Use lava generators as backup ONLY?

[Tyrindor]

I can't seem to figure anything out on my own.

Anyway...

I have 12 thermal generators that pull lava from the nether, i've managed to drain 3 entire lava lakes.. getting tired of moving my pump. The power isn't even really needed, but I like it as a backup. I have 2 highest tier solar panels that can generally keep things running 99% of the time, but my lava engines love to run constantly in attempt to fill that 2-3EU that's always being drained from a mass fabricator and some other machines. My solar panels don't need the help unless it's night time.

Is there any automatic way to allow my MFSUs to charge from my solar panels, and ONLY if I go below a certain threshold kick on the thermal generators?

 

[Mjw]

Could have it emit a restone signal if empty and have that turn on the lava although need a delay or it'll just turn on and off constantlly

 

[YX33A]

I'd set the engines to power a energy storage thing of some kind, and instead of using some kind of automatic trigger, just make a manual trigger for them(as in, the engines only run when they can power the Batbox, for example, and the batbox is set to only emit power when it receives a redstone signal, or failing that, if they run anyway, for some reason, only give them fuel when you need them to run).

Of course, this suits my play style like a good suit.

 

[Greyed]

Yes, it'll take 2 energy storage devices. Have the geos and panels dump into one which then chains into the second. The one the geos/panels are hooked into emits a redstone signal when full. The other one emits a redstone signal when empty. Route them through a *cough*cough* logic gate which will emit a redstone signal when it gets the empty signal until it receives the full signal.

What this will do is only turn on the geos when the primary battery is full. They will run until the secondary battery is full and then stop. Since the panels are also feeding into the system this will only occur when there is a prolonged spike in energy usage.

As for the exact logic gate I'm not sure off the top of my head which to use. I'd have to load up an old world of mine where I did the same thing with my MJ power. RS Latch or Toggle Latch. I think it is RS Latch.

 

[Ako_the_Builder]

If I was trying to do this (going from top of head here): 2 mfsu's one on solars (mfsu1) with redstone set to emit when empty, other on thermals (mfsu2) redstone set to do not output, redpower state cell and not gate between. Not gate keeps the redstone on mfsu2 unless it's needed, state cell set to 5 mins or so so the input from mfsu doesn't just feather.

 

[KirinDave]

1. Set up your thermals to fill an MFSU that feeds the rest of your power system.
2. Have this MFSU emit a redstone signal when empty.
3. Use an MFR RedNet or RP2 state cell to lengthen the pulse of that output to 10m or so.
4. Rig that stabilized redstone signal to an enabling line for generators. For example, it could power a liquiduct.

 

[Tyrindor]

I don't get state cells. Or NOT gates. Or any of these devices... They just don't work for me. I set them up rotate them, and then they are still aiming the signal to the wrong side, so I move them to the other side of the liquiduct.. and then they don't work at all.. with the EXACT same setup/rotation.

I need pictures or something I avoid these things because I just can't get them to work. The inputs/outputs just aren't labelled well enough. Right now its MFSU > output when empty > cables > state cell right next to the liquiduct under lava tank. The state cell is just not working right. It gets a signal, does its timer.. but then it will never do it again until I break it or rotate it 4 times back to it's exact same position.

 

[Ako_the_Builder]

when it gets a signal into the bottom, the signal to the left will be on for the length of time you have preset on the timer

So in the pic here, red block at bottom is a liquid detector (puts out redstone signal when liquid level touches it), when the detector switches on it triggers the state cell, that sends a redstone signal left to turn the tesseract off for 180 seconds (the time I set it to).

edit: hope the pic doesn't confuse more than it helps, it was the nearest cell to me when I read the latest posts in the thread. It's providing the same function, just stopping a pump feathering on and off instead of an mfsu.

 

[KirinDave]

I don't get state cells. Or NOT gates. Or any of these devices... They just don't work for me. I set them up rotate them, and then they are still aiming the signal to the wrong side, so I move them to the other side of the liquiduct.. and then they don't work at all.. with the EXACT same setup/rotation.

Become stronger. These things are well documented.

