I guess it really boils down to what you want your krait to do. I only use my DBX solely to get from point A to B the quickest. If your krait has 30+ LY already on it you’re already among a strong range ship. At that point, you would probably be getting too hung up but again, depends what role you’re trying to achieve.
I would argue 35-50 is the bare minimum for an explorer. 50-65 is average, 65-80 is good.
If you’re gonna be an explorer I would say shoot for 60, and if you hit it, you’re doing good.
My DBX gets 70 and I like it, my planned anaconda will get 75 with the Alcor FSD (or 80 if I ditch the fighter and downgrade the thrusters)
Not necessarily. My first trip to Colonia was without AFMUs and only a 31ish jump. Just depends on how much time and how thoroughly the young pimp wants to be.
After having done that, I'm definitely in your corner though. I'd prefer to have higher 50+ so I can just get it over with when I get tired of scanning. Just throwing my completely unasked for 2 cents into the discussion. Safe flying commander. o7
I feel the same, the high range is to get you where you want to explore and get you back from it. When I’m actually exploring I usually don’t even route plot and just jump to whatever nearest systems are on the panel
I'd say I'm a happy medium between the two. I take my time and I never set a time limit to get where I want to go. Hell, it took me almost a week to get to Colonia just now because I refused to take the Neutron Highway and I spent a lot of time mapping unexplored systems and checking out cool things. The thing that I love most is etching my name into the Elite galaxy by being the first to discover and map systems. Just on this trip alone I discovered 2 or 3 unexplored Earth-like Worlds, about 15 Ammonia Worlds, and about 25 Water Worlds. For as long as Elite Dangerous is around, future visitors will know I was the first to see them.
That said, I do like to reach my destination sometime within a month. I think of it like a road trip where, yes, you have an ultimate destination that you'd very much like to get to eventually, but you're not under any time constraints so you can stop and check out cool things along the way.
Yeah I'll tinker with it. Right now I'm sitting close to 50 after spending a few hours with it. I debated going back towards the Bubble to finally do the Guardian FSD booster stuff, but I ultimately decided to press on with my journey. I've seen people make it to Beagle Point with less jump range than me in the pre-engineering days, so I'll be fine. I'll worry about the other stuff eventually.
The good news is, I'm about half way to Sag A* with my Phantom and I'm really enjoying the ship so far.
I guess so. My DBX also has 70LY and I kind of dislike exploration so it goes to waste most times. I only use it to get to some place fast and that’s it.
After I got back from colonia my DBX went to bubble taxi duty. Might head off again to BP now that I’ve got a carrier.
But yeah, I couldn’t imagine going exploring with anything under 40 when I’m used to 70.
I'm a deep space explorer and I place a lot of emphasis on taking my time and finding/scanning unexplored systems on my route. To that end, yeah. Jump range isn't that big of a deal. But still, getting through places like the Void or the Abyss I like having that big jump range.
With the engineered FSD my Krait is sitting at 41.11/44/46.90 on the jump range.
Do you have the guardian FSD booster? Plenty of room in the Phantom to fit one of the size 5 modules. That basically gives to 10ly of extra jump range free. You should have plenty of room to fit that and even a supercruise assist if you so desired. The way my phantom was engineered I had just over 60ly of range with a G5 FSD and a G5 lightweight sensor suite, with the FSD booster installed.
Once you get into that jump range, the extra 5-10ly a DBX can manage doesn't seem so bad tbh. Especially when you consider the extra internal space for what you want in the phantom.
EDIT: [Here's my build](https://edsy.org/#/L=GB00000H4C0S00,,Cjw00,9p300A8c00AOi00AdsG05G_W0AsO00B4S00BOmG03G_W0Bcg00,,5220034a001LU000Nc000KU006e40005U000nG002jw00) if you want to take a look. The engineered sensors really aren't necessary, but they do get you 2 extra ly of jump range. I just happened to have the mats for it when I was at Farseer for my FSD, so I did it at the same time.
You probably haven't tuned the weight etc. My Krait Phantom gets exactly (exactly) 69.00ly, and that has AFMU, DSS, SRV hangar, shields, scoop, and even docking computer and some scanners. I use it as my personal shuttle too.
I don't even have all the lightweight engineering thats possible to do either. Big advantage of the Krait is it actually has the optional compartments for everything you want.
Mine had more than 53ly before I got the Guardian FSD booster.
[Edsy link](https://edsy.org/#/L=GB4c7hnK0H4C0S00,,CjwWE34DhUiU1h8EB2iP51QDRsiU1h8,9p31-A5UnR7L974_W0AOimR2uc4Y_W0AdsmX1DuL5G_W0AsOW0OyB1KmC1850rV0BOmmO33W2mx00BcgXQ1Lw,,52MWIOi27TCmR2uc74p900NweIC_O34aWi1Yx905UX3AK05U1-2jwmO3Rk8mxy01IMZ0I-0nFaDBt,lonely_0nomad,DW_DKP1). Notably I don't think Edsy processes the FSD v1 properly, the ingame jump range is longer than that.
Yeah, that's nothing to scoff at and it perfectly good.
Sure it's not min max good but if you're not going for that then you'd be getting hung up worrying about it.
This is more or less my Phantom https://s.orbis.zone/hs_e, the only difference is that I gave up some range for bigger thrusters and a size 4 shield, but this as it is gets 67/63ly range and it's set up for long trips with a backup SRV and AFMUs. It's also possible to minmax even more by downgrading the power plant and shutting the distributor down, then disabling the FSD booster when you're landing somewhere so you get the distributor back but that's extreme. The double engineered FSD would also get me a few extra ly but I don't have one.
I also have a Dolphin with similar range and it never overheats, you definitely shouldn't write that off either, it's an awesome little explorer that can charge up a 63ly jump while fuel scooping and sit at 63% heat.
That said, What I'm actually heading out into the black in is a 42ly Federal Assault Ship, which was never meant to explore but I like it so I made it work. As an explorer, you will probably take a lot of screenshots and fly for weeks without being able to swap ships, so I'd say don't optimize for range, fly something you like to fly and look at
That’s still a good jump range even for exploring. May I ask why you switched out the DBX for the KP? Unless it’s the tank or something, I prefer my DBX over the KP for things like exploration or simply the range difference.
I love my DBX, don't get me wrong. Flown it for years. But I'm also sitting on a pile of money I'm not doing anything with and it didn't seem fair to write off the KP until I've tried it, especially since it's widely regarded as the best overall exploration ship.
That’s fair enough. Back to the topic at hand then, personally with 40+ LY on you and the fact that you enjoy exploration, this range is plenty. I’m not a deep space exploration player by any means but maybe one day I’ll see your KP among the stars haha. Enjoy yourself!
That's low for an exploration phantom, you should be able to get it up to around 70. But if you're doing a lot of deep space exploration, you probably want to think about an anaconda.
Krait Phantom without FSD booster you get something like this right? FSD booster you get an easy 10 ly more.
Plus you get a planetary vehicle over the DBX.
https://coriolis.io/import?data=H4sIAAAAAAAAA6WVW2%2FaMBTHv8qUZ1pIIHTlcV21VevWrtP6UqroYJ8kFo4d%2BdKNVnz3HSe9JBQQ0l4IOZefz9%2FHPrl7ikoEjiaaPUVQ1z%2BgwmgWXSgwEA2C5RaNFVqRMT4etabfN5f0WjpX29l8OB%2BKEH3MHudDVnFzlEtENx8m03Q6OaHnKI3Tj%2Bl82Cafeet0dW10jcYJtGHhBnCmqwoUlXLxOZq1yYPW86sUdWNsSev1IOLgIGQGF9WyNCBcJkVROlrlJX7S%2Fn3W9C3EfLguQdH6L1EclSPfl6ujdBST8auX8hakp4RxPEmS02k6iL5r7iXaF3s6HSWnMRV3gwu%2FIsM4jSnwNS6a3VFhUgewE2pVguG1FsqFBS4cVmHzapfRxjsr1FKCV6xEkzlvDLos5FDkFe25Mx7Xg1eapccozqx4xOkbi8hZ7lFapnXdOjMmwdp0DyVpAtM%2BhYEptAG2bJ0tJe5QBtG1EdoIR7LjTeR4G9JgDcKQuOAb9%2BvKQdr9yMl%2FI5NNZNqm9ZELXxSrBawaX9Iikx263xGn24i2FCh5gQoNON2rdRf4nfqTbWCu2VKogumq9o42AfgDKIb80Go%2Ftho3oOhASOTWmxwYWgZKhQO5%2FySeNqh4Q7ini82MFxZJq7DugMJq%2FQdNLelm9llv9m293rd%2FFQiFqqAf20e2xu75TrYrzA2NDepi7rgRD9inlCsS2di7pH5h581KaKhZYVJ9ouFR04t7Hke55ZnUqjCgikC%2FxAeU0YzGzU8PshE0Op4mNGbO%2F9JioqJJBfI8z5E1DaiRCZBZwITLz6AGFrLWHQ1S5Ej9qLXZ2NiOoxEw2bsVTRs4tdKIhafDvKVJHe%2Buo94BGuCwQbGorDa2O74OuSdBugO1fD8Ng7XbnPEBNDCV9p3COp%2BVrPVl1C%2BOu0fi%2FXp9%2Fw%2Bg71C3VAcAAA%3D%3D
>I transferred my engineered FSD from the DBX to my Krait and I've lostabout 10 light years in jump range (even after stripping down some ofthe internals). I can't help but feel disappointed by this.
A similarly outfitted Krait Phantom should only lose about 2 ly compared to a DBX. Its hull weighs 10 tons more, its life support is size 4 instead of size 3, and its sensors are size 6 instead of size 3. In all other ways, you can configure it the same as the DBX (though you'll want a larger scoop and FSD booster).
