Altimeters

[sandmantoy]

Who makes an altimeter with the most data logging or gives you more info than just highest altitude recorded? I have the Perfectflite Mawd it is a nice altimeter but I want more data logged, more bells and whistles lol!

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Tim - most the guys you hang out with also use the ARTS. It has a nice set of data logging features.

 

[ghost]

featherweightaltimeters.com

 

[sandmantoy]

I did hear mention of the ARTS altimeters at our launches, just not many conversations about them. I will have to look in to one of them. The featherweight altimeters are new stuff are they not? I will check them out too.

 

[bobkrech]

I like the AED R-DAS. They're expensive but beside the barometric altimeter and the accelerometer, there are 6 additional channels for your own stuff.

Bob

 

[Adrian A]

The featherweight altimeters are new stuff are they not? I will check them out too.

Yes, they're new. I did the first production run in October and they just got approved for Tripoli altitude records last week. The Parrot altimeters are designed to record lots of high-quality data (high-rate accel in 2 axes, barometric pressure, temperature, and more) in a very small and light package. They are also set up to fire a single, mach-inhibited charge at apogee, useful as a backup drogue deployment for a dual-deploy altimeter, or for apogee deployment in a record attempt rocket. The website www.featherweightaltimeters.com has lots more information, including a forum with FAQs.

Have fun!

 

[cjl]

I can highly recommend them too - they're wonderful units

I used one to take data on my Cirrus Dart on an I600 flight - the 70G sensors really came in handy (compared to the 50g on most electronics - I pulled around 60)

 

[sandmantoy]

I like new gizmo's the featherweights are looking good too!

Bob the AED R-DAS is very nice stuff I like that you can hook up your own experiments to it and they offer quite a lot to. It is spendy :surprised: but has what you would need for the really big projects.

 

[JimJarvis50]

I have one of the new G-wiz HCX's. I am very familiar with the G-wiz line and I know most all of the warts. However, I have gone through this new model in detail, and I think they have an excellent product this time (the reliability of the original MC's with a bunch of new features). Four programmable channels, an analog input, 70K altimeter and essentially unlimited flight data storage are the advantages. It is a little on the large side though.

 

[init 6]

RDAS for me. Great set of specs & lots of good add-ons.

Plus they've been around for so long that they have a certain pedigree

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

OK

I'll bite

Where the heck can you get an RDAS?

 

[bobkrech]

OK

I'll bite

Where the heck can you get an RDAS?

https://www.wildmanrocketry.com

https://www.wildmanrocketry.com/default.asp?groupid=136&groupid1=710392363&prodid=338510460052549

Aerocon also has a lot of accesories.https://www.aeroconsystems.com/electronics/rdas.htm

Bob

 

[cjl]

OK

I'll bite

Where the heck can you get an RDAS?

I bought mine straight from AED. Took a while to ship (from the netherlands), but worked out just fine. A bit spendy now though with the exchange rate in the tank. Also, Wildman carries them now - call him and he has a few (IIRC - I just bought the GPS expansion from him, and I think he said he had the units in stock). Honestly though, if you just want data, I would go for a Parrot over the R-DAS - smaller, lighter, integrated batt, cheaper, and higher resolution altitude and acceleration sensors (R-DAS uses 1/10G and roughly 30ft resolution, while the Parrot is 0.02G and 9 foot resolution). Admittedly both are more than accurate enough for almost any usage - but it is a feature to consider. Of course, the Parrot has nowhere near the bells and whistles with regards to GPS, telemetry, deployment, etc, but it is still perfectly fine for standard recording duty.

 

[sandmantoy]

I like the idea that you could expand and add your own experimental gizmos to the RDAS. I want to look at the G wiz too.

 

[cjl]

If you like the R-DAS's expandability - you might also like the ARTS2. It has some expandable capability IIRC, and is quite a bit cheaper. Nowhere near the memory though. The R-DAS is a nice unit, without doubt. I love mine. The quad outputs are nice too - you can airstart or stage with it and still have the other 2 outputs for deployment.

