Missions & Complexes

Hello, I recently started scanning for some data and relic sites but whenever I encounter a cosmic anomaly, there are 2 options: I scan it down within 3 to 4 scans or I can't even get it to 30% after half an hour of moving this little red dot in space an inch from side to side. What can I do to... well, at least be able to scan some apparently unscannable for me sites?

(I'm currently scanning with Gnosis with basic probes and core probe launcher)

Astrometrics 3
Astrometric Acquistion 2
Astrometric Rangefinding 2

I'm alpha so I can't train them higher

If you can't train higher skills then you could add the mid-slot scanning modules. Using sisters core scanning probes and a sisters probe launcher will increase your scanning ability. I'm not sure if alpha's can use them but there are also scanning bonus implants.

If you plan to scan much, just invest in an AR-806 (requires cybernetics 3, which I believe is in the alpha set). If it's too expensive let me know and I might be able to make one appear for you.

Otherwise, yeah, sisters launcher, sisters probes, and mid-slot rangefinding modules.

There may still be some sites (superior sleeper caches for sure) that you won't be able to pin but that should get you through most of what's out there.

It is very rare that I find any sites that I can't scan down with enough determination. I am also an Alpha, and I am not running very expensive ships either. Mostly it is a natter practice and deciding if it is worth my time to scan down what could be a terrible disappointment. Today I just discovered something new: if you have a site at about ~85%, are already at 0.25 AU, and seem perfectly centred already, try holding CTRL while clicking and dragging the bubble. This allows you to collapse the formation even tighter around the site when you know where it is but just need a little more signal strength to be able to warp into it.

More often than giving up on scanning down the site, I either scan down piles of stuff I don't want (wormholes) and then leave the system or I spend ages scanning down a relic/data site for a truly disappointing haul.


I found one of these by accident once. Warping in was a mistake, but a lesson learned: if you are a newbro alpha, and the site has "covert" in the name then DO NOT TOUCH.

Depends, it's hard but not all of them are unscannable.
I can scan down limited sleeper caches with a gnosis and basic probes and the current alpha skills and a few of those scan boosting modules that alphas can use. Can't remember which one.
I've gotten a superior sleeper site in high sec to about 76-77% but that was without my scanning modules.
Currently using sisters probes but haven't had anything tough to scan lately just normal stuff.

That was also with my old formation.
I was using a slightly modified spread formation where the top and bottom probe are farther apart so they're more equal to the distance of the other 6 proves.
The pinpoint formation is fine for conventional stuff but it's not optimum. I theorize the central probe throws off the scan and is overall weaker because its 5 surrounding probes instead of the spreads 6.
The limited sleeper cache i mentioned above is an example of this. With crappy skills pinpoint is not gonna work. It will get it to 98.something percent. The last 1-2% can be squeezed out of better probe formations.

A little rambly but a limited cache can be scanned down by alphas with crappy skills if youre willing to use all the available stuff to max out your scans, stacking penalties don't really matter there on the mods.
Dropping 30m on a sisters scanner will do it too. Just talking about limited though.
If it's a superior or some other fancy site you can usually tell after a few tries that you won't scan it and he should just move on and pass the info to someone else.