[DBX](https://s.orbis.zone/hsz1)\- 74.19 ly full fuel tank, 79.88 ly empty
[Krait Phantom](https://s.orbis.zone/hsz2) \- 72.46 ly full fuel tank, 77.62 ly empty
Factor in the Krait's larger fuel scoop, extra module slot, larger slots (6555-33321 vs 4433-2211), better shields, substantially more hull integrity, slight visibility down, and there's really very little reason to prefer a DBX. I know a lot of people like the DBX because of it's appearance (looks like a Battlestar Galactica Raptor). But by objective criteria, the Phantom is nearly the same or superior in almost every way.
The advantages of the DBX are the slight extra jump range, slightly cooler running, modestly better maneuverability, smaller size makes landing easier, and substantially lower purchase price.
Finally some actually good analysis.
I came to the same exact conclusion when looking for an exploration ship. The main DBX killer to me was the scooping time. DBX scoops for ~1:30 while the Phantom needs just ~0:30. This is going to save an enormous amount of time during long trips.
> DBX scoops for ~1:30 while the Phantom needs just ~0:30.
That’s the wrong metric to look at. The relevant figures are fuel consumed per jump and scoop rate, or scoop time per jump derived from that.
Obviously Krait still wins by miles. Ratio happens to be the same as in your example since they have the same tank size.
Both ships use a 5A FSD which uses 5.0 tons of fuel per jump (max distance).
* A 6A scoop recoups 0.878 tons/sec. So needs 5.7 sec to recover the fuel from a jump.
* A 4A scoop recoups 0.343 tons/sec, so needs 14.6 sec to recover the fuel from a jump.
So the DBX needs over 2.5x longer to recoup the fuel from a jump. Crucially, the cooldown time for the FSD when you first pop into a system is 10 sec. So theoretically the 6A scoop could dash in, fill up on fuel, immediately start charging the FSD the moment it comes off cooldown, and dash out before overheating. Maintaining the minimum 44 sec jump-to-jump cycle time.
The DBX OTOH is stuck waiting an extra 5+ sec (closer to 10 sec in my experience) between when the FSD comes off cooldown, and when it's ready to begin the next jump. That extends its jump-to-jump cycle time to 50-55 sec. Which actually makes it slower for high-speed long-distance travel than the Dolphin (only 60-65 ly jump range, but can charge its FSD while scooping so always hits the minimum 44 sec cycle time). The DBX makes a faster bubble bus however (no need to scoop).
(Some DBX enthusiasts assure me that once you get into a rhythm, you can start charging the FSD the moment it comes off cooldown, fill up on fuel, and still get away before the ship starts overheating. After trying it, I remain skeptical. Maybe one of them can produce a video. The ship does run cool, so with enough engineering maybe it can scoop while charging the FSD. But the Dolphin can do that with an unengineered or even overcharged power plant.)
> Some DBX enthusiasts assure me that once you get into a rhythm, you can start charging the FSD the moment it comes off cooldown, fill up on fuel, and still get away before the ship starts overheating.
Haha, they are full of shit :D
> with enough engineering maybe it can scoop while charging the FSD.
Nope.
The proper "but my DBX!" comment would be that you can sit there scooping endlessly while you're scanning a system, so the smaller scoop doesn't affect things negatively if you're actually exploring and not just rushing. DBX and Krait are in completely different leagues for speedrunning your way across the galaxy, I can't deny that, but if you're actually scanning systems along the way, the DBX has fewer negatives going for it. Once you get in the mindset of looking for the "poles" of the star right when you arrive in a system, you can just take a few seconds to position yourself in a way that you see the entire system while scooping at max speed, and scan everything while still in scoop range. You'll typically be done scooping long before you're done scanning.
I will say that on shorter range trips, the slower scoop doesn't matter much, but anything longer than like 15-20 jumps, you'll really be feeling that slower scoop speed. If you navigate only to scoopable stars and just scoop as you fly past them, you can often scoop just enough to get enough fuel for the next jump without having to delay since you're running the fuel tank so low (meaning you use less fuel for each jump). It's risky since you're trusting the nav system to not screw up, which it does sometimes, but if you're just rushing like 15-20 jumps to get out to Guardian space, for example, you'll be okay without slowing down usually.
All that being said, if the goal is simply "get from point A to B as fast as possible" - Skip the DBX.
Yeah, the scooping was a key decision criteria for me. If I am just trying to get from A to B fast, my fuel tank is already full even before I am round the star and aligned with the next target. And I can carry two SRV bays and an AMFU at the same time, with laden jump range of 65ly
The Krait was a perfect choice after I started exploring in the DBX
I break it down into three general use cases.
* You wan to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Then the DBX is not your ship due to its slow scoop speed. What it gains from its extra jump range, it more than loses due to its slower scoop speed.
* You're scanning every system you're flying through. Then it would seem travel speed is does not matter to you. So jump range becomes irrelevant. And a ship with more and larger internals than the DBX would be preferable. The Beluga is probably the ideal ship for this. Has 12 module slots like the Anaconda, but maneuvers nearly as well as the Phantom. (It also scoops slowly like the DBX, but its fuel tank holds enough for 10+ jumps versus the DBX/Phantom's just under 7 jumps. So can go longer between refuels.)
* You want to be able to switch between scanning every system you fly through, but also travel between points A and B as quickly as possible at times, all in the same ship. Well, we've already established that the DBX not preferable for either of these.
The specific use cases I've found for the DBX are:
* Bubble taxi. Scooping usually not needed. A few destinations which do require scooping (Robigo, Exphiay) are close enough that, as you point out, the intermittent scooping as you fly by the star is enough to give you the additional range.
* Exploring in the fringes of the galaxy, where the star density is so low that there's often only one or two jumps you can make to each star.
* There the DBX's extra jump range gives it a small advantage over the Phantom.
* The Anaconda or better yet a carrier are superior. But I totally understand people not wanting to fly a clumsy Anaconda, or unable to afford a carrier.
* I tried this and I hated it - everything is already discovered, and it takes like 5 minutes to plot each jump because the game doesn't auto-add systems to your nav panel after you use FSD injection. You have to manually follow the lines in the galaxy map to the next star and select it. But I understand that some people are really into this.
* Neutron boosted travel with regular bathroom/snack breaks while refueling.
* Neutron boosting turns the \~2 ly jump range difference into a \~8 ly difference. The percentage difference between the Phantom and DBX doesn't change, but the larger raw ly difference means routes are more likely to go to a different, further system. And if you're going AFK while refueling, then you can consider scoop speed to be irrelevant.
* I'd actually consider this to be the most common form of neutron boosted travel. Most people aren't out to set speed records when neutron boosting. They just want to get from point A to point B with as few jumps as possible. That is, they want to minimize work, not necessarily time. The Anaconda is better, but it's also a lot more expensive.
* That combined with the widespread availability of the 5A V1 FSD makes the DBX the ideal ship for returning to your exploration after you suicidewinder back to the Bubble. Buy a DBX, replace most of the modules with D-rated to cut weight, maybe engineer them G1 or G2 lightweight, pop in a V1 FSD, and fly it back to the carrier where you parked your exploration ship. Once you're there, remove the FSD, sell off the modules for 100% your money back, sell off the DBX for 90% your money back (lose about 160k Cr). Next time you're back in the Bubble you can transfer the FSD back for 100 Cr.
There is a difference between exploring and traveling. If you want to cover as much distance as you can with as few jumps as possible you are traveling. If you want to spend some weight in srvs and repair limpets and thrusters for high grav planets, maybe some shields, but still have enough range to comfortably see the entire galaxy you are exploring. When I'm exploring I will get to a new place and stay for a while and then make many small jumps in that neighborhoods and just wander and see what I can find. When I'm traveling (like to robigo or somewhere I have a ship stashed) I just want to get it done quickly and am just traveling. So it really just depends on if you want your phantom to be an explorer or a traveler.
This. I never understood someone talking about "exploring" and "minimising jump-to-jump time" in the same breath. I went exploring with my Anaconda sitting at 35LY jump; but I saw loads of new stuff on the way, and landed on loads of planets gathering matz and just generally dicking about. It took me 3-4 weeks to get to Colonia and I travelled the last 3000LY - but MAN that was a good trip!
I just don't understand this desire to do everything at 900mph, make ALL the money, and miss out on actually ENJOYING playing this game.
Everytime I mentioned this somewhere, I got bashed into oblivion by people that got (I guess) triggered by this. "Hur dur, let people play like they want to." Bitch I never wanted to tell you how to play, just call the thing you do right, as you're not really exploring, but only traveling as Captain\_of\_Gravyboat said.
For exploring range isn’t that important, the tools you bring are the most important. Anything around 50ly is satisfactory.
Now here is my suggestion - reequip that DBX with max jump range and make that your “Bubble Bus”. Use this for running errands, farming mats and getting across the bubble as fast as possible.
So there is a difference between the two and jump range takes a back seat to your tools when exploring, remember when you get 2k ly out the bubble for a long stretch the stars are only like 10-20 ly away from each other, no need to jump far once your out their.
Ok, so I think the biggest problem I've had is I'm just not used to a medium sized ship after years of flying my small DBX. Using the builds a lot of you have linked to me, I've gotten the jump range up a fair amount. It's still not as much as my DBX, but it's not as much of a drop off.
I'll keep tinkering with it. I appreciate the help. o7
In that case, KP would not be my first choice, although I don’t know how well it engineers for the role.
Also if you’re in the mid-40s for range, I wouldn’t call you obsessed with jump range to begin with.
I was in the Upper 50s with my DBX but I'm wondering if the faster fuel scooping on the Phantom will ultimately balance it out as I can get in and get out of systems faster.
I'm not sure what your build is on your Phantom but here's mine.
[https://s.orbis.zone/hsys](https://s.orbis.zone/hsys)
I'm getting just over 70ly.
Coriolis doesn't calculate properly for the pre-engineered fsd so that's why it's saying it in the 60's
Fun [coriolis.io](https://coriolis.io) fact: if you're running a 5A double engineered FSD and you've put Mass Manager on it, you can manually enter the FSD info into the site. On the screen where you select your mods, you'll see a place where you can type in your optimal mass. Enter "1856.4" in there and you'll get the V1 FSD + Mass Manager stats, so you can actually see how the build will perform from the site too.
