i think estes should....

[krusty]

I'd like them to release starter sets with mail-in coupons to get the motors (like the coupons ant farms have to order the ants by mail).

This would allow starter sets to be sold in more places and sent by mail or carried on airplanes without concerns about shipping motors.

-- Roger

The starter kits we get here in Australia have had the motors removed and a sticker on the front of the box says "Motors not included". You'd think it would make 'em a bit cheaper...

Krusty

 

[JAL3]

View attachment 116643

One just like this was my first rocket set. I was 10 or 11, and my mom decided I was too old for an Easter basket, so she got me this!

That set is what got me into rocketry as well.

 

[shrox]

That set is what got me into rocketry as well.

We're old.

 

[Zonie]

Yep, me too!

That set is what got me into rocketry as well.

 

[JohnNGA]

Bring back the Electro Launch...Heck, when you get old, the old things are cool.

 

[krusty]

I'd love to be able to buy some parts (like the MDRM nose cone) seperately.

Krusty

 

[Ring Leader]

I would like to see a redesigned midpower pad.

The current E pad is uninspired and too light for the pro series. There are endless numbers of threads here on building sturdy, inexpensive pads. If Estes made a well thought out pad to accompany their Pro series for about $30 I would certainly reconsider making one for that price.

 

[Bubba02STi]

I would like to see a redesigned midpower pad.

The current E pad is uninspired and too light for the pro series. There are endless numbers of threads here on building sturdy, inexpensive pads. If Estes made a well thought out pad to accompany their Pro series for about $30 I would certainly reconsider making one for that price.

https://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/est/est3552.htm

 

[Ring Leader]

Also uninspired and not $30. I think they can do better.

https://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/est/est3552.htm

 

[Bubba02STi]

Also uninspired and not $30. I think they can do better.

I think I am failing to see how it is "uninspired" if you want something that is a bit more "pretty" get a mantis pad... for the price of the estes proseries II pad it really is fair considering when you shop around for prebuilt MPR pads they easilly cost $100... I built my pad which is very similar to the estes psII pad but a bit beefier and it cost me around $45... if i would have used the same sized pvc as a estes and a smaller piece of sheet metal it would have cost me about $35... but what do you really need in launch pad... something sturdy that isn't going to tip over and be able to accept a launch rod and blast deflector... so IMO $50 for a prebuilt pad that is easy to set up and you didn't have to go buy the parts and build yourself is worth it... granted buying it from estes directly is a bit pricey and i think they can come down on their price a bit... but you are paying the extra cost for the convenience of a RTL pad... and like i said other MPR pads will easily cost $100

 

[luke strawwalker]

Could use four D batteries instead like the old Big Foot.

We did a mini club launch yesterday and I keep wondering how to shorten setup and take down time. I keep thinking of something like that Centuri launcher with fold out legs and the launch system wire would be on a fishing line type spool. Pretty much fold out the legs, secure the rod, and unroll the launch controller and you're done. It doesn't sound like it would be much faster, but with our launch system, all the parts go into their own bags to keep track of all the bits and pieces. It takes a while relatively speaking.

FC

4 "D's" is STILL only 6 volts, albeit with somewhat larger (higher capacity) batteries...

Wire up 8 in a pack and you get 12 volts... hence the "Mighty D" controller by Bill Saindon over at BMS...

IMHO, though, when you look at bang/buck, the car jumper packs are just nearly impossible to beat...

Later! OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Yup they are a good product. Estes though is brining back some great products I think as well.

Not arguing that, just replying to the OP's list of kits that "he came back too late into rocketry to enjoy"...

Fact is he CAN enjoy them, just from another vendor, that was the point I was trying to make...

later! OL JR

 

[RoyAtl]

This thread is for ideas that you would like to see estes start doing...kits mods motors etc... pretty much any thing you would like to see....

