LDRS 2017

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If you break the waiver, Bob and Neil take you out to a remote crop field and let the Children of the Corn make you pay. Most come back like zombies and only want to fly Estes Alphas.

Not always a bad thing.
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(I am neither the person in the image nor the "Neil" mentioned in the quote above, BTW. That is carl20320 in the picture.)
 
Not always a bad thing.

(I am neither the person in the image nor the "Neil" mentioned in the quote above, BTW. That is carl20320 in the picture.)

That picture would be so funny with a green-screened background and a shelf or desktop supered over it. Make the flyer look six inches tall! :D
 
Hello all,
I am a BAR who is looking forward to attending LDRS for the first time. I noticed that the launch fees are $60 for the entire event. Is it possible to get a single day pass? It's likely that I won't have anything but mostly LPR and maybe one MPR. I do have my eye on one of the Loc Precision V2s but I won't be able to get one until sometime in March which will make getting it ready for the launch a bit of a challenge.

For someone who has not attended a LDRS before in addition to the vendors and some really big and awesome rockets what else can they expect? I am assuming that opportunities to meet other like minded folk and to learn more about rocketry will be abundant.

Due to my work schedule I doubt that I will be able to be there other than the very final day of the event. I plan on taking many photographs and shooting video of the event. I would love to have any of you speak on camera to describe what LDRS is and talk about your rockets. There are plenty of LDRS videos on youtube but none of them which I have seen paint a picture of what's taking place. Also, if any of you live within say a 2-3 hour drive of Washington, DC I would love to visit you and shoot some footage of your project before the launch.

My documentary on how the sport of lawn mower racing is on the "cutting edge" in the battle against Huntington's disease made its way to several film festivals. https://www.mowermovie.com
Thanks!
 
What can you expect? Well, a lot of that depends on the weather. :wink:

One scenario: huge rockets blasting off to 14,000 feet on M, N and O motors, with a roar like you've never heard before. Lots of OOOing and AHHing as chutes come out and rockets drift to the ground. 100s of like-minded people who are very anxious to show off their rockets and teach you everything they know. Others who will want to know what you know. Sunshine, a beautiful farm in the springtime, Roadkill Cafe meats, and a chance to shop six or seven vendors who can sell you pretty much any rocketry-related thing you might want.

Another scenario: rain and wind, bunches of people sitting around in their vehicles, hoping the sun will come out, cars and trucks getting stuck in the mud and having to be pulled out by tractor, lots of frowns and disappointed expressions.

I live 45 minutes from DC. I'll try to remember to PM you once my project is finished.
 
Another scenario: rain and wind, bunches of people sitting around in their vehicles, hoping the sun will come out, cars and trucks getting stuck in the mud and having to be pulled out by tractor, lots of frowns and disappointed expressions.

That will never happen...wait that kid of describes LDRS34, although I did squeeze in a few launches.
 
are you kidding? I would of thought it would be 30K or maybe 21K. What happens if you break the waiver??

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really though, Any launch like this, if you've got a project thats going to bust the waiver, you're just not going to be allowed to fly.
 
Hello all,
I am a BAR who is looking forward to attending LDRS for the first time. I noticed that the launch fees are $60 for the entire event. Is it possible to get a single day pass? It's likely that I won't have anything but mostly LPR and maybe one MPR. I do have my eye on one of the Loc Precision V2s but I won't be able to get one until sometime in March which will make getting it ready for the launch a bit of a challenge.

For someone who has not attended a LDRS before in addition to the vendors and some really big and awesome rockets what else can they expect? I am assuming that opportunities to meet other like minded folk and to learn more about rocketry will be abundant.

Due to my work schedule I doubt that I will be able to be there other than the very final day of the event. I plan on taking many photographs and shooting video of the event. I would love to have any of you speak on camera to describe what LDRS is and talk about your rockets. There are plenty of LDRS videos on youtube but none of them which I have seen paint a picture of what's taking place. Also, if any of you live within say a 2-3 hour drive of Washington, DC I would love to visit you and shoot some footage of your project before the launch.

My documentary on how the sport of lawn mower racing is on the "cutting edge" in the battle against Huntington's disease made its way to several film festivals. https://www.mowermovie.com
Thanks!

Oh interesting. I don't have anything large, but I am local if you want footage related to a first time attendee with MPR and LPR flights planned. Were you at the NARHAMS meeting over the weekend?
 
