Thermal Expansion MJ Issues

Saamoz

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Jul 29, 2019
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I know that with the new Thermal Expansion, it's powered with RF, with a 10:1 conversion ratio to MJ. I'm trying to power some machines from Forestry that use MJ, specifically a carpenter, and I'm sacrificing energy for simplicity. My only problem is that I'm sacrificing more energy than I would like. I've hooked my carpenter up to my leadstone conduits and put some coal into my steam dynamo, and my energy cell keeps draining. I tend to use IC2 because of its renewable power as I'm not yet advanced enough for a stable TE power source, and this is sapping my resources quite significantly, as the carpenter draws energy even when it's not being used. I know it's the carpenter because I've broken the cables and the power stopped draining. My question is this: is there any switch pipe-like mechanism similar to the one from IC2 or any other solutions to save my power drainage? Anything overly elaborate is fine, as I'm that type of guy as long as it doesn't take too many resources; I'm still quite early game. Thanks!
 

Omegatron

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Mar 29, 2013
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Energy cells can be set to respond to redstone signal so you could have one that only powers the carpenter and is turned off when you don't need it. Other alternatives could be TE terrain smashers and autonomous activators (probably linked by item conduit) or Tinkers Mechworks drawbridges. Turtles would work as well but would require a bit of programming.
 
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PierceSG

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Jul 29, 2019
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You can set the REC's redstone signal requirement to high so energy will only flow out when you power it with redstone signal.
 
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WTFFFS

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I like EnderIO switch conduits (I like EnderIO conduits period, well for anything other than items TE ducts are nicer for that imo) a switchable power pipe is one thing I have missed since 1.2.5 think it was in additional buildcraft objects? or one of those added pipes addons in any case.
 

Saamoz

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Jul 29, 2019
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Energy cells can be set to respond to redstone signal so you could have one that only powers the carpenter and is turned off when you don't need it. Other alternatives could be TE terrain smashers and autonomous activators (probably linked by item conduit) or Tinkers Mechworks drawbridges. Turtles would work as well but would require a bit of programming.
If I set the Energy Cell to require high energy, when the signal is off, will all my TE machines be powerless also? I want them to continue running without the carpenter draining energy.
 

Bagman817

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Jul 29, 2019
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If I set the Energy Cell to require high energy, when the signal is off, will all my TE machines be powerless also? I want them to continue running without the carpenter draining energy.
Yes, if the energy cell is not outputting, none of the machines 'downstream' will receive power. Off the top of my head, I can think of two solutions. First, a clever, fiddly solution would be to place the carpenter at the end of the machine line, and add a second energy cell before it. That way, you can exclude the carpenter only when not in use, while still running your TE machines. A second, and for my money, easier, solution would be to just get a few more engines up and running. One trip to the nether with a lava pump and an ender tank should solve your power problems for quite some time, certainly long enough to get a steam boiler up and running.
 

WTFFFS

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Second energy cell and a gate to allow for use of the "has work=redstone signal" conditional would be a decent enough setup not sure if TE machines have conditionals themselves but if they did you could use structure pipes and pipe wire to give all machines that gate conditional which means none will draw unless they have work, completely pointless for TE machines unless you must run a single energy cell and given how cheap the low tier cells are why would you?

(probably also good practice if you want to ever run a bc laser array those things idle with greater usage than a lot of other machines use flat out)
 
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Saamoz

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Jul 29, 2019
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I guess I'll just use the double leadstone cell system. I don't want another renewable energy source system because the whole reason that I'm doing this is to get some Forestry infrastructure set up for a Forestry multifarm tree farm with steam dynamos. Until CovertJaguar adds some switch cable-type system or even iron pipe functionality except with conduits, this will have to do.


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DeathOfTime

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Jul 29, 2019
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I just hit the pipe going into the machines with a crescent hammer...think that is the name...shuts off the connection and thus the power flow.....not very elegant. I am to lazy to come up with something better though.
 
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Saamoz

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Jul 29, 2019
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I just hit the pipe going into the machines with a crescent hammer...think that is the name...shuts off the connection and thus the power flow.....not very elegant. I am to lazy to come up with something better though.

Yeah, I was thinking of getting a turtle and a button to automate that, but I don't think it's really worth it.


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Algester

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I guess I'll just use the double leadstone cell system. I don't want another renewable energy source system because the whole reason that I'm doing this is to get some Forestry infrastructure set up for a Forestry multifarm tree farm with steam dynamos. Until CovertJaguar adds some switch cable-type system or even iron pipe functionality except with conduits, this will have to do.


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uhhh forestry is by sengir unless your talking about MJs then yes its now covertjaguar but yes a double lead stone system is what you actually need unless your feeding steam turbines with steam from RC boilers then you should have no much problems with energy drain unless your also running lasers and refineries on the same system and AE else, have 2 energy cell preferable one of them is a redstone energy at least
 

MigukNamja

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Yeah, I was thinking of getting a turtle and a button to automate that, but I don't think it's really worth it.

With the Carpenter, Therm Fab, and BC Laser, and most other drain machines, chances are you will either use them on a small-volume on-demand basis (tubes, circuits, gates) or else will keep them constantly running (Impregnated Sticks). A simple wrenching of the conduit connection is probably the best use of time.