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DeeRoc29 said:
I'd like to thank AT/RCS for adding some cool stuff to the RCS web store recently. New FG cases look great and the new 98mm graphite nozzle is awesome (already bought one).
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We are always looking to add cool stuff to the RCS store, glad to see you found some goodies. What are the plans for nozzle?
 
Loki Research said:
I’ve heard a lot of different complaints over the past few months about Aerotech being out of hardware and not being able to fill orders for it. 6 months is the number I have heard. While I completely understand a customer’s frustration with this situation, I also understand Aerotech’s situation all too well. I seriously doubt that they have put hardware production on the back burner in favor of other business interests at hand. Believe it or not, it can be very difficult at times in getting others to produce products to exacting specifications that meet your requirements, even when it is all clearly laid out in a print drawing.

As for myself, I've been trying to get new 38mm hardware for almost 4 months and it will still be several more weeks before I do. I placed an order for 38mm hardware back on the 28th of January. About half of that order was the remainder of a previous blanket order that should have already been produced, but it had never been made. When the order was finally delivered at the end of March and I began to inspect it all, I could immediately tell that something was horribly wrong. As it turns out, it had all been made from extruded tubing, not DOM (drawn over mandrel) tubing as the prints specifically state. The tolerances of those materials a very different. Needless to say it was all sent back. Because of this and other previous production issues, the decision was made on both ends to part ways, and I placed a new order with Eric Foster. Well Eric is absolutely swamped with work right now. He’s got all the tubing cut up and is waiting on a machine to open up from other jobs so he can get the tubes machined. Eric makes the best Loki hardware the company has ever seen, but he doesn't have the ability to laser mark the hardware. This was one of the main reasons for using a different machinist, and I'm very sorry to see that feature go away.

My purpose in telling you all this is, you may not always know why or what is causing a huge delay. They do happen and there are normally very good reasons why. It is not because we don't want to make hardware and exchange your money for it. ;-) When the delays are this long, it’s usually because they happen at the worst possible times. When that happens, there are always other smaller fires to put out alongside the big one. Often times while your biggest fire is raging out of control, you have to take the time to put out the smaller fires before they turn into raging infernos as well, as so the big one rages on a little longer. I have many outstanding orders waiting to be filled for 38mm hardware and while each week races by, the time to get those orders filled seems like an eternity. In the meantime, I have to try and stay on top of everything else as well. It is all a great deal of work.

Speaking on both of our behalf’s, I hope customers can understand and appreciate the problems smaller manufacturers sometimes face and they understand that even with the best of intentions, things don’t always go as we plan. I would like to ask that customers continue to be patient with us, and when we are ready to deliver, please be ready to help us quickly and smoothly get those orders delivered to their new homes.


Sincerely,
Click to expand...

These points are spot on Scott. It seems as the bigger the hardware gets, the harder it becomes to find a machinist for it. I am counting on the hardware situation to be fully resolved shortly. Scott, hang in there. It is a pretty good feeling once it comes in though. Happy rocketeers everywhere. ;)
 
Len B said:
The division of Natural Resources Canada that is responsible for "explosives" and fireworks, rocket motors etc. requires motors to be submitted for evaluation. This costs $$.
To me, it should not be an issue since it is a single grain of an already submitted propellant for WL, BT, RL and maybe BJ. We don't have approvals for the other propellants like MG, MS or FBJ. (Not sure if they even make a 1G version of these.)

It takes a critical mass of sales to make it worthwhile. I just hope that there will be other motors that will be sent it and they can "throw a few 1G motors in".
I offered to help out by committing to purchasing a number of motors at one time but it wasn't that simple.

Thanks for asking. :)

Len
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There may be some news coming out of Canada soon also. Not necessarily regarding the metal or FBJ propellant but some other progress.
 
Tonimus said:
Mr. Savoie,

Thank you for opening this thread to address some concerns we have. One concern I have are the 29/40-120 reloads. I flew 2 reloads for that case this weekend. An E16W and a G53FJ. Both reloads had very loose fitting delay insulators. Luckily, I saw a thread about using masking tape and grease around the insulator to prevent blow-by and subsequent lighting of the deployment charge early. Upon disassembling both loads after the launch, both delay insulators were burned up the side to the masking tape. I'm not asking for a kit change or anything like that, but a note in the instructions would be appreciated. I followed the directions to a "t" and if I had not pulled the delay back out, I quite possibly would've lost the rocket and maybe the casing.
Click to expand...

I'll ask Karl about this, thank you.
 
JeromeK99 said:
Thank you Charlie for joining this forum and giving us the opportunity to voice our opinions openly.

I'd like to address something nobody has mentioned yet.. The Quest product line. When will we see something new? Or old for that matter? It seems Quest, even before the merger was not bringing out new products and just selling off inventory. Specifically, kits.

Most of my other concerns have been echoed by others. AT website, new kits, catalog etc....