Oh interesting. I don't have anything large, but I am local if you want footage related to a first time attendee with MPR and LPR flights planned. Were you at the NARHAMS meeting over the weekend?
I was indeed Sleepy Steve. I was also at their launch the next day. Are you working on a kit or will you start a kit prior to the event? If I get the V2 I might even shoot (er...film although it's really not film) myself putting it together.
 
For anyone who is thinking about breaking the waiver (and to me, that seems about as mature as blowing up school toilets with M-80s), keep in mind that the RSOs are not stupid, and will be paying attention to your rocket's weight and motor selection.
 
More then should you, could you, would you get in trouble if you bust the waiver, it's just a bad idea. Yea, we've all seen it happen. But it's something we should all really really really respect. We're pushing up some serious size objects into airspace occupied by you know.... planes full of people. It's not so much the up part that's an issue, that's less than a minute typically. But floating a 10-20 pound brick in the air for the period of recovery is significant.

Whats most likely to happen? Nothing by the odds. I hate doom and gloom and "one accident will screw us all" style arguments. But really, keeping a good relationship with the FAA is critical to our hobby. If we piss them off or have pilots reporting seeing stuff out of the waiver we'll see less cooperation. Just don't do it.
 
Bat-mite and DavidMcCann are exactly right.
I've been obtaining waivers for 15 years. In that time I've never had anyone purposely violate the waiver conditions. I have seen one instance of a simulation that reported an altitude that was three thousand feet lower than the flight achieved, one instance of an entire rocket drifting outside of our three mile cylinder. I increased the cylinder the next year to five miles and I always add a larger buffer to our requested altitude to compensate for the occasional missed simulation.
If a person intentionally violated the terms of one of my COAs, I would ban them from ever launching at a launch I organized and I would report their name to whichever national organization they belonged to. I worked hard to build relationships with the landowners and the FAA. I wouldn't let some self important jerk endanger those relationships.


Steve Shannon
 
Bat-mite and DavidMcCann are exactly right... If a person intentionally violated the terms of one of my COAs, I would ban them from ever launching at a launch I organized and I would report their name to whichever national organization they belonged to. I worked hard to build relationships with the landowners and the FAA. I wouldn't let some self important jerk endanger those relationships.
I could not agree more. While I haven't had the length of time that Steve has, I know all too well how difficult it is to acquire a field that allows HPR flights, and I am extremely vigilant protecting that privilege.
 
The new newsletter came out from MDRA and include the safety rule for DD charges. https://ldrs36.org/?wysija-page=1&controller=email&action=view&email_id=4&wysijap=subscriptions&user_id=111
I thought those "rules" were the way everyone handled ejection charges....
So looking forward to this..

"Finally and most importantly a note on Safety.* We're implementing a procedure that must be followed for checking continuity of deployment electronics for everyone's safety.
Power on checks for deployment electronics...
Under no circumstances will power-on or continuity checks be accomplished on live deployment charges, in or around individual or group preparation areas,. (A live charge is defined as a recovery charge canister, containing both an e-match and black powder connected to electronics or not).*
All power-on or continuity checks with live charges will be conducted at the assigned launch pad prior to launch or in a safe area forward of the spectator line, designated by the RSO.
To insure the safety of all flyers and spectators, power-on operational checks of recovery electronics, to include continuity checks, will follow the procedures below, (1 through 4).

1.* E-match continuity may be checked prior to installing the e-match into its canister or after installing the e-match in its canister, either by electronic test equipment or power on check, using the rockets deployment electronics.
2.* Once satisfied with the results of the power-on check and or continuity check, power down all recovery electronics associated with deployment charge activation.* From this point on do not power-up your recovery electronics, until you are at the launch pad or a designated area assigned by the RSO.
3.* Secure and prep your charge canisters with black powder.* Once again, do not power-up your recovery electronics for any reason until you are at the launch pad or a designated area assigned by the RSO.
4.* After final rocket preparation, RSO review, and arrival at your assigned launch pad, turn on the rockets recovery electronics.* Once continuity is confirmed, install igniter(s) and have a safe launch."
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Yep...I got used to doing my continuity checks w/o a BP charge when I read that some Alt. Units will fire if you get the polarity reversed, - including one of my older units.
I've been cautious about live charges anywhere around my car, and those around me. I don't even pre-prepare BP charges in advance ...I wait until I'm at the field.

