What tracker do you use?

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What type / brand Tracker do you use?

  • GPS

  • RF

  • Beeper

  • Strobe

  • Garmin

  • TeleMetrum

  • Eggfinder

  • CSI ( Communication Specialist Incorporated

  • LL Electronics

  • Merlin Systems

  • BigRedBee

  • Tragic Aerospace

  • Other

Results are only viewable after voting.
JDcluster

JDcluster

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Just curious to what others are using to track their rockets.
I use a few different ones:
GPS: Garmin Astro ( not lately)
GPS: Eggfinder TRS
RF: CSI
RF: Merlin Systems
Check all that apply.


JD
 
Big Red Bee RF beacon...

And a Eggfinder GPS ....

Both work great...

The polls results are quite interesting...

Lot of Bee's out there...

Teddy
 
BRB 70cm GPS tracker receive end: D72A/Garmin 60Csx or any H/T with Mobilinkd/APRSDroid

Eggfinders GPS/TRS receive end: LCD receiver/Android GPS rocket locator with handheld Garmin GPS Manual backup.

I don't bother with RDF anymore except use a $15.00 XFM-1 for modrocs. Due to the fact I don't get to fly as often, I want to get the rocket "now" and not have to keep worrying about trudging about and getting a manual range and bearing. I want to bring it back as fast as possible and move on to flying other projects as I don't know when I'll get a chance to fly again. Kurt
 
I use CSI RF trackers. Love them. I want to add gps and will add MissileWorks RTX when it becomes available. May add others such as Big Red Bee down the road.
 
I am new to the HPR world, but right now my tracker is an Eggtimer TRS with the LCD receiver, paired to my android phone. I am also looking into getting my ham and a BRB gps for higher flights as a backup to the TRS.
 
I started out with the CSI RF beacon, and over the years I have gotten better with it. But if you want to get it back NOW, I use the Eggfinder with the LCD RX and have it linked with a bluetooth module to my Android phone. That and Rocket locator gets you right to your rocket NOW. I still put the CSI beacon in my bigger rockets as backup, but seldom deploy the antenna on the handheld receiver.
I used to think that I would upgrade to the BRB for higher flights, but last month I flew a rocket to 23,230 ft. and had good signal from my Eggfinder at apogee. Still wondering what the max. range will be...
 
The poll is confusing. You give both a style of tracker and the companies that make them. This sounds like it should be two separate polls. But, it is your data, not mine, so have fun parsing it. I selected 6 of the 13 items. Enjoy.
 
Wayco said:
I started out with the CSI RF beacon, and over the years I have gotten better with it. But if you want to get it back NOW, I use the Eggfinder with the LCD RX and have it linked with a bluetooth module to my Android phone. That and Rocket locator gets you right to your rocket NOW. I still put the CSI beacon in my bigger rockets as backup, but seldom deploy the antenna on the handheld receiver.
I used to think that I would upgrade to the BRB for higher flights, but last month I flew a rocket to 23,230 ft. and had good signal from my Eggfinder at apogee. Still wondering what the max. range will be...
Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong Wayne but I believe you used a simple antenna for that endeavor? Anyhow, folks shouldn't be shy about an EF
and it echoes my sentiments exactly. Find it fast, get back fast to fly more rockets. Kurt
 
Eggfinder is tempting, however, I'm more than a little put-off by the whole kit thing. I know there's a kid who will make them for you for a nominal fee, but I've been preferring to wait and see what other units are out there. The SIM-card based units using the whole text-if-you-need-it thing I find intriguing (caveats of cell reception at site understood), I must admit...


Later!

--Coop
 
ksaves2 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong Wayne but I believe you used a simple antenna for that endeavor? Anyhow, folks shouldn't be shy about an EF
and it echoes my sentiments exactly. Find it fast, get back fast to fly more rockets. Kurt
Click to expand...

I think Matthew down in Australia has had excellent reception with the wire antenna that comes in the kit, but I prefer to use this one:
https://www.mouser.com/Search/Produ...virtualkey59000000virtualkey712-ANT-916-CW-QW

I'm also using the 1/4 wave rubber duckie antenna on my LCD RX:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GSM-Omni-A...ash=item233b45efdf&afsrc=1&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

Last year at ROCstock, I flew 6 rockets in one day. One was a motor deploy night rocket with no tracking, the other five were dual deploy rockets flying from 7k ft. to 12k ft. all recovered with the eggfinder. It doesn't get any easier than that.
 
When I got into electronic tracking in 2010, I skipped over the whole RDF thing and started with modern GPS. In particular, license-free, 900 MHz GPS. Something about having to be "licensed" by ham guys in order to go find my rocket with a device no more complicated than a wireless router just doesn't sit well with me.