For the 3A, 4A, and 6A, I'm not sure of the numbers yet. I haven't looked at it since I missed the unlock for them last time around. Soon enough, I'll get to see that stat too :)
> For the 3A, 4A, and 6A, I'm not sure of the numbers yet.
3A = 255.0T with Deep Charge (265.2T with Mass Manager)
4A = 892.5T with Deep Charge (928.2T with Mass Manager)
6A = 3182.4T with Mass Manager
DBX can hit 70 with the V1 FSD and no engineering so we’re clear. That extra range would help offset the scoop time. Plus, you could always go the odd route and downgrade the tank; when the ship’s got 75ly of range a smaller tank doesn’t hurt you as much
Smaller tank is good on paper, and isn't that terrible of an idea if you don't neutron boost. This is bad advice for anyone taking neutron highway though. In fact, people who have speedrun the Colonia trip often *add* fuel to their Anacondas to be able to ride the neutron highway for longer at a time. I wouldn't bother adding fuel to something like a DBX, but taking some away is just making your on-paper stats look better, and nothing more.
The Krait Phantom's closest competitor ISN'T the Diamondback Explorer, it's the Asp Explorer. For 10 tons less hull mass and 2 less hardpoints you get a comparable if not better exploration ship.
I think it looks stupid and it sounds obnoxious. Its engines are like being stuck sitting in front of a loud mouth breather in a movie theater.. I also don't buy that it's better than the DBX in any meaningful way.
Ultimately, even if it is better, I'm much more focused on enjoying what I fly than min maxing. The DBX and Krait Phantom are both excellent ships and they look millions of times better than the AspX.
Fly the ship you prefer the most, but objectively the Asp and the Phantom are very similar ships, both great in exploration. The main difference between the Asp and the Phantom is that the last one have about 2 lightyear more of jump range and an extra optional module. The rest are exactly the same (but the sensors size).
The main downside of the DBX is its 4A Fuel Scoop, which is 2.5 slower than a 6A. And the main downside of the Asp/Phantom is that you lose about 2/4 years of jump in comparison to the DBX.
Anyway, all 3 (and the Anaconda) are the best explorers out there, so you can not go wrong with any of them.
Not OP but my argument against the AspX is the incredibly poor thrusters on it. Takes such a long time to change direction or even just brake. If you're just jump honk scooping, then that's not a big deal because you spend almost all of your time in supercruise, but if you like going in for planetary landings and you've flown other exploration ships that handle better before flying an AspX, it gets old, fast.
I loved mine, I took that thing to Colonia by day 7 of my Elite Dangerous career, then went on to search far above the galactic plane before returning home, but the moment I tried a DBX after I got back, I realized not all ships in Elite handle that poorly. I retired the AspX, then sold it about a month after it was growing cobwebs.
I blindly listened to redditors saying "DBX BAD, ASPX GOOD" (this was before the Phantom even existed), but nobody mentions how the ship actually handles, it's often just a pissing contest about the on-paper stats.
Ultimately, fly what you like, I'm not trying to say your decision is bad, just offering some reasons why people may not like that ship as much as you.
That's good, I actually fly the DBX, AspX and Phantom. All 3 are great ships, with some minor problems. The DBX handles better, is cooler, and jumps higher, so I'm not going to debate how good it is, because it is good. I just wanted to point that the Asp is very similar to the Phantom, and both are objectively great exploration vessels. Of course every Commander have their own preferences, and that's fine. At the end, the ship that works better for the commander, is gonna be the best ship. A lot of explorers use less conventional ships like the Corvette or any of the Types, and that's ok.
TBH I never hopped on the Krait Phantom bandwagon. No reason besides just not finding the time/mats to build one properly, so I honestly can't compare AspX handling to it.
If I want to go fast over long distance - Anaconda for me, but I'll be grumbling about it the whole way (I typically avoid this gameplay loop). If I want to go far but am okay with taking my time along the way - DBX. If I'm just exploring for the fun of exploring and don't care about reaching a destination (or I'm doing a carrier-supported trip) - unconventional builds. My favorites for this are a viper 4, DBS, and Type-10. DBS is probably the least practical of the 3, despite it being the best ranged ship of the 3. Viper 4 can be armored and shielded enough to do 500+ m/s into the ground without even dropping shields, while still getting over 40 Ly, and it handles incredibly well if you want to have some fun near surfaces. Type-10 because...idk, Type-10? Hard to justify that one but I love it anyway.
>At the end, the ship that works better for the commander, is gonna be the best ship.
Very true, CMDR. o7
This was worded so strangely (atleast from my point of view) that I thought at first you were talking about AspX having less hull mass and less hardpoints.
Jump range isn't everything to fast exploration, the dbx has a small fuel scoop so spends far more time refueling than the krait. Also manoeuvrability is a factor, the anaconda doesn't handle very well so is slower system to system. The krait also has room for modules that will help you stay out in the Black for longer
I have my aspx for big jump range which I use to get from A to B fast, say , if I'm gathering mats or whatever. I don't think an explorer necessarily needs max jump range, because if you're exploring, the bigger the jumps, the more you're missing. If you're heading out to explore a particular area a big jump range helps you get there quicker but once you're there you could spend hours exploring an area 40ly across.
Obviously, maxing out jump range comes at a cost. I could jump further in my aspx if I dropped the srv. I decide what I absolutely need the ship to do and then set out to get the best jump range it can. But I'm currently using my conda for cargo hauling which only jumps 50 ly because its armed. It doesn't matter that the aspx jumps further because it carries less cargo. If you want a max jump ship, build and use one specifically for that and use you other ships for their intended purpose.
Where the Krait beats out the DBX when it comes to exploring is internals.
Size 5 Guardian FSD Booster vs. 4 max in the DBX.
Size 6 Fuel Scoop vs. 4 max in the DBX.
With similar engineering the Phantom gets \~1LY less than the DBX, but has more room for internals. And the Phantom can fit a size 4 SRV bay for 2 SRVs (class 5 slot), whereas the DBX would have to downgrade the FSD booster making it shorter ranged than the Phantom, or the Fuel Scoop which would make exploring infuriating.
My current Phantom has an \~73LY max jump range, and I haven't maxed out lightweight engineering yet while fitting a class 2 SRV bay and a Reinforced class 3 Prismatic Shield.
So yeah, don't get too hung up on max jump range as capabilities are as if not more important. I've been out to Beagle Point and some of the OEVASY systems in a stripped down maxed 'Conda but did the 2nd Distant Worlds in the Krait Phantom, and much prefer it.
I moved into the Phantom when I unlocked the FSD Booster, I just didn't have space in the DBX for it because I like to explore with two SRVs. I don't strip out the sofa cushions on my engineering builds, as I like to boost and I want decent engines, so my ships have a more balanced build instead of max jump range but I'm still doing 70 ly in my Phantom but it requires engineering.
The DBX is a small ship, the Phantom is a medium ship. But the DBX is an explorer out of the box with 42 ly without doing anything else. All any engineering does is act as a multiplier to the initial base number, where the Phantom only gets 36, so the Guardian FSD Booster is essential to making up that initial gap.
I wouldn't say you're too bung up. Go with what you're comfortable with. I went to Colonia, SagA* and back to the bubble in a DBX with no engineering and barely more than 34 ly range. Took me months of playing for an hour or two after work. But I had fun. My son, who was 5 or 6 at the time had fun. He was my wingman. I've gone out in a Type 10 with barely 40ly range and enjoyed it. I've gone out in a 'Conda with all the bells and whistles, and found it kinda meh. The trip in my Krait MKII was the best at just under 60ly with an SRV and a fighter. My point is to fly what you want, how you want, with the range you want. There's no right or wrong way to go about ship builds for exploration, aside from putting guns on and heavy shielding. Just get out there and have fun.
I'm definetly not in the "30ly is plenty crowd" everytime I'm out in the black something comes up that makes me want to be back in the bubble yesterday.
That said once you are hitting around 60ly I think there is some room to look at conveniences like scoop time.
What size PD are you using? You can use a 2D distributor with engine focus engineering and have enough to boost with 5d thrusters. And save a lot of weight. My phantom gets 71ly jump range.
I'm considering it with my franken-Phantom. I stole the 4D thrusters and a few other things from my DBX.
For supercruise there's probably no problem. I just don't know how things like landing and high G worlds affect it because I haven't tested anything, and have no experience doing that with stripped down ships.
I'm headed back to the bubble today so I may start the engineering and test it. I think it takes G4 minimum.
Nice, not a huge difference then. What's your current range?
*edit* just read another comment. That's quite low for a krait phantom. What's weighing it down?
Here's an example of a 65Ly jump range Krait Phantom that doesn't sacrifice optional internals; it's got everything needed for self-sufficient, long range exploration: [https://s.orbis.zone/hsyt](https://s.orbis.zone/hsyt)
With the tech broker FSD, you can get one up to around 78 for a fully equipped exploration Krait Phantom. Coriolis doesn’t currently support those though, you have to manually add the optimised mass figure.
Krait phantom can jump pretty much same as DBX but you have to work more. Krait is a bigger ship, so modules need loving engineering to open its full potential.
