This guide will explain what mobile depots are as well as how and when they should be used. A lot of players, myself included, delay using mobile depots due to the uncertainty of how they worked and the complexity of their use while in space. However, this guide will hopefully ease your concerns and give you the confidence to use them when it is appropriate to do so.

What are mobile depots?
Mobile depots are an efficient way of refitting your ship while in space. They are carried in your ships’ cargo hold and deployed while you are in space. Once deployed, you can move modules that are currently fitted to your ship to your cargo hold or into the mobile depot itself, and vice versa. This allows for minor tweaks to your fit, or complete changes, if required, to suit the objective.

How do you use a mobile depot?
With the mobile depot in your cargo hold, you can either drag and drop it into space, or right-click on it and select ‘launch for self‘. You will then see a countdown timer above where it is positioned in space. Once that timer reaches zero, the depot is active and you can now remove and replace the modules fitted to your ship with those in your cargo hold, just as you would if you were docked in a station.
* Important Note – Rigs cannot be swapped out with a mobile depot, except in Strategic Cruisers. *

When should you use a mobile depot?
Mobile depots are used most commonly when the pilot knows that there is likely a requirement for at least two different uses for their ship. Ships are limited to the amount that can be fitted to them, so performing additional functions can often mean a choice between utility and defensive capabilities. Carrying a mobile depot along with the additional modules allows the pilot to refit their ship and maintain their efficiency for the task at hand.
For example;
The pilot receives a mission that requires killing NPCs as well as hacking containers. To fit their ship for both would mean sacrificing at least one mid slot on their ship to allow them to fit an analyzer module for hacking the containers. Mid slots are commonly used for shields or for engineering modules, therefore, one of these will have to be sacrificed for the analyzer module. However, if the pilot brings a mobile depot, they can fit their ships for full combat while carrying the analyzer module in their cargo hold. Once the NPC’s are destroyed, they can deploy the mobile depot and once activated, can swap out one of their mid slot modules for the analyzer module, thus allowing the pilot to complete their objective and hack the containers. The mobile depot can be left open to refit again if needed, or can be scooped back into the cargo hold if preferred.

Limitations to using a mobile depot

• Mobile depots take up 50m3 of space in your cargo hold. Consequently, it is usually only Battlecruisers or larger ships that carry them due to their increased hold size. However, they can be utilised on smaller ship classes if wanted.
• Mobile depots can only be used if the pilots’ ship is within 2,500m of it. They cannot be deployed within 6,000m of another mobile depot or within 50km of a stargate, station or upwell structure.
• Once deployed, they take 1 minute before they are activated and can be used. During this time, there is no access to the depot. This can leave you, and your mobile depot, vulnerable while waiting for it to become active.
• Mobile depots can hold 3,000m3 of cargo once active.

Can a mobile depot be destroyed?
Yes. They can be destroyed, however, unlike mobile tractor units, which can be destroyed within a short period of time and in one attempt, mobile depots have what is known as a reinforcement timer. If a mobile depot is attacked, it can only be damaged to a certain extent before it becomes invulnerable and enters reinforcement. This is a two-day timer, during which it cannot be damaged further but can be scooped by the owner. Once reinforced, the depot can no longer be used to swap the fitting on a ship and must be scooped and repaired before being redeployed.

Summary
Mobile depots provide much needed flexibility, especially to those capsuleers that run missions or enjoy exploration. They are very cheap to buy and are less vulnerable than mobile tractor units, making them popular in all areas of New Eden.