Glad I got it right.  Using this rule I did some calculations to find the single module maximum mark levels that can be sold to anyone:

			Base	Power		Power per	Personnel	Total
Module Name	Abbr	Mark	Power	per Mark	Personnel	Personnel	per Mark	Power
-------------------------	----	----	------	--------	----------	----------	---------	------
Marines Assault Unit	MAU	30			1000	6	250	49500
Railgun Battery	RGB	13	12000	3000	175	2		48350
Laser Cannon	LCN	30	6000	1500	50	2		49600
Viper Squadron	VPR	95	2000	500	500	2		50000
Strategic Nuke	STN	1	50000	12500				50000
Electromagnetic Shield	SHG	395	500	125	75	2		49900
Adv Electromagnetic Shield	AES	76	2500	625	185	2		49745
Titanium Armor Plates	TAP	397	500	125				50000
Iridium Armor Plates	IAP	130	1500	375				49875
Osmium Armor Plates	OAP	50	3750	937.5				49687.5
Crystalline Armor Plates	CAP	23	7500	1875				48750
Combat Drive	CDR	1	?	?	?	?	?	?

I couldn't figure out how combat drives worked though....so perhaps no restriction on the mark of CDR?  Do people much use them?

On the 'Modules' page I found the following formula:

Base Ship Power = W+S+A/2+M+50*Cs

where I assume:
  W  = Weapons
  S  = Shields
  A  = Armor
  M  = Marines + regular personel
  Cs = Combat Speed

I did some experimentation with an alt I have that does not have either VIP nor Tactician officer.  I found the following:

• My base ship power was 1770 - before installing an MAU 50 nothing but FLT2+WHG1+ACB200+SLB1
• My ship power after installing a MAU 50 but before hiring personnel remained at 1770
• My ship power after hiring 1000 marines was 7770

It seem like I got credit for 1000*3 for manpower (even though I only bought 1000 people) and 1000*3 for weapons (which seems right since the personnel purchased were Marines.) Does this seem right or is this a bug in the 'module display'?  The 'Module' screen is the only place I know to find a ships power.

"No military modules should be traded of a power level higher than 5% of customer's power or 50,000-Pow, whichever is greater."

There are two possible interpretation of that statement - do you mean:

1. Max module = 5% * Greater{customer power | 50000}
2. Max module = Greater{a module equaling = 5% * customer power | a module equaling 50000 power}

Interpretation 1 would not allow you to purchase even MAU1 since MAU 1 = 1000 marines*3*2 = 6000 power which would be much more than 5% * 50000 = 2500 power
Interpretation 2 would limit me to purchasing about MAU 30 = 8250 marines * 3 * 2 = 49500 power which would be less than 50000 power

The second interpretation is what I think you meant given the context of your later remarks.  I'm fine with option 2 - I think the threat of a MAU30 (or MAU50=79500 power or even MAU 100=154500 power) means almost no threat to anyone who can actually build one and certainly is a pittance on the power meter for any corporation.  Assuming you mean the second interpretation perhaps wording it as follows would be clearer:

No military module shall be traded of where the power level of the traded module(s) would increase the power level of the customer by more than 5% of their then current power level or by 50000 power, whichever is greater. When determining the maximum module level that can be traded the effect of the customers VIP status and/or Tactician Officer will be disregarded.

[must]

I would like to propose an amendment to the bylaws as follows:

Change from:
Trade Restrictions: No weapons or shields should be traded of a power level higher than 5% of customer's power. No deathrays.

Change to:
Trade Restrictions: No weapons or shields should be traded of a power level higher than 5% of customer's power or mark level 50, whichever is greater. No deathrays.

Justification:
If a new player wants to do some SOS Com missions it takes a few level 50 MAU's and AES's to get into the game.  Allowing this should be encouraged.  As the GCA charter stands a player must build out SLB's and research MAU and AES to get into SOS com missions.  I have 18 ships but my total power is < 1500.  By our bylaws I can't even buy a MAU mark 1.  Is this what is desired?

How much would it cost to get an Advanced Cargo Bay mark 1000?  I've saved up about $400million now and want to start adding shields to my ships so I can pick up/discard SOS COM missions too.  However to do that I'll need a big cargo space/module for that.  Alternately an ACB 600 would do too, I suppose.