I was an early adopter of the BRB900. So simple - open the box, turn it on, and go find your rocket with the navigation tool of your choice.
 
Last edited:
Eggfinder on all flights and the CSI as secondary on some flights. BTW...nobody is licensed by "ham guys." We are not the FCC.
 
I've been using the eggfinder for a year now with great results. highest I have gone is 14k feet, no issues. walked me right to it. well actually I drove but still it was right where it said it was. I bought a BRB 70cm beacon for backup but have never put it in a rocket.
 
BRB900. I love GPS
19362278541_a88f944e94.jpg
19362281821_5b37c60670.jpg


I need to look into eggfinders and other options. I love the big red bee....but more is better/
 
Titan II said:
Eggfinder on all flights and the CSI as secondary on some flights. BTW...nobody is licensed by "ham guys." We are not the FCC.
Click to expand...

OK, bad wording on my part. My understanding is that the FCC does the licensing, and the ARRL (or other volunteers) administer the tests. Is that correct? Regardless, it is a hassle I don't want to add to my rocketry hobby.
 
You have it correct. If you change your mind I highly recommend www.hamstudy.org.



Buckeye said:
OK, bad wording on my part. My understanding is that the FCC does the licensing, and the ARRL (or other volunteers) administer the tests. Is that correct? Regardless, it is a hassle I don't want to add to my rocketry hobby.
Click to expand...
 
ChrisAttebery said:
You have it correct. If you change your mind I highly recommend www.hamstudy.org.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know. I got the ARRL study guide with plans to take the exam. However, I grew bored with the material and the need to memorize federal government mumbo jumbo that had very little relevance to using a GPS model rocket tracker. So, I went the 900 Mhz route, instead.
 
My new rig found my subterranean rocket yesterday!
It came in ballistic from around 4k ( failed to deploy)
I started walk toward where I thought it might be....
Thought it was further into the corn field.
Walked along the edge until I started getting a signal.

I saw a hole about 4" across and 8" deep,
pointed the receiver at the hole and sure enough very strong signal.
Started digging till I was up to my elbow and started finding tape that I use.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kkqc4nclgka7rsp/2015-07-25 12.55.18.jpg?dl=0
 
JDcluster said:
My new rig found my subterranean rocket yesterday!
It came in ballistic from around 4k ( failed to deploy)
I started walk toward where I thought it might be....
Thought it was further into the corn field.
Walked along the edge until I started getting a signal.

I saw a hole about 4" across and 8" deep,
pointed the receiver at the hole and sure enough very strong signal.
Started digging till I was up to my elbow and started finding tape that I use.
Click to expand...

Holee Cow JD!, That is a secure tracker mounting bar none you have there. I think without it all that pricey hardware would be gone. Kurt
 
Buckeye said:
Yeah, I know. I got the ARRL study guide with plans to take the exam. However, I grew bored with the material and the need to memorize federal government mumbo jumbo that had very little relevance to using a GPS model rocket tracker. So, I went the 900 Mhz route, instead.
Click to expand...

By all means take the 900Mhz route. It was a very short time ago where there were no cost effective alternatives and Ham radio APRS was the only cost effective
game in town. Even that still carried a hefty price tag. Heck, the purpose built non-directional tracking beacon setups were close in cost to Ham radio APRS tracking at the time. Thank heavens the cost has come down and people don't have to be licensed to use some of the available GPS rocket trackers.

I will say though that getting a Ham Radio ticket will allow you to "learn" about radio wave propagation. I found that helpful for any kind of rocket tracking
Rf beacon or GPS tracker.

I still like my D72A (after my D7A(g)'s died out) and single wire connection to a Garmin 60CsX handheld mapping GPS. That is the "Gold Standard" that applies to other tracking systems. Showing a position on a map is easy. Automatically navigating "to" that position reliably is another trick entirely.

GPS rocket locator can do it for the EggFinders although it can be very temperamental in bonding at times.

The Altus Metrum software is very impressive for the laptop and the Android (more portable)

And of course the Rolls-Royce of them all the Multitronix system: https://www.multitronix.com/ Which does a heck of a lot more than an APRS tracker.

Kurt
 
Personally I really enjoy the HAM RDF thing. I don't see myself ever wanting to get into GPS mostly because RDF is challenging and fun. I find it extremely rewarding to "hunt" my rockets down. Being told where they are just does not have the same appeal to me although I understand why it's popular. If that isn't enough, it seems so high tech in a 1960's sort of way.
 

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