Level 1 motor recommendation

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tim cubbedge

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Not sure if this should be posted here or in the propulsion section but anyways, I'm going for my level 1 cert. next month and am in the process of building a LOC-IV for the flight. Anyone have any motor recommendations for this flight? I can use either a 29mm or 38mm motor. I have looked at thrustcurve.org and there are too many too choose! All suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!
Tim
 
I had a rocket similar to the LOC IV, and I went with an Aerotech H165R. Perfect flight to just over 800ft. I know the H123W is a popular certification motor. It depends what you like to fly. If you like high and fast flights, load up an I600, if low and slow is prefferable ("better" for a certification attempt IMHO) a smaller H will work fine. Also, CTI vs. Aerotech. What hardware do you have/plan on buying?
 
I certified 23 yrs ago on an I-284 only motor for that case at the time. So kinda partial towards that load.
 
Then the obvious choice is either the H123W if you like white flames or an H148R if you like red flames (my favorite). You should contact the club you are going to cert with to see if any one has a reload you can buy. I buy on line with Balsa Machining Services. They do sell reloads for certification purposes. The 38 mm reloads require a Hazmat fee which increases the shipping cost. If you can borrow a 29/240 case you could get a H210R or H180W for the standard shipping cost of $6.00

https://www.balsamachining.com/
 
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Tim, the fact that there are no H motors in your local area does not really limit your choices. In fact, because it forces you to either buy online, or better yet to buy a motor from a vendor at the launch you plan to cert at, you really have a very wide array of choices.

Don't forget that Aerotech now has a whole bunch of DMS motors to choose from (which you would not need a case/hardware for). And it just so happens that www.buyrocketmotors.com is running a free hazmat deal right now, and they carry the full line of DMS. Plus they're good to do business with.

So, between a non-hazmat motor from any number of online dealers (such as balsamachining mentioned earlier), or some great DMS or other choice from buyrocketmotors, or whatever you want from your club launch vendor if you let them know ahead of time what you plan to buy, you can pretty much fly whatever you want.


Good luck with that cert!

s6
 
I vote H148R! I love those Reds! Alternatively, if you can borrow a set of hardware then you could use the H210R without Hazmat.
 
LOC IV Flies great on an AT H123-8 or AT H148-8.
I second that.
I Certified today with the Aerotech H123W-M. 1,700' AGL with my LOC IV. I used a 4' Rocket Man chute.
If it's a windy day the given 3' chute is fine, although it might be risky to land on hard soil using the given
3' chute. That's the only reason I chose a 4' chute, I wanted a very soft landing. We've got a large field but
it was my first time to launch there and wasn't sure about the condition of the soil and near by gravel roads.

JP
 
Take this Aerotech motors, no this CTI ...this is not serious. You have to make some home work; First decide how high you want that rocket to reach and then make some test in Open Rocket with different motors, make sure to have a nice " off rod " velocity, if you can't do this exercise, you are not ready for high power.
 
Mr 66, I have been looking at open rocket and rocksim. Just asking what others have used for their level 1 or what one might recommend. Most likely looking at less than 2000 feet and from what I've read here and on other posts, the H123 seems to get the most votes for level 1 cert with the LOC-IV. I thank all for their replies!
 
Congratulations. .and of course Welcome to High Power !

Whats next a Redline or go bigger ?

Kenny
 
Aerotech DMS motors are pretty simple to fly. I flew a H135W a few months ago for a Level 1 Cert. I'm flying a bigger J DMS motor for my Level 2.

Jeff
 
Whenever this question is posed, there are typically a large number of answers saying what that flier certified on (or hopes to one day). Some may even have flown that same kit.

But not used your build techniques.

Or have the same field.

Or your flying experience.


My question is: what do you want the rocket to do? How do YOU envision the flight going? You a speed junkie? --go with a thrust-dumper like the 410 or 699. Jones for altitude? Maybe a longburn like the H-54 or something to that effect. Maybe you get off on the sparks and growl of a skidmark--there's options, there, too.

Maybe there's a corn field bordering your recovery area... is 2,000 feet too much? 1,500? 4,000?

Set your parameters, and then choose the motor that meets the requirements YOU set for yourself--I mean... it's your cert, after all...

Enjoy it!



Later!

--Coop
 
I'll be using a CTI H225 White Thunder for my level 1. That would be a good choice, especially if your rocket is on the heavy side...
 
Having flown a Loc 4 for my L1, and many time since here are my recommendations.

Aerotech H180 with stock 10 second delay. It is a done deal and nearly perfect delay time wise.


Mark Koelsch
Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum
 
Loki I-405 no hazmat and a impressive kick in the pants.

TA
 
You will find that most people recommend getting your cert with a minimal power H motor using single deployment to keep things simple. Beyond that, you have a choice to make concerning cases. The more common options in order of ease would be:
Aerotech DMS
CTI case
Aerotech case

None of the options are really hard, they simply require one to follow instructions. I would check with those who will be your whiteness to ensure they are familiar with your choice if it is other than the DMS.

