Pressure Chamber

Overview

The Pressure Chamber is the single most important early purchase most players delay too long. It turns every kilo of dust into a kilo of sand worth three times as much, with no running cost beyond solar power. Pair it with one Large Solar Tracker ($300) and you have an $800 machine that triples your income.

Its input and output sides are fixed, and the arrow is easy to miss — place a short belt first and snap the chamber onto it. At night it runs from solar batteries, so build the panels early and let them charge before sunset. The chamber processes 5 kg per 12-second cycle, so one big vehicle load creates a long queue; that is fine, it just keeps working.

Tips

• Buy it as soon as you have $800 — most players regret not doing it sooner.
• Two Large Solar Trackers per chamber keep it running through the night.
• Its sand is the second input of the Stone Press, so plan room for a press next to it.