take it off.

I used the contacts list to block materials much better thank you.