It is very important to have basic product data easily available, especially for new hobby line customers. Years ago, AT published a comprehensive list of hobby line SU and RMS motors. This featured listings of all the motors that would work with the AT kits and estimated altitude. The backside featured engine data including a "max lift-off weight". This was very useful to those just starting out in MPR. This data is printed on the hobby line header cards, but is nowhere to be found all together.

Jerome :)
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Jerome,
Thank you for bringing up the Quest line. We do have some projects in the work and without getting into to much detail one in particular has me extremely excited. I think Quest has tons of potential and am very excited about that line. The merger was definitely a lot to digest but as we progress things are picking up. Stay tuned.

The motor matrix is being worked on also and should be completed shortly. It is a great tool to have and I agree it should be easy to find. Good points, thanks.
 
I'd really like to see the G71R brought back. I really loved this motor.

I'd also like to see a few more loads for the 24/60 motor. I remember the F33FJ and F34R being mentioned awhile back. While the F35W is great, a little bit more variety would be good too.:wink:
 
Kruegon said:
This is most likely the best forum (no pun intended) for the vendors to actually reach out to the community. A viable cross section of the hobby is well represented here. Newbies to near experts, Minimaxx to L3, kits to scratch builds. We have it all.

It would be ill advised for any vendor to discount the opinions shared here. No one knows exactly what the public wants, better than the public itself.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. Well said, thank you.
 
tjsnakez said:
I've always been loyal to Aerotech. Even a young guy like me can remember when Aerotech and AMW where the only ones with "colors". But I've always liked the AT propellants a little more than the rest, so I continue to fly them.

I don't have a problem with the RMS EZ concept, but it doesn't really seem necessary. Part of the reason I like Aerotech is the assembly process.

The one thing I would like to see is a 75mm Propellant X "M" reload. Or some blue thunder 75mm. Aerotech lacks the high thrust loads that the other manufactures have in 75mm.

Hope you stick around the forum for awhile! I like it when vendors communicate directly with the consumers.
Click to expand...

We are reviewing some options for those that prefer the original delay system over the EZs. As the 75s gain in popularity we should start seeing some more variety in the 75 line.
 
KenRico said:
I was the guy on crutches at SpringFest in Las Vegas ..thanks again for the H550ST EZ-RMS !

Some quick thoughts .. no orphan cases like Hobbyline 24/60 , 38/1320 and 75/1280 .

Fill in other brackets besides 75/5120, 54/1706, 38/720. and 38/360 with newer products ...like the L1250DM-P recently. Newer Product being SUPER THUNDER, PROPELLANT X, ect.

I know that new loads being released are Plugged or 14 seconds, can you unify RMS line to ship all with 'L' delay like the 54mm and define an estimated delay time ? I have come across multiple instructions that do not match up with the loads also ..the newer blue print style ones are great .

You adjusted price on DMS..good call - having the motor with no hw requirement cost less than equivalent reload had to be killing desire for HardWare . Considering DMS as the new flyers solution, is not getting hardware into the new flyers hands like a cert special . Having no RAS for 75mm and raising its hardware prices considerably will not increase sales of those products . Flip flop the nice price for 54/1280 to 54/1706 hardware as it has more reloads .

It is very seldom if any that anyone in my club flys a WARP 9 reload , I suspect this because of the additional hardware requirement and premium price ...double whammy . I would be proud of it this product too, but then your brand reload choices are mostly color and effect vs long medium and short burns and then effects -because the longest and shortest burns are being ignored.

Anyway I am a long time Aerotech Fan and took me a while to build up my AT Hobbyline and RMS Hardware ..so it is not my intent to be critical

Kenny
Click to expand...

Hi Ken,
Hope the leg is healed up and looking forward to seeing you at ROCStock in June. To your points:

I have come across multiple instructions that do not match up with the loads also ..the newer blue print style ones are great
Would like some more info on that if you have some. Wrong instructions are not cool.

So it is not my intent to be critical
No worries Kenny, you have some good points. I know the 75RAS is in the works so we will see what, if any, effect that will have on the 75 line. Thanks for your input.
 
Hi Charlie, glad to see you're back with us for a little while, I'd just like to add my .02 that I'd also like to see more 24/60 loads. It seems like a great case, but just doesn't feel worth it for one reload, especially one that's fairly similar to the F24W of the 24/40 case.

Oh, and I just got my order in for LDRS, and I'm really looking forward to burning some (relatively) big Aerotechs. I've got a J570W, J825R, and I1299N lined up- should be fun!

Nate
 
Viperfixr said:
Me neither. AMW green would chuff on the pad all day long, but not AT green. I've found Mojave Green easy to ignite; J500G/K805G some of my favorite motors.

I bought a 75/1280 casing a while back and then realized there was only one reload...and it cost the same as a 75/2560 reload! Other reloads for that case would be great.
Click to expand...

Other reloads for that case would be great
Agreed. The 75 line has some holes to fill, the 75RAS should help.
 
