I'm on my 4th latex rubber band with my Chute Release. They tend to break over time after storage; as natural latex tends to do. I have a bag of EPDM rubber bands that I'm thinking of using. They don't wear out over time like latex does. Also, EPDM rubber is a little bit more heat resistant than latex (300 F vs 220 F) according to this sheet I found:
https://www.professionalplastics.com/professionalplastics/RubberandElastomersOverview.pdf
Has anyone else tried using something other than the latex bands included?
My last launch, the bands broke when I was bundling the chute, and I didn't have any other spares with me. It makes me paranoid that some time, they will break when the chute deploys on flight.
FYI, a big ole' bag of 100+ EPDM rubber bands is only about $7 or so. Mine are too long, so I'll have to double over the bands.
https://www.professionalplastics.com/professionalplastics/RubberandElastomersOverview.pdf
Has anyone else tried using something other than the latex bands included?
My last launch, the bands broke when I was bundling the chute, and I didn't have any other spares with me. It makes me paranoid that some time, they will break when the chute deploys on flight.
FYI, a big ole' bag of 100+ EPDM rubber bands is only about $7 or so. Mine are too long, so I'll have to double over the bands.