For Sale Custom Comspec Receiver Compatible Beacons

[Brainstormz123]

Alexander --

Just yesterday, I traded my wife a month on the couch in the doghouse for a handful of Blue Ravens

I would like to order two more transmitters next month for sure if they're still available.

One Q ... @manixFan posted several combinations of FSK -plus- CW programming in post #41

Is if possible for you to set up the frequency and also at the same time, set up the transmitter for #4: No FSK and CW 4 beeps @ 1.5 sec intervals:
View attachment 629756

Thanks !

-- kjh

Sure can do, send me a DM and I can program them however you wish when you are ready

 

[kjhambrick]

Sure can do, send me a DM and I can program them however you wish when you are ready

Alexander --

I flew your Comspec Transmitter on Sunday and it worked just fine.

Posted a flight report in the Propulsion SubForum because I flew a 28-year old I357T and I was not sure what to expect: Spock's Johnson Rides a Twenty Eight Year Old I357T and Lives !

It turns out I didn't need a tracker Sunday because the rocket landed only 970 feet from the pad and I could see the rocket on the ground from my truck which I parked about 300 -to- 400 ft toward the anticipated landing area.

After flying it twice now, I definitely want to eliminate the FSK and set the CW beeps at 1.5 sec or maybe even 1.0 sec intervals as I mentioned above.

I am going to do a battery longevity test next ...

I would always prep my Walston transmitter duck tape gob the night before the launch because I knew that the three little batteries were good for several days.

I've been prepping my comspec gobs on-site because I wasn't sure how long the single battery would run.

Anyhow, I'll post my findings here and I should be ready for another order in a week or so if they're still available.

This is the gob I flew Sunday attached to the drogue shock cord just below the payload bay, about half way between the booster and the main chute:


Thanks Alexander !

-- kjh

 

[Jmhepworth]

I flew one of the transmitters yesterday. I got the expected bump in power when the drogue came out (taking the transmitter with it). I had a really good signal all the way to the ground, at which point I lost it. The rocket landed about 4,500 feet away, according to EggFinder. When I was about 2,000 feet away, I started to get a faint signal. The RF transmitter would have led me to the rocket even without GPS.

I didn’t do a side by side comparison with an old ComSpec transmitter, but I’m satisfied that it’s going to work for me.

 

[manixFan]

I also finally had a chance to test out one of the beacons, using the receiver I bought from @kencraw. (I have an old Rocket Hunter ComSpec version, but I share that with several other flyers, so it was nice to have one I could always keep with me.) I loaned a beacon to a fellow flyer who flew it in an Apogee Aspire to 9,200' with an H13. I had a good track all the way to the ground when I lost the signal. After a short drive to a fence line, I was able to pick it up again. Google Earth measurements showed it was about 4,500' away. I was very pleased with the results. I programmed the beacon to a single tone, 1500 milliseconds apart, which works very well for me.

Thanks to both @Brainstormz123 and @kencraw. I plan on flying a lot of small rockets that are ideal for a beacon. It was fun to brush-off my old 'fox hunting' skills and track down a rocket.


Tony

Matt with his Apogee Aspire after an H13 flight to 9,200': (some college kids broke the fin which he had to fix with duct tape!)


Distance when I picked up the signal on the ground: (updated image to show where I stopped to locate the signal – red X's – and the path we took to the rocket)

 

[kjhambrick]

Matt's flight must have been amazing to see !

An H13 flight to 9200 ft AGL from Seymour at 1370 ft MSL ain't too shabby !

Congrat's Matt and good job tracking it, Tony !

-- kjh

 

[kjhambrick]

@manixFan

I've downloaded and looked hard at the picture of the rocket and I am not sure I have found the tracker ...

Where did you / Matt locate @Brainstormz123's Comspec Tracker in the 29mm Apogee Aspire tubes ?

Thanks !

-- kjh

 

[manixFan]

@manixFan

I've downloaded and looked hard at the picture of the rocket and I am not sure I have found the tracker ...

Where did you / Matt locate @Brainstormz123's Comspec Tracker in the 29mm Apogee Aspire tubes ?

Thanks !

-- kjh

Matt just cut an opening in the bottom of the nose cone and put the tracker in there with some cushioning. The antenna stuck out down into the body tube. One thing about the Aspire is it has a payload section that made it easy stow the antenna.

If you check out Apogee’s website they even feature a photo of Matt’s previous flight of his Aspire on an H13. It went to 8900’ but used an older, slightly heavier radio beacon.

In the custom H13 rocket I built, I just tape the tracker to the shock cord and wrap it in the streamer, which is just a piece of nomex cloth. The antenna gets fit into the body tube by curling it like a pig tail. Unfortunately I didn’t get to fly it due to altimeter issues, but hopefully in April if the winds are favorable.


Tony

 

[kjhambrick]

Matt just cut an opening in the bottom of the nose cone and put the tracker in there with some cushioning. The antenna stuck out down into the body tube. One thing about the Aspire is it has a payload section that made it easy stow the antenna.

Thanks Tony.

That explains why I couldn't see it in the recovery pic

In the custom H13 rocket I built, I just tape the tracker to the shock cord and wrap it in the streamer, which is just a piece of nomex cloth

Do you use any additional padding, aside from wrapping the Comspec tracker in the streamer ?

Thanks again !

-- kjh

 

[bad_idea]

If you check out Apogee’s website they even feature a photo of Matt’s previous flight of his Aspire on an H13. It went to 8900’ but used an older, slightly heavier radio beacon.

Thanks for mentioning that. I hadn't noticed before. Cool flight on a cool rocket by a cool dude.

 

[kjhambrick]

Thanks for mentioning that. I hadn't noticed before. Cool flight on a cool rocket by a cool dude.
<<snip pic>>

Nice Pic !

