Safely extending gantries but doing it in a timely manner upon rocket arrival

[Tobruk]

One scanner detects a returning rocket with a precision between 60 sec - 200 sec. The rocket itself also needs time to land properly on the pad (I haven't measured the exact time in my case).

Right now I just use a filter that stalls gantries from extending for 200 sec once the scanners detects the rocket. Which means, most of the time, the astronaut waits in the silo for a good 1/3 of the cycle before gantries extend. At least this method guarantees the gantries won't get damaged if the scanner detects a rocket much, much sooner (for example 200 sec before its arrival).

So, given all that - what's the safe and efficient method of extending gantries for returning rockets, taking into account the varying precision? 

[Glassyfo]

I don't see a need for any filter at all. Gantries only use power when the open and close.

[Tobruk]

Just now, bleeter6 said:

I don't see a need for any filter at all. Gantries only use power when the open and close.

I don't quite understand your point here, respectfully.

[Glassyfo]

1 minute ago, Tobruk said:

I don't quite understand your point here, respectfully.

It makes no difference in power usage whether the gantries extend 1s after the rocket or 200s after the rocket. Also scanner to not gate to gantry only extends the gantry once the rocket is fully down.

[Lacost]

Rockets emit hot gases when taking off or landing. Put an atmo sensor or temperature sensor in the rocket silo and put some buffer to it so the rocket has enough time to safely land/take off without destroying the gantry.

 

Something like this: If atmosphere above 0 Pa, send signal to extend gantry after 10 s and retract after another 10 s. For starting you could use an or gate with a pressure plate or make it a player controlled switch that extends the gantry.

 

I'm no automation expert myself but I hope this is understandable.

[Bluefoxfire]

You can use what I'd call the player manual switch. Function wise, it's like the in game dupe one, but you yourself can toggle it. You just simply connect an atmo or thermo sensor then set the threshold bar all the way left or right. By doing this, you essentially turn the above and below buttons into on and off.

Of course I'm not saying that you should replace what you already have with it, but rather hook it up as a sort of emergency override. Will likely need an extra gate or two though to have it not cause problems with the existing setup.

[SharraShimada]

absolutely no need for sensors at all. I´ve put something together to demonstrate:

This is how it works:

The command capsule and the rocket scanner are linked together and open/close the blast doors directly. 

Then the automation wire links to a not gate, because we need a negative signal, when the blast doors receive a positive to open the launch bay.

The filter and buffer gates are there to delay opening/closing the gantry for 3 seconds each. In my tests thats the optimal time frame to get a fully build rocket to land or start right after the gantrys are all retracted, without draining the power net too much. With 3 seconds delay, only 1 gantry draws power at a time, before the next one will receive the signal.

You can spare the second and gate with the switch if you want to. In my build its there to prevent all gantrys to move all the time, no matter you need them to move. For example you wont need a gantry all the time active for research modules. It can stay retracted all the time, with switch set to off state, without interupting the function of the automation net.

 

[nvzboy]

I think you are all making this way more complicated than it needs to be.

I'm posting the same picture I used for the other topic i answered in concerning rocket automation, in there you can see I have no buffers or filters or anything to keep the gantries from going all at the same time. The power draw from your gantries is such a short burst that it does not have time to damage your circuits. In this automation scheme, the doors are held open upon launch while the rocket's ready signal is detected which only goes negative far after the rocket has left the pad. So as long as it is lifting off nothing can go wrong. Same for landing, the scanners will keep sending signals until the rocket has properly landed, keeping the doors open and the gantries back until it has touched down and come to a complete stop. Just keep it simple man. I hope this helps you out.

[SharraShimada]

I object. I have "circuit overload" all the time, when there are many gantrys. Thats why i came up with the filter system. 

[Daxterr]

Just turn auto repair off for gantries. It literally makes no difference if they're broken.

[Nitroturtle]

9 hours ago, Daxterr said:

Just turn auto repair off for gantries. It literally makes no difference if they're broken.

Alternatively, just destroy them and lock the dupes in their rockets.

[Tobruk]

7 hours ago, Nitroturtle said:

Alternatively, just destroy them and lock the dupes in their rockets.

that's inhumane xd

[Lacost]

20 hours ago, Nitroturtle said:

Alternatively, just destroy them and lock the dupes in their rockets.

Dupes don't starve on space missions but will they on landed rockets? Or are they simply "stored" away when in the command capsule?

[Prince Mandor]

2 minutes ago, Lacost said:

Dupes don't starve on space missions but will they on landed rockets? Or are they simply "stored" away when in the command capsule?

As far as I know, they just stored away. They reduced from colonists number, greyed out in all tables etc.

Let think about capsule as a perfect home for one person, traveling many days in open space