Hello Chuck and the others on this thread,
I just did a google search for Wilson FX and came up with this thread. So I joined the "Rocketry Forum" and voila.... here I am. I am sorry for the long wait for a reply, but I didn't know you were looking for me. I was having serious problems with my web site. It got hyjacked by some chinese finance company (this is NOT a joke though I wish it was). But I got it back just in time for my Bishop to move me to a new church. So now I have a new email too!
[email protected] just in case you want to email me direct.
How many clubs have purchased a Wilson FX digital Launch Control System? I can answer that one for you. Seven clubs have bought a Wilson FX launch control system. Four clubs have bought a 32 pad control system: Tripoli Quad Cities-the home of Mid West Power-talk to Tim Lehr the original "Wildman"; WOOSH-a NAR group based in South East Wisconsin - ask for Scott Goebel(former head of woosh); Tripoli Indiana-ask for Gus Pipenberg(sp?) or Vic Barlow; and a statewide(?) 4-H group in Indiana but I can't think of the guy's name for anything). Three other groups, Rocket's For Schools (Wisconsin)-talk to Randy and Carol Lutz, Fox Valley Rocketry-talk to John Kohler, and a small group in Kenosha Wisconsin all have smaller systems.
And thanks for comments from "Crazy Jim" (good to see u at LDRS) and gregzo (I have to find out who this guy is so I can thank him personally for the system recomendation!)
I too think its the best club sized to LDRS sized Launch Control System on the market, but I am biased.
Someone was asking about the wireless component. Yes, I have a wireless option that works great. Unfortunately it is also VERY expensive. The proto-type wireless transmitter/receiver units cost $250 EACH and you need at least two units to make it work. My team and I are working at bringing a less expensive version of the wireless system to market and hope to have it debut at this year's MWP (Fall of 2012).
If you flew at the away pads last week at LDRS in Potter New York, you were flying off the Wilson FX wireless system. (All the pads on the left side of the LDRS range were also Wilson-FX but not wireless.) This system was also used at the far pads for LDRS 29 though most folks didn't know it. Their wireless system died and I was already there so I loaned them my wireless system to use at the away pads. The Wilson FX Wireless system was first introduced to the public at Mid West Power a few years ago.
Just in case you were wondering, the very first Wilson FX launch control system was created back in 1995 after a couple of years of research. It was only a four pad system, but it proved that we could control multiple pads independently using the same two wires to communicate to all four pads independently and at the same time. That was also the birth of Tripoli Quad Cities which has been my ginea pig club for EVERY Wilson FX launch control system from 1995 to the present. There have been multiple generations of control systems. There were several different generations of 16 pad control systems all by themselves. But it was the very first Mid West Power launch that propelled Wilson FX into creating a 64 pad system capable of controlling an LDRS sized launch set up. Tim, the "Wildman," Lehr asked me if I could build a 64 pad control system for a big launch and I said "sure." My Wilson FX team had one on the drawing boards but we had not actually spent the money to build the thing. So we got to work and scratch-built a 64 pad launch controller and eight 8-pad Bank-Boxes. We tested it as thoroughly as we could in the 'lab" and I showed up at MWP-1 with the 64 pad system. As I pulled it out of my van I got a lot of "OMGs" from our club members. We set it up and it worked flawlessly. The rest is history.
The Wilson FX digital launch control system was dreamed about, designed, tested, built, redesigned, and retested, by rocketeers and for rocketeers. Safety, simplicity, and rugged reliability have been designed into the system on purpose. Every useful feature that we could think of that is needed for a club to LDRS sized launch control system has been incorporated in the Wilson FX launch control system. I hope to soon have the last component, "Wireless," up and running and cheap enough for it to be sellable. It works, but a $500 minimum price-tag its a bit too steep. I hope to cut that price in half, but I won't know till we can finish testing and actually get into building the "production-models." Maybe by Fall of 2012, the wireless components will be ready for market.
Email me direct if you have any questions and also check out the Wilson FX website.
As for a "demo set-up" email me direct and we can talk about it. Just to let you know, I did just rent a 32 pad system to the NY Tripoli Group that just put on LDRS 31. I found out about 7 pm, Wednesday evening July 11th, that they were in dire need, so I packed up a 32 pad launch control system in my 2002 Infinity G20-t, and headed out for New York state. I had not planned to go to LDRS this year because I just started my new church on the first of July. But they needed a system like immediately. So I drove Wednesday till midnight, then got up Thursday morning and drove the rest of the way, getting there Thursday evening about 7:30 local time. We had most of the system set up Thursday night (by flashlight) and the rest early Friday morning including the wireless for the away pads and an "Armagedon" switch for mass drag races. Everything worked. I flew my Loc Mini-Mag blasting off as straight as an arrow, on a four grain Cessaroni Pro-38 which recovered perfectly, repacked my car, and left for home right after I ate lunch. Got home at mid-night, slept the rest of the nite and got up Saturday AM to get back to work on my sermon for Sunday July 15.
So, yes, demos and even rentals are possible.
Check us out at
www.wilsonfx.com
Let me know if you have any other questions.
[email protected]
Eventually I will have an FAQ section on the website as well as instructions for use of the system.
Till then, let me know how I can help.
Brad, the "Rocket Rev.," Wilson