I know it takes over 2 months to build an ACB mark 1000, so I'd much prefer to buy them that are already made.

Sounds great to me!

At just under 3000 words it did take a while to write.  However, I would have loved to have had this information early on.

I'm starting to mine now - and making mistakes there too.  I'll put together a guide for that after I feel comfortable I wouldn't be BS'ing anyone.  Was thinking of doing a similar (but smaller) treatise called 'A Beginners Guide to Astro Galaxy' which goes over how to make money doing Intrastellar transport. 

I spent probably 3months of the 5+months I've been playing building up RP generation capability by leveling SLB and buying SLB's.  Had I bought modules from the GCA, and a 'guide' for Intrastellar and SOS Distress missions been available (and I followed them ), it would have only taken 2months to get where I am now.

I find that with my SOS frigate ships at 6xACB 200, 1xWHG50, 1xFTL1 I really can't pick up COM missions at all - I don't have enough 'ship power' - I get a "You simply wouldn't be able to handle those pirates in your current ship" dialog instead.  I can build AES 200's now so maybe I'll drop off an ACB 200 and replace it with an AES 200 and see if that makes it possible to pick up COM missions.  I am now seeing areas that are nothing but COM missions - probably because I've been farming the SOS rescue missions too hard.

Cargo space is not the problem - I burn fuel fast enough to keep plenty of cargo space.   

I know a lot of languages but PHP isn't one of them.  However I'd learn PHP if you let me update the following:

Manufacturing

1. Allow the user to select a module to build, the build level, and the build quantity.  Manufacturing will begin for that many modules of the requested module level providing all of the following are true:

• You have researched the requested module build level.  If not raise the current error: "You do not have this mark! Increase your tech level first!"
• You have at least as many open manufacturing slots on the ship as module build quantity requested.  If not raise this error: "Build quantity nn requested exceeds open manufacturing slots.  Maximum build quantity is xx"
• You have enough solars to purchase all the additional materials, taking into account any materials in the cargo, needed to build the requested quantity of the requested mark level.  If not raise this error: "Not enough solars.  Total build cost is $xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx; you only have $xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx solars available".  The error message takes into account any materials used in manufacture in cargo
• The ship is docked at Earth or all the necessary materials for the manufacture reside in cargo.  If not raise this error: "Without all the necessary materials in your cargo, manufacturing of multiple modules at a time can only occur in Earth orbit"
  
• You have enough open cargo space to load all the build materials required for at least one (1) of the requested module mark level.  If not raise this error: "Not enough free cargo space to build one {module name} ({module abbreviation}) mark {module mark} module.  You have nnn,nnn,nnn free space, you need at least nnn,nnn,nnn free space to execute this build request"

Upon successful validation a challenge pop-up screen will state "You have requested to build quantity nn of {module name} ({module abbreviation}) mark {module mark level} for a total cost of $nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn.  This will use nn of nn total open manufacturing slots on this ship.  Proceed with build?  {yes, no}"  When the user accepts the challenge the manufacturing for all modules will begin, and the total build cost will be deducted from the users account taking into account any materials on hand in cargo, and any materials used in the construction in cargo will be decremented appropriately from the ships cargo.

2. Allow the user to select a module mark upgrade level, the original module mark level, and the quantity of modules to upgrade.  Will allow the quantity to upgrade to exceed the quantity available in cargo - that is will allow entering '99999' or other high value quantity and will default to the current quantity of that module at that mark level in cargo storage.  Will successfully start a module mark upgrade manufacturing process for the selected quantity of modules providing all of the following are true.

• You have researched the requested module build level.  If not raise the current error: "You do not have this mark! Increase your tech level first!"
• You have at least as many open manufacturing slots on the ship as the lower of {quantity of the requested module/original mark level in cargo, quantity requested}.  If not raise this error: "Build quantity nn requested exceeds open manufacturing slots.  Maximum build quantity is xx"
• You have at least one (1) module of the requested module/original mark level in cargo.  If not raise this error: "There are no {module name} ({module abbreviation}) mark {original module mark} in your cargo - cannot perform mark upgrade"
• You have enough solars to purchase all the materials needed to build the requested quantity of the requested mark level upgrades, taking into account any materials in cargo.  If not raise this error: "Not enough solars.  Total mark upgrade cost is $xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx; you only have $xxx,xxx,xxx,xx solars available"  The error message takes into account materials in cargo.
• The ship is docked at Earth or all of the materials needed for all mark upgrades exists in cargo.  If not raise this error: "Without all the necessary materials in your cargo, manufacturing of multiple modules at a time can only occur in Earth orbit"
  
