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Laser Antenna Grid Firmware
Description Discussions0 Comments54 Change Notes
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Type: Mod
Mod category: Other
File Size
Posted
Updated
1.708 MB
19 Apr, 2021 @ 10:49am
30 Jul, 2021 @ 7:35am
4 Change Notes ( view )
Created by
Nomad
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Laser Antenna Grid Firmware

Description
This mod updates the laser antenna with the following new features.

  • Adds a new option to draw a laser in between the two connected antennas (the colour can be customised too)
  • Adds a new option to connect the connected antenna's grids (enabling wireless power transfer)

UPDATE: MULTIPLAYER NOW WORKS!

Connecting Grids

Once the antennas are connected and functioning properly, there is a new option in the control panel that enables you to connect their grids together. Once their grids are connected, they will act as if they are on the same grid. This allows full wireless control and power transmission across the laser. However, this doesn't support the transfer of items.

Power Consumption

When grids are connected, the power consumption of the antennas is increased by 5,000% of normal. This is to prevent beaming power to remote ships, moons or planets (unless you really get serious about power generation). In essence, grid connected antennas will collectively draw about 1 Kw per metre (1 Mw per kilometre). This only applies when grids are connected. I may adjust this after public testing.

Caution when relying on a connected grid's power

Once your grid is connected, power will flow between the connection. This means that a connected grid may in future get too over-reliant on the connected grid's power. For example, if a grid is disconnected in future, it may not have enough power on it's own to reconnect. If this is the case, the antenna may drain all grid power trying to reconnect. A simple solution is to set the antenna to idle while you add more local power or move the grid closer to reconnect.

  • Keep an eye on how much power your grid requires if it ever needs to reconnect in future
  • Mind that nothing breaks the laser beam as that will temporarily sever the connection

Issues

If you find something not working correctly please leave a comment below.

Blueprints & Creative Tools

Always make sure to disconnect the grids if you are copy/pasting or blueprinting a grid, because if they are connected you will grab everything!

Acknowledgements

A big shout out to Digi on the official Keen Software discord for occasional help.
54 Comments
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jarhead 26 Dec, 2024 @ 8:32pm 
Suggestion. What about adjusting this so you have 1 power transmitter and 1 receiver but 2 way comms. It would still connect the same way but you would pick which is the power transmitter and the other you set to receiver mode so the transmitter is the same high power draw as now but the receiver is reduced to 2x of normal instead of the current high draw (think big flood light shining at a solar panel).

I would love to see a power generator mod where it "looks" like a really long rotor (1x tall - 1x wide - 3x long [along the crankshaft]) so that if you hook ANY other block to it that can make it turn it will generate power (dependent on rpm) so we can make some other devices to turn them (like a small grid rotor connected to a wheel turning a wheel on the large grid generator)
The Erubian Warlord 18 Jul, 2024 @ 5:45pm 
does anybody know where the part that controls the connected power draw increase is in the code im trying to use mod adjuster but i dont know where to start
Wade Elric 27 Jun, 2024 @ 4:25pm 
@kinngrimm i can confirm that it does at least in single player still testing it
Adivrsity 13 May, 2024 @ 7:47pm 
Going to do some testing, but this might be a solution to independent turret satellites without using solar or relying on solar. Expensive, but might work!
kinngrimm 8 Feb, 2024 @ 4:53pm 
Would you consider a version with a bit different balancing?
Different efficiency fall offs from static grid to none static(ship) grids.
Also if i read your description correctly, maybe the emphasis less put on a static increase of xy %, but a diminishing return of power transfered. Differenece being if one gets serrious on power generation, yours seem to have a break even point, but you could just reduce exponentially towards 0 depending on distance and that distance configurable in game settings. Which as i write this i realize this could be quite the effort ... maybe someday someone ...
kinngrimm 24 Jan, 2024 @ 7:37pm 
would this by chance work with'
Laser Antenna - No Line of Sight Required
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1668965265
KEJWII 6 Nov, 2023 @ 1:55am 
I would like to be able to hide displayed blocks from another grid
PepperJack 29 Apr, 2023 @ 11:57am 
Is it possible to get "connect to receiver Grid" to stay enabled after game/server restarts?
PepperJack 18 Mar, 2023 @ 12:09pm 
This mod doesn't get enough love! GREAT JOB!! Is there any way to do this with normal antenna?
ehajgbo 13 Feb, 2023 @ 8:08am 
Hey. Im on a dedicated server and I connected my ground base with a satellite above my base. The laser from the base goes DOWN into the planet instead of straight up towards the sky. The antenna head is looking up tho so thats correct, its just the laser beam that goes the wrong way.
If I check it from the satellite it looks ok, so it goes down towards the planet. Planet is vanilla earthlike.