HPR PVC Pad

[Johnnie]

The materials cost was $48 not including the rail...the rail was around $20 + (plus) shipping from McMaster-Carr. I already had the glue as well, so you would have to add that in, which might run another $4 or $5 at Lowes or Home (rocket) Depot.

 

[havoc821]

I already have a rail (only 4 ft though) but maybe this summer when grass cutting season comes back I will have money to make the pad.

 

[jcword]

Where's the fun in using PVC?
All Steel construction is the way to go!
If you don't get burned making the welds the weight can give you a hernia, and maybe a trip to the emergency room.
See steel is more fun than PVC.

Just kidding, Great Job!

Some drawn out plans would be nice. Heck you could even them sell them, say $20 - $30 per set of instructions. I'd buy a set!

Total investment would still be way below the cost of buying a steel or aluminum unit already built.

When are you going to fly something really big off of it?

What do you think the biggest thing you can fly from it will be?

 

[Johnnie]

jcword,

Welcome to the forum...a great resource for all your PVC needs

To answer your question, I had the original Idea of this pad being able to handle 35 - 40 pound rockets. The CG of the pad is low, and the ground is used for blast deflection. The pad merely needs to stay solid in a vertical posistion to provide straight trajectory for my rockets.

I am currently working on a 5.5" Balckhawk R&D AGM-78 Standard Arm, that will dress out about in the weight range of the pad design. One major mod must take place though for this to be tested...I will have to build another rail mount to handle the 1.5" rail, as my rocket will have the heavy duty rail buttons.

Before I can use this pad on a sod farm, I would need a metal elbow to divert motor exhaust away from the turf...otherwise I might not get invited back after blowing a hole in the ground.

 

[Steward]

"Where's the fun in using PVC?
All Steel construction is the way to go!"




I guess Birmingham is a "steel town"....
I'm still searching for ideas to mount a rail...myself....

Welcome aboard Mr. jcword....

Steward

 

[Johnnie]

For most purposes, aluminum is the best;

1.) Light weight for toting across the launch field...those all steel away cells are cumbersome.

2.) ease of use

3.) availablity


Oh wait a minute, no high cost welding charge, available at any hardware store, easy to use and work with, and light enough to tote... "got PVC?"


seriously though, John Coker has a real nice design on his web site for a 3 legged pad for rail only mounts. MBrocketry has a Very nice design that handles rails and rods, and is fully adjustable.

The designs are out there, waiting to be found or designed. This HPR PVC kept me up one night, till I went and put it on paper...then the next $48 I had extra, I purchased the parts and built my brain child.

 

[Steward]

In fact...this is a really,really,really,really basic idea...

 

[Johnnie]

jcword & steward,

here are the latenight ramblings as I recorded them on paper...I was not going to get any sleep till I put this on paper that one night last fall...

 

[Johnnie]

this scan of the backside of that midnight document is what became the "HPR PVC Pad"

the pad kinda got drawn side ways, but it is all here.

lying awake in bed with a rocket idea in you head that just won't let you sleep...has anyone else experienced this phenomena???

 

[astrowolf67]

Steward, looks like a telescope pier, with a rail mounted in place of the optical tube. It should be pretty stable, especially with the adjustable balance weight. Nice idea!

 

[jcword]

While we're on the subject of launch equipment I found the following

https://jtdurk.tripod.com/

Built for Tripoli NW Ohio #62 Prefecture (Now Dissolved). Heavy Duty Construction & designed to Last for Years! 12 Volt Control & 24 Volt Relays. 100' Control cable with 9 pin Molex Connectors; First 5 Channels for Near Cells are switched with 30 Amp automotive relays & protected with self resetting automotive circuit breakers (30 amp); Channels 1 through 5 have Piezo continuity test buttons (5 milli-amp). Channel 6 fuse protected control signal for Away cell & includes an additional 200' Control Cable for a total 300' distance from controller!! Away Cell Relay Box utilizes #10 AWG wire for Very High Current Requirements!!! Main Relay Box boasts an Amber Warning Strobe Light (System Armed) & a Siren Horn (System Armed & Fire Button Actuated). Included with system are Ignitor lead sets of various lengths that are connected with 2 pin Molex Connectors. Included with the system are 2ea 12 Volt batteries connected in series for 24 Volts; Plus a 12 Volt battery for controller power. Please contact me for any questions regarding this system!