Beyond that, you can go to www.thrustcurve.org and out in the parameters of your rocket and get an idea of how high and fast it will go on a given motor. Keep in mind that small fast rockets the to easily go out of sight as well. But there have been people "cert in style" with fast high launches. Most have flown with electronics before and use tracking and/or dual deployment. Keep in mind, the more new things you are using, the more likely you are to end in a learning experience which leaves you without certification.


Kirk
 
You will find that most people recommend getting your cert with a minimal power H motor using single deployment to keep things simple. Beyond that, you have a choice to make concerning cases. The more common options in order of ease would be:
Aerotech DMS
CTI case
Aerotech case

None of the options are really hard, they simply require one to follow instructions. I would check with those who will be your whiteness to ensure they are familiar with your choice if it is other than the DMS.

Beyond that, you can go to www.thrustcurve.org and out in the parameters of your rocket and get an idea of how high and fast it will go on a given motor. Keep in mind that small fast rockets the to easily go out of sight as well. But there have been people "cert in style" with fast high launches. Most have flown with electronics before and use tracking and/or dual deployment. Keep in mind, the more new things you are using, the more likely you are to end in a learning experience which leaves you without certification.


Kirk


One addition to your list is Loki. They would sit between the CTI and Aerotech for ease of assembly. Plenty of loads to chose from four different H loads and three different I loads that... require no HAZMAT!


TA
 
Grains are 1/2 the length, so they are under the 30 grams/grain limit for USPS ground.
 
I used an AeroTech H165R for my L1 cert. It's a nice conservative low-end (3% H) choice but it still gave my rocket a nice ride (~2100 ft.) on a brilliant ruby-red flame. My rocket was a bit smaller than yours (2.34" OD; about 2.5 lbs.) but the 200N (45 lbf.) max thrust and 167N (37 lbf.) average thrust should get your LOC-IV up there nicely even if you have gone completely hog wild with the glue. You will be able to see the entire flight.
 
Whenever this question is posed, there are typically a large number of answers saying what that flier certified on (or hopes to one day). Some may even have flown that same kit.

But not used your build techniques.

Or have the same field.

Or your flying experience.


My question is: what do you want the rocket to do? How do YOU envision the flight going? You a speed junkie? --go with a thrust-dumper like the 410 or 699. Jones for altitude? Maybe a longburn like the H-54 or something to that effect. Maybe you get off on the sparks and growl of a skidmark--there's options, there, too.

Maybe there's a corn field bordering your recovery area... is 2,000 feet too much? 1,500? 4,000?

Set your parameters, and then choose the motor that meets the requirements YOU set for yourself--I mean... it's your cert, after all...

Enjoy it!


Later!

--Coop

I think Coop hit the nail on the head! It is all about flying the field. When you fly MPR at a HPR launch you don't have to worry much about recovery area. When you start pushing 75% of the waiver on HPR, you have to be concerned about recovery area and tracking. Flying the field is part of what you will learn as you move up in the HPR levels. It never hurts to take Coop's advice and start early.

You will find that most people recommend getting your cert with a minimal power H motor using single deployment to keep things simple. Beyond that, you have a choice to make concerning cases. The more common options in order of ease would be:
Aerotech DMS
CTI case
Aerotech case

None of the options are really hard, they simply require one to follow instructions. I would check with those who will be your whiteness to ensure they are familiar with your choice if it is other than the DMS.

Beyond that, you can go to www.thrustcurve.org and out in the parameters of your rocket and get an idea of how high and fast it will go on a given motor. Keep in mind that small fast rockets the to easily go out of sight as well. But there have been people "cert in style" with fast high launches. Most have flown with electronics before and use tracking and/or dual deployment. Keep in mind, the more new things you are using, the more likely you are to end in a learning experience which leaves you without certification.


Kirk

Kirk is right about making thing more complicate can increase your odds of failure. But you have to consider the consequences of failing to certify, you get to fly another HPR motor. It isn't like you lose your job if the flight fails.

I think you need to have a goal for your cert flight, above and beyond certifying. In my case for my L1, I wanted to try DD, try new construction techniques, make my own nose cone, build the whole rocket from scratch, and learn as much as I could about HPR construction and flying. I did break down and buy a 38mm MMT, but everything else was scrounged or made. I then used a Loki I110 Moonburner for the cert flight so it would get the highest altitude I could. As it turned out, the flight was 4,200 ft and DD so it wasn't even pushing the boundaries at the launch site, but it was still a cool cert flight and it met the goal I had for the flight. I learned more building and flying that rocket than any other rocket I've had before or since.

My advice, worry about safety, not about failure. You're always going to have failed flights. As long as they are safe, down range and away from people, that's OK. That is why we have the safe distances for launches.
 
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