SOLVED! Space Engineers Ore Detector Not Working

Regarding Space Engineers Ore Detector not working, the range value is usually the cause, and you must check it out. Depending on the situation, you should take a look at the Ship (Grid), slow down, assess the power level, change location and contact technical support. Read the end to address the issue and enjoy Space Engineers to the fullest. 

Space Engineers FAQs

How Do I Equip Tools in Space Engineers?

Press “G” on your keyboard to open the Toolbar Config Menu, navigate to Character Tools (left side of the screen) and drag the tool you want to equip to the toolbar.

Should I Join A Faction or Create My Own?

It depends on what you want and the kind of person you are. If you’d prefer to have someone else in charge and focus on your personal goals, you should join a faction. (texasflange) If leadership is more your style, however, creating a new faction might just be the thing for you.

Space Engineers Ore Detector Won’t Work: Reasons

Range Value

For your information, the range value of Ore Detector in Space Engineers is 1 meter by default. Needless to say, Ore Detector would have a hard time detecting ore if its range value is set to 1 meter. On the bright side, if the range value is the one responsible, there is no need to do much.

Ship (Grid)

In layman’s terms, Ship (Grid) affects the performance of Ore Detector. If installed on Small Ships (Small Grids), Ore Detector possesses a maximum range of 50 meters. On the other hand, if installed on Large Ships (Large Grids), Ore Detector possesses a maximum range of 150 meters. Hence, if you notice Space Engineers Ore Detector not working, it’s wise to add Ship (Grid) to the list of suspects. 

Speed

You have a habit of zooming through space at high speeds? In that case, it is only natural for your Ore Detector to be unable to detect ore. Ore Detector only performs to its full potential if you move slowly across planets, asteroids, etc. 

Power

Like other blocks of the same type, Ore Detector requires power to run. If you fail to allocate sufficient power to Ore Detector, its performance is going to suffer as a result. 

Location

All in all, Ore Detector is made to detect ore, and it cannot detect ore in locations where there is none. Therefore, if you struggle to find ore using Ore Detector, it’s highly likely that you have chosen the wrong spot. 

Update

Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for features of games to act up following updates, and Ore Detector of Space Engineers is not an exception. In the case that the Ore Detector malfunctions after Space Engineers get updated, the update could be at fault. 

What You Could Do

Check Out Range Value

To check out the range value of Ore Detector, all you have to do is to go to Control Panel Screen. If you deem the value to be normal, feel free to move on to the next solution. However, if the value is kind of low, you should increase it to the maximum. By doing so, you could optimize the detection of ore. 

Take A Look At Ship (Grid)

If your ship is a Small Ship (Small Grid), the range of the Ore Detector is comparable to that of a handheld drill. That means changing to a Large Ship (Large Grid) is a good idea if you want to give Ore Detector more range. 

Slow Down

While using Ore Detector to look for ore deposits, you should move your ship at low speeds to give Ore Detector the chance to scan the environment from top to bottom. It’s also OK to alternate between moving rapidly and stopping still. By doing so, you could get your HUD to display more deposit signals than usual. 

Assess The Power Level

If Ore Detector isn’t adequately powered, it won’t run well, which gives the impression of Space Engineers Ore Detector not working. Hence, you should inspect and examine the power level of your Ore Detector. If necessary, direct more power to Ore Detector so it could work as designed. 

Change Location

In Space Engineers, “dark patches” on ice, grass, … areas tend to contain ore deposits. You need to get close to see the patches, so fly at low attitudes.