Reminder to Arm Electronics - Options?

I tape the igniter to the electronics bay. That way I have to look at the bay in order to put the igniter in the rocket. Hasn't failed me yet.

GregGleason said:

Saturday I launched my dual deploy Ascender (link). After racking it, I forgot to arm the electronics. Ugh!

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Remove before flight tag(s)/flag(s) or a checklist.

Not that you need any suggestions - but Sooner or later I'm sure I'll do it too

I like the tape igniter to the switch technique , I'll have to use that!

Or this, I like big flashy reminders
View attachment 312317

I use pull-pins with "Remove Before Flight" tags almost exclusively now. I just find it easier on the day to arm the rocket that way. Add a line to your checklist to remove all the RBF pins, and count how many if there are more than one. I have launched a rocket with an RBF pin still inserted. Missed it due to distractions and stress at the pad Checklist would have picked that one up. It did have a happy ending as the pin was dragged out aerodynamically during boost and recovery ended up nominal.



The idea of taping the igniter to the RBF pin has merit. I think I will go with that in the future too.

GregGleason said:

The problem with a checklist is that, at least in this case, it is too short to be of any value, at least for me.

1. Connect igniter leads
2. Arm electronics

I am not saying they are not of value, I am saying I may forget to look at the checklist since it is so brief. I may have to rethink the idea of having a checklist, since I came close to letting it fly without the removing the arming pin.

Greg

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3. listen for beep.
4. double check 1-3
5. triple check 1-4

tomsteve said:

3. listen for beep.
4. double check 1-3
5. triple check 1-4

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won't that result in an endless loop?

One little caveat along this line is dealing with a two stage rocket. A fellow at the last Midwest Power did a beautiful K to L two stager that was really neat. The rocket went up and staged relatively low. The only problem is
he forgot to arm the sustainer electronics. It was too bad but I could see how one might do that with the booster beeping away appropriately and fogetting in the heat of the moment. A checklist would help there. Kurt

I always use a checklist for anything High Power. It's been refined over the years, but here is my latest. Get a trusted assistant and have them run through the list and double verify.

Here's the checklist on my Level 2. It is tailored using rules for aviation checklists.

• Notice the electronics arming sections are broken out by procedure. I learned my lesson last July after I forgot the last step of the TRS arming sequence.
• My checklists are tailored for each rocket. For example, my L3 list have entries for turning on cameras and activating an eggfinder in the nosecone.
• Notice the verbal confirmation for critical steps. It's the double check made by you and your assistant.

Seriously, on rocket that costs several hundred dollars or more, it's plain silly not to have a checklist. Feel free to modify and use this one...

View attachment Pre-Launch_Launch Checklist (1).xlsx

Nice checklist. Similar to mine. Funny, I never think about how much money or time I'm risking. I'm always nervous about how much energy I'm bringing down if it comes in ballistic. That's really quite scary.

Think about a 15 kg rocket coming in at 90 m/s. That's almost 61 kJ. For comparison, a firecracker has 30 J. I'm pretty sure it would hurt to have 20,000 firecrackers of energy dropping on someone's head. :y:

mccordmw said:

Nice checklist. Similar to mine. Funny, I never think about how much money or time I'm risking. I'm always nervous about how much energy I'm bringing down if it comes in ballistic. That's really quite scary.

Think about a 15 kg rocket coming in at 90 m/s. That's almost 61 kJ. For comparison, a firecracker has 30 J. I'm pretty sure it would hurt to have 20,000 firecrackers of energy dropping on someone's head. :y:

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I poorly worded my post. I do a checklist for the purpose of risk mitigation to drastically reduce the number of preventable errors I make. The reasons for risk mitigation are primarily safety to people and not wanted to lose a pricey airframe. Coming down ballistic is to be avoided at all costs, but it's not the only safety concern. Last September I had a rocket smash my car windshield. Perfect recovery except the nomex pad slid up the main chute and reefed it. Something that could have been prevented with a double check to make sure the quick link is through the hole. If that didn't happen the landing is well past the flight line.

Also, I forgot to mention that I have a separate launch prep checklist that I use for prepping the rocket for flight. I prep pretty much all of my flights in the shop before packing up.

Do people put an item on their checklist to check that all the prior items are checked? I do this in a couple of locations in the list.

Apologies for repeating what others may say.

I have two techniques:
1) I wire or rubber band yellow caution tape to the exterior of rockets that need attention, and
2) I cannot insert the igniter until the electronics have been turned on, and give me the right continuity. For redundant systems, that means testing the first, turning it off, testing the second, then turning on the first again.

That said, I have destroyed 3 rockets because I didn't turn them on.

mccordmw said:

Nice checklist. Similar to mine. Funny, I never think about how much money or time I'm risking. I'm always nervous about how much energy I'm bringing down if it comes in ballistic. That's really quite scary. :y:

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Ditto brother, the pucker moment. I don't think about how much I have in my rocket until after its down.

I was thinking that drilling small holes (or attaching magnets) to accommodate each of the Remove Before Flight ribbons' pins in the clipboard would be a good reminder... I've got four holes, I've got three RBFRs... Uhmmm... What did I forget?

How about putting the igniter in a box with the words "Are you sure you armed the electronics?" on it...

That said, I have destroyed 3 rockets because I didn't turn them on.

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Look at the suggestions here and figure out a method (or more) that work for you.

Write a line on your flight card for the LCO

"Hey Greg before I push this button, did you turn everything on??"

H_Rocket said:

Write a line on your flight card for the LCO

"Hey Greg before I push this button, did you turn everything on??"

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Hmmm ... that might work!

Greg

Anything that relies on memory to do suffers the same problem you're trying to solve.
I've frequently considered building a rocket that had a circuit running to the motor igniter and turned on by a secondary set of poles in the same switch as the avionics. That way, if the avionics weren't switched on the igniter could not be ignited.
In use the igniter would be connected to a terminal block at the aft end of the rocket but left dangling outside of the motor. At the pad the rocket would be placed on the rail and the igniter inserted. Then, the switch would be closed, turning on the avionics and closing the circuit between the launch controller and the igniter. Until that happened continuity wouldn't even register for the igniter, which would be an additional reminder to close the switch.



Steve Shannon

^ Excellent

jderimig said:

^ Excellent

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Thanks. The remaining problem is that I don't want the igniter to come along for the ride. I prefer to leave it at the pad where it cannot get caught in a shock cord or whip around in the wake of the rocket.


Steve Shannon

soopirV said:

won't that result in an endless loop?

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good catch!!
so somewhere in the order

have a friend to go over the checklist.:kill:

CORZERO said:

View attachment 314589

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Only works if you've got a mirror... for better results, it should read: "Ask me if I armed my electronics"