Ill start... id like to see them getting rid of the tri fold shock cord method and going to kevlar mmt anchor mounts... also when i was reading through the directions for my bsv i saw that they have you make a baffel of sorts... id like to see this more often

No. Extra expense for no good reason. If your tri-fold mount is failing before the shock cord fails, you're doing it wrong. And if your tri-fold mount is interfering with recovery system operation, you're doing it wrong. When your kevlar fails due to heat exposure/carbon buildup flaming up (and eventually it will, because it is much closer to the heat and flame source), then how are you going to fix it? Simple, you replace it with a tri-fold mount!

 

[RoyAtl]

I would like to see more stuff made here in the good ol US of A. I don't know if it's posiable, but can MPR engines be made with the standard paper cases like on LPR? Wouldn't mind seeing those. Don't know why, but that's just me.

Well, considering they've recently gotten a 29mm paper cased E16 and F15 certified by NAR, I'd say that you're behind the curve on that one! (A BP G20 would be wicked, but I certainly don't expect that anytime)

 

[Initiator001]

Well, considering they've recently gotten a 29mm paper cased E16 and F15 certified by NAR, I'd say that you're behind the curve on that one! (A BP G20 would be wicked, but I certainly don't expect that anytime)

A BP 'G' motor would have more than 62.5 grams of propellant. That would open up a whole 'nother can of worms.

 

[RoyAtl]

That's good to know... learn something new every day!

How expensive were they, and how reliable... how much power did they have?? What was the casing material??

Later! OL JR

The all-paper cased motors were moderately reliable, meaning they blew much more often than smaller motors, but were cool when they worked.

In late 1991 they started using an inner casing made of aluminum, with outer case still made of paper, and I never saw one of those fail.
I don't remember how expensive they were. They disappeared after the MRED (Microbrick/Rocketflite/Energon/Dangerous Dave) debacle. Rocketflite returned in the past few years to make igniters.

 

[RoyAtl]

A BP 'G' motor would have more than 62.5 grams of propellant. That would open up a whole 'nother can of worms.

Exactly, and the propellant weight/shipping problems would not be the only one of their worries. Could they even make a decent one in a 29mm casing? Rocketflite's 'G' motor was 38mm, IIRC.

 

[RoyAtl]

I would like to see a redesigned midpower pad.

The current E pad is uninspired and too light for the pro series. There are endless numbers of threads here on building sturdy, inexpensive pads. If Estes made a well thought out pad to accompany their Pro series for about $30 I would certainly reconsider making one for that price.

There is the Pro Series II launch pad (based on the North Coast By Estes launch pad of fifteen years ago -- basically a tripod of PVC pipe) which is just becoming available.

 

[Bubba02STi]

No. Extra expense for no good reason. If your tri-fold mount is failing before the shock cord fails, you're doing it wrong. And if your tri-fold mount is interfering with recovery system operation, you're doing it wrong. When your kevlar fails due to heat exposure/carbon buildup flaming up (and eventually it will, because it is much closer to the heat and flame source), then how are you going to fix it? Simple, you replace it with a tri-fold mount!

I have only had 1 trifold mount fail... and i slip a piece of heat shrink over my kevlar to help protect it... they have held up fine...

 

[shreadvector]

I thought NFPA was revised. I will double check later this morning when I have more time. Lotta look at latest versions of 1122 and 1125.

CPSC has not changed, so anything with more than 62.5 grams would still require 'certification', so perhaps they would need to have an "HP" prefix.

A BP 'G' motor would have more than 62.5 grams of propellant. That would open up a whole 'nother can of worms.

 

[chadrog]

There is the Pro Series II launch pad (based on the North Coast By Estes launch pad of fifteen years ago -- basically a tripod of PVC pipe) which is just becoming available.

Was touched on earlier, but I'll rant at you anyway... The PS II pad is a joke, and the price is a bigger joke. If I were shopping for a pad, it would be a no brainer to pay a little more for an Aerotech Mantis Pad. Can that PVC pile be adjusted in any way? Or do you have to bring a selection of wood scraps for it?

 

[Zonie]

You wont's see a $30 pad, especially made in the USA.

They should provide a kit to build a pad instead. Shipping is expensive, so make the kit with only unusual items, and require the buyer to buy the heavier, basics separately, like PVC pipe and perhaps the cable.