• You have enough open cargo space to load all the build materials required to perform at least one (1) of the requested module mark level upgrades.  If not raise this error: "Not enough free cargo space to upgrade one {module name} ({module abbreviation}) from mark {original module mark} to mark {target module mark}.  You have nnn,nnn,nnn free space, you need at least nnn,nnn,nnn free space to execute this mark upgrade build request"

Upon successful validation a challenge pop-up screen will state "You have requested to mark upgrade quantity nn of {module name} ({module abbreviation}) from mark {original module mark level} to mark {target mark level} for a total cost of $nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn.  This will use nn of mm total open manufacturing slots on this ship.  Proceed with build?  {yes, no}"  When the user accepts the challenge the mark upgrade for all modules will begin, and the total build cost will be deducted from the users account taking into account any materials on hand in cargo, any materials used in the construction in cargo will be decremented appropriately from the ships cargo, and nn {module name} mark {original module mark} will be deducted from that ships' cargo.

Science
1. Allow the number of RP to spend on tech level upgrades to be entered.  A number larger than the current account RP total will be allowed to be entered.  The maximum number of levels that can be raised for the lesser of {current account RP total, RP amount entered} will be computed.  If the number of levels is greater than 0 then the tech level for the selected module type will be increased by that number of levels and the RP cost of the mark level upgrade will be deducted from the account RP balance.  When the account RP amount does not allow for even one mark level upgrade the following error will be raised: "Not enough RP to upgrade current {module name} ({module abbreviation) mark {current mark level}.  You have nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn RP, next level costs mmm,mmm,mmm,mmm,mmm,mmm RP - you need nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn more".  When the amount of RP entered is insufficient to increase the mark level by one level then the following error will be raised: "Not enough RP to upgrade current {module name} ({module abbreviation) mark {current mark level}.  You entered nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn RP, next level costs mmm,mmm,mmm,mmm,mmm,mmm RP"

2. Allow the number of the target tech level to be entered.  If enough RP exists to upgrade the tech level to the requested level then the tech level will be upgraded to the requested level and the RP necessary for the level upgrade will be deducted from the RP total for the account.  If not enough RP exists to upgrade to the tech level the the following error will be raised: "Not enough RP - Cannot upgrade to {module name} ({module abbreviation}) mark nnnnn.  You only have enough RP to upgrade to {module abbreviation} mark mmmm"

I have 2 x Laser Cannon (LCN) mark 30 for sale (i.e. LCN-30).  Build cost is 2515 diamonds, I want 2800 diamonds for the pair and I will pay the GCA manager 125 diamond commission from my profits to broker the deal. 

The problem is that clearing the COM mission 'pollution' costs about as much as the profit from a SOS rescue mission.  I admit it me leaving a trail of COM mission and SOS PT mission 'pollution' in my wake

Does anyone know how long a COM or SOS mission exists before it winks out of existence? Seems like it is <4hours but that is just a feel rather than knowledge.

[DO NOT]

You have to pay to pick up SOS mining/prospecting missions.  You DO NOT get this initial investment back if you abandon the mining/PT SOS mission at Earth - you just do not pay the penalty.  If you abandon the SOS mining/PT mission outside of Earth - even at the Sol 'safe point' - you not only lose your initial investment but you must pay a hefty penalty as well.

I'm about to build some ships out as mining base defenders.  I tried mining in the early go only to be blown up by other players - noobs like me at the time I think.

I was not thinking Titan. I was thinking:

Frigate optimized Assault Bomber
0 x FTL
0 x WHG - towed into place in a hangar
4 x AES 100
4 x MAU 200

I believe 2 of these should be enough to deter 'newbie pirates'.  Would this be just a target for Federation or some other such bigger pirate?

I have no desire, at this time, to do COM missions.  I would only invest in these ships as a deterrent to sniping my mining operations.  Any advise - pro or con - would be useful!