He wants $450.00

What do you guys think. I don't know what the system is worth but I'm interested in purchasing it. I just think 450 is a little steep.

 

[Johnnie]

I was surfing a nearly "sister" clubs web site, and to my surprize...a flier by the last name of Cotton has built and has been successfully flying from a version of my HPR PVC Pad:

https://birminghamrocketboys.com/BRBGallery/November20,2004/12_G

Makes me proud

So much so that I have gone out and found and purchased my latest updates...Once I have pics I will post, right now I am home sick with the "creeping crud"

 

[jcword]

Your design also made it onto T.V. (nbc 13 in B'ham) with my Horizon being launched from it. Mr. Cotton loaned us his launcher(based on your design), he couldn't make it to the launch that day. I flew my Horizon from it twice that day and a cameraman from NBC 13 filmed it. Footage is at

https://birminghamrocketboys.com/Video/video.htm

I also used it back in June to launch Lucky Charm twice. 8lb rocket on I 205 and I 285 motors as well.

 

[Johnnie]

jcword,

Thanks for the video link, good stuff. In the link I provided, what did that big Bruiser fly on? I did not find the caption...

Excellent work on the web site, the Birmingham Rocket Boys have come a long way in short order.

 

[Johnnie]

That would be one of the minor updates I might apply to my pad, and that would be a lock pin of sorts to keep the pad from tilting inadvertantly. Right now, it is dependant upon the friction fit of the coupling and the tube inserted into it, which once it grabs, the coupler will not release that tube very easily.

 

[jcword]

The Bruiser went up on a K motor. Thanks for the kudos on the web site but those need to go to Mr. Cotton(his Bruiser too), I just provide the web hosting for BRB and HARA. I do not actually do any work on the web sites. I do web stuff for a living so for me to do it would take away from my enjoyment of the hobby. And it leaves me open to work on other things such as being a TARC mentor and the NAR Educational CD ver 2 that is finally starting to come together and it is an honor to be invovled with your club advisor on a project of this magnitude. Hey I guess your advisor is my advisor too since I'm a member of HARA as well as BRB. Vince & Chuck have been a great help in BRB coming along as well as it has and as quickly as it has. I've picked their brains for all kinds of stuff. Vince and Chuck convinced me to be the club advisor for BRB. It's had it's ups and downs but has been a great experience for me and I wouldn't want to hold any other position.


The HARA, MC2, & AERO gangs have been a great asset for BRB. To go from an official club in February to being represented at ST2004 with 2 of us already being L1 certified to helping a TARC team actually make a successful qualification flight in only 2 months would not have been possible without the help and guidance that has been provided to us by members of HARA, MC2, & AERO so kudos to everyone in those groups who have provided inspiration, advice, parts and a helping hand. I want to mention SEARS too. I haven't dealt with anyone in that group personally but Marty W. has came up and flown with us twice that I know of and I know him and Ron stay in contact with each other, and I'm sure Ron has pickedhis brain a time or 2.

We've made it onto T.V. with your pad design, my Horizon and Randy's 5 cluster Estes Saturn V(gorgeous flight). I met Teddy Gentry(bass guitarist for Alabama) and got to show him some of my camera rocket stuff when we did our display at the Graze Fest in Montgomery. We are doing a demonstaration in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 7th and we are involved with a group of schools and UAB in a rocket design contest for a group of high school kids that have to design their own rocket and build it completely from composites that they make and it looks like we will have at least 3 or 4 TARC teams this year as well.