 

[bguff]

If you like the R-DAS's expandability - you might also like the ARTS2. It has some expandable capability IIRC, and is quite a bit cheaper. Nowhere near the memory though. The R-DAS is a nice unit, without doubt. I love mine. The quad outputs are nice too - you can airstart or stage with it and still have the other 2 outputs for deployment.

How much does R-DAS go for? I can't seem to find a price online.

Does the ARTS go for 250?

 

[cjl]

The R-DAS goes for 220 euros, at whatever the exchange rate happens to be.

Here is the company website:
www.aedelectronics.nl

Also, the ARTS goes for more like $190 IIRC

 

[bobkrech]

How much does R-DAS go for? I can't seem to find a price online.

Does the ARTS go for 250?

https://www.aedelectronics.nl/rdas/rdasorder.htm

R-DAS Tiny costs 220.00 Euro = ~$316.52 @ 1 Euro = $1.4387

https://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=EUR&to=USD&submit=Convert

The best exchange rate in this century was on November 24, 2000 when $1 = 0.8383 Euro and it has got worse since then.
https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h10/hist/dat00_eu.htm

This chart reflects an ~7% per year value loss of dollar in the European Community over the past 5 years.

Bob

 

[init 6]

You can get the RDAS at Rebel too. You'll probably have to check for the US price as I believe those displayed include EU taxes.
Rebel are pretty good when it comes to shipping.


The ARTS is a good compromise between RDAS and cost. I had one (sadly no longer working since it spent a night in a reservoir) and liked it a lot. Not as many add-ons as the RDAS, but as good a set of features as the RDAS Classic/Compact. Wasn't there an ARTS3 rumoured?

The Parrot is curious little altimeter. Not quite sure what market its aimed at. Love the high G sensor and small size, but lack of Dual Deployment severly hampers it IMHO. I've got an I800 just waiting for a DD Parrot

 

[init 6]

Oops how could I forget RocketStore have them on sale at the moment.

Again its UK prices so you'd best check for the US price.

 

[cjl]

You can get the RDAS at Rebel too. You'll probably have to check for the US price as I believe those displayed include EU taxes.
Rebel are pretty good when it comes to shipping.


The ARTS is a good compromise between RDAS and cost. I had one (sadly no longer working since it spent a night in a reservoir) and liked it a lot. Not as many add-ons as the RDAS, but as good a set of features as the RDAS Classic/Compact. Wasn't there an ARTS3 rumoured?

The Parrot is curious little altimeter. Not quite sure what market its aimed at. Love the high G sensor and small size, but lack of Dual Deployment severly hampers it IMHO. I've got an I800 just waiting for a DD Parrot

Why not do it apogee deploy and use a small chute/tracker?

I800's are small enough that it is completely recoverable, though possibly a decent walk.

 

[init 6]

Why not do it apogee deploy and use a small chute/tracker?

I800's are small enough that it is completely recoverable, though possibly a decent walk.

Because it'll land at least half a mile away. Possibly hitting the reservoir or the nuclear power station

Seriously, had Adrian not put in the high G accelerometer we'd have thought it was a brilliant model rocket altimeter. The high G part has got us thinking it would make a great HPR altimeter, but without all the stuff we normally expect. I think he needs to decide which way to go with the Parrot. Either v small or full featured. I'd prefer to see two separate alts to accomplish each task. Full featured HPR altimeters needn't be that light.

Might still get one though

 

[cjl]

Actually, he has recorded model rockets pulling remarkably high Gs - in excess of 40 before IIRC. When combined with the high sample rate, it also allows for better recording of the deployment and landing shocks. Honestly, I love the thing as a wonderful little altimeter, and will be using it on many rockets for the data if nothing else. If he makes a dual deployment version as well, I'll probably buy it too, but I can't say I'm in any way disappointed with the Parrot as is.

 

[sandmantoy]

I would like to see more information come out of the downloaded info from an altimeter. Even if it where already calculated info from the software of the downloaded flight info. Like fps, temps and listed events with times other than graphs alone. Wouldn't pressure readings be good, I bet the software could be tweaked for what is there already on most altimeters with logging.

