AlignPlaneMFD Can BaseSyncMFD provide the necessary Elements to Align Plane MFD?

[blixel]

When using BaseSyncMFD to eliminate the distance to the base, I orient the vessel according to the direction indicated at the end of the PlC line (it shows (+) or (-) for normal or anti-normal respectively) and then fire the main engines when Tn is the same value as PlC. So if PlC says 26.265s, I orient the vessel and then wait until Tn reaches 26.

This seems to work, but I was wondering if I could have Align plane MFD tell me when to fire the engines? Sometimes I will use the Inc. and LAN provided by TransX to fill in the Elements (pressing the ELS button) in Align plane so that I know when to fire the engines. I was wondering if I can do the same thing with BaseSyncMFD?

BaseSyncMFD gives me the LAN, but I don't see where it gives the Inclination. I thought that, maybe, EqI or Lat would be the same as Inc., but that doesn't seem to be the case. In my testing, when I provide the EqI or Lat value as the inclination, Align plane gives me a RInc that is way off.

This isn't a big deal really. Waiting until Tn reaches the PlC number seems to work just fine, but I was thinking if I could use Align plane MFD to get a confirmation for the right time to fire that it would be nice to have that confirmation.

Edit: If this is a "dumb question" (for the fact that the base is at a fixed position, as opposed to being an orbital body), then I apologize for being so ignorant on the matter.

 

[Tommy]

It's actually a bit better to wait until Tn = 1/2 PlC - that centers the burn on the node.

As for AlignPlanes - I think it uses the ecliptic frame for Inc and LAN, while BaseSync uses the equatorial frame. This would explain the RInc error.

 

[blixel]

It's actually a bit better to wait until Tn = 1/2 PlC - that centers the burn on the node.

Ah, ok - so in that regard, that part works just like Align plane MFD. Good to know.

As for AlignPlanes - I think it uses the ecliptic frame for Inc and LAN, while BaseSync uses the equatorial frame. This would explain the RInc error.

Hmm... so there's no way to get the necessary information out of BaseSyncMFD for Align plane MFD?

 

[Tommy]

Hmm... so there's no way to get the necessary information out of BaseSyncMFD for Align plane MFD?

Only if you convert the info from equatorial frame to ecliptic frame. I'm sure there's a formula for that - but I couldn't tell you what it is.

Also, the nodes shown in BaseSync aren't the same as the nodes shown in AlignPlanes - nodes in BaseSync are either at the equator or 90 degrees from the base. Nodes in AlignPlanes are at the intersection of the orbital planes - and a stationary object doesn't stay in an orbital plane the way vessels do.

I'd suspect you are out of luck - but the burns don't need to be perfectly at the nodes when syncing with a base. The only real important factor is the Distance.

 

[blixel]

I'd suspect you are out of luck - but the burns don't need to be perfectly at the nodes when syncing with a base. The only real important factor is the Distance.

Thanks for the replies. It was just one of those points of curiosity more than a practical need.