Ships & Modules

I've been using a sub-optimal shield hurricane (passive regen) for exploration in hi-sec lately, and I'm wondering if there's some other T1 ship that can do it better and have space for analyzer/codebreaker and the probe launcher/salvager as well without gimping itself too much.

I'm mostly looking for BC class if possible, and no T2/T3 ship. Would an armour cane work for this or should I get a different ship for the job? I'm mainly doing exploration in Minmatar space so a laser ship would be somewhat suboptimal I believe. I don't mind crosstraining, just need something that works without being expensive (no faction mods).

As for fitting any suggestions would be welcome, as I don't have much experience with exploration.

Here's what I currently use:

[Hurricane, Sub-Optimal Exploration]
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Tracking Enhancer II
Tracking Enhancer II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II

10MN Afterburner II
Invulnerability Field II
Invulnerability Field II
Large Shield Extender II

720mm Prototype Siege Cannon, Fusion M
720mm Prototype Siege Cannon, Fusion M
720mm Prototype Siege Cannon, Fusion M
720mm Prototype Siege Cannon, Fusion M
720mm Prototype Siege Cannon, Fusion M
720mm Prototype Siege Cannon, Fusion M
Sisters Core Probe Launcher, Sisters Core Scanner Probe I
Salvager I

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Core Defence Field Purger I
Medium Core Defence Field Purger I


Warrior II x5

Stats:
Cap lasts 14m 45s with current skills without salvager running
Gun dmg is 227/2375 volley
Drone dmg 56
Speed is 461 m/s
Tank against angels is 184 ehp/s


The ancillary rig isn't needed any more so I'll probably swap it out if I'm going to continue using this ship. I know 720mm's aren't optimal for what I will do, but I haven't bothered getting new guns yet.

Don't have T2 gun skills yet, I know I should get that asap but currently hoping to cheat the BC skill getting racial so training all races with BC 5 to get the most of it before they split it up into 4 skills.

Use a myrm or a drake if you must use a BC.

Personally, for high sec, I prefer a cruiser due to squeezing into certain sites. I've recently been having success with a Legion.

I used to use an active tanked Cyclone for high-sec (and low sec) when I didn't want to use a Loki because they were cheaper than Hurricanes and get an active shield boost bonus (more CPU too). The 'important bits' are below. With my skills my combat cap time was 30 mins (ie not running the analyser, codebreaker, salvager, or tractor). I would put Tracking enhancers and gyros in the lows and arty guns in the highs. You also have a significant drone bay. The thing was overkill for high sec, in this example I left the rigs empty but you would probably want either CCCs if you energy skills are low or gravity rigs if you want faster scanning times. (or don't use rigs and pack this thing up when you are not using it )

An afterburner is a must for some sites because of the distances between the cans, but the small shield booster should be more than enough if you are moving.



[Cyclone, Hisec explorer]
[empty low slot]
[empty low slot]
[empty low slot]
[empty low slot]

Analyzer I
Codebreaker I
10MN Afterburner II
Small Shield Booster II
Invulnerability Field II

[empty high slot]
[empty high slot]
[empty high slot]
[empty high slot]
[empty high slot]
Small Tractor Beam I
Salvager I
Sisters Expanded Probe Launcher, Core Scanner Probe I


If you are just scanning with core probes don't bother with an expanded probe launcher and get back a bunch of CPU ( I used Deep Space Probes for speed, so I needed the bigger launcher). Above is a tight fit on CPU with bigger guns and mods, but if you use a non-expanded probe launcher you can pack a pretty powerful punch with five guns and four mods.

[Cyclone, Hisec explorer]
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Tracking Enhancer II
Tracking Enhancer II

Analyzer I
Codebreaker I
10MN Afterburner II
Small Shield Booster II
Invulnerability Field II

720mm Howitzer Artillery II, EMP M
720mm Howitzer Artillery II, EMP M
720mm Howitzer Artillery II, EMP M
720mm Howitzer Artillery II, EMP M
720mm Howitzer Artillery II, EMP M
Small Tractor Beam I
Salvager I
Sisters Core Probe Launcher, Core Scanner Probe I

Medium Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I
Medium Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I

As someone who does lots of high/low sec exploration it should be valuable to know that usually battlecruisers are too big to fit into most complexes in highsec. for highsec you need to keep to cruisers (any tech) or lower.

So, I may suggest to you to fit a navy issue cruiser if you cant fit a hac or a T3 ship. You'll be able to do alot more since you wont run into nearly as many 'your ship does not fit' messages. Nothings worse than spending alot of time looking for a scansite, finding one, and then realizing your ship cant enter.

hope that helps!

[Arbitrator, Empire]
Medium Armor Repairer II
Armor Hardener II
Armor Hardener II
Armor Hardener II

Large Capacitor Battery II
10MN Afterburner II
Analyzer II
Codebreaker II

Salvager II
Sisters Core Probe Launcher, Sisters Core Scanner Probe I
Medium Nosferatu II
Civilian Gun

Medium Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I
Medium Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I


Appropriate medium/light drones II x5


T1/named as needed to start, it's a tight fit on grid. Cheap faction hardeners and repper will push your tank high enough to work in any space, angel included. I started with this ship years ago and I still fly it regularly. You really can't beat it for cost to effectiveness ratio.

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Forgot to add where my scanning skills are currently (needs to be improved ofc)

Astrometrics 4 (so can't use DSP yet)
Astrometric Rangefinding 3
Astrometric Pinpointing 3
Astrometric Acquisition 2


I've noticed that I can't fit my cane in every site I find, so going down to cruiser hull might be better all in all. I'd want to fit a salvager/probe for highs and codebreaker/analyzer for for mids without gimping the ship too much, so the drake might be gimped a bit too much by that.

I'll never set foot in a T3 though, not because of the cost, but because I think they're a shipclass that should never have been introduced to EVE. I'd rather melt it down and build something else.


Been starting to notice how fast the sites are taken down lately. Sadly I can't use DSP yet so I haven't considered using the expanded launcher. Might have to work towards a fit which does.


Noticed this a couple times, but considering that an expanded launcher requires so much CPU I'm not certain which cruiser hull which is NOT T3 that can fit it and still pack a punch. I'm guessing I'll have to get a T2 at least, though I don't have much time to play so isk is tight whenever I buy something.


Don't think I can enter a lot of hisec exploration sites in a BS. There's already those I can't enter in a BC. If I'd be doing missions in a faction bs it would be optimal though.


This looks somewhat promising, cruiser hull yet able to fit salvager/probe launcher and codebreaker/analyzer which I'm after. Only question I got is would the Vexor do better or is the slot layout on the Arby better for exploration?


Finally exploration is somewhat a way for me to have a break from missions and being able to have an income during wars (which my alliance has at least 1/4 of the time). EVE is for me not about min/maxing to get the best income possible (would be doing trading then). It's about having fun, and isk/hour comes secondary to that at all times.