Elite Dangerous Scanning Guide by Grok: FSS, DSS, HUD Modes, Exploration

 It's very late tonight, and I haven't read this yet.  Going to post it here, and on EliteDangerousOver60 to give myself a couple of ways to read it in a few minutes when I'm relaxing for the night.
I'm not experienced enough to catch any flaws right off the bat, but as I work through Grok's advice, if something seems off, I'll come back and fix it.
Or, if you see something wrong, please leave a comment.  It'll save me learning the hard way...  :^)

Elite Dangerous Scanning Guide: FSS, DSS, HUD Modes, and Exploration

The scanning system in Elite Dangerous got a major overhaul with the Beyond Chapter 4 update (3.3, December 2018), making it more complex but also more rewarding. You might be feeling the shift if you haven’t explored in a while—don’t worry, I’ll break it down into a clear, step-by-step guide. This pulls from the web sources you linked (Reddit, Frontier Forums, Elite Dangerous Wiki, Myrmidon, Steam discussions) and others like CMDRs ToolBox and Deep Space Network, focusing on the essentials without the fluff.

Overview of Tools

• Discovery Scanner (DS): Built into every ship. “Honks” to reveal the system’s orbital plane and body count.
• Full Spectrum Scanner (FSS): Also built-in. Used in Analysis Mode to scan and identify all bodies (planets, moons, signal sources) from anywhere in the system.
• Detailed Surface Scanner (DSS): Optional module (Class 1, ~250k credits). Fires probes to map planets, revealing points of interest (POIs) and boosting cartographic payouts.
• HUD Modes: Combat Mode (default) vs. Analysis Mode (for scanning). Switch between them to use FSS/DSS.

Step 1: Set Up Controls

Before scanning, ensure your keybindings are set—defaults can be blank or unintuitive (a common complaint since 3.3). Check Options → Controls:

• Mode Switches:
  • “Switch HUD Mode” (Combat to Analysis): Bind to a key (e.g., “H”).
  • “Enter FSS Mode” (to open FSS): Often “’” or “Backspace”—bind it.
  • “Leave FSS Mode”: Bind separately (same key can work).
• Full Spectrum Scanner:
  • “FSS Tuning” (left/right): Bind to keys (e.g., A/D) or mouse axis.
  • “FSS Zoom In/Out”: Bind (e.g., mouse wheel).
  • “Target Current Signal”: Bind (e.g., “T”) to lock onto bodies.
• Detailed Surface Scanner:
  • “Yaw/Pitch”: Bind to mouse or keys for aiming probes.
  • Assign DSS to a fire group (e.g., Fire Group 1, primary fire).
• Fire Groups:
  • DS: Fire Group 1, secondary fire (for “honk”).
  • DSS: Fire Group 1, primary fire (for probes).

Tip: If controls feel clunky (e.g., DSS reticle not picking up small mouse movements), increase sensitivity in Options → Controls → Mouse Settings. For FSS, analog controls (sticks) can be finicky—use keyboard/mouse for precision.

Step 2: Enter the System and Honk (Discovery Scanner)

1. Jump In: Arrive in a new system (e.g., near HIP 20187, ~65 LY from Lembava).
2. Fuel Scoop (Optional): Park near the star to scoop, but move ~100 Ls away to avoid obscuring smaller bodies.
3. Switch to Analysis Mode: Press your “Switch HUD Mode” key (e.g., “H”). HUD turns blue—scanners are active.
4. Honk (Discovery Scanner): In supercruise, throttle to 0 (30 km/s minimum). Fire the DS (Fire Group 1, secondary fire). It charges for 5 seconds, then “honks,” revealing the orbital plane and total body count (e.g., “18 bodies detected”) in the top-right HUD.

Why: The honk populates the FSS with signals to scan. Without it, FSS won’t work.

Step 3: Scan the System with FSS (Full Spectrum Scanner)

1. Enter FSS Mode: In Analysis Mode, throttle to 0, press “Enter FSS Mode” (e.g., “’”). The FSS interface opens—a radio telescope view with a reticle and tuning bar (low to high frequency, left to right).
2. Initial Pulse: FSS auto-pulses every few seconds, highlighting signals (blue blips). Or manually pulse (e.g., middle mouse button—check bindings).
3. Tune Frequencies:
   • Move the reticle (mouse) to a blue blip.
   • Adjust the tuning bar (A/D or mouse axis) to match the signal’s frequency. Low frequencies (left) are small bodies (moons, signals); high frequencies (right) are large bodies (gas giants, stars).
   • Arrows around the reticle guide you: symmetrical arrows mean you’re tuned; asymmetrical means adjust. A dashed circle becomes solid when tuned correctly.
4. Zoom and Scan:
   • Zoom in (mouse wheel) on the solid circle until the body/signal resolves (e.g., “High Metal Content World”).
   • If it’s a cluster (e.g., moons around a gas giant), zoom again to scan each body.
   • Scanned bodies are marked “Discovered” in the System Map. Top-right counter updates (e.g., “10/18 bodies scanned”).
5. Target Bodies: Press “Target Current Signal” (e.g., “T”) to lock onto a body for DSS or navigation.
6. Finish: When the tuning bar is empty and the counter reads “18/18,” you’ve scanned everything. Exit FSS (“Leave FSS Mode”).

