This question has been in my mind for a while, I have read what I can find on this forum and elsewhere. I am wondering about RF interference from 'metal flake' paint jobs on a rocket. The metallic flakes I want to use are actually polyester, with very little metal. There are paints with significant metal content, but that is not what I am asking about. I pulled out a test panel of the flakes in question, sprayed heavily on a piece of foam core, and alternated readings with a 216 mhz Marshall Telemetry tracker from a distance of about 300'. I could not detect any difference between the transmitter being covered by the large panel, or not.
I see that forum member Nathan has a beautiful rocket painted in a metallic blue. His is probably the same type of flake, but smaller. Some of the smaller flake metallics are real powdered aluminum. I have seen other rockets, as well, painted in metallics, and one in what looks to be a chrome finish.
I want to do a candy apple red with flames on a rocket project, and can figure out a plan to leave the portion where the GPS is, uncovered with flake, but would prefer to carry the flake up higher. The GPS is using 433mhz, if that makes a difference.
I would like to hear voices with experience of either failures, or rockets that have no issues with metallic paint jobs.
A couple of potential benefits in a metallic paint could be more reflectivity of the sun to keep the electronics cooler in the sun, and possibly in creating a big reflector in the sky for visual tracking if the light is right. Plus, it looks super cool.
Is there a significant difference between how a 216mhz frequency is going to behave in passing through something, vs a 433mhz frequency? I have still not yet taken my HAM exam, so cannot yet fire up the GPS transmitter to test that unit behind the test panel.
What about the frequency used by the GPS antenna? (Aim Xtra)
Bad idea? Or maybe it flies?
Cheers!
I see that forum member Nathan has a beautiful rocket painted in a metallic blue. His is probably the same type of flake, but smaller. Some of the smaller flake metallics are real powdered aluminum. I have seen other rockets, as well, painted in metallics, and one in what looks to be a chrome finish.
I want to do a candy apple red with flames on a rocket project, and can figure out a plan to leave the portion where the GPS is, uncovered with flake, but would prefer to carry the flake up higher. The GPS is using 433mhz, if that makes a difference.
I would like to hear voices with experience of either failures, or rockets that have no issues with metallic paint jobs.
A couple of potential benefits in a metallic paint could be more reflectivity of the sun to keep the electronics cooler in the sun, and possibly in creating a big reflector in the sky for visual tracking if the light is right. Plus, it looks super cool.
Is there a significant difference between how a 216mhz frequency is going to behave in passing through something, vs a 433mhz frequency? I have still not yet taken my HAM exam, so cannot yet fire up the GPS transmitter to test that unit behind the test panel.
What about the frequency used by the GPS antenna? (Aim Xtra)
Bad idea? Or maybe it flies?
Cheers!