Missions & Complexes

I've had good luck with sites in NPC null, particularly Outer Ring and Syndicate, with Outer Ring being the better of those two. NPC Delve is definitely 'meh.' Try several, and sneak into player-controlled areas, too.

There are a great number of nullsec residents who drop probes for a living, though (I'm one of them), so you have to be quick in determining if any of the signatures in a system are worth running, and, if not, rapidly moving on to the next one. You'll also want to fit your ship with as much cargo room as you can, so you don't have to run back to hisec so often.

Good luck, and keep us posted on how you do!

Ok just a quick feedback:

I'm still being very unlucky with nullsec exploration. I get poded on a regular basis, which is expected, but i havn't seen anything Worth looting.

More hints apreciated.

Timing is important. Also, regions vary in what they have to offer. Try to find good times of the day to explore in good regions. Never warp to a gate without doing a d-scan on it or combat probing it.

Try to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them. If you're getting podded on a regular basis you are making mistakes. I did null sec exploring and nothing else for a solid 3 months and I still do it once or twice a week now. You know how many times I've been podded? Zero.

I primarily drop probes for a living when in nullsec, so feel free to convo me if you see I'm online (add me to your contacts watchlist), or send me a message.

That said, I'm assuming you aren't yet flying a Cov Ops, so I'll base this in a pure T1 fit, and then include the T2 fit I use.

[Imicus, Imicus]
Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Data Analyzer I
Relic Analyzer I
Scan Rangefinding Array I

Prototype Cloaking Device I
Core Probe Launcher I
Salvager I

Small Emission Scope Sharpener I
Small Memetic Algorithm Bank I

Hobgoblin I x4
Hornet EC-300 x4

With all skills I, this has one PG left, so fitting is not an issue. The skills you want to train up most quickly are going to be the following:

Electronics V (for CPU)
Engineering IV (for powergrid)
Racial Frigate IV
Astrometric Rangefinding IV (scan strength - eventually, you want this to V, but it's a long grind)
Astrometric Pinpointing IV (scan deviation - I've got it here, works fine, but changes may be coming in the next patch)
Astrometric Acquisition III (see the comment for Pinpointing)
Archaeology IV (for Relic sites - this should be one of the first scanning skills to V, for T2 Analyzers)
Hacking IV (for Data sites - same comment as Archaeology)
Salvaging IV (lots of tasty wrecks out there!)

I recommend Hacking V over Archaeology V first, simply because I find more Data sites, and there's less competition for them, but get them both to V. Then comes Astrometrics V - that T2 probe launcher is WAY less expensive than that Sister's launcher.

Next is the worst - Astrometric Rangefinding V. Just grit your teeth, and get it done. You'll be glad you did.

Racial frigate V should come after that. I realize that, with all of this, you're probably Int/Mem spec'd, but, again, just do it.

This is what I use, and I'll explain why below:

[Anathema, Anathema]
Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II

1MN Microwarpdrive II
Data Analyzer II
Relic Analyzer II
Cargo Scanner II

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Expanded Probe Launcher II, Sisters Core Scanner Probe
Salvager II

Small Memetic Algorithm Bank I
Small Emission Scope Sharpener I

1. It can warp cloaked.
2. No fitting modules needed. This is important because:
3. Maximum cargo space. 3 low slots and no fitting modules equals 390 m3 of loot-carrying goodness. Yes, more risk carrying more loot, but fewer runs to hisec means fewer gate camps to sweat through, and more time spent scanning.

I have Cov Ops V, in addition to the skills outlined above, and, with this fit, I've never found a site I couldn't get a 100% return from.

I don't fit stabilizers, because, in all honesty, the only times I've lost these ships is when I was careless or made a mistake - fair play to those who reminded me of that.

It was not uncommon for me to return from Outer Ring or Syndicate to hisec with 300 million-plus in the hold, and this was before they made loot smaller - you can easily double that now, or even more - late US Sunday night seems to be best for making that run, if possible. Alternatively, just live out of an NPC station there - the markets aren't bad, and ISK in the wallet can't be blown up.

Important safety tips:

1. Always have a D-Scan window open. Use it whenever someone else is in local. Use it to check gates for bubbles and ships.
2. Have your overview set up properly. I use 3 tabs when scanning - one shows only planets, one shows ships, bubbles, and probes, and the last shows wrecks and rats. I have a fourth overview tab that is an 'ALL' tab, with everything selected. Use this when you encounter a bubble or gate camp - you don't want to be decloaked by a corpse.
3. Identify all of the sites in a system, at least as far as type. Gas sites, ignore. Wormholes, be wary of - but, if you're in player-controlled nullsec, and you've made a friend or two, make them aware of any you find. Combat sites - any you get a 33% or more on an 8 A.U. probe range, ignore - those are drone sites, and no one I know runs them. The rest, scan down. If you find a 6/10 or higher, bookmark it, and offer it to a few of the locals. If someone takes you up on the offer, put the bookmark in a can at a planet, and tell them where it is. Never meet directly, unless it's in a station. Do this a few times, and you'll make friends.
4. Clear any sites you run. All of the cans, even the worthless ones. This will despawn the site, and it will respawn somewhere else. I've had them pop up next door. If you scan a can, and it's junk or empty, either use it as practice, or just close the hacking window twice, boom, and gone.
5. Empty all cans you open. Just grab it all. Don't pick and choose. You have enough cargo space to hold it, and you can go to a planet and sit, cloaked, and sort it out LATER, in safety. Jettison the trash, and on to the next challenge.
6. Be friendly in local! I've made friends everywhere, even in enemy space (with neutrals, you understand, not the enemy) just by starting out with a friendly "o/" in local.
7. Very important - this ship MIGHT be able to run a Limited Sleeper Data Site, but, having tried it for the first time last evening, I wouldn't recommend it. It is completely unable to run ANY of the Covert Research Facility sites, don't even try it.

Look up Eve University, and consider joining for a while. If nothing else, go to their Wiki and learn about overview setup - that is absolutely critical, and will help you more than anything else I've said in this wall of text.

Good luck, and, as I said starting out, feel free to look me up, and ask questions. So long as I'm not in a fleet fight, I'll usually answer.

Consider going exploring in lowsec during the grind, and scanning down drones in FW space, in addition to sites. Decent ISK, and it's good practice, as well as something different.

Stick with a T1 frigate, though, as the T2's all take a significant hit to cargo capacity.

I like your post, but definitely disagree with the Covert Research Facility (ghost) site comment. The fits you posted have cargo scanners. Just scan the cans until you see what looks like good loot. MWD over to the can, hack it and warp out. Even without a cargo scanner you can just hack two random cans if your quick or one if your slow, then warp out. I even hack two cans with an afterburner fit heron in low sec (no cargo scanner). It's important to understand the ghost site mechanics though. Also, that imicus fit could very possibly fail hacking a good ghost site can in null sec which will result in ship loss.

It can be fun to pop a can on purpose if you catch a cov-ops in a ghost site.

Maynard, here you have a good guide for NS exploration:

[url]https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=303887[/url]