Sensors - are there any other except ship sensors?

OK, this is an another newbie question. Drengi have just declared war on me, and I have a big problem with visibility. Since this is my first war, I didn't pay much attention to the sensors so far, I thought that some planetary sensors should take care of my back yard and ensure that I see what's going on. Big mistake. Now I have the Drengi appear out of nowhere, and they've just destroyed one of my economy starbases.
Anyway, I wanted to see what I can do to increase the range of my planetary sensors, and it seems there is nothing to be done about that. Then I did a search on this forum, and saw that it's a common strategy to build a ship equipped with strong sensors and use it to see what's going on in the galaxy. Is that the only way? Then not only do I need to defend my colonies, but also those unarmed sensor ships placed around as sitting ducks? Is that the strategy?

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If you have at least some sensor component, design a sensor ship. Use a cargo hull and pack as many sensors as you can onto it, plus a couple engines.

What I've also done recent games is bee-line right to Sensors IV and build the Eyes of the Universe wonder. It gives all you starbases and ships a free 15 parsec sensor range.

EDIT: Oops, you already know about the sensor ships. Well, anyway, if the enemy starts to chase them, simply run away, leading them to your own forces.

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Research the Sensor Path in the Tech tree. You can get a Galactic Wonder called Eyes of the Universe to increase sensor range.

Your planets don't have any real range. You cna build starbases with increasingly good sensors as you research them.

Cheap large sensor ships are the way to go. Use a cargo hull and place a lot of engines to make them fast, and bunches of sensors. Early on I can make a ship with 5 speed, 6 sensor range, and 1.7 range for under 100BC. Since they are so cheap they are disposable. (Shameless plug - In my Terran Fleet pack in the Library there is a design for a 'Sentry" Spy ship inspired by the US Spy plane of the same name if you don't want to design your own - just add engines and sensors.)

The Ai will usually leave these alone the first few years as long as you keep up a mediocre military rating by building a few attack ships.

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