Sorium Harvester Button -on-

[Malamis (OP)]

Pretty much the topic; How do you get a sorium harvester to sorium harvest from a gas giant ?

I have a gas giant with 16m access 1 sorium, a dinky 1 module harvester ship flagged as a tanker with 10% max fuel, 3 obsolete freighters flagged as tankers with 10% fuel in the same fleet and no colony on the gas giant below them (because you cant).

Three months later they all still have 10% fuel, no change whatsoever .

Where is the [On] button ?

[Venec]

Sorium harvesters are always on. You probably need more than one harvester; post here your ship's designs.

[Malamis (OP)]

Harvester

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Kanin class Fuel Harvester    6550 tons     95 Crew     181.2 BP      TCS 131  TH 200  EM 0
1526 km/s     Armour 1-31     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
Maint Capacity 17 MSP    Max Repair 60 MSP
Fuel Harvester: 1 modules producing 72000 litres per annum

Internal Confinement Fusion Drive E0.15 (1)    Power 200    Fuel Use 1.5%    Signature 200    Armour 0    Exp 0%
Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres    Range 915.6 billion km   (6944 days at full power)

This design is classed as a commercial vessel for maintenance purposes
Obsolete freighter - Tanker

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Natalia class Freighter    99200 tons     640 Crew     1180.8 BP      TCS 1984  TH 2359  EM 0
1189 km/s     Armour 1-190     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 5     PPV 0
Maint Capacity 37 MSP    Max Repair 35 MSP
Cargo 75000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 20    

Ion Engine E0.425 (17)    Power 138.75    Fuel Use 4.25%    Signature 138.75    Armour 0    Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 213.5 billion km   (2077 days at full power)

This design is classed as a commercial vessel for maintenance purposes

Would the fact the freighters were designated tankers after they were produced and made obsolete have anything to do with anything ?

[Venec]

Hm, I think the problem lies in too small fuel bay on your sorium harvester - probably sorium harvester sees that annual production is higher than ship's capacity and deactivates itself. Try slapping more fuel bays and see how it'll work out.

Oh, and be absolutely sure your ships are orbiting gas giant  

EDIT:

Or another possibility - your freighters fuel capacity is so high, that even after 3 months you don't see change in their fuel status.

[Malamis (OP)]

Durrrrrr

Wrong gas giant, one had lol fuel (AIII), and the other didn't (AII). gotta love oversight.
Named yon fuel bearer after yourself to ensure it doesn't happen again XD

Thank you

[Venec]

No problem mate  :mrgreen:

[praguepride]

Ok, perhaps someone could tell me what I'm doing wrong with my fuel harvesters:

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British Solarium class Fuel Harvester    22950 tons     366 Crew     727 BP      TCS 459  TH 1100  EM 0
2396 km/s     Armour 1-71     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 4     PPV 0
Maint Capacity 79 MSP    Max Repair 60 MSP
Fuel Harvester: 3 modules producing 60000 litres per annum

Lockheed Commercial Magneto-plasma Drive E0.84 (5)    Power 220    Fuel Use 8.4%    Signature 220    Armour 0    Exp 2%
Fuel Capacity 600,000 Litres    Range 560.1 billion km   (2705 days at full power)

This design is classed as a commercial vessel for maintenance purposes
I have them designated as tankers as I don't have dedicated tankers yet. My goal was that they'd fly over to Jupiter (Sorium: 63,000,000 (0.3)) fill up and then return to Earth and dump the fuel.

So in the orders I set up "If Fuel Tanks are Full THEN Unload Fuel at nearest colony and fly to sorium gas giant).

And nothing happens. "Ok, fine, the order is broken..." I think. So I go into their design and mark them as tankers. I then order them to dump 90% of their fuel at the colony and then Move To: Jupiter.

So, now they have about 59,064/600,000 fuel left, they fly to Jupiter...and nothing. I've advanced about 5 days and their fuel levels are remaining at a constant 59,064/600,000.

I don't understand what I'm failing to do? Is there a "Harvester ON" button...everyone says no but I'm not seeing it. My Asteroid Miners are doing just fine. I thought "Maybe I have to set up a colony first..." but you can't set up colonies on gas giants.

So, where am I going wrong? I've got 3 Sorium harvesters with 3 harvester modules each with 90% empty fuel tanks parked over Jupiter...where's the on button?

[praguepride]

Nvm, figured it out.

I used the "Move To" command. When I gave them the order to "Extended Orbit: 0km" suddenly they start gulping in the fuel (+500 litres each a day)

[Beersatron]

Nvm, figured it out.

I used the "Move To" command. When I gave them the order to "Extended Orbit: 0km" suddenly they start gulping in the fuel (+500 litres each a day)

That's weird, I use the move to command and it works all the time!

[Father Tim]

Indeed, exactly the opposite should be the case:  'Move To' should put the sorium harvesters to work, whereas 'Extended Orbit' should leave them just sitting around doing nothing.

Unless Steve's changed something since last I looked.

[praguepride]

I don't know what to say. I tried "move to" and nothing happened. I use "extended orbit" and they start gulping fuel.

Haven't bothered to test it as I don't want to move them, but once my new harvester rolls off the line, I'll try it out again...

[Steve Walmsley]

Nvm, figured it out.

I used the "Move To" command. When I gave them the order to "Extended Orbit: 0km" suddenly they start gulping in the fuel (+500 litres each a day)

The Move to command should work fine. The extended orbit command is really for when you want to orbit a planet at some distance - to avoid defences for example.

Steve

[Shadow]

Nvm, figured it out.

I used the "Move To" command. When I gave them the order to "Extended Orbit: 0km" suddenly they start gulping in the fuel (+500 litres each a day)

The Move to command should work fine. The extended orbit command is really for when you want to orbit a planet at some distance - to avoid defences for example.

Steve

What's the difference between extended orbit and a Move To command with a minimum distance parameter?

Or is MD unusable with Move To?

[Hawkeye]

Nvm, figured it out.

I used the "Move To" command. When I gave them the order to "Extended Orbit: 0km" suddenly they start gulping in the fuel (+500 litres each a day)

The Move to command should work fine. The extended orbit command is really for when you want to orbit a planet at some distance - to avoid defences for example.

Steve

What's the difference between extended orbit and a Move To command with a minimum distance parameter?

Or is MD unusable with Move To?

As i understand it:
You order a ship to move to a planet, setting minimum distance to 100.000km
Once the ship arrives at a point 100.000 km from the planet the order is fulfilled and thus deleted.
When the planet moves along its path, your ship stays where it is, i.e. it does not follow the planet
If you are in a distant orbit, however, your ship will stay in orbit over the planet, no matter where it is moving to.