Between being in school, work, computer glitches and our involvement with kids and rockets I haven't had time to build anything in months. I'm down to 2 rockets, my Horizon, and Lucky Charm and I have $400 worth of high power camera equipment that has never been used and needs a rocket to fly in - transmitting range 10,000'

Hopefully over the winter I can build my dream rocket, get my L2, and pull off a flight to 6500 on a K motor with onboard camera going as well. I have 5 kits(one almost done) sitting on the shelf. I even gave away a Saturn V because I knew I would never get it built. Heard Chris brought it to the last HARA meeting for show and tell and is doing me proud in building it.

Our member list is growing and we have a diversified group of people. We have doctors, network admins, retirees, juvenile detention officers, etc. and the list keeps growing. We only have 12 members(not counting honorary members such as Chuck and Vince) but yet we're very involved in Rocketry and the community. You'd never know we were such a small club by our web site unless you looked at the members list, and we have 5 fields to fly from year round. I'm sure our membership base will continue to grow as we get more involved in projects in our community.

 

[havoc821]

Hey, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you in a while, I don't currently have an email address. The Saturn V is coming along well with the trasitions made and FG on the iside for strength. I got my custom 5 motor cluster CRs in the mail on monday and I still have to order the cast resin CM and fin/fairings from Moldin Oldies because Estes was too weak. The Saturn V has been a lot fo fun and I can't wait to finish it but I have to delay a lot of stuff like my 9ft rocket because of lack of money because I have to save money for tires for a car. Well, I hope everything is going great for you and I hope to see you at October's launch in TN! Good to talk to you!

-Chris

 

[Johnnie]

The Bruiser went up on a K motor. Thanks for the kudos on the web site but those need to go to Mr. Cotton(his Bruiser too)

AH yes, a K motor..."the pad is still standing..." like it was designed to do.

The HARA, MC2, & AERO gangs have been a great asset for BRB. To go from an official club in February to being represented at ST2004 with 2 of us already being L1 certified to helping a TARC team actually make a successful qualification flight in only 2 months would not have been possible without the help and guidance that has been provided to us by members of HARA, MC2, & AERO so kudos to everyone in those groups who have provided inspiration, advice, parts and a helping hand.

BRB has made great strides since it's inception, we all love to see growth in our rocket community as yours has shown.

We've made it onto T.V. with your pad design, my Horizon and Randy's 5 cluster Estes Saturn V(gorgeous flight).

I might need to get a burned copy of that from ya one day

Hopefully over the winter I can build my dream rocket, get my L2, and pull off a flight to 6500 on a K motor with onboard camera going as well. I have 5 kits(one almost done) sitting on the shelf.

only 5? If we all had to make a list, I'll bet we have over a 100 unclaimed ideas floating around in our heads at any given time...not at the same though, "gray matter splatter" is kinda gross

Our member list is growing and we have a diversified group of people. We have doctors, network admins, retirees, juvenile detention officers, etc. and the list keeps growing. We only have 12 members(not counting honorary members such as Chuck and Vince) but yet we're very involved in Rocketry and the community.

Hmmmmm sounds like you may have to have an HPR PVC Pad build party...

Trying to find the funds, so save me some web space

 

[jcword]

Originally posted by havoc821
Hey, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you in a while, -Chris

Don't wory about it, I'm keeping tabs on you

Actually I was told that you brought the rocket to a HARA meeting and was doing a wonderful job of building her. Can't wait to see her fly!

I've been so friggin busy it's not funny. Down to 2 rockets, Lucky Charm and the 3" Horizon. Got 5 kits on the shelf and then there's about a 1000 bucks I need to spend to build my dream L2 camera rocket and get a flight off to about 6500 but probably won't happen this year.

Finishing up a 3 week break from summer quarter at school, some break. I'm covered up in poison Ivy from having to clean up downed trees from Hurricane Ivan. Fall quarter starts up on Monday.

I'm also working on a deal in Huntsville, trying to network 2 computers about 6 miles apart via 2.4 ghz. We're using satellite dishes and modifying the feed horns to handle the data stream we want to throw across em. Some tried and true technology with a mix of the unknown.

