S.O.N.A.R
by MIK0os
Players who need to find buried ore without digging blindly can use S.O.N.A.R, a handheld scanner added by the NeoForge mod S.O.N.A.R.
What it does
S.O.N.A.R, short for Subsurface Ore Navigation Analysis Radar, is a handheld ore scanner that locates underground mineral deposits. Its scanning is modular: upgrades change how far the device reaches and what it can register, and the device runs on stored energy. Ores from other mods are picked up too, including new metals, gems and custom resource blocks, provided the game generates them in the world.
The scanner also reports biomes and structures such as villages, dungeons and strongholds, and maps geology in several layers. The mod is set up for technology and automation modpacks, and its progression is built around upgrades and energy infrastructure rather than instant scanning. Because the server and each player both run it, the install covers both sides. It is published for NeoForge only, across 14 release versions 1.21.1 – 26.1.2, under All rights reserved, so it is not open source.
Key features
Handheld ore scanner
A portable device that locates underground mineral deposits within its scan range.
Modular upgrades
Upgrades raise the scanner's range and detail, so progress depends on investment in energy and upgrade parts.
Biome and structure detection
The scanner reports biomes and structures such as villages, dungeons and strongholds.
Support for other ores
Ores added by other mods are detected when they are registered as world-generated ores.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x3 of 3 versions with builds
1.21.x11 of 11 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
How it compares
BioLock Scanner is another NeoForge scanner for 1.21.1, under All rights reserved and not open source, and it also runs on client and server. Ore Scanner is a server-required mod with a client-optional side, published for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt across 1.21.11 – 26.3 under the MIT License, so it is not open source in the same way S.O.N.A.R is not. Land's Utilities is a client-and-server NeoForge mod for 1.21 – 26.1.2, licensed under Apache License 2.0 and open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.O.N.A.R | NeoForge | 1.21.1 – 26.1.2 | Client and server | 2026-05-23 |
| BioLock Scanner | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-06-18 |
| Ore Scanner | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.21.11 – 26.3 | Server required, client optional | 2026-09-15 |
| Land's Utilities | NeoForge | 1.21 – 26.1.2 | Client and server | 2026-09-04 |
Questions
Does S.O.N.A.R need a loader other than NeoForge?
Does the server need S.O.N.A.R installed?
Which game versions does S.O.N.A.R support?
In the catalog
S.O.N.A.R is one of 8,499 Technology mods on ModsFinder, and one of 3,557 Technology mods for NeoForge. 15,189 mods support Minecraft 26.1.2.
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What the author says
Subsurface Ore Navigation & Analysis Radar (S.O.N.A.R.) S.O.N.A.R. is an industrial-grade scanning system designed for efficient underground resource detection and geological analysis. This mod introduces a modular ore scanning device that allows players to locate underground mineral deposits. Built with an…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/s.o.n.a.r
- Owner
- MIK0os
- Published
- 2026-04-07
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-05-23
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15