Raven 3 Questions

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k3td

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Has anyone used the Raven 3 with the Featherweight 38 mm av bay inside a 3" 'standard' payload tube? It seems like their av bay is well engineered, and I'm wondering how to integrate it?

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Since the magnetic switch has a limited range, I imagine that the only way to make this work would be to have the 38mm tube glued to the side of the payload tube or held in offset centering rings. Doesn't seem like it's worth the trouble to me -- these avbays are really intended for space-constrained minimum-diameter rockets.
 
There are two magnets, and both have worked for me in any rocket I've used them in, 5" size and less. With the smaller of the two, a little hunting is sometimes needed to find the sweet spot--practice before being on the pad is very helpful and a sharpie dot on the outer airframe where the magnet should be swiped. The larger magnet works extremely well, but is a pain for ANYTHING magnetic anywhere near it--keep it away from plastic cards (debit/credit), phones, car keys, etc. Try the small magnet that came with the Raven; I bet you can make it work in your setup if there's no magnetic 'noise' in the area. If it does not work, get the larger magnet--THAT will work for sure.

As far as how to integrate it, it's easier than you may think--turn the 3" coupler bulkheads you'd normally use for an av-bay into 'centering rings' with an ID equal to a 38mm coupler, and make sure the bulkheads are just 2" apart. The Featherweight 38mm av-bay will fit right into that nicely. You could also get Anchor Posts from Doghouse rocketry to help with the shock cord attachment, though it might be on the weak side with a 3" rocket. Might want to consider a Kevlar cord that passes through the av-bay just outside the Featherweight av-bay for this purpose.
 
Another option is the Raven Power Perch. A bit more convenient as you don't have to reconnect wires, you just screw in the terminals. I have the 38mm av bay and a power perch in 2.1" and 4" bays and the raven just hops between the three.
 
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