 

[Tyrindor]

when it gets a signal into the bottom, the signal to the left will be on for the length of time you have preset on the timer

So in the pic here, red block at bottom is a liquid detector (puts out redstone signal when liquid level touches it), when the detector switches on it triggers the state cell, that sends a redstone signal left to turn the tesseract off for 180 seconds (the time I set it to).

View attachment 4350

edit: hope the pic doesn't confuse more than it helps, it was the nearest cell to me when I read the latest posts in the thread. It's providing the same function, just stopping a pump feathering on and off instead of an mfsu.

Thanks I think I figured it out, I thought the timer would start as soon as a red stone signal is applied.. but the signal has to be applied then removed for the timer to start, so it makes sense now.

Become stronger. These things are well documented.

Almost everything documented about this game assumes I know more than I actually do and assumes i've been playing for months/years. They explain one device, but then skip explaining everything else even though its crucial. I've watched a dozen of videos on certain things and still couldn't figure them out, ultimately giving up on them. It's insanely hard for new players to get into this game because everyone assume you know stuff that are consider "the basics". One question leads to 3 more which leads to 3 more. =/

I have to play by myself because every single friend I recommend the game to quits because it's too complex and "they shouldn't have to spend hundreds of hours learning how stuff works before they can do anything cool". I'm almost positive 99% of people learn the majority of their knowledge from other people in the game. Being taught something in the game is so much easier than watching a video that you only halfway understand.

Ultimately, I could always find a server and join it.. but I really don't like playing with people I can't trust. I end up posting on here 3-4x a time asking for help and honestly im nearing the point where i'm starting to agree with my friends. After ~100 hours or so, I still feel like I am a complete noob and don't understand the majority of the things in the game.

 

[KirinDave]

Almost everything documented about this game assumes I know more than I actually do and assumes i've been playing for months/years. They explain one device, but then skip explaining everything else even though its crucial.

Dude, RedPower2 is super well documented. Each piece of redpower logic is documented pretty well over at the technic wiki, including what side does what. For example, state cells.

I've watched a dozen of videos on certain things and still couldn't figure them out, ultimately giving up on them. It's insanely hard for new players to get into this game because everyone assume you know stuff that are consider "the basics". One question leads to 3 more which leads to 3 more. =/

Rather than crying about how you don't get it, spend your time on this forum asking specific questions. I gave you a build that does pretty much exactly what you want to do (keep a reserve of power via a lava engine), and I'd be happy to show you how to build it if you asked.

I have to play by myself because every single friend I recommend the game to quits because it's too complex and "they shouldn't have to spend hundreds of hours learning how stuff works before they can do anything cool". I'm almost positive 99% of people learn the majority of their knowledge from other people in the game. Being taught something in the game is so much easier than watching a video that you only halfway understand.

Here's the trick with bringing people into modded minecraft, because I've made this mistake too. Describe some of the stuff you know you can do at a high level. "Oh yeah, we could make a mine or a secret base, or breed bees and set up a farm, or make an inter-dimensional mining ship." Set a goal and then only expose exactly what you need for that goal. Don't be afraid to stick to vanilla. Never dare utter the word "efficiency".

Vanilla minecraft is super fun, and just getting a few things beyond it is MORE than enough for the start. I've played easily over 300 hours of vanilla minecraft with friends.

After ~100 hours or so, I still feel like I am a complete noob and don't understand the majority of the things in the game.

So people tell me I know a bunch about modded minecraft. The people I play with routinely answer really tricky questions with fabulously clever solutions on this forum. We still all teach each other stuff we don't know and find surprising new tricks. Part of the fun of Modded Minecraft is that you can be a noob at it for months and months. If you get bored of what you're doing, there is a totally new thing you can try doing! But there is no absolute score; you can be cooking your ores in furnaces and living in a dirt hut and if that is awesome to you, then congratulations: You Win Minecraft.

Stop for a moment and tell yourself, "The score is how much fun I'm having." The goal is not "amass the most metals most efficiently" or "have the biggest thaumcraft node." Those are just bits on a hard drive. What's important is that you enjoyed building something. Or maybe blowing something up.