I'm starting to move towards afk mining while I surf in FF or do other stuff because I can do so now without it chugging like a steam fed computer. Was wondering if I could get some pointers in regards to best locations, best ship to use, loadout, etc.

I'm gallente atm and am training mining lvl4. What other skills should I start looking into after this one?

I'm in a tristan atm ( =/ ) because I don't have the funds to buy the next big'ish class (which I have the skills for) since I havn't been playing much, just training skills. *misses Celestis*

So yeah, any tips?

If you wanna AFK mine, do it in something that can carry lots of stuff. An Iteron, Mark V.... If you have trained your learning skills, it should take under a month to train for it. In the meantime you can fly the smaller models until you can... And since your AFK... 1.0 or 0.9 systems are best, but with a T2 indy I imagine you could passive tank all the way down to 0.5.

None of the transports have turrets, and the blockade runners dont have the cargo space.

I have the sound on, so I'm just an alt-tab away from back in game. I just need to work my 2mil up to enough to buy something decent in the first place. Whats the best s### to mine? Scordite \ Plag and stuff?

IF you're afk mining, the best you are probs going to get is plagioclase, that'll give you Mexallon, Pyerite and Tritanium. The downside is that they seem to be the shortest lasting rocks when you're mining. If you planning to be genuinely afk, not just using another app, hit the Scord, that'll just give you Trite and Pyerite, but lasts a lot longer

Remember, 0.9 or 1.0 only, else you'll come back to a pod

Why need a turret if your AFK?

becuase mining lasers take up turret slots.

Didn't the old industrails have a turret?

Industrials have turrets, Freighters don't, the freighters are the big buggers with 750K cargo. You cannot even open their cargo bays in space.

Dreads, on the other hand....

dreads only have 4 highs, 3 (very) large guns and a siege mod.

I think the phoenix gets the bid for best mining dreadnaught. 1 turret slot 4tw.

I'm pretty sure an Iteron Mark V can be fitted for passive tanking / active tanking if your skills are good. Besides, as Flip said, if you wanna fill the hold - Mine a huge Veldspar. Try mining one of those huge Veld's in the Serpentis Hideouts (non-deadspace beacons)

take it from a afk miner extraordinaire....go fo a Bestower.

Skills are cheap, Amarr Frig 3 adn Amarr Industrial 1.

Sure for raw cargo the Mammoth and Itty5 beat it, but those both require lots of training.

At skill level 2 with lows(4 IIRC) filled with something as cheap as Expanded Cargohold 1s you should be able to hold 10k m3 which will keep you happily mining with the lone turret for a couple of hours if you are on a nice big Veld ' roid.

Hmm, interesting. But again I'm already well on my way to an Iteron V. I start training Level 4 today. By the end of next week I'll be able to merrily fly an Iteron V. =)

BTW, whats the max one could carry in one of them if I went all cargo expanders etc?

Dunno, something like 23,000 ? Btw it takes 21-35 days to train from Level 4 to Level 5, so... next week?