How to wire up an E-bay?

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Hi Andy:
Yes, I often use those. I usually use 20 gauge stranded speaker wire, and tin the ends with solder to avoid loose strands.
Best wishes,
Will
 
I have used those terminal blocks as well and they are great for larger rockets. It depends how the e-bay is set up (And the Altimeter - I use Perfectflite) but someitmes the easiest and safest way to do it, in my opinion, is to hook the ematch straight into the terminals on the altimeter.
 
Its a 4 inch diameter body tube so space really isn't an issue I figure it will be better to use terminal blocks with the wires running to the alt through holes I can seal up with hot glue or something they don't seem like they are too bulky to fit on the bulkheads of an e-bay that size.
 
I guess I'll throw this question into the thread also where in relation to the alt should the vent hole be over it, off to the side of it or behind the sled all togther?I was thinking of mounting my switch and putting the vent hole off center of each other.
 
I guess I'll throw this question into the thread also where in relation to the alt should the vent hole be over it, off to the side of it or behind the sled all togther?I was thinking of mounting my switch and putting the vent hole off center of each other.

I was always told the hole location should never be right over the sensor and always more than one hole.

For wire I use 22 gauge stranded with the end silver soldered.

I use the terminal blocks fron Radio Shack, they have 2 sizes and I use the smaller ones.

Picture%20015.jpg
 
Even though the questions were answered I thought I would chime in. I use18AWG for the battery to altimeter and altimeter to terminal block. go to

www.mcmaster.com and you can get cheaper terminal blocks that RatShack and better quality IMHO.

Ben
 
Having just gotten my RCC2 mini in the mail yesterday for my Hyperloc 835 I am wondering what gauge wire to use to wire everything up with and what type of terminal blocks people use to wire the ejection charges too?Has anyone used these from radioshack and trimmed them down to two terminals?
https://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103232

Thanks
Yup, that's exactly what I'm using, and not just for the altimeter outputs. I have another wiring compartment all the way in the back of my current Level 3 rocket, for connecting four in-flight strobes. I'm waiting to find out if my in-progress build thread (pre-TRF-crash) is lost for good before I decide whether to continue it, restart it, or forget about it due to time constraints.
 
I just build a Alt bay for a 4" and used the radio shack strips. I used 20 ga stranded wire with tinned ends to hook everything up with. Haven't actually flown this one yet.

On my 2" id rocket, I used a two wire board mounted terminal. I soldered the wires to the two pins that would go through the board and threaded the wires through the end cap. I used a small drill bit and hand drilled dimples along the base of the terminals and glued them in place with JBWeld.

Here's a pic, not sure you can see them too well.
EBayelectronics.jpg
 
I just build a Alt bay for a 4" and used the radio shack strips. I used 20 ga stranded wire with tinned ends to hook everything up with. Haven't actually flown this one yet.

On my 2" id rocket, I used a two wire board mounted terminal. I soldered the wires to the two pins that would go through the board and threaded the wires through the end cap. I used a small drill bit and hand drilled dimples along the base of the terminals and glued them in place with JBWeld.

Here's a pic, not sure you can see them too well.
EBayelectronics.jpg

You mean something like these?
https://www.missileworks.com/mm5/me...de=MWC&Product_Code=TB-2&Category_Code=cat060
I picked up some of these from missle works not fully reading the page to notice they were used on PCB's but I plan on using them in my smaller two stage bird as seen here
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=52
That project is still in the planning stages so if you have any good ideas or see something that doesn't look right let me know.
 
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I purchased one of these switches from missile works and would like to know which of the two ways they show it wired to use it as an on switch for a missile works rcc2 mini and also how it would be wired on the positive line of a battery going to my perfectflight MT3G timer?
https://www.missileworks.com/mm5/me...de=MWC&Product_Code=SW-2&Category_Code=cat060

Thanks for all the tips in this thread so far.

I think there are two considerations when using this switch:
-Is the 115V position going to be "on" or is 240V going to be "on"? This is mostly if you care about whether turning the switch right or left results in the "on" position.
-Are you trying to switch one or two lines? If you're trying to switch two lines then 115V needs to be "on". When switching two lines you need to be very careful that the "off" position, which shorts pins 2 and three together, does not result in a path for battery current to flow.

With one battery, you could just hook the + on the battery to switch pole 1 and the + on your altimeter to pole 2. The altimeter will be powered when the switch is in the 115V position.

