phenolic liner replacement

I bougfht a k185 on line a bit back, and recently opened the mylar bag only to discover the phenolic liner was damaged--a crescent shaped piece about an inch long had broken off.

I contacted AT to get a replacement--i was referred to their ex division where a replacement was quoted at 28 bucks plus s/h, gasp!

question then can i use an aeroconn liner which would cost significantly less even if i bought 4 feet and wrap it in teflon tape as suggested on their site? anyone done this? would this then decertify the motor, not a big issue with the recent tra changes.

also whats the best chop saw blade to cut phenolic with? please dont say diamond--hoping i can just use an abrasive cut off disc.
john s

I've cut phenolic with a hacksaw before and it cut just fine.

Last time I had this happen, AT sent me a replacement liner for free.

Would the vendor who sold you the motor be of any help?????

-- Greg

An abrasive blade will be a pretty nasty cut. I went to a local lumber supply house and bought a clearance 12" 80 tooth carbide blade and it cuts paper and phenolic fine. It set me back about $25 and makes very nice cuts.

Edward

That would definitly void the AT warranty, what are the new TRI rules you are talking about...? I would say contact them again, and talk to your vendor. I dont think you should be held responsible for the liner replacement cost...

yes, thats what i thought too--but unfortunately it was an on-line auction, and the seller says he was unaware of any damage, so i'm stuck on that option.

tra rules--that commercial loads can be flown during research activities, so if i fly it with a non-standard liner, don't see where anyone should have an issue is what i meant.
js

ps: greg, passed the element 2 exam last sat, just waiting for the call letters to be posted on the net.

Are you talking about your ham license? If so good job. I cant remember what element 2 is, is that general class or tech +?

If its General we will see you down on 40M CW or 20M voice.
Call here is KB0PVW, its scary I have had my licesnse for 12 years now!

Originally posted by robfire820
Are you talking about your ham license? If so good job. I cant remember what element 2 is, is that general class or tech +?

If its General we will see you down on 40M CW or 20M voice.
Call here is KB0PVW, its scary I have had my licesnse for 12 years now!

Click to expand...

Rob,
a mere no morse techie, newbie I'm afraid. (element 1 is code)The Big Red Bee runs a good outfit and insisted on licensure before i could avail myself of some of his fine gear. so that was the original motive but now looking forward to doing some regular hamming and hoping i can hit a repeater from our launch site as it is in cell phone hell.

john s

At the next launch you go to, find someone who has flown a K550 or K1100. You can reuse the liner. AT uses a real high quality liner and they generally survive with little or no charing. EX people re use them all the time. As a bonus it is free and should be available at the next launch.

Geoff

I have a bunch of good spent 54mm AT liners at home. That liner should be 13.610" long. Right? Let me see what I have and I'll send you one.
Tony

Originally posted by Tfish
I have a bunch of good spent 54mm AT liners at home. That liner should be 13.610" long. Right? Let me see what I have and I'll send you one.
Tony

Click to expand...

tony,
your measurement is likely more accurate--i get 13 and 5/8. that would be super, and i will certainly reimburse your shipping costs,
john

my biz address is

john smolley, md
5738 olde wadsworth blvd
arvada, co 80020
email: [email protected]

How was the element 2 test. I have my book and I am going over the questions now, I want a Big Red Bee, now that I am level 2. I think i will need one . I live in the land of the 13ft high corn !


Steve M
TRA L2 09342

test was very straight forward--i'd venture on par with the l2 written. i was worried about minutiae, not the case at all. Read the aarl book and answer the questions after each section as suggested, and you'll be fine.

you might also want to consider a siren--i got one that is deafening--112 dB on 12 v but even the 7.2V Li-poly packs i have make that scream. reason why i'm thinking such, depending on the gps--for example the one in my acura is probably only good to about 50 feet.

that corn can be a *****. got lost in halloween and wasn't even looking for anything but a way out!

js

I have the aarl book and I did great on the level 2 test . Thanks for the info on the test I will study and worry anyway I have been in corn so thick it was dark inside, Hot!! and I have never seen such big spiders!! Had a siren but there is some kind of Bird in cornfields that makes a sound just like a far off siren! kept getting turned arround and after about an hour ,felt lucky to find my way out! Found a rocket but it was not mine It was a friend's level 1 so that was good! If I had a Bee I think it woulg give be a starting point to enter the field in the right row and walk it through. Look for the shock cord or chute at the top of the corn.

Thanks
Steve M

steve,

your description makes me sweat just thinking about it--kind of like a hitchcock movie. this siren i doubt comes close to a birdcall and would likely frighten any away for miles. but nevermind, you got to thinking, what about mylar? i love the stuff and one can get 30 to 40 feet of fresh, thin unfolded mylar in a 24mm tube. i'd just use it along with the chute and guessing it would lay right on top of that corn and shimmer in the breeze.

course you might have to replace it regularly but roll big enough to cut miles of the stuff can be had for 20 bucks.
john s

Great Idea, I have also thought, what if I could see over the top of the corn? a camera mounted on a pole, I have some small cameras that hook to a hand held personal video recorder and I can see the picture live like a web cam, that way I could see the Mylar or chute from the top and walk down the closest row. I have used mylar in some high alt birds and its the only thing I could see reflecting in the sun. I think I will test it this season.

Steve M.

interesting, just make sure your camera and pole are light, and maybe something that can be rigged to a backback like frame. or get one of those small r/c electrics planes with video and buzz around, or move to colorado where the biggest hazard at our field is stepping on a prickly pear cactus. man you have given me new reason to say thanks today,
js

Originally posted by denverdoc
interesting, just make sure your camera and pole are light, and maybe something that can be rigged to a backback like frame. or get one of those small r/c electrics planes with video and buzz around, or move to colorado where the biggest hazard at our field is stepping on a prickly pear cactus. man you have given me new reason to say thanks today,
js

Click to expand...

Yeah - but some of those cacti HURT. I've had them go straight through my shoe and into the bottom of my foot before. Still, better that than the corn IMHO.

chris,
no kidding, my girlfriend got impaled a few launches ago, we've since gone to thick soled shoes.
js
not to cross-thread but what about the ? of removing the bp from the g10 on the sss.

So we have the corn, and fall is a great time to fly! Don't forget the rocket eating trees and lakes angry cows and bulls! Any rocket eating cacti? I often see launch photos of the west with no trees and think I would like to move there How about snakes? ever run into one at a launch?

one of our other clubs actually flies from a buffalo ranch and at any given time hundreds are grazing nearby. The cacti in northern colrado grow to a few inches in height, now around pheonix, i'll bet some of those big saguaros have eaten a few.

the small field here in dnever for model rocketry has a dam and associated lake that has eaten more than its share and led to various water recovery techniques. for the ultimate in scale realism you can drop your apollo capsule in the lake and then return it.

snakes, sure they are out there.

But the mecca of high power rocketry is about 60 miles from my hometown in reno, nv. plenty of sites on the internet to look at--just search black rock desert--flattest place on the planet reportedly, standing waiver is so high as never to be an issue (unless you have mighty serious ambitions), and best yet cars, atvs and bikes can be used to fetch the rockets. Definitely worth the trip if you never been there, esp in september where burning man, balls and xprs all take place. some of the rocket people don't think a lot of the burning man folk, but they have some of the more gifted pyros, artists and techies on the planet among them--just different sensibilities and means of expression.
js