Looking for good HPR launch system

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Hal8472

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Hi,

Moving up to HPR and going for certification. I know most clubs have Launch equipment but I am also starting a club too. All part of the fun here in the Great White North (Canada). It's not white yet but prepping to launch in the spring.

What I have at the moment is 2x 1010 launch rails.

What I need is a good launch platform and HPR firing system. Also need some good launch lugs which match up to the 1010 rails. At some point it would be great to have top of the line stuff, but realistically, what I need now is something cheap and functional.

Any suggestions

Andrew
 
Search the forum for Wilson FX. Best launch system on the market. Very adaptable. Rev Brad is a great guy too.

Adrian
 
I'll second the recommendation for Wilson F/X. Great system.
 
FWIW, building your own launch controller is simple and easy. Build a relay based system, and use cords that are not simple extension cords. Out to 1000' is no problem if you use decent components.

Kevin
 
I have tried to contact the owner of WilsonFX multiple times. He does not answer his email. That tends to make me nervous about support.
 
I have tried to contact the owner of WilsonFX multiple times. He does not answer his email. That tends to make me nervous about support.

Especially since that seems to be the only way he does business.:confused:
 
I have tried to contact the owner of WilsonFX multiple times. He does not answer his email. That tends to make me nervous about support.

It also could be the magic of spam filters. I've been trying to contact a fellow for the last two months (not this one), and just found out by chance that he's not ignoring me. He sent me an email, and I sent him two back, then got a second one from him asking why I hadn't responded yet.

I left him a voicemail over the weekend...we'll see.

As good as modern spam filters are (and my two google-apps hosted domains are certainly proof), the danger is that with so much spam it's easy for the rare false positive to get lost and never even know it existed. Not to be limited to email, though, my work phone goes through Google Voice, which means it has a spam filter on it, too (and a blacklist...very nice for persistent telemarketers).
 
I didn't see prices. Just curious... if I just wanted a self contained unit to fire 1 HPR rocket at a time from 1 pad... how much is that?
 
I didn't see prices. Just curious... if I just wanted a self contained unit to fire 1 HPR rocket at a time from 1 pad... how much is that?

You'll need to check the safety code for the distances you need to be offset by this will impact things a little. Any HPR motor up to J motors need to have a 100' offset from people per NAR's HPR code; 30 Meters for Tripoli Clubs if they follow NFPA 1127 as they should. Remember that HPR is NOT the same as > H. Some F's and G's are HPR and there is the potential for any motor to be HPR even an A if it meets certain criteria (No A motors exist today like that).
 
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Thanks UV.

I'd like to have the ability to launch F thru I. Just in the early stages of looking for a quality pad ( good up to 10# rocket. with interchangable rods and 1010 rail) and an appropriate controller. Not sure I'll do it,... just checking my options...
 
Our club uses the Wilson system, it's awesome. What it's probably not best for, is a persons personal everyday launch system. I don't know the exact cost of the system WOOSH bought, but it didn't come cheap. It supports 32 pads on 4 separate banks, and runs all day long worry free. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from getting one, but in my opinion it's way too much system for a single pad setup. The systems are built to the buyers individual needs, I'd assume that's why there are no set prices.
 
Thanks Chad. That's the impression I got looking at the site... I just want a simple setup, that meets safety guidelines, and can launch up through I's. Not interested in paying $1K for a set-up though.

I'll watch Yard Sale,... and If I get serious,... I'll post a wanted ad. For now the Proline V2 is ahead of it,... and maybe a tracker.
 
If you (or other members of your club) have the time/inclination - the May/June 2012 issue of Sport Rocketry includes a detailed write up (including schematics and parts lists) for LUNAR's multi-position launch controller.
 
Hello Andrew,

You might want to consider building your own single pad launch control system, relay based, with a battery at the pad. There are many schematics and plans online. For starters this will teach you what's involved in building the basic system. Once you've done that, you will probably want to try a bigger system that will control maybe 4 or 6 pads. Maybe even a dozen pads if you get really ambitious.

Once your club gets big enough to need more than one bank of pads, you will have to think about something bigger.

Right now, there is only one commercially available turn key system that can grow as big as any club or launch out there, and that the Wilson F/X Digital launch control system. As you've already heard it's not cheap, but it works, first time every time.

I did recently have a club complain about one of my 8-pad pad-boxes that according to them, what not working. My first question was, "Are all of your 16/3 outdoor extension cords operating properly?" They answered, "Yes."

They told me that the pad box would give its normal continuity check at the pad, but it would not give a continuity check at the controller, nor would it fire any of the pads on that one pad box.

This was an odd problem that I'd never met before. I got to work with my team and we tried our best to find a way to duplicate the "problem." But we were unable. We were getting into the programming of the IC's wondering if we'd found a random failure mode that we'd never seen before. But no matter what we tried, we still couldn't find anything that could duplicate this problem.

A few days went by, and I got a rather sheepish phone call from that same club member who'd called asking for help. He told me that it turned out that they had used four 25 foot 16/3 outdoor extension cords for the last 100 feet out to their away pads. Someone decided that maybe they should check the last four 25' extension cords and sure enough, one of them was toast (a broken wire - the white one). They replaced it and amazingly, the whole system was operating perfectly again.

Last year, my own club QCRS, called me up from one of their regular monthly club launches because they couldn't get the system to work at all. They were frantic as they had people who wanted to fly and no operating launch control system. It turned out that they had connected the battery at the first pad box reversing the polarity of the power. They'd connected the positive controller power lead to the negative pole of the battery and they'd connected the negative controller power lead to the positive pole on the battery. Nothing was damaged, but the system will not operate with reversed power polarity. They too called back sheepishly, saying, "Oooppppsss!" Once they got the polarity right, the system worked perfectly once more.

I do sell, a single pad controller and a single pad pad box. It plugs into the rest of the Wilson-F/X system and works like any other pad-box with the 64 pad controller. Plus the single pad controller also operates as the Armageddon Switch.

Let me know what you're thinking and any questions you have and I'll do my best to answer you.

If you want me to answer on t his forum, you may want to send me a direct email to [email protected] and let me know that you've got a question as I do not have the time to browse all the rocket information forums that are out there.

Let me know if you have any questions.

One quick question for you. We're you at the LDRS in Lethbridge? It was a fun LDRS and I had a great time bowling. I can't recall if that was an 8 or 16 pound bowling ball loft. But I do remember that it was parachute duration. I used a 16' silk military surplus cargo parachute and h ad a great time.

Brad the "Rocket Rev.," Wilson
 
https://www.pratthobbies.com/products.asp?cat=9 - Doug Pratt also makes/sells launch controllers. I understand he does custom work. Perhaps he can make something to suit your needs. I'm just bringing him up as another option as I don't think he was mentioned yet in this thread (or I missed it).

Gerald
 
https://www.pratthobbies.com/products.asp?cat=9 - Doug Pratt also makes/sells launch controllers. I understand he does custom work. Perhaps he can make something to suit your needs. I'm just bringing him up as another option as I don't think he was mentioned yet in this thread (or I missed it).

Gerald

I can only warmly recommend Doug Pratt too. I have got his high-end launch controller with full-fledged hybrid modules. He did a special remote control for me with longer cabling. Contact and customer relation is absolutely awesome. Products are very robust and work like a swiss watch. A great supplier to work with.

regards from Bavaria
 
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