Thanks for posting it, @bad_idea !

That is a beautiful, foot-long Super Thunder flame !

Last Q ( maybe ) ... did Matt actually fly to 9200 ft with that duck tape on one fin ?

If so, holy cow, imagine what a new one might do !

-- kjh

 

[manixFan]

Nice Pic !

Thanks for posting it, @bad_idea !

That is a beautiful, foot-long Super Thunder flame !

Last Q ( maybe ) ... did Matt actually fly to 9200 ft with that duck tape on one fin ?

If so, holy cow, imagine what a new one might do !

-- kjh

Yes he did (use duct tape to fix his fin) – I gave him a hard time for not choosing a more aerodynamic fix, but time was of the essence and he used what was at hand. Even still, he beat his old altitude. My much shorter rocket sims to over 10,000’, so it will be interesting to see what I actually get.


Tony

 

[kjhambrick]

My flight Sunday was nothing as impressive as Matt's 9200 ft flight.

Nor were my tracking skilz as outstanding as @manixFan's.

But I did fly @Brainstormz123's Tracker to 5000 ft on an I161W in T'Pring's P'Toy and I was able to find my rocket in knee-high corn yesterday:


I couldn't see the rocket until I was right on top of it and I imagine I would still be out there hopping between the corn rows if not for the Comspec Tracker

Thanks Alexander !

-- kjh

 

[JHarkness]

Selling a couple comspec receiver compatible radio beacons. Works with the comspec receiver and transmits at 100mW. Integrated removable cr2032 coin cell connector on the back (also works with a 1s lipo battery). Battery life approximately 8 hours. Case included. Programmable to any comspec channel and has a 220mhz wire whip antenna. These beacons are programmable to different frequencies and are capable of transmitting different powered beeps to get a guesstimate of range to the rocket. Also optionally programable with a callsign if you want to keep the FCC happy

Asking $40 each

I'd like 2 please.

 

[Brainstormz123]

I'd like 2 please.

Sounds good, start a conversation and send me a DM and ill get you them

 

[Absouloot]

Okay... I REALLY needed one of these trackers with my last launch. I saw it go down in this general area, and it wasn't even that far away, but it still took over an hour to find it!

My reluctance is not knowing what all is involved with using this. I get you need the device, stuck somewhere in hopefully the nose cone and I think I get that I need a radio and specific antenna. And what I have read in this post, it seems that maybe you need a ham licenses maybe? Would you have to have a licenses? Or could a non-ham band be used?

Any chance you could do a write-up that's basically for dummies!

Thanks!

 

[jgarbus]

Okay... I REALLY needed one of these trackers with my last launch. I saw it go down in this general area, and it wasn't even that far away, but it still took over an hour to find it!

My reluctance is not knowing what all is involved with using this. I get you need the device, stuck somewhere in hopefully the nose cone and I think I get that I need a radio and specific antenna. And what I have read in this post, it seems that maybe you need a ham licenses maybe? Would you have to have a licenses? Or could a non-ham band be used?

Any chance you could do a write-up that's basically for dummies!

Thanks!

I just grabbed three of these and an old receiver off of ebay (actually 2)


ESP Handheld Beacon TRX-3S GPS Cash Tracking System Handheld Beacon | eBay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266769653237

Little bit of tinkering on the PC yesterday to adjust the settings to what I wanted and everything works perfectly

 

[kjhambrick]

Okay... I REALLY needed one of these trackers with my last launch. I saw it go down in this general area, and it wasn't even that far away, but it still took over an hour to find it!

My reluctance is not knowing what all is involved with using this. I get you need the device, stuck somewhere in hopefully the nose cone and I think I get that I need a radio and specific antenna. And what I have read in this post, it seems that maybe you need a ham licenses maybe? Would you have to have a licenses? Or could a non-ham band be used?

@Absouloot --

When I bought my 220 MHz Walston System in 1996, Jim Walston said no license was required for the 220-222 MHz frequency range.

I don't know but, given that our congress critters are for sale, that may have changed by now so I'll let someone else chime in on licensing ...

Any chance you could do a write-up that's basically for dummies!

Thanks!

In Post #80 above @tfish posted Sue McMurray's "Radio Rocket Location using Walston Transmitters and Receivers ( edited by Lou Catozzi).

It isn't all that hard ... the most important thing to learn is how to listen to the tracker signal and to PRACTICE ( my 4-y.o. granddaughter likes to play 'Walston Hide -n- Seek down at the Elementary School ) !

The most important thing to remember before you leave the launch site to track your rocket is to bring drinking water (*) !

Good Luck !

-- kjh

(*) - I forgot to bring water when I took off after my I161W flight in Post #102.

It took longer than normal to triangulate the landing spot in the corn because I could not believe I couldn't see the rocket where I knew where it had to be from two 30-degree lines and I thought maybe I had screwed up my ground tracks ...

I ended up walking past that eastern tree line to get a 3rd fix before I believed my 'tracks' on the rocket and by then I was getting pretty thirsty.

And it was only 75 F or so that day !

Lesson learned -- believe the Walston !

 

[cbrarick]

agree withkjhambrick. Youi really need to practice - a lot - to get good with trackers. They can be really amazing when you do. At BALLS last year I put one in a friend's MD rocket. It had a in-flight abnormally and broke apart. The GPS was dead, but I was able to get a tracker lock even though the tracker had fallen, detached, for 18,000 feet and a high mach disassembly of the airframe. The only casualty to the tracker was a wonky antenna, which is a replaceable part on mine. I was able to walk right up to it, about 3/4 mile from the closest part of the rocket, laying on the playa all by itself. Talking about finding a needle in a haystack!