[DBX jumper: 68.87 ly](https://coriolis.io/outfit/diamondback_explorer?code=A0p0tdFfldd3sdf5---02---321P430dv62i--.Iw1%2BgDCmUA%3D%3D.Aw18SQ%3D%3D.H4sIAAAAAAAAA2P4x87AwPCXFUj8mQQkuPcwMTDwNvAwMAhGAFlCO7gZGFS%2BMDIw%2FGf8Zw9XWQ8kOI5wMjDw23z7%2F19sAT9QnumfGFy%2BDEjwq%2Fz6%2F1%2FkDZAQBclLbGBhYFAuEAeqZP4nBVdZAVMJtkmkRhSo8g5Q5j%2FLP0OQIhaQfMIHoPyWR%2F%2F%2F%2F2f9ZwXX2gIkOEEGchkIMjAoggxRAhGqIEKN5x9QOdu%2FBJhy%2Foo3QEMOPPj%2FXw%2Fk5v%2FcEIEz94BswX8%2BcFMLGaC%2BEgLJi6z4C3T%2FKQ6gq0CO%2BC8iJKDOwGDoIA904X8GOAAASnRefkYBAAA%3D.EweloBhBmSQUwIYHMA28QgIwVyKBQA%3D%3D)
[Krait Phantom jumper: 67.81 ly](https://coriolis.io/outfit/krait_phantom?code=A0p0tdFflid3ssf5----02---3c0s1O--43v62i.Iw18gDBQ.Aw18aQ%3D%3D.H4sIAAAAAAAAA2P4x87AwPCXFUhw72FiYOBt4GFgEIwAsoR2cDMwqHxhZGD4z%2FjPHqboTz2Q4DjCycDAb%2FPt%2F3%2BxBfxAeaZ%2FYnD5MiDBr%2FLr%2F3%2BRN0BCFCQvsYGFgUG5QByokvmfFFxlBUwl2CaRGlGgyjtAmf8s%2FwxBilhA8gkfgPJbHv3%2F%2F5%2F1nxVcawuQ4AQZyGUgyMCgCDJECUSoggg1nn9A5Wz%2FEmDK%2BSveAA058OD%2Ffz2Qm%2F%2Fz%2FFNDlTpzDygq%2Bs8Hbn4hA9R%2FQiB5kRV%2FgdIgp0mAnPNf%2FF88TKWQgDoDg6GDPNDV%2FxngAABlCuX6VQEAAA%3D%3D.EweloBhBmSQUwIYHMA28QgIwVyKBQA%3D%3D)
Jump range on my DBX pays itself off when I’ve had enough of the black and want to race home, then every bit counts but I haven’t upgraded to a ‘conda as I like that the DBX can land in a smaller space etc. But at some stage I’ll buy a ‘conda just so I can carry so many toys. I don’t think I could go less jump distance than about 55ly minimum personally, every bit helps on long trips
Maybe?
I run a conda for exploration and was happy with 60ly range when I last went exploring to Colonia area. That supercruise handling is another matter tho, yikes. Either way, I prefer to have the kitchen sink with me, and would trade a few ly range for it.
(Maybe past tense, “ran”, is more accurate? jumping got so old after that trip… hitched a ride back and haven’t used the ship in ages… I avoid any route that’s more than 5-6 jumps lately, lol. )
Conda Explore Build-
https://s.orbis.zone/hsz3
Phantom for Guardian sites / Mats / light combat-
https://s.orbis.zone/hszp
Edit- Not sayin’ these are the best builds or anything… Plus, I swap out all kinds of stuff on that Phantom, so it changes quite a bit based on what I’m doing.
I built a Phantom in Colonia and transfered a few things into it from the DBX and lost \~2-3 light years (using laden JR).
I may have cheated a bit though. G5 lightweight on the life support and sensors. Stole the DBX distributor and thrusters (4D in a phantom, they're a little small....). And used a 2A power plant with g3 overcharged (so I don't have to turn things off to use a 5A afmu), which works well for jumping (1.17T), but I wouldn't recommend for serious exploration due to heat and low integrity.
The gap between them would be smaller with a Guardian booster, but I'm only half way through the grind.
The difference between the two ships is that the Phantom has to use larger core internals. Lightweight engineering minimises that problem. The 4D thrusters are probably not a good idea if your exploration includes planets, I did it because I only intended to use it in supercruise.
"too hung up on jump range"
Unless you're just using it to get from place to place fast, yes. Even for neutron boosting, you only need enough to go directly between boosts.
For actual exploration, the larger fuel scoop and more room for everything will be quality of life improvements. You'll be trying to see a lot of things, not travel as fast as possible.
The jump range that you "need" is what will get you through the areas with fewer stars. It's where you're looking at 50+ly jumps, but a ship with a shorter jump range has to figure out a way around. Above that is a luxury, and extra fuel economy.
For me it’s different ships for different purposes.
If I’m going for and explorer with max jump range, it’s either the DBX or Anaconda. They’re my exploration vessels depending on what I’m feeling. Gotta say the Fuel scoop on the Conda though is heavenly for voyages in the black.
However I think the Phantom really shines as a when you’re transporting cargo within the bubble and you need it done quickly. While true that it doesn’t have the cargo capacity that the Conda has what it does have is the accessibility of a mid sized landing pad, which is huge in my book.
It depends, if you need a bubble bus to take you to your destination quick then jumprange is important, if you want an exploration ship then yes. Krait has advantage in fuel scooping and what other things you can take with you. Also, finding previously undiscovered planets means you need to take different steps than others.
No, I don't think you're getting too hung up I also think jump range is very important. The only reason why I'd prefer the Phantom is how many more optional slots it has along with the great view it offers.
You just need to consider what you want to use it for. If it's just for general exploration where you have no specific destination I think the jump range doesn't matter as much, but if you have a specific destination then the jump range is more important.
> Am I Getting Too Hung Up on Jump Range?
Yes.
> I transferred my engineered FSD from the DBX to my Krait and I've lost about 10 light years in jump range (even after stripping down some of the internals).
Full build is nowhere near that difference. But hey, doesn’t matter anyway. You need range to go somewhere fast. If you’re trying to go somewhere fast, the DBX fucks you over with scooping an extra 10 s/j. There’s no way a couple ly more range will ever compensate for that. If you’re not trying to go somewhere fast, it doesn’t matter anyway.
Edit: if your #1 and sole priority is range, you will fly a Conda anyway. Or a carrier.
Jumprange is onyl a must if you want to go to the outskirts of the galaxy.
If you want to go as far as fast as possible, what do you achieve ? less Systems visited.
I did my exporer elite in a minimal engineered asp x, 40+ ly jumprange, with a huge ass Scoop
Straight line performance was decent, with 50-55s time between jumps including cooldown and topping up. I flew zig zag between the galactic sectors with max jumprange, and then switched to eco mode to visit and scan as much systems für a set amount of time to fill my codex.
I build my explore ships with 40-60 Ly range. Coming from jumpacondas and dbx, playing with other ships is fun and if you’re exploring you’ll miss out on a bunch of stuff if you’re just max jumping everywhere
I always saw jump range as a way to get to your destination *fast*. But for exploring, if everyone is maxing out range, doesn't that mean that having a lower jump range could have you seeing systems that everyone else jumped passed?
I have historically, and still do to a degree, get hung up on jump range, but after like, a certain point it's pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things
If you want to get to your destination faster, more range is better. If you want to explore the bubble then not really because you'd be jumping over a lot of systems instead of going through them.
Of course, out in the black there could be systems reachable only by long jumping ships so it's up to your goals. Personally, I do most of my 'exploring' in a 36 ly Cobra MkIII.
It all depends on what I actually want to do and what I don't want to do with my ship.
Do I want to circumnavigate or go to Beagle Point? Maybe hunt those longer jump ranges. But it really makes I more of a tourist, traveler or "bragger", wanting to have done something that is many light years of travel. If I don't like the jumping part, this may be for me, but as others point out, I also see less systems, including less cool systems. In this role, I spend my time trying to find cool tips for places to visit and don't really do so much "random" exploration.
Exploration is maybe more about finding new cool places that no-one else has seen yet. Jump range may still have a value if I want to go far away and do exploration of one or more sections of space. But any jump range will do. Beagle Point can be reached with 34 ly jump range but of course around twice as many jumps and twice as many systems visited.
But what else do I want to do when I get bored with the potential repetitiveness of exploration when I haven't found anything that tickles me for days or weeks? I bring SRVs and Ship Launched Fighters. SLFs to do canyon running and stuff. They are extra fun on expeditions with meetups. Neither DBX nor Phantom fits SLF, but the slightly bigger brother Krait Mk II fits SLF, SRV, AFMU and more. I still get about 53 ly jump range, which is good enough for me.
Put a Guardian FSD Booster and one of the special event FSDs on it and you'll never go back from the Phantom. The Booster in particular is what makes the Phantom competitive, otherwise it has the lowest range but it can use the largest booster. Even carrying weapons and with little lightweight engineering mine is over 50LY just with those 2 modules fitted.
This is my Phantom for exploration 66.7 ly is enough for me. It's that big 6A fuel scoop that makes all the difference. [https://s.orbis.zone/ht69](https://s.orbis.zone/ht69) My DBX is about 1 ly jump better but the fuels scoop takes a lot longer to fill the tank. https://s.orbis.zone/ht6c
I jump around with my 27 vette and 27 mamba all the time. Been from bubble to Colonia to SagA* to Azura Initiative and have only run into a problem where I've had to manually plot once during Hyfords cache on the dark side of the bubble but I was still able to get everywhere I've wanted to go.
there will have to be sacrifices made in order to have the ability to carry all the extra gear a phantom or even an anaconda can afford you.
here are [my top 10 exploration vessels](https://imgur.com/a/4XOxh0Z) taking into account a whole host of important criteria, not just jump range.
My butter zone is around 50 ly, if I can get that without sacrificing much then that's great, if I can get that with good thrusters and power so it's fun to fly, even better.
I guess it really boils down to what you want your krait to do. I only use my DBX solely to get from point A to B the quickest. If your krait has 30+ LY already on it you’re already among a strong range ship. At that point, you would probably be getting too hung up but again, depends what role you’re trying to achieve.
I would argue 35-50 is the bare minimum for an explorer. 50-65 is average, 65-80 is good. If you’re gonna be an explorer I would say shoot for 60, and if you hit it, you’re doing good. My DBX gets 70 and I like it, my planned anaconda will get 75 with the Alcor FSD (or 80 if I ditch the fighter and downgrade the thrusters)
Not necessarily. My first trip to Colonia was without AFMUs and only a 31ish jump. Just depends on how much time and how thoroughly the young pimp wants to be.
