Scanning Skills and Implants

I talked about on Monday how I tried to use Exploration probes to find complexes to retake from Amarr militia in the Minmatar rear area. Well, I did some digging and here is what I found.

A basic Scan Probe Launcher I module has a duration of 600 seconds.

The skill Signal Acquisition shortens that duration by 10% per level so that at level III its down to 420 seconds.

The covert ops frigate has a bonus of 10% shorter duration per level of Covert Ops but its off the modified duration of the launcher from Signal Acquisition. With a Covert Ops level of IV and Signal Acquistion of III I get (600 seconds - 30% off) - 40% off which comes to 252 seconds.

Then there is a set of implants which take a further chunk off, the "Hardwiring - Poteque Pharmaceuticals 'Prospector' PPH-X series with the PPH-2 taking off another 10%. This means that 252 seconds becomes 227 seconds (actually 226.8).

Now on that ship you can add rigs to help with the total, Gravity Capacitor Upgrades which take a further 10% off the total. You're now down to 184 seconds.

BUT WAIT!

There is a faction module called the Sisters Scan Probe Launcher which has a base duration of 450 instead of 600. So the formula is:

(((450 seconds - 30% for Sig Acq Skill) - 40% for Covert Ops Skill) - 10% for implant) - 20% for Rigs = 138 seconds

Get Signal Acquisition IV and that get down to 118 seconds, right on the 2 minutes I was hoping for in the first place.

UPDATE: The point of this post, the point I forgot about in the writing, is that I spent some ISK for a Sisters Scan Probe Launcher (38 million) and the 10% scan time reduction implant (160 million) as a gift to myself. Expensive, but so worth it to get scan times down to the two minute range. Carry on.