Power issues on official server

With hydro engine running as well as 2 solar panels in the sun, batteries were depleting. Figured id try to fly the last 20km on just hydro power to clean up one of the other 2 wrecks this caused. Figured wrong. 3 near total loss wrecks in about 6 hrs of play. During a time when we are trying to establish a foothold to get to 1/5th of where we were 'cause no more pcu trades, yea i think its time to say bye to official.

 

Hydrogen engines are for rovers. For flying vehicles it's completely useless. Use batteries and small grids if you want to travel on planets or moons. Or reactors...

 

Solar power panels should be limited to use in space; they just don't provide enough power considering their mass and that they only work half the time. Hydrogen engines should be limited to recharging batteries (at a station, also because of their mass). Small-grid ships with batteries are the most efficient all-around, but reactors work best of all. My goal in early survival is to get to space and set up an offworld refinery for the express purpose of getting those rare materials such as uranium, platinum, and even gold (since in space the ore deposits are significantly more concentrated than on planets). When SE made their big survival overhaul some time ago, I designed a ship for just this purpose; there's an LCD screen above the cockpit with a suggested parts list for this very purpose. Maybe it'll give you some ideas of your own for survival.

Uranium Express mk2: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1805379684

 

Hydrogen engines are extremely inefficient at charging batteries. You'll burn through an enormous amount of ice/hydrogen. Charge batteries via wind, solar, or nuclear... but never hydrogen engines unless you absolutely have to in an emergency.

 

Thanks for the replies. With a planetary start Uranium is out of the question this early on. I wasn't very clear, this is definately a bug. When I said my batteries were depleting, it was with engine running, two panels with 4 green lights each, and NOTHING ELSE turned on, sitting on the ground. I know h2 isn't a great choice for power, but when mobile on small grid and no means of getting uranium yet, it's only real option. But mostly, ty for replying.

 

Reactors are always going to be your best source of power. However if they're not available and we're talking your basic planetary vehicle, then typically batteries will be your best bet for power. When said vehicle isn't in use, connect it to a bunch of wind turbines and/or solar power source to keep the batteries charged. Hydrogen engines are meant mainly for rovers and as an emergency backup type of thing and aren't the greatest thing for flying vehicles. They can be used in a pinch but as pointed out above, you will burn a ton of hydrogen to charge batteries, especially if there is alot of them.

2 questions since you're saying this is a bug.

Have you double checked your battery settings just to be safe? brief rundown of the power modes

Discharge mode: when in this mode a battery will expend all stored power until it hits zero and will not draw power to recharge itself until it is taken out of discharge mode even if it's at zero.
Recharge mode: battery will recharge itself to 100% and then sit on the stored power until it is changed to a mode allowing it to expend power
Semi-auto mode: If this box is checked a battery will charge itself to 100%. After hitting 100% it will expend its stored power until it hits zero and needs to be recharged again. The battery will repeat this cycle infinitely as long as there is sufficient means to recharge itself.
No box checked: This is the default state of a newly built battery. In this state a battery will charge itself to 100% and only expend stored power if there is a power shortfall.

Second question. Can you post the details of the grid? If we know more about the grid then perhaps we can help you adjust until a fix is implemented, or help you clear the issue up if it turns out to be something with the grid itself. I ask these questions because it sounds to me like your batteries aren't in the default mode, and as such are discharging power the moment they hit 100%.

 

Thanks Cap I always leave them on auto. It this one case i did try recharge breifly and if did help to charge them faster, but put them back to auto before lift off. The build was a basic atmo thruster only small grid with 2 large batteries. Others are having similiar issues. I have many hours, this wasn't user error, as the 3rd time I carefully double checked and watched everything closely.

 

I searched for uranium in space. Seven days and hundreds of asteroids later found nothing on official. FYI...

 

Yeah, I don't know about MP servers. Maybe they've disabled uranium in those servers. I can't imagine why they would do this, but you think they would say something.