After all, we still have to buy supplies to build a rocket, so why not list some items on the package too.

People building Pro series II should be skilled enough to do this anyway, although, I slapped together a Leviathan pretty quickly. Builds more easily than some regular Low Power Kits.

 

[cruzsergio]

You wont's see a $30 pad, especially made in the USA.

They should provide a kit to build a pad instead. Shipping is expensive, so make the kit with only unusual items, and require the buyer to buy the heavier, basics separately, like PVC pipe and perhaps the cable.

After all, we still have to buy supplies to build a rocket, so why not list some items on the package too.

People building Pro series II should be skilled enough to do this anyway, although, I slapped together a Leviathan pretty quickly. Builds more easily than some regular Low Power Kits.

You can make the same pad for half that price at Home depot and it'll probably be better :rofl:

 

[jadebox]

The starter kits we get here in Australia have had the motors removed and a sticker on the front of the box says "Motors not included". You'd think it would make 'em a bit cheaper...

I think I may have seen a starter set or two here with the same sticker before Estes switched to selling just "Launch Sets" without motors.

-- Roger

 

[RoyAtl]

Was touched on earlier, but I'll rant at you anyway... The PS II pad is a joke, and the price is a bigger joke. If I were shopping for a pad, it would be a no brainer to pay a little more for an Aerotech Mantis Pad. Can that PVC pile be adjusted in any way? Or do you have to bring a selection of wood scraps for it?

No disagreement from me there. When I saw it in the store I nearly doubled over laughing. The North Coast had a fixed position launch rod, with one leg shorter, and an extension to make it the same length as the others. If you wanted to point the pad into the wind, you just took off the extension and physically turned the pad so the short leg was pointing into the wind. You only needed the wood scraps for fine tuning .

 

[chadrog]

No disagreement from me there. When I saw it in the store I nearly doubled over laughing. The North Coast had one leg shorter, with an extension to make it the same length as the others. If you wanted to point the pad into the wind, you just took off the extension and physically turned the pad so the short leg was pointing into the wind. You only needed the wood scraps for fine tuning .

The name "Polio-Pad" has uncontrollably jumped into my head...

 

[luke strawwalker]

No. Extra expense for no good reason. If your tri-fold mount is failing before the shock cord fails, you're doing it wrong. And if your tri-fold mount is interfering with recovery system operation, you're doing it wrong. When your kevlar fails due to heat exposure/carbon buildup flaming up (and eventually it will, because it is much closer to the heat and flame source), then how are you going to fix it? Simple, you replace it with a tri-fold mount!

HA! I love it! Touche'...

Later! OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

The all-paper cased motors were moderately reliable, meaning they blew much more often than smaller motors, but were cool when they worked.

In late 1991 they started using an inner casing made of aluminum, with outer case still made of paper, and I never saw one of those fail.
I don't remember how expensive they were. They disappeared after the MRED (Microbrick/Rocketflite/Energon/Dangerous Dave) debacle. Rocketflite returned in the past few years to make igniters.

The *what* debacle?? Never heard this one... (course that was during my abscence from rocketry from around the time I graduated (89) until about 7-8 years ago now...

PM me the details if you would please... I'd love to hear this one...

Later! OL JR

 

[LW Bercini]

They disappeared after the MRED (Microbrick/Rocketflite/Energon/Dangerous Dave) debacle.

Roy,

If we are ever at the same club lunch, you will have to tell me about that debacle. All that happened during most recent time away from rocketry.

 

[FastCargo]

4 "D's" is STILL only 6 volts, albeit with somewhat larger (higher capacity) batteries...

The D's were for weight to help hold the pad down like the old Big Foot.

I have a question for you electricity types though. Assume I was trying to light a cluster using AAs, and standard Estes igniters. What is considered more effective; 8xAAs wired in series, or 4x(2xAAs)? Please, skip the 'using another type of battery' or 'use Q2G2 igniters' answers...I've have an idea for a quick setup pad/launcher combo which requires using commonly available AAs and easily available retail igniters. In other words, what is more important, total voltage or current?

FC