Tips:

• Most bodies are on the orbital plane—scan there first. Check deep space for outliers (e.g., distant moons).
• FSS identifies body types: Earth-likes, water worlds, ammonia worlds, and terraformable high metal content (HMC) worlds are high-value (500k-1.2M credits each, per Reddit’s exploration values). Icy bodies are low-value (~50k credits)—skip DSS on those unless terraformable.
• FSS also finds signal sources (e.g., degraded emissions for salvage). Tune to the far left for human signals (blue spheres, not yellow).

Why: FSS gives you a system overview without flying to each body, saving time. It’s key for spotting high-value planets to DSS.

Step 4: Map High-Value Planets with DSS (Detailed Surface Scanner)

1. Equip DSS: Ensure a DSS is installed (Class 1 optional module, ~250k credits). Buy at stations like Wolf 1453 if you don’t have one.
2. Select Target: In the System Map or Nav Panel, target a high-value body (e.g., Earth-like, water world, terraformable HMC). Nav Panel marks unscanned bodies as “Unexplored”—no marker for DSS’d bodies, so check System Map to confirm.
3. Fly Close: In supercruise, approach the body:
   • Gas giants: Within a few light-seconds (Ls).
   • Smaller bodies (moons, icy): Within 1,000-2,000 km.
   • Throttle to 0 (30 km/s) when in range.
4. Activate DSS: In Analysis Mode, fire the DSS (Fire Group 1, primary fire). A third-person interface opens, showing the planet and a probe counter (e.g., “Efficiency Target: 6 probes”).
5. Fire Probes:
   • Aim probes to cover 90% of the surface. Fire at different angles:
     • First 4-5 probes: Hit the front side at cardinal points (top, bottom, left, right).
     • Final 1-2 probes: Aim wide (reticle says “Miss”), then pull back slightly to arc around and hit the back side.
   • DSS auto-fills to 100% once 90% is mapped.
   • Smaller bodies (moons) need 1-3 probes; larger ones (gas giants) need 10-15.
6. Check POIs: At 100%, the top-right info box shows POIs (e.g., Guardian sites, geological sites). These appear in the Nav Panel for landing.
7. Repeat: Move to the next high-value body. Skip low-value bodies (icy, rocky) unless terraformable.

Tips:

• Engineer the DSS to Grade 5 (Expanded Probe Scanning Radius) at a Human Tech Broker—reduces probes needed (e.g., 15 to 10 for gas giants), per Reddit.
• Efficiency bonus: Use fewer probes than the target (e.g., 5 instead of 6) for extra credits.
• Rings: Fire 1 probe per ring division (e.g., A, B, C rings need 3 probes total) to find mining hotspots.

Why: DSS mapping boosts payouts (e.g., Earth-like: 1.2M credits FSS-only, 3.6M with DSS, per Reddit). It also reveals POIs for on-foot exploration (Odyssey expansion).

Step 5: Sell Data and Earn Tags

1. Travel: Fly 20+ LY from the scanned system (e.g., to Wolf 1453, ~20 LY from HIP 20187).
2. Sell: At a station, go to Station Services → Universal Cartographics → Sell Page. Sell all data at once.
3. Tags:
   • First to FSS a body: “Discovered By” tag with your CMDR name.
   • First to DSS: “First Mapped By” tag. Must sell data to claim tags.
4. Payouts (per Reddit’s exploration values, rounded):
   • Earth-like: 1.2M (FSS), 3.6M (DSS).
   • Water world: 600k (FSS), 1.8M (DSS).
   • Terraformable HMC: 300k (FSS), 900k (DSS).
   • Icy body: 50k (FSS), 150k (DSS)—skip unless terraformable.

Why: Selling data earns credits and Explorer rank progress. First-discovery tags are a bragging right—Georgie Girl’s legacy!

Step 6: Tips for Efficiency and Safety

• Prioritize: FSS all bodies, DSS only high-value ones (Earth-likes, water worlds, terraformables). Skip icy unless terraformable.
• Safety: In Analysis Mode at 0 throttle, you’re a sitting duck (30 km/s in supercruise). Your shielded Cutter can tank NPCs, but watch for CMDR pirates in populated systems. Switch to Combat Mode to check surroundings.
• System Map: Use it to track scanned bodies—Nav Panel lacks a “DSS’d” marker, a common annoyance (Steam discussions).
• Corsair Build: If you get the Corsair tomorrow, outfit it: DSS, fuel scoop, SRV bay, 30+ LY jump range. It’ll be perfect for scouting unclaimed systems.

Why: Efficiency maximizes credits per hour. Safety ensures you don’t lose unsold data (it’s lost if you’re destroyed).