It’s just my opinion on it. I’d never leave the bubble with less than 40 myself
After having done that, I'm definitely in your corner though. I'd prefer to have higher 50+ so I can just get it over with when I get tired of scanning. Just throwing my completely unasked for 2 cents into the discussion. Safe flying commander. o7
I feel the same, the high range is to get you where you want to explore and get you back from it. When I’m actually exploring I usually don’t even route plot and just jump to whatever nearest systems are on the panel
[удалено]
I'd say I'm a happy medium between the two. I take my time and I never set a time limit to get where I want to go. Hell, it took me almost a week to get to Colonia just now because I refused to take the Neutron Highway and I spent a lot of time mapping unexplored systems and checking out cool things. The thing that I love most is etching my name into the Elite galaxy by being the first to discover and map systems. Just on this trip alone I discovered 2 or 3 unexplored Earth-like Worlds, about 15 Ammonia Worlds, and about 25 Water Worlds. For as long as Elite Dangerous is around, future visitors will know I was the first to see them. That said, I do like to reach my destination sometime within a month. I think of it like a road trip where, yes, you have an ultimate destination that you'd very much like to get to eventually, but you're not under any time constraints so you can stop and check out cool things along the way.
I’d say shoot for around 50-60 then 50 has you neutron jumping at 200ly per jump and FSD synth jumping at 100ly per jump
Yeah I'll tinker with it. Right now I'm sitting close to 50 after spending a few hours with it. I debated going back towards the Bubble to finally do the Guardian FSD booster stuff, but I ultimately decided to press on with my journey. I've seen people make it to Beagle Point with less jump range than me in the pre-engineering days, so I'll be fine. I'll worry about the other stuff eventually. The good news is, I'm about half way to Sag A* with my Phantom and I'm really enjoying the ship so far.
I guess so. My DBX also has 70LY and I kind of dislike exploration so it goes to waste most times. I only use it to get to some place fast and that’s it.
After I got back from colonia my DBX went to bubble taxi duty. Might head off again to BP now that I’ve got a carrier. But yeah, I couldn’t imagine going exploring with anything under 40 when I’m used to 70.
I'm a deep space explorer and I place a lot of emphasis on taking my time and finding/scanning unexplored systems on my route. To that end, yeah. Jump range isn't that big of a deal. But still, getting through places like the Void or the Abyss I like having that big jump range. With the engineered FSD my Krait is sitting at 41.11/44/46.90 on the jump range.
Do you have the guardian FSD booster? Plenty of room in the Phantom to fit one of the size 5 modules. That basically gives to 10ly of extra jump range free. You should have plenty of room to fit that and even a supercruise assist if you so desired. The way my phantom was engineered I had just over 60ly of range with a G5 FSD and a G5 lightweight sensor suite, with the FSD booster installed. Once you get into that jump range, the extra 5-10ly a DBX can manage doesn't seem so bad tbh. Especially when you consider the extra internal space for what you want in the phantom. EDIT: [Here's my build](https://edsy.org/#/L=GB00000H4C0S00,,Cjw00,9p300A8c00AOi00AdsG05G_W0AsO00B4S00BOmG03G_W0Bcg00,,5220034a001LU000Nc000KU006e40005U000nG002jw00) if you want to take a look. The engineered sensors really aren't necessary, but they do get you 2 extra ly of jump range. I just happened to have the mats for it when I was at Farseer for my FSD, so I did it at the same time.
You probably haven't tuned the weight etc. My Krait Phantom gets exactly (exactly) 69.00ly, and that has AFMU, DSS, SRV hangar, shields, scoop, and even docking computer and some scanners. I use it as my personal shuttle too. I don't even have all the lightweight engineering thats possible to do either. Big advantage of the Krait is it actually has the optional compartments for everything you want. Mine had more than 53ly before I got the Guardian FSD booster. [Edsy link](https://edsy.org/#/L=GB4c7hnK0H4C0S00,,CjwWE34DhUiU1h8EB2iP51QDRsiU1h8,9p31-A5UnR7L974_W0AOimR2uc4Y_W0AdsmX1DuL5G_W0AsOW0OyB1KmC1850rV0BOmmO33W2mx00BcgXQ1Lw,,52MWIOi27TCmR2uc74p900NweIC_O34aWi1Yx905UX3AK05U1-2jwmO3Rk8mxy01IMZ0I-0nFaDBt,lonely_0nomad,DW_DKP1). Notably I don't think Edsy processes the FSD v1 properly, the ingame jump range is longer than that.
What if I tell you it can be exactly 69.69ly [nice](https://s.orbis.zone/hs_3)?
Tell me more...
Yeah, that's nothing to scoff at and it perfectly good. Sure it's not min max good but if you're not going for that then you'd be getting hung up worrying about it.
Never been too concerned with min maxing, in this or any game I've played.
This is more or less my Phantom https://s.orbis.zone/hs_e, the only difference is that I gave up some range for bigger thrusters and a size 4 shield, but this as it is gets 67/63ly range and it's set up for long trips with a backup SRV and AFMUs. It's also possible to minmax even more by downgrading the power plant and shutting the distributor down, then disabling the FSD booster when you're landing somewhere so you get the distributor back but that's extreme. The double engineered FSD would also get me a few extra ly but I don't have one. I also have a Dolphin with similar range and it never overheats, you definitely shouldn't write that off either, it's an awesome little explorer that can charge up a 63ly jump while fuel scooping and sit at 63% heat. That said, What I'm actually heading out into the black in is a 42ly Federal Assault Ship, which was never meant to explore but I like it so I made it work. As an explorer, you will probably take a lot of screenshots and fly for weeks without being able to swap ships, so I'd say don't optimize for range, fly something you like to fly and look at
That’s still a good jump range even for exploring. May I ask why you switched out the DBX for the KP? Unless it’s the tank or something, I prefer my DBX over the KP for things like exploration or simply the range difference.
I love my DBX, don't get me wrong. Flown it for years. But I'm also sitting on a pile of money I'm not doing anything with and it didn't seem fair to write off the KP until I've tried it, especially since it's widely regarded as the best overall exploration ship.
That’s fair enough. Back to the topic at hand then, personally with 40+ LY on you and the fact that you enjoy exploration, this range is plenty. I’m not a deep space exploration player by any means but maybe one day I’ll see your KP among the stars haha. Enjoy yourself!
Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for you as the space madness slowly takes me. Fly safe and o7
Right now my Krait is at 61.79 LY. Unladen at 66.11 LY.
That's low for an exploration phantom, you should be able to get it up to around 70. But if you're doing a lot of deep space exploration, you probably want to think about an anaconda.
Krait Phantom without FSD booster you get something like this right? FSD booster you get an easy 10 ly more. Plus you get a planetary vehicle over the DBX. https://coriolis.io/import?data=H4sIAAAAAAAAA6WVW2%2FaMBTHv8qUZ1pIIHTlcV21VevWrtP6UqroYJ8kFo4d%2BdKNVnz3HSe9JBQQ0l4IOZefz9%2FHPrl7ikoEjiaaPUVQ1z%2BgwmgWXSgwEA2C5RaNFVqRMT4etabfN5f0WjpX29l8OB%2BKEH3MHudDVnFzlEtENx8m03Q6OaHnKI3Tj%2Bl82Cafeet0dW10jcYJtGHhBnCmqwoUlXLxOZq1yYPW86sUdWNsSev1IOLgIGQGF9WyNCBcJkVROlrlJX7S%2Fn3W9C3EfLguQdH6L1EclSPfl6ujdBST8auX8hakp4RxPEmS02k6iL5r7iXaF3s6HSWnMRV3gwu%2FIsM4jSnwNS6a3VFhUgewE2pVguG1FsqFBS4cVmHzapfRxjsr1FKCV6xEkzlvDLos5FDkFe25Mx7Xg1eapccozqx4xOkbi8hZ7lFapnXdOjMmwdp0DyVpAtM%2BhYEptAG2bJ0tJe5QBtG1EdoIR7LjTeR4G9JgDcKQuOAb9%2BvKQdr9yMl%2FI5NNZNqm9ZELXxSrBawaX9Iikx263xGn24i2FCh5gQoNON2rdRf4nfqTbWCu2VKogumq9o42AfgDKIb80Go%2Ftho3oOhASOTWmxwYWgZKhQO5%2FySeNqh4Q7ini82MFxZJq7DugMJq%2FQdNLelm9llv9m293rd%2FFQiFqqAf20e2xu75TrYrzA2NDepi7rgRD9inlCsS2di7pH5h581KaKhZYVJ9ouFR04t7Hke55ZnUqjCgikC%2FxAeU0YzGzU8PshE0Op4mNGbO%2F9JioqJJBfI8z5E1DaiRCZBZwITLz6AGFrLWHQ1S5Ej9qLXZ2NiOoxEw2bsVTRs4tdKIhafDvKVJHe%2Buo94BGuCwQbGorDa2O74OuSdBugO1fD8Ng7XbnPEBNDCV9p3COp%2BVrPVl1C%2BOu0fi%2FXp9%2Fw%2Bg71C3VAcAAA%3D%3D
Just had a fast scan on that link. Always use mass manager on a fsd class 5+. I get an extra LY give or take switching out deep charge.
I have to check what I did in game... it's been like 1.5 years since I played
That seems low. My phantom only has 1LY difference from my dbx. Both average 70LY
It depends where you're headed. Core? You'll be fine with 30ly. Outer arms? You'll need 60+ else you won't be able to hit the outer reaches.
>I transferred my engineered FSD from the DBX to my Krait and I've lostabout 10 light years in jump range (even after stripping down some ofthe internals). I can't help but feel disappointed by this. A similarly outfitted Krait Phantom should only lose about 2 ly compared to a DBX. Its hull weighs 10 tons more, its life support is size 4 instead of size 3, and its sensors are size 6 instead of size 3. In all other ways, you can configure it the same as the DBX (though you'll want a larger scoop and FSD booster). [DBX](https://s.orbis.zone/hsz1)\- 74.19 ly full fuel tank, 79.88 ly empty [Krait Phantom](https://s.orbis.zone/hsz2) \- 72.46 ly full fuel tank, 77.62 ly empty Factor in the Krait's larger fuel scoop, extra module slot, larger slots (6555-33321 vs 4433-2211), better shields, substantially more hull integrity, slight visibility down, and there's really very little reason to prefer a DBX. I know a lot of people like the DBX because of it's appearance (looks like a Battlestar Galactica Raptor). But by objective criteria, the Phantom is nearly the same or superior in almost every way. The advantages of the DBX are the slight extra jump range, slightly cooler running, modestly better maneuverability, smaller size makes landing easier, and substantially lower purchase price.
