BRB900, Stratologger SL100 and Carbon Fiber

[mdostby]

Has anyone experienced performance issues with either a Big Red Bee 900 and/or Stratologger SL100 mounted in close proximity to each other in a mostly carbon fiber wrapped rocket? The entire airframe with the exception of the nose cone and transition (6" to 7.5") is wrapped in carbon fiber. The large transition also is the electronics bay and is made from fiberglass. Should I consider separating the tracker and mounting it up in the fiberglass nosecone?

 

[webtech]

You will experience RF issues with carbon fiber. So yes with the Big Red Bee...

The Stratologger should be fine..

But don't quote me on it.. ground testing

 

[mdostby]

So then looking for tracking options/suggestions other than BRB.

 

[jderimig]

Just move the trackers to the nosecone as you suggested.

 

[Zebedee]

It's not specific to BRB - Carbon is going to interfere with most things. The solution is not a different tracker but to figure out how to put tracking in a place without CF.

 

[webtech]

It's not specific to BRB - Carbon is going to interfere with most things. The solution is not a different tracker but to figure out how to put tracking in a place without CF.

what zebedee said.. it will affect all rf transmitters and receivers. carbon fiber attenuate out the signal. you can move it to the nose or mount the antenna on the outside of the rocket.. or have the antenna on the outside of the ebay on the inside, but it will also affect getting GPS signal in to the unit. So it will have a hard time getting GPS Satellite signal as well.

 

[bigredbee]

So then looking for tracking options/suggestions other than BRB.

Carbon fiber will attenuate all inbound and outbound RF, not just that to/from the BRB.

 

[mdostby]

I like my BRB. It will be mounted in the nose cone just to be sure. The transition/ebay is not CF it's fiberglass. I was just worried that it could be affected due to the CF airframes fore and aft of the transition. I'll just put it in the nose. Thanks everyone!

 

[ksaves2]

The other alternative would be to get a bulkhead mount antenna connector and have it mounted on the aft bulkhead. Rocket hits apogee and charge blows the rocket apart. The antenna is out in the breeze then.
This will only work if the GPS gets a lock through the airframe. I have a metallic painted rocket that the 70cm Rf can't get out but the GPS signals are received just fine. Discovered that when no packets were received
from a 70cm BLGPS tracker but a download of the .kml file showed a 6 to 11 satellite lock on the position.

If the CF blocks the satellite signal, the only option is a radiolucent fiberglass nosecone mounting.

In "glass" rockets I've had no problems with side by side or stacked mounting of a 70cm LP BLGPS with an MAWD or Raven altimeters. Kurt