If your altimeter requires a second battery for reliable operation, then you could hook the + on the second battery to switch pin 4 and then hook pin 3 to the auxiliary battery + on the altimeter. When the switch is "off" (the 230V position) then the positive inputs of the altimeter are shorted together. This is probably a safe configuration.
 
I think there are two considerations when using this switch:
-Is the 115V position going to be "on" or is 240V going to be "on"? This is mostly if you care about whether turning the switch right or left results in the "on" position.
-Are you trying to switch one or two lines? If you're trying to switch two lines then 115V needs to be "on". When switching two lines you need to be very careful that the "off" position, which shorts pins 2 and three together, does not result in a path for battery current to flow.

With one battery, you could just hook the + on the battery to switch pole 1 and the + on your altimeter to pole 2. The altimeter will be powered when the switch is in the 115V position.

If your altimeter requires a second battery for reliable operation, then you could hook the + on the second battery to switch pin 4 and then hook pin 3 to the auxiliary battery + on the altimeter. When the switch is "off" (the 230V position) then the positive inputs of the altimeter are shorted together. This is probably a safe configuration.

Positive and negative battery lines will be connected to it and I will only be using 1 battery for the alt for use with the MT3G timer it will only have the positive battery line connected to it.Hope this helps.The altimeter it is being connected to is an RCC2 mini which has its own terminal blocks to hookup the positive and negative battery lines too.For the MT3G the instructions say that only the positive line should have a switch on it.
 
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Positive and negative battery lines will be connected to it and I will only be using 1 battery for the alt for use with the MT3G timer it will only have the positive battery line connected to it.Hope this helps.The altimeter it is being connected to is an RCC2 mini which has its own terminal blocks to hookup the positive and negative battery lines too.For the MT3G the instructions say that only the positive line should have a switch on it.

I usually just put a switch on the positive line from the battery, too. Did I answer your question?
Best wishes,
Will
 
I purchased one of these switches from missile works

Just a cautionary note. I have had one and have seen several of these switches fail during flight. I will never use them again. IMO they are risky. The "spring loaded" turning is poor design and is prone to breakage and failure.

I installed these on several of my rockets. Once mine failed and then saw others, I replaced them with key switches or just twist the power wires together to power up the altimeter.
 
The timer this will have the switch wired up to the positive line only I am taking it that I can use the other wiring diagram with a line running from pins 2 to 3 coming from the battery with pin 1 being the out line running to the timer?I am still not quite sure how to hook it up the the RCC2 I will have to look that over more.
 
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Handeman, any chance you could PM a higher res copy of that picture to me? I like the layout and would like to use similar
 
Just a cautionary note. I have had one and have seen several of these switches fail during flight. I will never use them again. IMO they are risky. The "spring loaded" turning is poor design and is prone to breakage and failure.

I installed these on several of my rockets. Once mine failed and then saw others, I replaced them with key switches or just twist the power wires together to power up the altimeter.

Were these on high G flights or something? I have NEVER had a switch fail and they have flown on rockets as large as an M3800 to 5k feet.

Ben
 
Were these on high G flights or something? I have NEVER had a switch fail and they have flown on rockets as large as an M3800 to 5k feet.
Ben

Nope...nothing unusual. 5-6 lb rockets on I and J motors. Altitudes were 5000ft or less.
 
Well, I have never heard or seen a missileworks switch fail. When used properly and not overturned they work great ;)

Ben
 
Well, I have never heard or seen a missileworks switch fail. When used properly and not overturned they work great ;)

Ben

I am with you Ben, I have more than 30 of these switches in rockets that have been over mach and have more than 15 flights on them and never had a problem with them. I think a big problems is how people solder there wires on. Over heating will kill one of these switches. I solder mine with a fin point in my soldering iron and use silver solder. I also us a heat sink clip below my soldering point so the heat is not transfered to the plastic.
 
heat sink clip = neat-o

I gotta get me one of those to fix my lightsaber...
 
I am with you Ben, I have more than 30 of these switches in rockets that have been over mach and have more than 15 flights on them and never had a problem with them. I think a big problems is how people solder there wires on. Over heating will kill one of these switches. I solder mine with a fin point in my soldering iron and use silver solder. I also us a heat sink clip below my soldering point so the heat is not transfered to the plastic.

I do the same thing. I use as little heat possible to get a good joint.

heat sink clip = neat-o

I gotta get me one of those to fix my lightsaber...

I have one :) ;)

Ben
 
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