Good cheap first altimeter?

I was looking through the (wow, really comprehensive, thanks Azzie!) list of altimeters. Any suggestions for a first one? It looks like the ALTIM1 or the Estes Altimeter should do OK - I'm leaning toward the Estes because it looks like I could tie it to the shock cord (as opposed to having to buy/make a case for the ALTIM1 to protect it from the elements).

This would be for LPR and MPR rockets, and ideally it would be something I could move from rocket to rocket. I don't need to fire a DD system, I just want to know how high they went...

Nothing wrong with the Estes altimeter. It works and is affordable. However, you may want to check out Jolly Logic before you make a commitment.

Also, the PerfectFlite Firefly is danged cheap! But you have to keep it away from deployment charges (i.e., in the nose cone, sealed payload bay, or forward of a piston).

I have not heard great reviews on the Estes altimeter, nor do I own one.

I would cast a vote my vote for the Jolly Logic AltimeterOne. I bought one shortly after they came out and I've been very happy with it. I've had it survive a couple LPR ballistic reentries, so it's obviously durable. I've compared them with more expensive altimeters, and they were within a few feet of each other, so they must be relatively accurate.

My latest test..I had got out of the hobby for over 2 years, and sitting idle the entire time, the AltimeterOne was more than happy to power up and go back at it. So...longevity?

Besides, John Beans of Jolly Logic is an active member here, what more could you ask?

I have at least two examples of all of the units mentioned so far here, and have flown them all individually and in groups.

The Estes altimeter works nicely - when it works. It is much fussier about static port sizes than just about anything else. I've had a number of zero readings after a flight. It uses a very-hard-to-find-for-a-reasonable-price replaceable battery.

The Adept ALTIM-1 (in all its variants) is relatively heavy, uses that odd little 12V lighter battery (though that one is easier to find than the one used in the Estes altimeter), and, as you note, needs protection. A similar unit from PerfectFlite is the APRA - it has a jumper for a switch, but that leads one to leave the battery in the holder, and the holder will crack after awhile if you do that (it will also crack after a hard landing)

I'm with the others - if you want to tie it to a shock cord, go Jolly Logic. Great products, great support. Built in rechargeable battery. The current AlitmeterOne stores a bunch of flights' worth of data.

If you can put it in a separate compartment, the Firefly, when you can get it, is really hard to beat for performance-weight/dollar. The LED which blinks out the apogee and peak flight speed is kind if dim (you need to shade it to read it unless it's really overcast) but that's my only gripe with it. Uses a fairly easy-to-find tiny replaceable coin cell for power. Only one flight's worth of data (also true of the Adept units and the APRA).

Check Youtube for hilarious videos of Estes altimeters.

I believe it has far more problems than it is worth. I like the Altimeter Two quite a bit, since it has an accelerometer. Even on high power flights I started throwing it in alongside my deployment computers, because those are barometer only. The Altimeter Three has all that plus a phone link, which could be fun though it is not on my list yet.

If you're not making a bay.... Jolly logic is the way to go. period. Estes made a crappy copy.

DizWolf said:

If you're not making a bay.... Jolly logic is the way to go. period. Estes made a crappy copy.

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+1.

Three and a half years ago my son started in rocketry with a science project after finding my decades old Estes ones at grandma's house. I picked up a perfect flite pnut for him because of it's data logging. Now he's making some eggtimer kits for next summer's projects.

If the original poster had asked about data logging I'd have mentioned the Pnut in my post above. Not much bigger than an ALTIM-1 or APRA and lighter, with an onboard LiPoly cell for power....and logs 31 flights' worth of data. Of course one needs the interface cable device and the software (Windows and Mac versions available) to get the data where it can be seen.

The other two choices I would recommend in this category are the very very tiny Altus Metrum MicroPeak and the Jolly Logic AltimeterThree. The MicroPeak is in the same ballpark pricewise as the Pnut but is half the size and weight of the FireFly (and uses the same tiny coin cell for power as the Firefly). It logs one flight (45 seconds or so of data), which you have to download via a special optical-to-USB interface device to a machine that runs Java (PC, Mac or Linux)

AltimeterThree is in the same physical case as current generations of the One and Two but does its data sharing via post-flight transmission over Bluetooth low energy to an Apple or Android smart phone (or an iPad or Android tablet). From there you can also send the data in Excel form to whatever other device you might want to by email. It's a little more expensive, though if you factor in the cost of the data interface cable/device for the Pnut or MicroPeak it's not that much more to go wireless (and have accelerometer data as well as barometric data). It only stores one flight's worth of data on the altimeter itself but of course the storage on the phone/tablet is only limited by memory there....and generally I have the data downloaded to my iPhone by the time I've walked back to my table from recovering the rocket.

I have both the Estes and the Jolly Logic Altimeter2. I had the Altimeter1 but my mom lost it along with her first Wildchild rocket (but that's another story...)

You should protect ANY brand of altimeter from a direct ejection blast. The Altimeter2 gives Way-More info/data than the Estes altimeter, but it is more than double the price.

dixontj93060 said:

+1.

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+2 for any of the Jolly Logic stuff. I have one of the super fussy Estes models and have given up on it. My Jolly Logic is far easier to use and it works!

Geeze, Mr.Beans, it seems you have a rather loyal following. Innovative products at a reasonable price will do that

No better advertising than word of mouth!

Zeus-cat said:

+2 for any of the Jolly Logic stuff. I have one of the super fussy Estes models and have given up on it. My Jolly Logic is far easier to use and it works!

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+3 I lost my Jolly Logic 2 to my son who flew the heck out of it.

I lost an ALT2 about a year ago and couldn't sleep that night. So I ordered a replacement the next day and all was right with the world again.

Been waiting for a Jolly Logic "extreme" version (either 2 or 3) with a greater accelerometer range. Don't know it it's ever going to happen, but in the meantime just this morning I picked up the Alt2 for $55 shipped on eBay (NIB) -- haven't seen a better price, but then haven't been looking intently.

Yeah, I saw that one last night and had it in my watch list. I missed that it was buy-it-now for that price or I might've grabbed it. Enjoy!

I flew the Jolly Logic 2 regularly. Then I got a Jolly Logic 3. That Bluetooth connection is really cool. And the data... Oh how I love data. But yeah, JL is great. If all you're looking for is altitude, Estes will do the job, roughly.

Just be aware that the Estes clip is garbage. Tie it tight with some kevlar line, monkey snot, a wish and a prayer.......anything but the supplied clip. Ask me how I know!

I do mine like the pic that Sabrina posted above, usually looped through the nose cone attach point, haven't lost one since (and moved up to a JL ALT2).

dixontj93060 said:

Been waiting for a Jolly Logic "extreme" version (either 2 or 3) with a greater accelerometer range. Don't know it it's ever going to happen

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I built 10 AltimeterTwos that can do 100Gs. Just haven't done the quick software mod they require.

I think sometime soon I'll move all of the 'Twos and 'Threes to 100G. Maybe later this year.

John Beans said:

I think sometime soon I'll move all of the 'Twos and 'Threes to 100G. Maybe later this year.

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Yeah! :marshmallow:

John Beans said:

I built 10 AltimeterTwos that can do 100Gs. Just haven't done the quick software mod they require.

I think sometime soon I'll move all of the 'Twos and 'Threes to 100G. Maybe later this year.

Click to expand...

At that point I may be picking one up as I have no accelerometer type altimeters.