[geoschmo]

I have found I can make a decent profit using destroyers and light cruisers. You can get 2 or 3 mining components on them. If you use them for rad's and ogranics, you can replace those facilities on your homeworld with research fac's or additional mineral mine facilities. In effect they are low tech resource converters.

I haven't tried a light cruiser with 3 mineral miners yet to see if it is cost effective. The robo mimeral comp is more expensive than the other two for some reason. That might make them still inefficent. Unless you play a race with low mainenance. Then it can be a good source of mineral income.

Usually though unless planets are sparse, as in a colonize own type/aptmosphere, the figures don't add up though.