MFE losing more than it gets, Any tips?

[gavjenks]

Then how can he gain a surplus (however slight) with 33 instead of yout 144 panels?

The way he did that was by using a copper cable. Copper cable carries 32 EU/tick. Thus, even though the energy link wants 72 constantly, his system bottlenecks it to 32.

Thus, when he added a 33rd panel, it started to create a surplus, because no more could go through the copper.

That is a solution I didn't think of. However, his quarry is probably now running at a lower speed than it would if he didn't restrict the input to the energy link.

ALSO, he said "and I'm screwed at night time" which of course he would be. Even if using the copper cable trick, you'd still need 32*2 = 64 to break even 24 hours a day. Thus requiring 65 panels to have a surplus in the long term.

[Omicron]

Erm, no that's not how IC2 works.

Copper cables carry packets of up to 32 EU in size, and an infinite number of them in parallel.

Each solar panel produces one packet per tick, sized 1 EU.

That means that a single copper cable can carry power from an infinite amount of solar panels without ever bottlenecking.

Now, storage devices and transformers have output limits, as far as transmissions to a single source go (they do of course transfer independently to however many sources ask power, unless it's a transformer, which is limited to 4xdown or 1x up). But, the MFE's single transfer limit is 128 EU/t, much higher than the amount of power the solar panels produce. The LV Transformer can output up to 32 EU/t to a single source, so this would be a likely candidate, and the 32->33 step looks almost too fitting to be a coincidence. However, he has two LV Transformers running, so the Energy Link should be able to ask for 2x 32 EU/t if it can use that much.

Unless, of course, only one of the transformers is actually hooked to the Energy Link. The screenshot he uploaded makes it look like they both feed the same cable though.

[gavjenks]

Yes fine, whatever. The transformer bottlenecks it technically, not the wires.

It's an entirely academic point for most people in 99% of circumstances, since you will pretty much never normally end up with multiple packets per tick going through a wire unless you intentionally are doing that.

Edit: just double checked. MV array --> MFE --> Energy link

provides 56 EU/tick charging the MFE, even when the link is connected to nothing, just as expected (link drains 72 if it can at all times)

[NinjaStyle]

Use solar arrays.

[gavjenks]

Use solar arrays.

Solar arrays are not really particularly better, if you aren't confined to a small space, and if you only have tens of panels.

They don't deliver any extra power, and they cost more (you have to pay for the transformers in the recipe AND for Mv and HV, yet another transformer to step the voltage down for your machines).

[Teraku]

Solar arrays are not really particularly better, if you aren't confined to a small space, and if you only have tens of panels.

They don't deliver any extra power, and they cost more (you have to pay for the transformers in the recipe AND for Mv and HV, yet another transformer to step the voltage down for your machines).

They are more compact, though. And because the packet size is larger, you can carry them longer distances without losing all of it.

[gavjenks]

They are more compact, though

Yes... that's why I said "they aren't really better if you're not confined to a small space." Compact doesn't matter much otherwise.

And because the packet size is larger, you can carry them longer distances without losing all of it.

True about the distance, but it's not because of packet size, and it's also irrelevant. With tin cable, and nothing but tin cable, you can power a single MFSU with zero energy loss for up to 3280 solar panels (going out to 40 blocks away in all directions).

Who would actually have a need for more then 3280 panels? You'd get your quantum armor in like 5 minutes and then just have stacks of UU filling whole chests in a few hours.

[Teraku]

Yes... that's why I said "they aren't really better if you're not confined to a small space." Compact doesn't matter much otherwise.

True about the distance, but it's not because of packet size, and it's also irrelevant. With tin cable, and nothing but tin cable, you can power a single MFSU with zero energy loss for up to 3280 solar panels (going out to 40 blocks away in all directions).

Who would actually have a need for more then 3280 panels? You'd get your quantum armor in like 5 minutes and then just have stacks of UU filling whole chests in a few hours.

True, true. But trust me, 8 players with 64 solar panels each is going to lag A LOT more than 8 players with 1 MV Array each. It really helps in SMP. Not sure why people would play Tekkit in SSP, though. There's Technic for that.

The point is that transformers aren't very expensive, and converting panels to arrays will basically make it easier to move stuff around.

[NinjaStyle]

Yeah so this thread is just about OP learning that quarries & energy links are fat kids with eu.

mfw powering 10 refineries off 1 hv solar array