Tracker questions

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Blue Skies

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I have always flown low and never gone above around 3000' but would like to send my dual deploy Little Dog to around 6700' soon. My first question: Above what altitude would the use of a tracker be highly recommeded? I have searched a bit into a couple trackers and I have noticed that radio trackers are usually more compact than GPS trackers. I am also building a blackhawk 24 so a radio tracker might be best. Question 2: Are there any existing radio trackers that can be used without a ham liscence? From what I have seen radio recievers are much more expensive than the trackers themselves. Question 3: What is the usual cost to get a started with a radio tracker and reciever? Any recommedations for a GPS or a radio tracker/reciever?
 
There are very few trackers that will fit in a 24mm tube. That being said, there are very few radio trackers that are ham free and those are controversial. One was com spec. They wre sold to non ham holders until recently but reportedly, they got insome hot water with the FCC. Just get a ham.
 
My first question: Above what altitude would the use of a tracker be highly recommeded?

I am also building a blackhawk 24 so a radio tracker might be best.

Question 2: Are there any existing radio trackers that can be used without a ham liscence? From what I have seen radio recievers are much more expensive than the trackers themselves.

Question 3: What is the usual cost to get a started with a radio tracker and reciever? Any recommedations for a GPS or a radio tracker/reciever?


The only mistake I made was wiating till I lost 600.00 worth of gear....then I bought one. Would have been far ahead to have got one & still had my gear!

Here is what I have been using for 6yrs. Not lost one since!

https://www.com-spec.com/rocket/index.html

250.00 gets the receiver. It has 100 channels. 450.00 unit has 400.

The transmitter [about the size of 9v battery] will fit in everything but a 29mm tube. remove it from the case it WILL fit. Use it in my Blackhawk 29.

You can sand the bottom edge if it by knocking off the square edge to angular & it will easily it the 24mm Blackhawk. It almost fits stock. That's how I fly it in my 24mm BH These transmitters are 100.00 Antenna is 11 inches.
I believe the Walston is 17in. long

If you want one that fits ANYTHING and has only a 6in antenna look at these. I have also used it and highly recommend. The do run 155.00 though.When ordering you specify a channel for the Consumer Specialist receiver. It's about as big around as a pencil.

https://www.radiotracking.com/xlf.html

So you total cost is around 350-400 bucks.

To answer the how high before I use one is trickier:

Where are you flying?
Is it wide open or trees and high grass?

I flew my 24mm BH on a F red it was gone so fast no one saw it. The little PICO altimeter read 1456 ft. It landed on our sod farm only 300ft from the pads. The grass was 5-6inches, without the tracker & not knowing which direction it went I may have never found It.

Flown large rockets [4-6in diam] that laded behind tree lines or over hills that would have been incredibly time consuming to find without one.

Put it this way...... I would rather stick it in my rocket and not need it, than not have it in and lose sight of the flight.
Very cheap insurance in the long run, especially when using electronics.

I have found rockets as far as 7.5 miles away that no one had a clue where it went.[ Main popped at 14,000]

Here is CS tracker out of the case taped on to the Blackhawk shockcord. Put in with antenna facing NC, folded and stuck inside the NC. the small 3/4in object taped below it is the 2.8gram Pico read only altimeter.

100_4796.jpg
 
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My .02

BigRedBee Transmitter and FT277R: total cost about $250. Amateur radio license required. Yagi costs a few bucks more.

BRB900 GPS system starts @ $299 (needs a laptop to display data) , maxes out at $417 (no laptop + handheld LCD display + data record capability)-- no license required.

Greg K7RKT
 
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I can vouch for the beeline as well...I'd been sharing a Walston and a BRB 70cm GPS tracker with a friend for some time, but it was time to invest in my own tracking gear. I found a discounted FT-277 for $120, and the starter package for the beeline transmitter is $85. You can build a yagi for $20 or buy one from Arrow Antennas for $50.

I tried the BRB900 system, and honestly it didn't work well for me (but every system out there has had problems at one time or another). But Greg has been awesome support-wise, and I went right back to him for a radio tracker after I got my ham licence (two nights of studying and $15), which is essentially foolproof. You'll have a great experience working with him.
 
Talk about timely - I just got my latest issue of Sport Rocketry yesterday and there is an article on adapting the Garmin Astro GPS for rocketry (this is the unit that is designed into a dog collar so you can track your hunting dogs). You might want to check it out.
 
What's the price on a Garmin setup?I think it comes in at quite a bit more than a comparable BRB setup (around 350) -- but, yes, the Garmin does have the GPS integrated into the receiver.
 
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I will probably buy a big red bee. It is pretty neat system. No one at my current club uses them, but have seen them elsewhere.
 
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If I were to go in the radio tracker direction, which ham licence do I need? There are three of them. Also I fly at a sod farm that has a tree line over a river that splits the field in two.
 
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I have one and mount it in the nose cone of the rocket. I didn't butcher mine like some do to get it to fit in smaller spaces....


JD


Talk about timely - I just got my latest issue of Sport Rocketry yesterday and there is an article on adapting the Garmin Astro GPS for rocketry (this is the unit that is designed into a dog collar so you can track your hunting dogs). You might want to check it out.
 
Technician class is a snap to get,, look up ARRL.com for local clubs and info. I got my ticket last year just to be legal with a tracker. I fly it every flight just to get used to how it works,,, that way when I NEED it I am comfortable with its use. I left a rocket in the field a couple years ago,, (luckily a fellow club member found it and returned it,, then last fall I deployed the main,, (don't ask) of my 90% Harpoon at apogee,, it drifted about 1.75 miles,, past tree line,, ended up in a bean field,, which was just tall enough to hide it. It took me 4.5hrs to find it,, had I had a locator in it,, I am guessing .5hr or so.

Where are you located maybe someone here can help you get hooked up for taking the ham test.

Tom
 
Technician class is a snap to get,, look up ARRL.com for local clubs and info. I got my ticket last year just to be legal with a tracker. I fly it every flight just to get used to how it works,,, that way when I NEED it I am comfortable with its use. I left a rocket in the field a couple years ago,, (luckily a fellow club member found it and returned it,, then last fall I deployed the main,, (don't ask) of my 90% Harpoon at apogee,, it drifted about 1.75 miles,, past tree line,, ended up in a bean field,, which was just tall enough to hide it. It took me 4.5hrs to find it,, had I had a locator in it,, I am guessing .5hr or so.

Where are you located maybe someone here can help you get hooked up for taking the ham test.

Tom
Yea, and how long did "you" look for that damn nose cone, and never found it, but fortunately someone else did in a place where "you" weren't looking :eyepop:
 
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