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No Man's Sky

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How to Use Electromagnetic Generators

By
Scott Peers

This page details everything you need to know about how to use Electromagnetic Generators in No Man’s Sky. We’ll cover where to find the blueprint for the item, where to place them using the Survey Device upgrade for the Analysis Visor, and how to use them.

Locate an Electromagnetic Power Hotspot with the Analysis Visor

Install the Device Survey Upgrade

The Electromagnetic Generator is currently the most efficient method of power generation in No Man’s Sky, but they can’t be placed anywhere in your base, as with Biofuel Reactors, Solar Panels, and Batteries. Instead, you’ll need to locate an Electromagnetic Power Hotspot using the Survey Device upgrade for the Analysis Visor. This can be acquired from the Multi-Tool upgrade merchant on board the Space Anomaly, but you’ll need some Salvaged Data to purchase it. Once you have the upgrade (and have placed it in your Multi-Tool inventory slots), you will be able to use Power Survey Mode, Mineral Survey Mode, and Gas Survey Mode when using the Analysis Visor. For the purposes of this guide, we’re only interested in Power Survey Mode. However, if you’d like to learn more about the others, see our page on How to Use Mineral and Gas Extractors.

You may not immediately see a Hotspot Proximity when you scan with the Analysis Visor after installing the Survey Device upgrade. If this is the case, all you need to do run a few hundred metres in any direction and check with the Analysis Visor again. You will eventually pick up on a signal which leads you to a hotspot.

Crafting Materials for Electromagnetic Generators

Material 1 Material 2 Material 3
Metal Plating NMS_Metal_Plating.png Magnetised Ferrite NMS_Magnetised_Ferrite.png Chromatic Metal NMS_Chromatic_Metal.png

Hotspot Class Tiers and Power Generation in kPs

The exact amount of power that can be generated from an Electromagnetic Generator will vary depending on the class tier of an Electromagnetic Power Hotspot. These will range from class tier C, B, A, to S, as with Starships or Multi-Tools. Each one of these class tiers has a maximum electromagnetic field strength, and therefore a maximum kPs power output. The lowest maximum output for a class tier C hotspot is around 150 kPs, which is still far more than the 50 kPs from a Biofuel Reactor or Solar Panel. You can build as many Electromagnetic Generators as you like around a hotspot, but keep in mind that as you place generators further away from the centre of a hotspot, the maximum power generation will diminish. With that said, you can still generate a lot of power from an Electromagnetic Generator even if it is placed away from the centre of a hotspot.

As with Solar Panels, an Electromagnetic Generator doesn’t need any fuel to power it. This means that as soon as you set one up in a viable location, it will begin to generate power and you can link it to any items that need power with Electrical Wiring. If you want to find the best places to set one up, you can check the class tier of a site by using the Analysis Visor, which will give you a brief breakdown. Once you’ve fully analysed a site, it will also give you a rough estimate of how much power it has the potential to generate in terms of Local Field Strength and Max Field Strength. If you want to find out the exact amount, you can build the Electromagnetic Generator on the site, check the amount, and then deconstruct it if necessary using the “Edit Placed Parts” function from the build menu. You’ll then receive a full refund of the materials used so that you can try a different spot in the same area or explore elsewhere to build it again.

(1 of 5) You’ll see the Hotspot Proximity number when you’re relatively close to a suitable hotspot site, including the potential class tier.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Hello Games
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, XB One, XB X|S
  • Guide Release
    27 April 2022
  • Last Updated
    11 January 2023
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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