Copioincollo un intervento dal forum ufficiale ad opera di un tipo russo che poi ha deciso di togliere tutto (boh), purtroppo non mi ricordo il nome... Credito a lui comunque, io per ora l'ho sempre trovata affidabile
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Unidentified Signal Sources: A Complete Guide
I. What is USS
Unidentified Signal Source (USS) - navigational point which randomly appears in space during supercruise. It can be targeted (either manually with "Target" key or via Navigation tab) and used as a supercruise exit point to various game events. These events are used for missions and material gathering.
This guide's aim is to gather all the information about this particular feature. This guide does not feature info about surface points of interest (PoI), or persistent signal sources (nav beacons, RES, CZs, CQC stations, debris fields and other such places).
II. Supercruise
Supercruise - it's a way of FTL travel across star system in Elite Dangerous. Its speed depends on player ship's proximity to celestial bodies (stars, planets, moons, asteroid belts), and varies from 30 km\sec (zero throttle) to a max of 2000 Ls\sec (full throttle, no celestial objects nearby). Player's ship can limit supercruise speed if player selected a non-ship target (basically anything except NPC or other player). Supercruise is a separate instance - players and NPCs flying in supercruise cannot see players and NPCs in normal space, and vice versa.
In supercruise, star system is divided into several areas. Player can see area they're currently in at the lower left HUD panel (system\target information). The areas are the following:
- Sphere of Influence (SoI)* - Area around celestial bodies and around space stations. Shown as body's name (for example "Sol" or "Earth"). A special case of this is barycenter (shown as *system name* AB, or *body 1 + body 2*, for example "Shinrarta Dezhra AB"). Its size depends on body's mass and size - stars have the largest SoI (100 and more Ls), while gas giant moons can have SoI of several thousand kilometers. Stations usually has 1000 km SoI.
- Shipping Lane - A "space highway" between arrival point and any inhabited place, also between such places. NPC traders usually fly along shipping lanes.
- Deep Space - Basically anywhere except SoI and shipping lanes.
- Orbital cruise - A sphere around any landable body. It extends from orbital cruise start (shown as OC on altimeter, and visualised as blue line around the body) and to the point where you drop from orbital cruise to glide (shown as DRP on altimeter, and visualised as green line around the body). Technically, it belongs to SoI, but there's two distinctive features. First, FSD interdictor does not work on player or NPC who are flying through this area. Second, any object in normal space in this area is subjected to body's gravity.
*My own term, does not appear anywhere in the game
III. General information about USS
1. USS can appear only during supercruise flight. They appear randomly, there is no known way to force-spawn them.
2. USS are unique for every player. If player sees USS, same USS cannot be seen by other players. However, other players or NPCs can follow the player via low-wake signal.
3. USS are generated in a cone in front of player (like that of a radar). Player's ship serves as cone's apex. The cone angle depends on player ship's speed - the higher the speed, the lesser the angle.
4. The distance on which USS appear depends on player ship's speed. It can be approximated as "player ship's speed X 20". For example, if player ship travels at 0.5 Ls\sec, USS will appear at about 9-10 Ls.
5. USS are non-persistent objects:
- Unidentified USS will disappear after about 30 seconds
- Identified, but not targeted USS will disappear after at least 30 seconds
- Targeted USS will not disappear unless the player unlocks it as target
- Sometimes USS do not disappear if player moved into another area while USS was still active (This should be seen as a bug)
6. When player targets the USS and maneuvers their ship to face it, the ship's computer will start the process of identifying. This process lasts about 5 seconds in total - 2.5 seconds for identification, 2.5 seconds for determining USS' threat level.
7. USS threat level - if it's not 0, it means the USS event features NPC ships. These can be hostile (pirates) or neutral (police, military, traders). The higher the number, the higher the possible threat.
8. If player jumps to another system, exits supercruise or relogs, all active USS disappear.
IV. Conditions that define USS types and contents
- System population (populated or not)
- System allegiance (Federation\Empire\Independent)
- System state
- System security (High\Low\Anarchy)
- System area
There may be some unique conditions.
V. USS Classification
Manual:
- Name: USS name. In game, it appears as "*USS Name* Detected" (for example, "Weapons Fire Detected").
- Conditions: Defines where and when this USS can appear
- Threat level: possible threat level
- Description: what you can find if you jump to this USS
Degraded Emissions
Conditions: Any area in any system
Threat level: 0
Description: One of the most common USS, can be found anywhere. Engineer materials inside depend on system (see material description).