I was impressed by someones deciphering of information on a graph from a flight but would be nice if it where interpreted for you some what when looking at the downloaded data. For the graph dyslexic like myself

I like to build a rocket, launch it then make it better for the next flight. I have been able to make adjustments from some data that we get like photos and evidence we get from physical data on recovery but want more.

 

[cjl]

Well, both the R-DAS and the Parrot (my only 2 recording alts) give you the actual numeric output, not just graphs.

 

[sandmantoy]

I am a noob to using the Mawd even, It is the only recording altimeter I have so far. Not to pick on it at all but it was a little less info than I was expecting to see for the first time. It would be nice to add more to it to see whats going on in flight and the events of recovery. It would make experiments more exciting, plus you could add some phidgets in there for your experiments.

cjl Well, both the R-DAS and the Parrot (my only 2 recording alts) give you the actual numeric output, not just graphs.

That would be interesting to see what that looks like. I am a machinist and most of the data we work with is numeric so seeing a graph has a general guesstimate view to it, like trying to see through noise if that makes sense lol.

 

[Adrian A]

Seriously, had Adrian not put in the high G accelerometer we'd have thought it was a brilliant model rocket altimeter.

Thanks, that was the original intention. Along the way I decided it had a lot of potential for setting MPR altitude records, and so I added the apogee deployment in the last revision before going to production.

The high G part has got us thinking it would make a great HPR altimeter, but without all the stuff we normally expect. I think he needs to decide which way to go with the Parrot. Either v small or full featured. I'd prefer to see two separate alts to accomplish each task. Full featured HPR altimeters needn't be that light.

I'm going to continue production of the Parrots, but unfortunately, I'm going to have to raise the price to cover some additional costs that I hadn't accounted for at first. The good news, though, is that Santa is about to deliver a vacuum pump for higher-altitude calibrations, and the next production batch will also include some +/- 250G single-axis accel models. I'm also working on two more baro-only models (the Sparrow and the Hummingbird) that will be smaller, lighter, and much cheaper than the Parrot, but still very accurate. I have a full-featured, price-competitive dual deployment altimeter in mind, but it will depend on some features I'm developing with the smaller altimeters in order to make it viable, so I'm going to wait and see how the little ones work out first.

 

[cjl]

I am a noob to using the Mawd even, It is the only recording altimeter I have so far. Not to pick on it at all but it was a little less info than I was expecting to see for the first time. It would be nice to add more to it to see whats going on in flight and the events of recovery. It would make experiments more exciting, plus you could add some phidgets in there for your experiments.



That would be interesting to see what that looks like. I am a machinist and most of the data we work with is numeric so seeing a graph has a general guesstimate view to it, like trying to see through noise if that makes sense lol.

For the Parrot, it is pure numeric, accessed through HyperTerminal and then any graphs needed are generated in Excel. For the R-DAS, you use their own interface, which has a set of tabs along the bottom for graph, data, and comments. The data is simply a table of values - time, acceleration, altitude, and voltage counts on any other enabled sensors.

 

[JimJarvis50]

I am a noob to using the Mawd even, It is the only recording altimeter I have so far. Not to pick on it at all but it was a little less info than I was expecting to see for the first time.

I have a very simple excel spreadsheet that takes the MAWD file and produces velocity and acceleration plots. PM me if you would like it (too big to attach).

 

[constevens]

The ARTS line of altimeters from Ozark are very full featured, Have additional function and output as well as download-able data not just in graph but numeric. They perform to over 50K I believe and have both Baro and Accel sensors. They Interface with its own GPS and downlink as an added componet. They are also set to do single/redundant deployment as well as a fully programed dual deployment with other capabilities. As well as Eric provides a great customer service as well. Ive used them reliably several times.

The other always past favorite of mine has been Jim Amos's Missile Works Altimeters. Now at the moment he doesnt have a full recording altimeter but I believe he has made mention of one or even 2 models to come based on his new line of RRC mini Altimeters. Should be great stuff. Missile works stuff always has been very good.