Kruegon said:
It's beginning to appear that AT has left the thread. I'm hoping this only means he's working on our input and not walking away from here.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping this only means he's working on our input and not walking away from here
+1

I assure you all this thread is monitored and I will be checking in regularly as time allows. I do have tons of items on the to-do list but I can mange both. Probably. :wink:
 
Ravenex said:
I don't feel he need to check this every day or that he needs to respond to every post, but opening a thread like this is kind of like having a customer service email address. People should be able to expect it to be checked regularly and responded to even if the response is more of a canned message. After what seems to have happened to other members I too am a little concerned he was banned.
Click to expand...

I certainly intended to get on here by Tuesday after the long weekend. I currently work almost exclusively in the shipping area so I can't chat here until I get mission #1 accomplished which is to ship, ship and then ship. Then we will ship some more. I aim to be on here at least once a week, more often as time allows.
 
grouch said:
It could also be interpreted as the easy peazy CTI hardware is now wind chime material because the new DMS motors are even easier. Glass half full, half empty sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I wasn't around for this particular campaign but the wind chime reference goes back some years I believe. But yes, the general message of the ad is the simplicity of the DMS is awesome. Good way to put it.
 
jsargevt said:
Here are my questions:

Will Aerotech ever re-introduce the Phoneix Rocket Boost Glider (or any other RCBG offerings)? Will Aerotech continue to produce RC motors? Is there any chance they can find a way to make a RC case that isn't stupidly expensive?
Click to expand...

I don't have an answer for that but I will say that I think about that glider almost everyday. I don't know why since I just remember it vaguely from when I was younger. As far as the reloads for RC there are not any plans to change it. I am intrigued by the RC angle as the tech becomes more affordable.
 
ThirstyBarbarian said:
Sounds like another "insider" reference.

Oh, well. I didn't mean to sidetrack the thread with my comments about the ad. It wasn't a complaint. It was offered more as unsolicited take-it-or-leave-it constructive criticism that maybe they can use to improve their ads and maybe get more value out of their marketing budget. I'm a volunteer "focus group" of one, offering free feedback on the consumer perception and reaction to the ad. Big companies pay to research that kind of thing.

I use the DMS motors, I like them a lot, and I recommend them to first-time HPR flyers. I just think the ads for these motors look amateurish, and the photos don't do anything to grab attention or reinforce the marketing message. It shouldn't cost too much to get something better.

The advantages of DMS:

No motor hardware: No upfront investment. No hardware at risk for riskier launches --- trying a new technique, making an altitude attempt, less than perfect flying conditions, etc. Makes clustering less expensive.

No assembly: Saves time. Get more launches in a day. Less need to prep ahead. Good for beginners. Lower risk of user error.

Is there a way the graphics could support those ideas?
Click to expand...

No motor hardware: No upfront investment. No hardware at risk for riskier launches --- trying a new technique, making an altitude attempt, less than perfect flying conditions, etc. Makes clustering less expensive.

No assembly: Saves time. Get more launches in a day. Less need to prep ahead. Good for beginners. Lower risk of user error.

Excellent.
 
Pyropetepete said:
Sort out a proper UK EU supply.

Having had various talks, lies, story's and set backs I'd like the truth to posted publicly.

Your ass is beaten by CTI due to this in the UK EU.

Your 'EU' supply doesn't talk to anyone out side his country.

You supply directly to a country via the UK which technically you shouldn't due to the lack of any support for the UK.

Good luck
Click to expand...

We are getting there. The fact is it takes another willing participant on the other end with a good amount of resources to help get it going. When we find that individual or entity we will explore that opportunity. Or perhaps we already have, who knows? :)
 
nute said:
Hi Charlie, glad to see you're back with us for a little while, I'd just like to add my .02 that I'd also like to see more 24/60 loads. It seems like a great case, but just doesn't feel worth it for one reload, especially one that's fairly similar to the F24W of the 24/40 case.

Oh, and I just got my order in for LDRS, and I'm really looking forward to burning some (relatively) big Aerotechs. I've got a J570W, J825R, and I1299N lined up- should be fun!

Nate
Click to expand...

Oh man you have quite a launch coming up then. Can't wait to see the pics.
 
ATGM said:
We are reviewing some options for those that prefer the original delay system over the EZs.
Click to expand...
I am very glad to hear this. Being able to build my delays is the reason I switched over to AT from CTI. Thanks for listening! Now about shipping all the new motors with the longest delays possible…..
 
ATGM said:
TONIMUS said:
Mr. Savoie,

Thank you for opening this thread to address some concerns we have. One concern I have are the 29/40-120 reloads. I flew 2 reloads for that case this weekend. An E16W and a G53FJ. Both reloads had very loose fitting delay insulators. Luckily, I saw a thread about using masking tape and grease around the insulator to prevent blow-by and subsequent lighting of the deployment charge early. Upon disassembling both loads after the launch, both delay insulators were burned up the side to the masking tape. I'm not asking for a kit change or anything like that, but a note in the instructions would be appreciated. I followed the directions to a "t" and if I had not pulled the delay back out, I quite possibly would've lost the rocket and maybe the casing.
Click to expand...
I'll ask Karl about this, thank you.
Click to expand...

Please let us know. I really like the 29/40-120 load options.
 

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