Variants:
- Debris field, several commodities (usually salvage like escape pods, technical blueprints, rebel transmissions etc. There may be other commodities), several grade 1-2-3 materials. There might be no commodities or no materials.
- Same as above, but with one or several SAR ships (Anaconda, Asp, DBX with special orange paintjob and unique dialogue). The SAR ship(s) will proceed to scoop any cargo present. They can be driven away by ramming or firing (the latter may incur a bounty)
- Debris field with private data beacon and several grade 1-2-3 materials. The beacon can be scanned for grade 1-2 data.
- Debris field, one or several escape pods and exploration data caches. These usually appear in uninhabited systems and away from the bubble.
- Near Ammonia worlds, threat level 2: Unknown Probe (Might be a bug. See Anomaly USS description)
Degraded Emissions (Anarchy)
Conditions: Any area of populated anarchy system, no further than 1000 Ls from any populated place
Threat level: usually 3
Description: Special "anarchy" variant of Degraded Emissions USS. Inside is a small debris field with several commodities. If player flies close to containers, several pirate fighters will appear and attack the player.
Encoded Emissions
Conditions: Any area of populated system. Can be found in unpopulated systems inside or near the bubble (very rare)
Threat level: 0
Description: This USS is used for material and data gathering. Materials inside depend on system (see material description).
Variants:
- Debris field with private data beacon and several grade 1-2-3 materials. The beacon can be scanned for various data, including Classified Scan Databanks, Datamined Wake Exceptions and other.
- Debris field, several grade 2-3-4 materials
- In SoI of inhabited Earth-like world: Satellite that can be scanned for some grade 1-2-3 data.
High Grade Emissions
This USS type is described in Chapter VI.
Combat Aftermath
Conditions: areas "SoI", "Shipping Lane" of any populated system
Threat level: 0
Description: This USS is used for material gathering. Debris field and several materials from a special list (look for "aftermath of combat in shipping lanes" in material description). Does not depend on system state or security level.
Convoy Dispersal Pattern
Conditions: Any area of populated system ("SoI", "Shipping Lane" - very common, "Deep Space" - uncommon). Can be found in unpopulated systems inside the bubble (very rare).
Threat level: from 1 to 4 (sometimes shown as 0)
Description: Convoy of one or several transports with escorts. Often belongs to police or navy. Neutral to player unless attacked. If undisturbed, the ships jump away. Ships may drop CZ-grade material if destroyed (thermic alloys, polymer capacitors).
Weapons Fire
Conditions: Any area of populated system ("SoI", "Shipping Lane" - very common, "Deep Space" - uncommon). Can be found it unpopulated systems inside or not too far from the bubble (very rare).
Threat level: from 1 to 4
Description: This USS is analogous to old Weak Signal Source and Strong Signal Source.
Variants:
- 1-2 transports, 1-2 pirates, 1-2 police ships (no more than 4 in total). Usually small ships (Hauler, Adder, Viper, Cobra) with low combat rank. Common at low threat level.
- Pirate ambush - analogous to Degraded Emissions (Anarchy). Common at high threat level.
Distress Call
Conditions: Any area of populated system, can be found in uninhabited systems inside the bubble (rare).
Threat level: from 1 to 4
Description: Distress call.
Variants:
- Trader who ask player for fuel. There may be pirates present
- Heavily damaged trader who is under pirate attack. The pirates will proceed to attack the player. If player decide to intervene, there are several "waves" of pirates: the initial one (present when palyer jumps to USS, usually small combat ships), the medium one (jumps in after player destroyed the initial one, usually has better ships and equipment) and a "boss" one (one or several high-ranked ships, up to Anacondas).
- Debris field and several SAR ships (analogous to Degraded Emissions, very rare)
- Threat level 4: Federal Farragut battlecruiser under pirate attack. A Pirate(!) Farragut would jump in shortly after player. If player decides to intervene, they need to destroy all the pirates and drive away the enemy Farragut. Note that attacking pirate Farragut may incur a bounty (bug).
Ceremonial Comms
Conditions: areas "SoI", "Shipping Lane" of any populated system
Threat level: Insufficient data, most likely 1. In most cases shows 0
Description: This USS appears to be bugged. It probably should spawn Wedding Barges, Funeral Ships and other "ceremonial" NPCs. However, in most cases it's empty. Sometimes a Wedding Barge may appear after several minutes of waiting.
