Rocket Tracking for the rest of us?

[MrGneissGuy]

Browsing through Think Geek today I found this pet tracking device. As I know some folks have used the GPS pet tracking gear in larger rockets, I took a closer look at the description of this and think it may have its use as well.

I do not have the plans, or currently the certification and money, to be flying rockets high enough where I'd need GPS tracking to find them. There have been times, however, when I've had a rocket drift far enough that it landed on the other side of a small hill, in some high grass, or a few rows into a farm field. And this little gadget may be a way to save some time and walking around in the weeds.

The range of this probably won't work for folks launching to 10k and finding their rockets a half mile or more from the launch site. But for folks like me launching low and mid-power, where I can get close but may just have trouble finding it in the vegetation, this might work out well.

Any thoughts? Anybody already given this, or something similar a try and can let us know how it worked?

 

[cjl]

That looks good if you already know roughly where your rocket landed, but the 600 foot range makes it somewhat useless if you don't at least know the general area. It could be helpful in taller grass or something though, where you can be 10 feet away and not know it.

 

[chuck5395]

I have used something similar in the past and found it useless. At the last launch I went to, I used a "SB20 Sonic Location Beacon" from "Adept Rocketry" device with great success.

https://www.adeptrocketry.com/SB20.htm

If you compare it to the pet tracker device, you will hear this locator before you get within 600 feet of the rocket.

:2:
-Chuck

 

[KevinDunn]

A review of this device for rocketry use: https://archive.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/var_loc8tor.shtml