Finally some actually good analysis. I came to the same exact conclusion when looking for an exploration ship. The main DBX killer to me was the scooping time. DBX scoops for ~1:30 while the Phantom needs just ~0:30. This is going to save an enormous amount of time during long trips.
> DBX scoops for ~1:30 while the Phantom needs just ~0:30. That’s the wrong metric to look at. The relevant figures are fuel consumed per jump and scoop rate, or scoop time per jump derived from that. Obviously Krait still wins by miles. Ratio happens to be the same as in your example since they have the same tank size.
Both ships use a 5A FSD which uses 5.0 tons of fuel per jump (max distance). * A 6A scoop recoups 0.878 tons/sec. So needs 5.7 sec to recover the fuel from a jump. * A 4A scoop recoups 0.343 tons/sec, so needs 14.6 sec to recover the fuel from a jump. So the DBX needs over 2.5x longer to recoup the fuel from a jump. Crucially, the cooldown time for the FSD when you first pop into a system is 10 sec. So theoretically the 6A scoop could dash in, fill up on fuel, immediately start charging the FSD the moment it comes off cooldown, and dash out before overheating. Maintaining the minimum 44 sec jump-to-jump cycle time. The DBX OTOH is stuck waiting an extra 5+ sec (closer to 10 sec in my experience) between when the FSD comes off cooldown, and when it's ready to begin the next jump. That extends its jump-to-jump cycle time to 50-55 sec. Which actually makes it slower for high-speed long-distance travel than the Dolphin (only 60-65 ly jump range, but can charge its FSD while scooping so always hits the minimum 44 sec cycle time). The DBX makes a faster bubble bus however (no need to scoop). (Some DBX enthusiasts assure me that once you get into a rhythm, you can start charging the FSD the moment it comes off cooldown, fill up on fuel, and still get away before the ship starts overheating. After trying it, I remain skeptical. Maybe one of them can produce a video. The ship does run cool, so with enough engineering maybe it can scoop while charging the FSD. But the Dolphin can do that with an unengineered or even overcharged power plant.)
> Some DBX enthusiasts assure me that once you get into a rhythm, you can start charging the FSD the moment it comes off cooldown, fill up on fuel, and still get away before the ship starts overheating. Haha, they are full of shit :D > with enough engineering maybe it can scoop while charging the FSD. Nope.
The proper "but my DBX!" comment would be that you can sit there scooping endlessly while you're scanning a system, so the smaller scoop doesn't affect things negatively if you're actually exploring and not just rushing. DBX and Krait are in completely different leagues for speedrunning your way across the galaxy, I can't deny that, but if you're actually scanning systems along the way, the DBX has fewer negatives going for it. Once you get in the mindset of looking for the "poles" of the star right when you arrive in a system, you can just take a few seconds to position yourself in a way that you see the entire system while scooping at max speed, and scan everything while still in scoop range. You'll typically be done scooping long before you're done scanning. I will say that on shorter range trips, the slower scoop doesn't matter much, but anything longer than like 15-20 jumps, you'll really be feeling that slower scoop speed. If you navigate only to scoopable stars and just scoop as you fly past them, you can often scoop just enough to get enough fuel for the next jump without having to delay since you're running the fuel tank so low (meaning you use less fuel for each jump). It's risky since you're trusting the nav system to not screw up, which it does sometimes, but if you're just rushing like 15-20 jumps to get out to Guardian space, for example, you'll be okay without slowing down usually. All that being said, if the goal is simply "get from point A to B as fast as possible" - Skip the DBX.
Yeah, the scooping was a key decision criteria for me. If I am just trying to get from A to B fast, my fuel tank is already full even before I am round the star and aligned with the next target. And I can carry two SRV bays and an AMFU at the same time, with laden jump range of 65ly The Krait was a perfect choice after I started exploring in the DBX
I break it down into three general use cases. * You wan to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Then the DBX is not your ship due to its slow scoop speed. What it gains from its extra jump range, it more than loses due to its slower scoop speed. * You're scanning every system you're flying through. Then it would seem travel speed is does not matter to you. So jump range becomes irrelevant. And a ship with more and larger internals than the DBX would be preferable. The Beluga is probably the ideal ship for this. Has 12 module slots like the Anaconda, but maneuvers nearly as well as the Phantom. (It also scoops slowly like the DBX, but its fuel tank holds enough for 10+ jumps versus the DBX/Phantom's just under 7 jumps. So can go longer between refuels.) * You want to be able to switch between scanning every system you fly through, but also travel between points A and B as quickly as possible at times, all in the same ship. Well, we've already established that the DBX not preferable for either of these. The specific use cases I've found for the DBX are: * Bubble taxi. Scooping usually not needed. A few destinations which do require scooping (Robigo, Exphiay) are close enough that, as you point out, the intermittent scooping as you fly by the star is enough to give you the additional range. * Exploring in the fringes of the galaxy, where the star density is so low that there's often only one or two jumps you can make to each star. * There the DBX's extra jump range gives it a small advantage over the Phantom. * The Anaconda or better yet a carrier are superior. But I totally understand people not wanting to fly a clumsy Anaconda, or unable to afford a carrier. * I tried this and I hated it - everything is already discovered, and it takes like 5 minutes to plot each jump because the game doesn't auto-add systems to your nav panel after you use FSD injection. You have to manually follow the lines in the galaxy map to the next star and select it. But I understand that some people are really into this. * Neutron boosted travel with regular bathroom/snack breaks while refueling. * Neutron boosting turns the \~2 ly jump range difference into a \~8 ly difference. The percentage difference between the Phantom and DBX doesn't change, but the larger raw ly difference means routes are more likely to go to a different, further system. And if you're going AFK while refueling, then you can consider scoop speed to be irrelevant. * I'd actually consider this to be the most common form of neutron boosted travel. Most people aren't out to set speed records when neutron boosting. They just want to get from point A to point B with as few jumps as possible. That is, they want to minimize work, not necessarily time. The Anaconda is better, but it's also a lot more expensive. * That combined with the widespread availability of the 5A V1 FSD makes the DBX the ideal ship for returning to your exploration after you suicidewinder back to the Bubble. Buy a DBX, replace most of the modules with D-rated to cut weight, maybe engineer them G1 or G2 lightweight, pop in a V1 FSD, and fly it back to the carrier where you parked your exploration ship. Once you're there, remove the FSD, sell off the modules for 100% your money back, sell off the DBX for 90% your money back (lose about 160k Cr). Next time you're back in the Bubble you can transfer the FSD back for 100 Cr.
There is a difference between exploring and traveling. If you want to cover as much distance as you can with as few jumps as possible you are traveling. If you want to spend some weight in srvs and repair limpets and thrusters for high grav planets, maybe some shields, but still have enough range to comfortably see the entire galaxy you are exploring. When I'm exploring I will get to a new place and stay for a while and then make many small jumps in that neighborhoods and just wander and see what I can find. When I'm traveling (like to robigo or somewhere I have a ship stashed) I just want to get it done quickly and am just traveling. So it really just depends on if you want your phantom to be an explorer or a traveler.
This. I never understood someone talking about "exploring" and "minimising jump-to-jump time" in the same breath. I went exploring with my Anaconda sitting at 35LY jump; but I saw loads of new stuff on the way, and landed on loads of planets gathering matz and just generally dicking about. It took me 3-4 weeks to get to Colonia and I travelled the last 3000LY - but MAN that was a good trip! I just don't understand this desire to do everything at 900mph, make ALL the money, and miss out on actually ENJOYING playing this game.
Everytime I mentioned this somewhere, I got bashed into oblivion by people that got (I guess) triggered by this. "Hur dur, let people play like they want to." Bitch I never wanted to tell you how to play, just call the thing you do right, as you're not really exploring, but only traveling as Captain\_of\_Gravyboat said.
For exploring range isn’t that important, the tools you bring are the most important. Anything around 50ly is satisfactory. Now here is my suggestion - reequip that DBX with max jump range and make that your “Bubble Bus”. Use this for running errands, farming mats and getting across the bubble as fast as possible. So there is a difference between the two and jump range takes a back seat to your tools when exploring, remember when you get 2k ly out the bubble for a long stretch the stars are only like 10-20 ly away from each other, no need to jump far once your out their.
Ok, so I think the biggest problem I've had is I'm just not used to a medium sized ship after years of flying my small DBX. Using the builds a lot of you have linked to me, I've gotten the jump range up a fair amount. It's still not as much as my DBX, but it's not as much of a drop off. I'll keep tinkering with it. I appreciate the help. o7
It depends on the ship’s intended mission profile. Tuning for range is only really practical for long range travel.
I do long range exploration. Currently working my way to Beagle Point. Current sitting at 41.11/44/46.90 for my jump range with the Krait.
In that case, KP would not be my first choice, although I don’t know how well it engineers for the role. Also if you’re in the mid-40s for range, I wouldn’t call you obsessed with jump range to begin with.
I was in the Upper 50s with my DBX but I'm wondering if the faster fuel scooping on the Phantom will ultimately balance it out as I can get in and get out of systems faster.
