How to start makeing money by mining?

[Maximum1966]

Had this game only a week, cool but help is not easy. I'm try to put a mine on an asteroid, have followed a few guides to do it, but it seems some important info is missing. I get a passing TL ship to a shipyard, buy a mine station, goto a sector with asteroids in.... then it gets tough, I did buy a mineral scanner, but after approaching many asteroids, I was only able to scan one. The others just select and do nothing. Next, once the TL ship gets there and I try to get the mine out, it asks to select an asteroid....there are NO asteroids to choose from. So whats up with that? What am missing? ANY help would be great.

[jlehtone]

"Asteroids" are listed on the sector map just like stations, ships, and containers. If there is none on the map, then the sector has only "rock clusters".

[delray]

You can only put your mine on asteroids that are visible on the sector map (".").

What are you building, and where?

[Maximum1966]

I see, so those things labelled as 'asteroids' in Cloudbase Northwest, for example, are only rock clusters? This helps, since I assumed 'asteroid' meant asteroid and not 'rock cluster'.... thanx that helps....

[delray]

Cloudbase North West had no asteroids big enough to put a mine on. Smaller asteroids can be mined with mobile mining, but that's probably outside of your budget now.

For an early mining operation I'd suggest 2x Ore L and 2x Silicon L on the four biggest asteroids in Antigone Memorial (connect them into a complex for easier management). It'll earn you a lot of money and reputation. You can easily do million/hour, having one freighter buying ecells and two freighters sell produce using jumpdrive to nearby sectors (range 10-12, autojump yes, refuel 24, even without CAG).