Anomaly
Conditions: Any system in range from 130 Ly to 150 Ly from Merope (Pleiades Nebula)
Threat level: 4, actually 0
Description: This USS features Unknown Artefact, which would emit its distinctive sound and "scan" player ship. It can be scooped or destroyed for Unknown Fragments (25 of these are required to unlock Professor Palin). There was a variant of this USS that appeared near ammonia worlds with Unknown Probe inside, but since 2.2 it appears to be bugged (UP appears in Degraded Emissions USS instead of Anomaly USS).
Mission Target
Conditions: depends on mission, usually SoI
Threat level: depends on mission
Description: This USS is unique to Assassination, Liberate and Salvage missions. When player scans the mission system with discovery scanner (or scans the nav beacon), they will get a message that directs them to a specific body. After entering the SoI of designated body, the player should set the throttle to zero and wait. Eventually, the mission-specific USS would appear. It will be highlighted in blue and accompanied by an audio message ("Mission Objective Detected"). Inside, the mission target awaits.
Mission Target: Trading Beacon
Conditions: Insufficient data, presumably SoI in populated system
Threat level: Presumably 1
Description: Probably the rarest USS. It spawns just like the Mission Target one (blue text and "Mission Objective Detected" audio message), but does not depend on active mission. Inside is a T9 which would offer a trading mission (deliver goods to nearby system). May ask for Rare goods.
VI. High Grade Emissions USS
1. General description
High Grade Emissions is a special USS type where Grade 5 (very rare) materials can be found. These materials are impossible to obtain via other means. HGEs can be found only in "SoI"* and "Deep Space" areas. Their spawn and contents depend on system allegiance and states.
If a particular system can spawn two types of HGE, it will spawn both (for example, an Imperial system in Outbreak will spawn Imperial Shielding and Pharmaceutical Isolators). Thus, it's better to choose a system that can spawn only one HGE type in order to get specific material faster.
*Since 2.2.03. It is still recommended to search for HGEs in Deep Space, however
2. HGE types
Described as follows: "Material" - "Conditions"
Core Dynamics Composites, Proprietary Composites - Federation-aligned system
Imperial Shielding - Empire-aligned system
Improvised Components - System in Civil Unrest state
Military Grade Alloys, Military Supercapacitors - System in War or Civil War state
Pharmaceutical Isolators- System in Outbreak state
Proto Heat Radiators, Proto Light Alloys, Proto Radiolic Alloys - System in Boom state
(Note: Proto Light Alloys can also be obtained by killing high-ranked combat ships)
VII. Searching for USS
The following method is designed for efficient USS search. Using it can prevent sudden area change, it gives more than enough time to react, and it also enables semi-automatic speed control.
1. Get to desired area of search.
2. Set your speed to about 0.5 Ls\second (the mouse wheel is quite useful for precise throttle control).
3. Ensure that ship is flying straight.
4. Open Navigation tab and wait for USS to appear. Stay there!
5. As soon as USS appear, target it. The ship will auto-brake.
6. In most cases, you won't even need to maneuver in order to indentify USS. If you need, do it now - you have more than enough time thanks to auto-throttle. DO NOT touch the throttle lever\button\wheel!
7. If you want to jump to USS, increase speed and do so. If not, simply disable the target lock - the ship would automatically go back to 0.5 Ls\second.
8. When you jump back to supercruise, set your throttle to zero as soon as the countdown starts. This would ensure you enter the supercruise at minimal speed (30 km\s).
9. Repeat from #2 if needed.
VIII. Myths, legends and fables about USS
This chapter contains various rumors about USS. Most of these are just rumors.
USS spawn more often in highly populated systems.
Probably the only one rumor that has some actual evidence behind it. Indeed, highly populated systems has more chance to spawn USS. There is no correlation between population and USS type, however.
USS depends on system economy type.
USS does not depend on economy type.
You can force-spawn USS if you keep one locked as target.
No hard evidence of this was ever produced.
USS spawn more often if one maneuvers erratically, flies in circles, flies fast etc.
No hard evidence of this was ever produced.
You can force-spawn USS if you open Galaxy\System map.
No hard evidence of this was ever produced. In fact, you can miss many USS if you try this "trick".