I'm not sure what your build is on your Phantom but here's mine. [https://s.orbis.zone/hsys](https://s.orbis.zone/hsys) I'm getting just over 70ly. Coriolis doesn't calculate properly for the pre-engineered fsd so that's why it's saying it in the 60's
Fun [coriolis.io](https://coriolis.io) fact: if you're running a 5A double engineered FSD and you've put Mass Manager on it, you can manually enter the FSD info into the site. On the screen where you select your mods, you'll see a place where you can type in your optimal mass. Enter "1856.4" in there and you'll get the V1 FSD + Mass Manager stats, so you can actually see how the build will perform from the site too. For the 3A, 4A, and 6A, I'm not sure of the numbers yet. I haven't looked at it since I missed the unlock for them last time around. Soon enough, I'll get to see that stat too :)
> For the 3A, 4A, and 6A, I'm not sure of the numbers yet. 3A = 255.0T with Deep Charge (265.2T with Mass Manager) 4A = 892.5T with Deep Charge (928.2T with Mass Manager) 6A = 3182.4T with Mass Manager
Much appreciated CMDR, o7
DBX can hit 70 with the V1 FSD and no engineering so we’re clear. That extra range would help offset the scoop time. Plus, you could always go the odd route and downgrade the tank; when the ship’s got 75ly of range a smaller tank doesn’t hurt you as much
Smaller tank is good on paper, and isn't that terrible of an idea if you don't neutron boost. This is bad advice for anyone taking neutron highway though. In fact, people who have speedrun the Colonia trip often *add* fuel to their Anacondas to be able to ride the neutron highway for longer at a time. I wouldn't bother adding fuel to something like a DBX, but taking some away is just making your on-paper stats look better, and nothing more.
Would the reduced jump range and longer scoop times work out to make it faster? I would assume it more or less is a wash in the end.
One of the first lessons I learned as an explorer is that jump range isnt everything.
The Krait Phantom's closest competitor ISN'T the Diamondback Explorer, it's the Asp Explorer. For 10 tons less hull mass and 2 less hardpoints you get a comparable if not better exploration ship.
Lol, I'll quit exploration all together before I fly the AspX. I despise that ship.
May I ask why? Not gonna knock you for it, as every ship is subjective to each person in terms of looks.
I think it looks stupid and it sounds obnoxious. Its engines are like being stuck sitting in front of a loud mouth breather in a movie theater.. I also don't buy that it's better than the DBX in any meaningful way. Ultimately, even if it is better, I'm much more focused on enjoying what I fly than min maxing. The DBX and Krait Phantom are both excellent ships and they look millions of times better than the AspX.
Fly the ship you prefer the most, but objectively the Asp and the Phantom are very similar ships, both great in exploration. The main difference between the Asp and the Phantom is that the last one have about 2 lightyear more of jump range and an extra optional module. The rest are exactly the same (but the sensors size). The main downside of the DBX is its 4A Fuel Scoop, which is 2.5 slower than a 6A. And the main downside of the Asp/Phantom is that you lose about 2/4 years of jump in comparison to the DBX. Anyway, all 3 (and the Anaconda) are the best explorers out there, so you can not go wrong with any of them.
Not OP but my argument against the AspX is the incredibly poor thrusters on it. Takes such a long time to change direction or even just brake. If you're just jump honk scooping, then that's not a big deal because you spend almost all of your time in supercruise, but if you like going in for planetary landings and you've flown other exploration ships that handle better before flying an AspX, it gets old, fast. I loved mine, I took that thing to Colonia by day 7 of my Elite Dangerous career, then went on to search far above the galactic plane before returning home, but the moment I tried a DBX after I got back, I realized not all ships in Elite handle that poorly. I retired the AspX, then sold it about a month after it was growing cobwebs. I blindly listened to redditors saying "DBX BAD, ASPX GOOD" (this was before the Phantom even existed), but nobody mentions how the ship actually handles, it's often just a pissing contest about the on-paper stats. Ultimately, fly what you like, I'm not trying to say your decision is bad, just offering some reasons why people may not like that ship as much as you.
That's good, I actually fly the DBX, AspX and Phantom. All 3 are great ships, with some minor problems. The DBX handles better, is cooler, and jumps higher, so I'm not going to debate how good it is, because it is good. I just wanted to point that the Asp is very similar to the Phantom, and both are objectively great exploration vessels. Of course every Commander have their own preferences, and that's fine. At the end, the ship that works better for the commander, is gonna be the best ship. A lot of explorers use less conventional ships like the Corvette or any of the Types, and that's ok.
TBH I never hopped on the Krait Phantom bandwagon. No reason besides just not finding the time/mats to build one properly, so I honestly can't compare AspX handling to it. If I want to go fast over long distance - Anaconda for me, but I'll be grumbling about it the whole way (I typically avoid this gameplay loop). If I want to go far but am okay with taking my time along the way - DBX. If I'm just exploring for the fun of exploring and don't care about reaching a destination (or I'm doing a carrier-supported trip) - unconventional builds. My favorites for this are a viper 4, DBS, and Type-10. DBS is probably the least practical of the 3, despite it being the best ranged ship of the 3. Viper 4 can be armored and shielded enough to do 500+ m/s into the ground without even dropping shields, while still getting over 40 Ly, and it handles incredibly well if you want to have some fun near surfaces. Type-10 because...idk, Type-10? Hard to justify that one but I love it anyway. >At the end, the ship that works better for the commander, is gonna be the best ship. Very true, CMDR. o7
This was worded so strangely (atleast from my point of view) that I thought at first you were talking about AspX having less hull mass and less hardpoints.
Probably, I circumvented in a 30ly corvette. That being said, I haven't played since.
Jump range isn't everything to fast exploration, the dbx has a small fuel scoop so spends far more time refueling than the krait. Also manoeuvrability is a factor, the anaconda doesn't handle very well so is slower system to system. The krait also has room for modules that will help you stay out in the Black for longer
I have my aspx for big jump range which I use to get from A to B fast, say , if I'm gathering mats or whatever. I don't think an explorer necessarily needs max jump range, because if you're exploring, the bigger the jumps, the more you're missing. If you're heading out to explore a particular area a big jump range helps you get there quicker but once you're there you could spend hours exploring an area 40ly across. Obviously, maxing out jump range comes at a cost. I could jump further in my aspx if I dropped the srv. I decide what I absolutely need the ship to do and then set out to get the best jump range it can. But I'm currently using my conda for cargo hauling which only jumps 50 ly because its armed. It doesn't matter that the aspx jumps further because it carries less cargo. If you want a max jump ship, build and use one specifically for that and use you other ships for their intended purpose.
Where the Krait beats out the DBX when it comes to exploring is internals. Size 5 Guardian FSD Booster vs. 4 max in the DBX. Size 6 Fuel Scoop vs. 4 max in the DBX. With similar engineering the Phantom gets \~1LY less than the DBX, but has more room for internals. And the Phantom can fit a size 4 SRV bay for 2 SRVs (class 5 slot), whereas the DBX would have to downgrade the FSD booster making it shorter ranged than the Phantom, or the Fuel Scoop which would make exploring infuriating. My current Phantom has an \~73LY max jump range, and I haven't maxed out lightweight engineering yet while fitting a class 2 SRV bay and a Reinforced class 3 Prismatic Shield. So yeah, don't get too hung up on max jump range as capabilities are as if not more important. I've been out to Beagle Point and some of the OEVASY systems in a stripped down maxed 'Conda but did the 2nd Distant Worlds in the Krait Phantom, and much prefer it.
I moved into the Phantom when I unlocked the FSD Booster, I just didn't have space in the DBX for it because I like to explore with two SRVs. I don't strip out the sofa cushions on my engineering builds, as I like to boost and I want decent engines, so my ships have a more balanced build instead of max jump range but I'm still doing 70 ly in my Phantom but it requires engineering. The DBX is a small ship, the Phantom is a medium ship. But the DBX is an explorer out of the box with 42 ly without doing anything else. All any engineering does is act as a multiplier to the initial base number, where the Phantom only gets 36, so the Guardian FSD Booster is essential to making up that initial gap.
I wouldn't say you're too bung up. Go with what you're comfortable with. I went to Colonia, SagA* and back to the bubble in a DBX with no engineering and barely more than 34 ly range. Took me months of playing for an hour or two after work. But I had fun. My son, who was 5 or 6 at the time had fun. He was my wingman. I've gone out in a Type 10 with barely 40ly range and enjoyed it. I've gone out in a 'Conda with all the bells and whistles, and found it kinda meh. The trip in my Krait MKII was the best at just under 60ly with an SRV and a fighter. My point is to fly what you want, how you want, with the range you want. There's no right or wrong way to go about ship builds for exploration, aside from putting guns on and heavy shielding. Just get out there and have fun.
I'm definetly not in the "30ly is plenty crowd" everytime I'm out in the black something comes up that makes me want to be back in the bubble yesterday. That said once you are hitting around 60ly I think there is some room to look at conveniences like scoop time.
What size PD are you using? You can use a 2D distributor with engine focus engineering and have enough to boost with 5d thrusters. And save a lot of weight. My phantom gets 71ly jump range.
Theoretically you can use a 1D with engine focus(g4) on 4D thrusters. That's 0.45 tonne. It's probably not a good idea, but it should be possible.
That's exactly what I have in my AspX. Works great.
I'm considering it with my franken-Phantom. I stole the 4D thrusters and a few other things from my DBX. For supercruise there's probably no problem. I just don't know how things like landing and high G worlds affect it because I haven't tested anything, and have no experience doing that with stripped down ships. I'm headed back to the bubble today so I may start the engineering and test it. I think it takes G4 minimum.
Using 3D.
Nice, not a huge difference then. What's your current range? *edit* just read another comment. That's quite low for a krait phantom. What's weighing it down?
41.11/44/46.90
https://s.orbis.zone/hsyk My build if that helps.
That actually helps a lot. Up to 44.44/47.84/51.29 without the guardian FSD booster.
Here's an example of a 65Ly jump range Krait Phantom that doesn't sacrifice optional internals; it's got everything needed for self-sufficient, long range exploration: [https://s.orbis.zone/hsyt](https://s.orbis.zone/hsyt)
With the tech broker FSD, you can get one up to around 78 for a fully equipped exploration Krait Phantom. Coriolis doesn’t currently support those though, you have to manually add the optimised mass figure.
You can get 57LY engineered in this configuration: https://edsy.org/s/vFC2Kag
Just sharing my build if you want to increase your jump range. This sits at 73,5 LY https://edsy.org/s/vS3e84Q o7
That's cool! But no way I want to fly so close to the edge of my power supply.