I'll connect only ematches or a flashbulb test unit to the Alt. unit - turn it on, listen for continuity, then turn it off.
I'll connect the BP charge but only with the unit off...and it stays off....until I turn it back on out on the rail, and listen again to confirm continuity.

We've all heard of - or seen the videos of premature deployment on the pad.
Imagine that occurring in the prep area in the parking area next to your neighbor.
Not a pretty sight.

I take it you can have a BP charge installed in your assembled rocket as long as you do not power up again until you are at the pad, .....this does not say you cannot install your BP charge until you are at the pad.
 
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Pretty simple -- test everything before you put the powder in. No need to retest after the powder is in. Once you are in the pad and the rocket is pointed up, turn them on. If something fails continuity or battery voltage, turn them off and go back to your work area. remove the powder before trying to figure out what's wrong.

Simple, safe, effective.
 
The new newsletter came out from MDRA and include the safety rule for DD charges. https://ldrs36.org/?wysija-page=1&controller=email&action=view&email_id=4&wysijap=subscriptions&user_id=111

Pretty simple -- test everything before you put the powder in. No need to retest after the powder is in. Once you are in the pad and the rocket is pointed up, turn them on. If something fails continuity or battery voltage, turn them off and go back to your work area. remove the powder before trying to figure out what's wrong.

Simple, safe, effective.

Good to get this out there early, thanks!
Should make thing go more smoothly.
 
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Probably, but I'm sure they will let you do ground tests in a designated area if you go ask.

Is that area right next to the TRA BOD tent? What I'm looking for here is a place I can feel comfortable screaming like a 6 year old girl....
 
We've all heard of - or seen the videos of premature deployment on the pad.
Imagine that occurring in the prep area in the parking area next to your neighbor.
Not a pretty sight.

I take it you can have a BP charge installed in your assembled rocket as long as you do not power up again until you are at the pad, .....this does not say you cannot install your BP charge until you are at the pad.

When i started doing D/D i was taught to test for continuity before doing a finally assembly of the recovery system, and twice at MDRA have had an altimeter blow charges, once in my hand. This is a really stupid way to do it and made worse I believe because Higgs farm is so close to sea level some perfectly good altimeters go WACKO when you turn them off. 1 altimeter was a RRC2 mini the other was an perfect flight. My megalomania side likes to think my early poor training and bad luck is the cause for this rule... LOL
 
Clarification has been asked for from the MDRA BoD regarding magnetic and WiFi switches. The answer will be posted either here in the LDRS forum, or on the LDRS36.org site, or both. I don't know how long it will take to get an answer, but they are aware of the concerns.
 
Clarification has been asked for from the MDRA BoD regarding magnetic and WiFi switches. The answer will be posted either here in the LDRS forum, or on the LDRS36.org site, or both. I don't know how long it will take to get an answer, but they are aware of the concerns.

Thanks John. That's my setup (Magnetic).
 
What follows is opinion and not policy:

It's simple. As long as one's deployment electronics work normally, magnetic switches in the off position are fine as are inactivated Wifi switches. Plugging in an EggTimer Wifi switch or Quantum into a battery doesn't "activate" the altimeter as it is safe
by default. An altimeter connected to a mag switch will default to "on" when the battery is connected but it can be switched off with the magnet quickly. Again in the mag switch case as long as ones electronics are behaving normally, the momentary
"on" status won't be an issue.

Now if a Quantum is being used for air-starting or staging (that's coming folks if the firmware hasn't been released yet) and there are no local rules about staging without tilt detection, it would be prudent in that case to have a mechanical switch on
the battery. That option is coming and likely doesn't have to be addressed this time though if local rules prevent staging without tilt detection its use wouldn't be permitted anyways.

I'm very paranoid about electronics and I'll activate an altimeter while prepping at home with bare contained ematches to make sure nothing out of the ordinary occurs. There is the rare reported instance where a damaged altimeter pops the ematches when the device is turned on and this little test before every flight guards against that. For the reverse polarity issue, just make sure + goes to positive, - goes to negative it's that simple.

Wiring ones rockets in a relaxed home environment allows one not to be pressured into erroneous wiring.

Again, this is my opinion, not policy and folks will just have to wait what the official decision is. Kurt
 
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