Long-range mineral scanner
Long-range mineral scanner
A lateral sensor unit used by researchers to detect a specific type of mineral across the planet. The chance to find a resource depends on the operator's research ability. This sensor can be tuned to target a specific resource type. It consumes a lot of electricity. If you find a resource, you'll need to travel to collect it.
Base Stats
- Type
- Miscellaneous – Resources
- Beauty
- -8
- HP
- 250
- Flammability
- 50%
- Path Cost
- 25
Building
- Size
- 3 × 3
- Placeable
- Yes
- Cover Effectiveness
- 40%
- Power
- - 700 W
Creation
- Deconstruct yield
-
150 + 
5 + 
1
The long-range mineral scanner can detect mineral deposits in the nearby areas outside your colony when manned by a researcher. It can be tuned to different minerals, such that it will only find deposits of a certain kind.
The scanner spawns mineral lumps mini-maps in the world map and triggers its respective world event which always has an expiry date of 30 days. They can either be unguarded (60% chance), guarded by pirates or surrounded by a manhunter pack. Once the area is clear of hostiles, you have 10 days to mine everything before the caravan leaves.
- Pirate defenders will surround the lump with a rudimentary base and possibly turrets.
- Manhunter packs will charge at your colonists. Some are slow allowing evasion and kiting, while others are fast and require a defensive stance.
The amount of time taken is random, though better researchers increase the chances that a mineral deposit may be found. At its baseline, it finds lumps with a mean time between of 9.2 days and will guarantee a lump after 8 days of work; how this is affected by researcher skill is unclear.
While scanning, a pawn will gain Intellectual skill, but only at about half the rate they would while working at a research bench.
Although not explicitly mentioned in the item description, the long-range mineral scanner is not usable if there is a roof over it. (Similar to the ground-penetrating scanner.)
Resources
All minerals, as well as components, can be discovered with the scanner.
- Steel is found in medium-sized lumps of approximately 50 tiles; you can get at least 1000 steel from a single lump.
- Plasteel is found in small lumps of around 10 - 15 tiles, netting 300 - 500 plasteel.
- Components are found in large lumps, that can amount to more than 100 components once mining is finished.
- Silver is found in massive lumps, and one can easily get upwards of 3000 silver from a single lump.
- Gold is found in small lumps of 10 or so tiles of ore.
- Uranium is found in small lumps of 15 - 20 tiles of ore.
- Jade is found in medium-sized lumps of around 20 - 25 tiles.
Version history
It received a rework in Beta 19. Prior to that:
- It can only find gold or jade, and cannot be tuned.
- It did not require a colonist to operate.
- The lumps did not expire.
- Only one scanner is effective in the same map- building more did nothing.
In 1.1 its power cost was increased, and the time between finding ore veins is displayed.
- Misc
- Caravan hitching spot • Egg box • Grave • Marriage spot • Party spot • Pen marker • Sarcophagus • Tool cabinet • Meditation spot
• Nature shrine (Large, Small) - (research)
- Comms console • Cryptosleep casket • Firefoam popper • Ground-penetrating scanner • Long-range mineral scanner • Moisture pump • Multi-analyzer • Orbital trade beacon • Pod launcher • Stele (Large, Grand) • Transport pod • Vitals monitor • Ship landing beacon