Anybody here build there own launch system?

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lakeroadster

When in doubt... build hell-for-stout!
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Rather than buy something off the shelf, what have you folks built? Interested in low power designs and info.

I've searched here on the site... but haven't been to successful.

Back in the day I used a 70's era Estes pad and controller powered by my Dad's Cub Cadet tractor...

I'd like to build my own this time.

Thanks!
 
I built this in hopes of starting a local club. Soon found that driving 45 minutes to an established club is way more fun. Now they have it to expand current pads. 0223181415.jpg

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I modified a camera stand for use as a low power(up to E) pad once. Its easy to make a pvc pipe launch pad though too.

As for launch controllers, I built one that could do 4 at once with continuity detection on each. I found a few schematics on this site and went out and bought $50 worth of 10A diodes, switches, push buttons, and wiring, and so on. Worked pretty good. Required a hefty 12V though. If I did it all over again, I would want to try a relay system instead.
 
20180225_152810.jpg

The guy in charge of ops at our LPR launches built this. The holes across the top are for RCA jacks with speaker wires that go out to the pads. It's all run off a decent size Lipo that will last several launches.

When he can't make it to launches I take the gear and keep it at my place. Then I sit at my back table and play Missile Commander. I'm forty four.
 
There are several LPR Launch pad designs that are running around, wood, metal, or PVC, and vary from simple to multi-pad complicated.
I built this one years ago and it still works well: https://www.rocketreviews.com/scratch-el-cheapo-launch-pad-by-mike-goss.html
I have seen several that use fence parts, saw horses, or extruded aluminum.
The simplest is to find a cheap camera tripod, and make, or buy an adapter for the launch rod, like this one: https://jonrocket.com/store/products/adeptor-convert-a-tripod-into-a-launch

Launch controllers are a little more complicated since they involve at their simplest form, wiring, and the more complicated ones, electronics. I built one that packs into a plastic toolbox, that makes it easy to tote it and other accessories to the launch pad. This search returned many plans for launch controllers, you should be able to find one that fits your level of comfort in there: https://www.bing.com/search?q=model...-35&sk=&cvid=1F818BD9124B4F95A0AC0AF1607B5935

Post back with what you find.
Goose
 
I still use my Estes Launch Control system I bought in 1970-71, although the wiring has all been replaced and re-soldered several times over the years, and I've gone through probably 20 pairs of micro-clips. And I've subbed in a newfangled LED bulb.

Estes-1971-Model-Rocketry-Catalog-Page-98-88.jpg


The plastic controller casing and launch button, the metal contacts and the safety interlock key (the little steel screw-eye seen in the catalog pic) are still the originals from 1970. Now I just hook it up to a 12V car battery booster unit for juice. I made up a couple extra clip-whips which work fine with clusters up to four motors.

For a launcher, I adapted a photo tripod which can accommodate rods of 1/8", 1/4" and 3/8," with a heat-coated black furnace exhaust elbow pipe as my blast deflector.

Using the tripod did away with the crawling on the ground to hook up igniter leads, which lost its charm sometime when I was in my 40s. I strap the tripod down with a bungee cord hooked up to a tent stake driven into the ground. It barely even wiggles launching some pretty hefty MPR models.

Since I've rebuilt and rewired the electronics so many times, I suppose it counts as "building my own system," but it really boils down to a simple one-circuit pushbutton system like every launch system since 1957.
 
I've built a 4 channel wireless unit with LiPo's, a pair arduinos with RF shields and some relays. Works okayish, there's something funky with the electronics and current sense doesn't like to work anymore on a couple of channels.
 
There have many discussions of building simple (single launcher) systems and very complex multi-channel wired and wireless systems. With Radio Shack gone, it's a bit harder to get parts, esp. if you're not in a large city that doesn't have a Fry's or Microcenter, but there are lots of mail order choices. What do you need?
 
Full disclosure, I haven't built my own controller. But...

A quick search here found 9 pages of threads on the subject. I used advanced search, launch controller is the keywords, search titles only, sort by date in descending order. Also you could find some just paging through the Ground Support sub-forum. Should give you some ideas.


More disclosure, I'm a dinosaur who accesses the forum with a desktop pc and a browser. I don't know what the mobile search looks like but I'm betting it's not pretty.
 
Thanks for the replies.

What do you need?

Something real simple for single launches... a fuse that you light with a lighter would be great .:hot:

... More disclosure, I'm a dinosaur who accesses the forum with a desktop pc and a browser. I don't know what the mobile search looks like but I'm betting it's not pretty.

Me to.... and thanks for the tip, I'll dig in.
 
Thanks for the replies.



Something real simple for single launches... a fuse that you light with a lighter would be great .:hot:



Me to.... and thanks for the tip, I'll dig in.

Fuses are prohibited by NFPA and the safety code because it’s nearly impossible to change your mind and because you cannot practically light one while following safe distances.


Steve Shannon
 
Fuses are prohibited by NFPA and the safety code because it’s nearly impossible to change your mind and because you cannot practically light one while following safe distances. Steve Shannon

Safety First... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDkjSmZ--Bs
_________________________________________________________________________

For discussion: A simple schematic from this thread.. https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?46008-Designing-a-custom-launch-controller
 
...



Something real simple for single launches... a fuse that you light with a lighter would be great .:hot:


...

Aha, old school. :wink: You want the original Estes Electro-Launch then. Bare nichrome and jetex wick, no lighter.

electro SR 2006 a.png electro SR 2006.png

pictures courtesy of Ted Mahler from his NOV/DEC 2006 Sport Rocketry article.


Sorry but I love a good digression.
 
Here is a 2 pad launch controller that I built for one of our club members. It allows for using either extension cords, 1/4" phono plug cables or Anderson connector cables (all of which are used in one form or another by CMASS and MMMSC).


IMG_1731.jpg

Guy.
 
A couple of pointers:

For low power, where you only need ~30ft lines to fire an Estes igniter , a simple handheld launcher with a 9v NiMh or Lipo battery will work just fine. All you need are a couple of switches, a big red button, a project box to stuff them in, and some 18 gauge-ish leads.

For midpower (bigger igniters), you’ll probably want to put the power at the pad (so it’s not running through 50ft of wire) and use some solid state relays to energize the igniter with only low power signals going to the actual launcher over thin gauge wire. At this point, the sky is the limit in terms of complexity.

Both are cheaper to buy off the self than they will be to build. But that’s no fun.






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A couple of pointers:

For low power, where you only need ~30ft lines to fire an Estes igniter , a simple handheld launcher with a 9v NiMh or Lipo battery will work just fine. All you need are a couple of switches, a big red button, a project box to stuff them in, and some 18 gauge-ish leads.

For midpower (bigger igniters), you’ll probably want to put the power at the pad (so it’s not running through 50ft of wire) and use some solid state relays to energize the igniter with only low power signals going to the actual launcher over thin gauge wire. At this point, the sky is the limit in terms of complexity.

Both are cheaper to buy off the self than they will be to build. But that’s no fun.






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I disagree. My homebuilt controller cost maybe $30 and will light just about anything... No relay or anything, just household switches and outlets with an LED for continuity.

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