When you open the Task Groups window and have a look at the orders you can give you'll find the order to activate/deactivate the transponder.
As tobijon said this is a way to make sure others in the system know you're there.
As for your ship:
- Fit two engines onto it. If the enemy manages to take out your ships only engine it is as good as gone.
- Anti-missile stuff! CIWS, turrets with a fast speed rating, anti-missile missiles. You should put something onto your ship besides plain armor.
- Use Engineering Spaces instead of Maintenance Storage Bays. Engineering Spaces also reduce your ship's annual failure rate in addition to storing maintenance supplies.
Here are some of my designs, although I don't know how useful they'll be...
They aren't exactly battle tested D:
The Fighter-Scouts are for surveying and scouting for stuff, the Cerberus are for protection and the Shuttles for escape scenarios.
I mainly use them for exploring new systems.
Hound Lord class Light Carrier 50 000 tons 1121 Crew 8905.25 BP TCS 1000 TH 200 EM 0
2500 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 7-120 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 100 PPV 16
Maint Life 2.41 Years MSP 7792 AFR 285% IFR 4% 1YR 1845 5YR 27673 Max Repair 1487 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 24 months Flight Crew Berths 265
Hangar Deck Capacity 15000 tons Magazine 1546
Hound Lord Jump Drive Max Ship Size 50000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Hound Lord Magnetic Fusion Drive (4) Power 625 Fuel Use 2.21% Signature 50 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 1 500 000 Litres Range 244.3 billion km (1131 days at full power)
CIWS (1x6) Range 1000 km TS: 25000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Size 1 Missile Launcher (16) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 5
AMM MFC II (4) Range 6.9m km Resolution 1
Cerberus ASM (946) Speed: 21 900 km/s End: 164.7m Range: 216.4m km WH: 4 Size: 1 TH: 226/135/67
AMM (600) Speed: 65 800 km/s End: 1.3m Range: 5m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 1381/829/414
AMM ASS II (1) GPS 34 Range 8.1m km MCR 878k km Resolution 1
1k ASS (1) GPS 19200 Range 1 030.4m km Resolution 20
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Blood Hound class Fighter-Scout 500 tons 14 Crew 248.65 BP TCS 10 TH 5.6 EM 0
7000 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 120/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 4.19 Years MSP 62 AFR 10% IFR 0.1% 1YR 6 5YR 85 Max Repair 120 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 3
Fighter Scout Magnetic Fusion Drive (2) Power 35 Fuel Use 57.4% Signature 2.8 Exp 14%
Fuel Capacity 100 000 Litres Range 62.7 billion km (103 days at full power)
Hound Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 120 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 120m km
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
Terror Hound class Fighter-Scout 500 tons 14 Crew 248.65 BP TCS 10 TH 5.6 EM 0
7000 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/120/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 4.19 Years MSP 62 AFR 10% IFR 0.1% 1YR 6 5YR 85 Max Repair 120 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 3
Fighter Scout Magnetic Fusion Drive (2) Power 35 Fuel Use 57.4% Signature 2.8 Exp 14%
Fuel Capacity 100 000 Litres Range 62.7 billion km (103 days at full power)
Hound EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 120 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 120m km
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
Graviton Hound II class Fighter-Scout 500 tons 14 Crew 278.65 BP TCS 10 TH 5.6 EM 0
7000 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/2/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 4.32 Years MSP 70 AFR 10% IFR 0.1% 1YR 6 5YR 91 Max Repair 150 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 3
Fighter Scout Magnetic Fusion Drive (2) Power 35 Fuel Use 57.4% Signature 2.8 Exp 14%
Fuel Capacity 100 000 Litres Range 62.7 billion km (103 days at full power)
Improved Gravitational Sensors (1) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
Ore Hound class Fighter-Scout 500 tons 14 Crew 328.65 BP TCS 10 TH 5.6 EM 0
7000 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/3 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 3.91 Years MSP 82 AFR 10% IFR 0.1% 1YR 9 5YR 128 Max Repair 200 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 3
Fighter Scout Magnetic Fusion Drive (2) Power 35 Fuel Use 57.4% Signature 2.8 Exp 14%
Fuel Capacity 100 000 Litres Range 62.7 billion km (103 days at full power)
Advanced Geological Sensors (1) 3 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
Cerberus II class Fighter 300 tons 2 Crew 288.7 BP TCS 5.99 TH 12 EM 0
25041 km/s Armour 3-3 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 1.05
Maint Life 16.83 Years MSP 120 AFR 3% IFR 0% 1YR 1 5YR 12 Max Repair 103.125 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 0.1 months Spare Berths 2
Magazine 7
Fighter Magnetic Fusion Drive (2) Power 75 Fuel Use 385.82% Signature 6 Exp 30%
Fuel Capacity 50 000 Litres Range 7.8 billion km (3 days at full power)
Size 1 Box Launcher (7) Missile Size 1 Hangar Reload 7.5 minutes MF Reload 1.2 hours
Cerberus MFC (1) Range 244.4m km Resolution 50
Cerberus ASM (7) Speed: 21 900 km/s End: 164.7m Range: 216.4m km WH: 4 Size: 1 TH: 226/135/67
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
Shuttle class Shuttle 272 tons 1 Crew 127.25 BP TCS 5.44 TH 5.6 EM 0
12867 km/s JR 1-50 Armour 1-3 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 16.68 Years MSP 58 AFR 2% IFR 0% 1YR 0 5YR 6 Max Repair 48.125 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 0.1 months Spare Berths 3
Cryogenic Berths 200
Shuttle Jump Drive Max Ship Size 300 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 1
Fighter Scout Magnetic Fusion Drive (2) Power 35 Fuel Use 57.4% Signature 2.8 Exp 14%
Fuel Capacity 50 000 Litres Range 57.6 billion km (51 days at full power)
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes