Eggtimer Rocketry Holiday Sale 2016

Yes, the AUX driver kit is $7. It's somewhere on the "Purchase" web page...

MikeyDSlagle said:

Quick question.
The Eggtimer manual mentions a separate driver board to be used on the auxiliary channels. I see the diagram on your site. Are the boards/kits available yet? Just curious, I have an air start DD project on the horizon. I can breadboard one if I must.

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Ahh. I see it now. Guess I saw it all alone, but without the Eggtimer in hand, I had no interest in it. LOL. Only makes sense to order me another Eggtimer while I am there. Well played sir.

Think I may have to pull the trigger on an Eggfinder. Just need to decide if I'm going to attempt assembly myself. I did about 60% of the Quantum assembly and it was ... okay (with an experienced friend looking over my shoulder, taking my time, etc) despite literally being the second thing I've ever soldered (and the first was literally "one wire in a gps watch").

So all I need (besides assembly tools) is:
-LiPo for the Tx
-LiPo for the Rx
-Connectors/chargers for the LiPos
-Bluetooth module if I want altitude data
....and that's it?

No need for a LiPo on the Rx unless you are using the LCD screen. The Rx is powered off of the computer you plug it into.

blackbrandt said:

No need for a LiPo on the Rx unless you are using the LCD screen. The Rx is powered off of the computer you plug it into.

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Was going to do the LCD combo since it's on sale, then I looked again and realized that with the Tx discount, it's $75 for a Tx/Rx combo (as opposed to $90 for the LCD, plus a battery for the LCD, plus bluetooth, because I want data on my laptop as well).


Rx looks like a pretty easy and straightforward build, and I'll have my laptop at the launch site anyway - generally, I drill my delays for HPR on the spot, and it's always nice to quadruple-check "OK, on rocket X with motor Y, I need delay Z...right? Hang on, let me look at OpenRocket...." So it looks like I'm in for a Tx & Rx combo.

I fly with both an LCD receiver and the USB receiver. Rx so I can have the full flight path, and LCD so I can walk to the rocket.

What's a good source for a short SMA connector cable to run from the SMA on the Eggfinder to the external 3dB antenna (the "combo pack" that can be ordered with the Eggfinder)? For some setups I'd like to mount the antenna on the altimeter bay cap to avoid having it parallel to the allthread in the bay.

There's an alphabet soup of connectors out there and I want to make sure I get the right one.

FYI, the LCD receiver has a spot and a header specifically for the HC06 Bluetooth module, if you want to go that route. That allows you to do the live tracking with whatever Windows/Android app you choose, and you get the coordinates on the LCD display too so you can take it with you when you go to retrieve your rocket (in case there's an updated "final resting place"). For actually finding your rocket (vs. tracking it), the LCD receiver is MUCH easier to use.

ActingLikeAKid said:

Was going to do the LCD combo since it's on sale, then I looked again and realized that with the Tx discount, it's $75 for a Tx/Rx combo (as opposed to $90 for the LCD, plus a battery for the LCD, plus bluetooth, because I want data on my laptop as well).


Rx looks like a pretty easy and straightforward build, and I'll have my laptop at the launch site anyway - generally, I drill my delays for HPR on the spot, and it's always nice to quadruple-check "OK, on rocket X with motor Y, I need delay Z...right? Hang on, let me look at OpenRocket...." So it looks like I'm in for a Tx & Rx combo.

Click to expand...

The Rx was my first soldering project ever. It is pretty easy.

You probably want the LCD for actual rocket recovery--unless you want to lug your laptop with you as you are hiking out to find your rocket.

eBay is a decent source, search for "RP-SMA extension cable". Almost all of them use skinny RG178 coax cable, which is fine for the short length that you're using.

Oberon said:

What's a good source for a short SMA connector cable to run from the SMA on the Eggfinder to the external 3dB antenna (the "combo pack" that can be ordered with the Eggfinder)? For some setups I'd like to mount the antenna on the altimeter bay cap to avoid having it parallel to the allthread in the bay.

There's an alphabet soup of connectors out there and I want to make sure I get the right one.

Click to expand...

BDB said:

The Rx was my first soldering project ever. It is pretty easy.

You probably want the LCD for actual rocket recovery--unless you want to lug your laptop with you as you are hiking out to find your rocket.

Click to expand...

Decisions, decisions....
But if I'm tracking it on my laptop, couldn't I just punch in the last coordinates on my cellphone and go from there?
Here's where I am with it:
Tx/Rx: Pros: Cheaper, easier assembly. Cons: May have to take my laptop with me when I go rocket-hunting.
Tx/LCD: Pros: Easier to track rocket using hand-held unit. Cons: Need 2 batteries[Edit: Read further, silly. Box comes with mounting for 4xAA], plus a Bluetooth module

I'm leaning Tx/Rx, just for simplicity...

Did I mention that I already received my order?

Thanks to everyone for a great sale! It's going to take a few days to sift through the pile of orders, most of the ones that haven't shipped will go out today and tomorrow. There was a flurry of last-minute Eggfinder orders, so there are a few that will take 3 or 4 more days since I ran out of GPS modules and I'll have to order more. Also, if you haven't paid yet please do so since orders go out on a first-in-first-out basis.

Cris Erving
Eggtimer Rocketry

ActingLikeAKid said:

Decisions, decisions....
But if I'm tracking it on my laptop, couldn't I just punch in the last coordinates on my cellphone and go from there?
Here's where I am with it:
Tx/Rx: Pros: Cheaper, easier assembly. Cons: May have to take my laptop with me when I go rocket-hunting.
Tx/LCD: Pros: Easier to track rocket using hand-held unit. Cons: Need 2 batteries[Edit: Read further, silly. Box comes with mounting for 4xAA], plus a Bluetooth module

I'm leaning Tx/Rx, just for simplicity...

Click to expand...

You can do the manual thing but direct input into the Android GPS Rocket Locator program via Bluetooth is so much easier. Don't expect every single position will make it across but unless a very powerful rocket gets kicked 90 degrees to the horizon and travels many miles away, you will be directed to a likely position to receive positions of the resting place. I said positions because they might change with the rocket blowing across the ground! The ground footprint of the EggFinder can be 1/4 mile radius out in the open. This is with a rocket lying on level ground. It's more than enough to affect recovery. I haven't lost a single EggFinder tracked rocket out of 7 flights. Three were sight unseen including one ballistic. Found 'em all.

This is the greatest thing for a serious sport flier out there. No more need to worry about sight unseen flights so much.

I will mention one flying technique/improvement though. If one can fit a beeper/screamer on their harness do so. I got very close to a rocket that was giving me a good signal and I couldn't locate it on the ground with my live map. Had both my location icon and the rocket icon on top of each other too. Then stupidhead realized I needed to increase the zoomlevel of the map to blowup the map segment. Ahhhhh, that did it. I was still 30 feet away and went right to it. Rocket was black and was lying in corn stubble with black dirt showing through. Sorta camouflaged on the ground as the chute didn't completely deploy. Was hard to see. Rocket was fine, chute didn't get out
of the protector completely but harness was out and tumble recovery was gentle enough.

One might want to consider on dual deploys to try to do the main deployment relatively high. The motion of the ebay settles down in a slower descent and more positions will come across for the terminal phase of recovery.
I've been doing 800'. With a rapidly tumbling rocket I don't seem to decode the positions as well but that could be function of the APRSIS32 software I'm using for most of the flights. The name says it: EggFinder not EggTracker.
It will find your rocket but don't expect RF decoding of every single position on descent. If one wants that, they have to invest on a device with onboard memory and higher Rf output. Either the Ham Radio stuff or the Missileworks product.
(Both of those cost more of course)

Me, I'm just ecstatic at getting my sport rocket back that flew to 5,000' completely unseen with motor ejection and Jolly Logic Chute Release pseudo dual deploy. I believe most users will get excited the first time it happens to them
when a rocket of theirs goes "missing" but not a big deal as they know where to go the find it. I gotta post some of the screen saves I have. Kurt

One might want to consider on dual deploys to try to do the main deployment relatively high. The motion of the ebay settles down in a slower descent and more positions will come across for the terminal phase of recovery.

Click to expand...

Yep. I put out main at 2000' just to increase the probability I get packets into the ground station.

Being able to walk straight up to a rocket that landed sight unseen (I have had one land three mile away) is a fantastic feeling. Almost as good as taking ski boot off at the end of the day's skiing