I've noticed on other topics people talking about "scan bursts" and whatnot. I was just wondering what's the best way to go about it?

Is it better to simply uninstall devices to make room for what you need at any given time, selling them altogether so they don't take up room in your cargo, or just keeping what you have and only buying/upgrading more as you can?

I guess it depends on your research plans and if you have enough cargo space. I never really sell energy modules, but I sell pretty much everything else I'm not using. I have a ridiculously small cargo space though. I'm pretty sure everyone sells scanners once they're done with them. If you focus on attack (even when defending) it might be useful to keep a scanner around since they are supposed to effect critical hit success. That and hacking and which enemies are on the battle list. Usually other modules can do the job you're doing much better.

For me, a scan blitz is an all-out affair, I'll plan for it well in advance and coordinate leveling, research, ship upgrades etc around it. The goal is to get a list of planets to see me through several ranks and tech levels because it will be a while before I can do it again. Here is my 6 step process for a successful blitz:

1. Collect +scan artifacts. Subspace seekers and tacyon cylinders are a must, and a prejor datadisk if possible. (very limited.) Artifacts offer deminishing returns over time but everything helps.
2. Start with an EMPTY ship. I'll sell anything that won't fit in cargo to make room.
3. Install as many of the best scanners as possible. When I can't fit more of the best, I add whatever CAN fit. (prejor beacon sensors ftw!)
4. When the % is as high as it can possibly be, at least 50% before artifacts, I'll scan over and over til the %chance is below 10.
5. Sell the scanners (not the prejor sensors!) and re-equip the ship.
6. Look at the list of small & sparse planets and cry.

ALSO - make sure you have enough minerals/credits to buy the scanners. Also leave some credits for colonising/invading and for reconfiguring your ship.

No, 2. Empty your ship except your reactors. (uninstall limited time modules, don't sell) I sold off my reactors when I had almost full energy. WASTED. Take note.

Yeah, check that your % chances are high enough before using artifacts. Don't want to use them when you might end up wasting them as % may end up still too low to scan for new planets.
AVOID reusing the same scanners. (or should I say never) If you scanned for planets using EM scanner, don't do another scan blitz using the same scanners even though you now can fit 5 instead of 4 in the last scan blitz. Get new scanners/sensors before doing a scan blitz. You'll need the extra scanning from the new scanners.

As for uninstall or sell.. normally I just sell most of them off as I have enough credits to built them back. Those I uninstall would be those expensive modules/limited time modules. ALSO depends on your cargo space. (if can fit all, then uninstall, if not sell - DO NOT WASTE ALL RANK POINTS ON CARGO JUST TO UNINSTALL ALL MODULES, YOU WILL REGRET IT LATER)
Scan blitz lasts very short, so you should be able to reinstall all those uninstalled within the same hr/day

Awesome tips guys, thanks alot.

I'm not high enough rank yet for those artifacts yet(i haven't seen any at any rate). And I haven't seen any of those time limit mods. But I'll keep everything in mind.

Are you saying leave reactors installed at the cost of scanning power? If so, I don't agree at all. If it lets you add 1 more scanner, it's absolutely worth it to put them in storage. Not saying you should waste saved energy... Do a few missions 1st, THEN remove them.

I agree about selling stuff that won't fit in cargo. I plan my blitzes around upgrades when I can, and just write them off as short & expensive events.

My bad, it actually depends on your configuration. Like mine, without reactors I would need 3-4 energy cubes to do my scanning (too few engineers)
So it depends, if you can fit your scanners and reactors, go for it
If you got enough engineers, then perhaps reactors are not needed.

Ive got 120 enginneer(20 more than base), I spent my first 10 rp's on enginneers thinking it was a good bonus. Im too far in the game to restart now(I found a Terra and Im at rank 39).

I think that getting more engineers would be good for you I'm up to 229 and I love them I don't need to waist room with my reactors. That may just be me but I think that I am doing pretty good with it so far. On the leader board for raids. Working on kills.

More on the topic thou. I only scan whenever I lvl. up to the point where I can get a new world than I uninstall everything on my ship and add scanners. If you don't have room for them than sell the cheapest thing first so you don't have to pay as much to get back on your feet after words. Also don't stop scanning till you are down to a 15-20% chance of success. That way you can get a much larger selection to pick from.

well this is gonna shock ya, once you get to higher ranks your usually going down into the 4% range, now your using 1K energy so you still get quite a few planets. Its just that 15-20% is a thousand times harder to get once you have 250 planets, and not only are scanners expensive but they also cost alot of research. So ya higher rank=lower % your going to be going into

Thank you for informing me of this I will start scanning more often when I scan.