Then there's the NAR EDU CD project I'm working on with Vince, TARC is starting up, and we have some other rocketry obligations in the community here in Bham we're committed to for October, plus the launch at Manchester if I can make it, and one here at our sod farm with a possible L2 cert flight for one of our newer members whom I have not met yet.

I was hoping to get up to Smith Lake tomorrow, go out on the boat, maybe get in some knee boarding, but last time I did that my 38 yr old body could hardly move for 2 weeks.

Talk at ya later, keep the motors burnin'

 

[mikeyd]

I saw some pvc at the local hobby store, specifically sold for projects. The have three way joints, that could be used to make three legged launch pads, in 7/8" or approx 1and 1/4" diameters. Here is their web site.

https://www.pvcstore.com/catalog.htm

Happy Flying!

 

[havoc821]

Maybe we could plan to do our big L2 size projects in Manchester at the same launch! That would be cool! Soooooo, what happend to the other rockets, you said you were down to 2. I don't think I have had a 100% successful vid cam flight in over 5 flights. Something always goes wrong. Grrrrrrr.

 

[jcword]

I turned Blue Bird into a camera rocket and stared flying her on F21-W4 motors. 2 successful flights here, went to Manchester and the ejection charge went off at around a 1000 ft while the motor was wide open. Needless to say it slung the camera compartment apart which pulled apart the cable feeding the power from the battety to the camera so all transmission stops there. Camera free fell and landed about 75 yrds from the launch pad, airframe got zippered by about 2 inches and came down on chute. Pretty wild video.

All my modified Estes Stuff has slowly disappeared or is completely wore out from AT motors and not suitable for flight anymore.

I'm going to build another Estes Cluster Bomb rocket, can do about about 20 flights on one with E30's before the airframe is wore out. Not bad for something designed to fly on C's I'm going to document building this one.

How to take (1)$10 Estes Cluster Bomb rocket kit, (1) 6"L X 1"dia tube, 5 minute epoxy and masking tape to make a centering ring(the boat tail is the aft centering ring when modified for E motors) and build a cheap dragster that will scoot on up to 1500 ft or so without adding anymore weight than the 3oz clay block that comes with the kit, add a $5 12" mylar chute, and 3 ft of kevlar, no elastic stuff here, and your good to go for a total of about 20 bucks depending on paint. My first one flew awesome and was a crowd shocker. Here's this lil ole blunt nosed bomb, outta sight except for the clearest and bluest of days when painted in dark olive drab with yellow trimmings. And even then it's hard to see until the orange chute comes out.

I can build one of these in just a few hours, painting it takes longer.

 

[Johnnie]

One of the oops I had when building this pad was not giving the rail mount a place to rest, while in the horizontal posistion as seen in this pic. The rail mount could conceivably bend on over...a nuisance if you ask me.

 

[Johnnie]

The fix I have is to add a "Tee" inline with the railmount, and sortof give the rail a stand-off if you will

 

[Johnnie]

Pictured here the stand-off is installed. I made it a little longer to give a slight rested rise to the railmount.

 

[Johnnie]

The next upgrade is for safety. Some have expressed concern that the railmount might come unconnected , and tilt either damaging a rocket, or worse yet, on an outside chance, come un-connected at the moment of launch...that would be bad

The fix was simple, and took 30 seconds. Drill a hole in the tilt mechanism, and install a lock pin. in this case, a 5/16" "eye" bolt, so as to have a way to slip a finger in to grip the bolt and pull it out.

 

[Johnnie]

Some of the safest features are the simplest to install.

 

[Johnnie]

Briefly, as this is discussed on another thread, I added a blast deflector...

 

[Johnnie]

This blog...err, I mean thread is long past due for an update.

Joe's excellent work here prompted me to try and get mine into a cad program. So, I modeled the launch pad in SolidWorks 2007. Posted below is a jpg of the HPR PVC pad. When I get more time, I will get a comprehesive drawing done as well.

Johnnie

View attachment DWR-PAD-001-1_TRF.JPG

 

[Johnnie]

Here is a 1st off drawing for the rail mount.

View attachment DWR-RAIL-MNT-001.pdf