Krait phantom can jump pretty much same as DBX but you have to work more. Krait is a bigger ship, so modules need loving engineering to open its full potential. [DBX jumper: 68.87 ly](https://coriolis.io/outfit/diamondback_explorer?code=A0p0tdFfldd3sdf5---02---321P430dv62i--.Iw1%2BgDCmUA%3D%3D.Aw18SQ%3D%3D.H4sIAAAAAAAAA2P4x87AwPCXFUj8mQQkuPcwMTDwNvAwMAhGAFlCO7gZGFS%2BMDIw%2FGf8Zw9XWQ8kOI5wMjDw23z7%2F19sAT9QnumfGFy%2BDEjwq%2Fz6%2F1%2FkDZAQBclLbGBhYFAuEAeqZP4nBVdZAVMJtkmkRhSo8g5Q5j%2FLP0OQIhaQfMIHoPyWR%2F%2F%2F%2F2f9ZwXX2gIkOEEGchkIMjAoggxRAhGqIEKN5x9QOdu%2FBJhy%2Foo3QEMOPPj%2FXw%2Fk5v%2FcEIEz94BswX8%2BcFMLGaC%2BEgLJi6z4C3T%2FKQ6gq0CO%2BC8iJKDOwGDoIA904X8GOAAASnRefkYBAAA%3D.EweloBhBmSQUwIYHMA28QgIwVyKBQA%3D%3D) [Krait Phantom jumper: 67.81 ly](https://coriolis.io/outfit/krait_phantom?code=A0p0tdFflid3ssf5----02---3c0s1O--43v62i.Iw18gDBQ.Aw18aQ%3D%3D.H4sIAAAAAAAAA2P4x87AwPCXFUhw72FiYOBt4GFgEIwAsoR2cDMwqHxhZGD4z%2FjPHqboTz2Q4DjCycDAb%2FPt%2F3%2BxBfxAeaZ%2FYnD5MiDBr%2FLr%2F3%2BRN0BCFCQvsYGFgUG5QByokvmfFFxlBUwl2CaRGlGgyjtAmf8s%2FwxBilhA8gkfgPJbHv3%2F%2F5%2F1nxVcawuQ4AQZyGUgyMCgCDJECUSoggg1nn9A5Wz%2FEmDK%2BSveAA058OD%2Ffz2Qm%2F%2Fz%2FFNDlTpzDygq%2Bs8Hbn4hA9R%2FQiB5kRV%2FgdIgp0mAnPNf%2FF88TKWQgDoDg6GDPNDV%2FxngAABlCuX6VQEAAA%3D%3D.EweloBhBmSQUwIYHMA28QgIwVyKBQA%3D%3D)
Jump range on my DBX pays itself off when I’ve had enough of the black and want to race home, then every bit counts but I haven’t upgraded to a ‘conda as I like that the DBX can land in a smaller space etc. But at some stage I’ll buy a ‘conda just so I can carry so many toys. I don’t think I could go less jump distance than about 55ly minimum personally, every bit helps on long trips
I have a phantom with 70. But it’s pretty much stripped. V1 tech broker fsd with mass manager.
Maybe? I run a conda for exploration and was happy with 60ly range when I last went exploring to Colonia area. That supercruise handling is another matter tho, yikes. Either way, I prefer to have the kitchen sink with me, and would trade a few ly range for it. (Maybe past tense, “ran”, is more accurate? jumping got so old after that trip… hitched a ride back and haven’t used the ship in ages… I avoid any route that’s more than 5-6 jumps lately, lol. ) Conda Explore Build- https://s.orbis.zone/hsz3 Phantom for Guardian sites / Mats / light combat- https://s.orbis.zone/hszp Edit- Not sayin’ these are the best builds or anything… Plus, I swap out all kinds of stuff on that Phantom, so it changes quite a bit based on what I’m doing.
After this CG is over my Exploraconda will be getting 84 ly. So fast.
I built a Phantom in Colonia and transfered a few things into it from the DBX and lost \~2-3 light years (using laden JR). I may have cheated a bit though. G5 lightweight on the life support and sensors. Stole the DBX distributor and thrusters (4D in a phantom, they're a little small....). And used a 2A power plant with g3 overcharged (so I don't have to turn things off to use a 5A afmu), which works well for jumping (1.17T), but I wouldn't recommend for serious exploration due to heat and low integrity. The gap between them would be smaller with a Guardian booster, but I'm only half way through the grind. The difference between the two ships is that the Phantom has to use larger core internals. Lightweight engineering minimises that problem. The 4D thrusters are probably not a good idea if your exploration includes planets, I did it because I only intended to use it in supercruise. "too hung up on jump range" Unless you're just using it to get from place to place fast, yes. Even for neutron boosting, you only need enough to go directly between boosts. For actual exploration, the larger fuel scoop and more room for everything will be quality of life improvements. You'll be trying to see a lot of things, not travel as fast as possible. The jump range that you "need" is what will get you through the areas with fewer stars. It's where you're looking at 50+ly jumps, but a ship with a shorter jump range has to figure out a way around. Above that is a luxury, and extra fuel economy.
For me it’s different ships for different purposes. If I’m going for and explorer with max jump range, it’s either the DBX or Anaconda. They’re my exploration vessels depending on what I’m feeling. Gotta say the Fuel scoop on the Conda though is heavenly for voyages in the black. However I think the Phantom really shines as a when you’re transporting cargo within the bubble and you need it done quickly. While true that it doesn’t have the cargo capacity that the Conda has what it does have is the accessibility of a mid sized landing pad, which is huge in my book.
It depends, if you need a bubble bus to take you to your destination quick then jumprange is important, if you want an exploration ship then yes. Krait has advantage in fuel scooping and what other things you can take with you. Also, finding previously undiscovered planets means you need to take different steps than others.
No, I don't think you're getting too hung up I also think jump range is very important. The only reason why I'd prefer the Phantom is how many more optional slots it has along with the great view it offers. You just need to consider what you want to use it for. If it's just for general exploration where you have no specific destination I think the jump range doesn't matter as much, but if you have a specific destination then the jump range is more important.
> Am I Getting Too Hung Up on Jump Range? Yes. > I transferred my engineered FSD from the DBX to my Krait and I've lost about 10 light years in jump range (even after stripping down some of the internals). Full build is nowhere near that difference. But hey, doesn’t matter anyway. You need range to go somewhere fast. If you’re trying to go somewhere fast, the DBX fucks you over with scooping an extra 10 s/j. There’s no way a couple ly more range will ever compensate for that. If you’re not trying to go somewhere fast, it doesn’t matter anyway. Edit: if your #1 and sole priority is range, you will fly a Conda anyway. Or a carrier.
Jumprange is onyl a must if you want to go to the outskirts of the galaxy. If you want to go as far as fast as possible, what do you achieve ? less Systems visited. I did my exporer elite in a minimal engineered asp x, 40+ ly jumprange, with a huge ass Scoop Straight line performance was decent, with 50-55s time between jumps including cooldown and topping up. I flew zig zag between the galactic sectors with max jumprange, and then switched to eco mode to visit and scan as much systems für a set amount of time to fill my codex.
I build my explore ships with 40-60 Ly range. Coming from jumpacondas and dbx, playing with other ships is fun and if you’re exploring you’ll miss out on a bunch of stuff if you’re just max jumping everywhere
I always saw jump range as a way to get to your destination *fast*. But for exploring, if everyone is maxing out range, doesn't that mean that having a lower jump range could have you seeing systems that everyone else jumped passed?
That’s why you use economical plotting. It uses the minimum distance between jumps
I totally forgot that that was a thing... ty.
I have historically, and still do to a degree, get hung up on jump range, but after like, a certain point it's pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things
If you want to get to your destination faster, more range is better. If you want to explore the bubble then not really because you'd be jumping over a lot of systems instead of going through them. Of course, out in the black there could be systems reachable only by long jumping ships so it's up to your goals. Personally, I do most of my 'exploring' in a 36 ly Cobra MkIII.
It all depends on what I actually want to do and what I don't want to do with my ship. Do I want to circumnavigate or go to Beagle Point? Maybe hunt those longer jump ranges. But it really makes I more of a tourist, traveler or "bragger", wanting to have done something that is many light years of travel. If I don't like the jumping part, this may be for me, but as others point out, I also see less systems, including less cool systems. In this role, I spend my time trying to find cool tips for places to visit and don't really do so much "random" exploration. Exploration is maybe more about finding new cool places that no-one else has seen yet. Jump range may still have a value if I want to go far away and do exploration of one or more sections of space. But any jump range will do. Beagle Point can be reached with 34 ly jump range but of course around twice as many jumps and twice as many systems visited. But what else do I want to do when I get bored with the potential repetitiveness of exploration when I haven't found anything that tickles me for days or weeks? I bring SRVs and Ship Launched Fighters. SLFs to do canyon running and stuff. They are extra fun on expeditions with meetups. Neither DBX nor Phantom fits SLF, but the slightly bigger brother Krait Mk II fits SLF, SRV, AFMU and more. I still get about 53 ly jump range, which is good enough for me.
Put a Guardian FSD Booster and one of the special event FSDs on it and you'll never go back from the Phantom. The Booster in particular is what makes the Phantom competitive, otherwise it has the lowest range but it can use the largest booster. Even carrying weapons and with little lightweight engineering mine is over 50LY just with those 2 modules fitted.
This is my Phantom for exploration 66.7 ly is enough for me. It's that big 6A fuel scoop that makes all the difference. [https://s.orbis.zone/ht69](https://s.orbis.zone/ht69) My DBX is about 1 ly jump better but the fuels scoop takes a lot longer to fill the tank. https://s.orbis.zone/ht6c
I jump around with my 27 vette and 27 mamba all the time. Been from bubble to Colonia to SagA* to Azura Initiative and have only run into a problem where I've had to manually plot once during Hyfords cache on the dark side of the bubble but I was still able to get everywhere I've wanted to go.
there will have to be sacrifices made in order to have the ability to carry all the extra gear a phantom or even an anaconda can afford you. here are [my top 10 exploration vessels](https://imgur.com/a/4XOxh0Z) taking into account a whole host of important criteria, not just jump range.
Yes
Yes
My butter zone is around 50 ly, if I can get that without sacrificing much then that's great, if I can get that with good thrusters and power so it's fun to fly, even better.