Tree Recovery?

[luke strawwalker]

Any questions? :y:

"If you're going to do it... do it RIGHT!" (bonus points for what movie that quote is from)

Get a STIHL chainsaw, not that Husky crap... OL JR

 

[fox_racing_guy]

I reserve my 1 Stihl chainsaw for my wife, they are more female friendly than any of my Husqvarna XP's

 

[luke strawwalker]

I've used a LOT of different chainsaws over the years, both on off-farm jobs and on the farm, and I can firmly say from personal experience that my Stihl is the best saw I've ever run. Starts on the first pull, pretty light but well balanced, and cuts like crazy. It's just an awesome piece of machinery. Nothing else I've ever used can hold a candle to it.

Poulan, McCullough, and especially Homelite are absolute junk nowdays. Poulan USED to be pretty good in the old days, but no more. Dad bought a McCullough that didn't make a year before it was shot, and it was nearly impossible to start. The Homelite we had for using around the farm was nearly as bad, and the stupid thing NEVER oiled right. Even with the oiler turned up all the way, the bar was basically dry, then it quit completely. I finally had to just start carrying a pail of burned motor oil with me and dunking the bar in there after each cut (or halfway through sometimes) and gunning the motor to spin the chain a bit and oil her up-- WHAT A MESS!

Unless Stihl goes completely off a cliff quality wise at some point in the future, I'll never buy another brand chainsaw BUT Stihl!

Later! OL JR

 

[MarkII]

No one likes my shotgun method.

MarkII

 

[dlazarus6660]

Speaking of the olympics, you can always hire her.:y:

 

[Zack Lau]

I once used the club's 40ft pole to retrieve a NAR contest rocket--a dual egglofter powered by a cluster of three d12-7s. You need two people at that height. Amazingly, both eggs survived the ordeal for my first and only FDELD qualified flight.

 

[ApolloMaker]

For what it is worth, when I used to fly RC sailplanes heavily around treed areas, I used to carry one of the telescoping cieling duster rods. The one I had would reach about 30 feet and I put a foam-covered large hook on the end of it to recover my planes. Worked well within its length capability and collapsed to a small enough size to sit in my truck bed. About five sections if I recall right.

Anyway beyond the indicated chain saw and shotgun methods, one might consider it

Cheers -- Bob --

 

[TheAviator]

No one likes my shotgun method.

MarkII

The Shotgun Dethermalizer/De-treeing Mechanism is more of a theoretical mechanism than practical. We all joke about it, especially on those models that just float off (I've chased a D-ELD model over three miles before), but I have yet to see someone use one.

And please, PLEASE, don't take that as a challenge.

 

[MarkII]

The Shotgun Dethermalizer/De-treeing Mechanism is more of a theoretical mechanism than practical. We all joke about it, especially on those models that just float off (I've chased a D-ELD model over three miles before), but I have yet to see someone use one.

And please, PLEASE, don't take that as a challenge.

Come up to Tupper Lake sometime. :dark:





















Yes, of course I'm kidding....

MarkII

 

[luke strawwalker]

Anybody tried using some 'guy wires' on those extra long poles?? I know what you mean about trying to get a long tall thin pipe/tube to stay upright once it's in the air... My Dad and I pulled his water well pipes and when you have that 20 foot pipe out of the hole, it gets AWFULLY squirrelly on you before you can get it unscrewed and leaned up against something!

What I was thinking was, tie 2-3 strings onto the pole and tape them down, maybe say halfway up (or so) and have three other guys holding the strings to help stabilize the pole, spread out like a tetrahedron (pyramid). That should GREATLY stabilize the pole from whipping around, and then you can give instructions to the guys to move in or out, pull or let slack a bit, to guide the end of the pole where it needs to be to hook the rocket.

Later! OL JR

 

[MarkII]

Yes, controlling a long, upright pole from the ground is a leverage issue, of course. With the fulcrum point (your hands) being far down at one end of the pole, trying to leverage nearly all of the pole's mass upward against gravity is a tough project. Planting the bottom end of the pole onto the ground will certainly help, but then if you then have to pick it up and move it around to get the tip to the rocket, you will probably run into real trouble managing it. A few people holding guy wires can help if what you are attempting is to keep the pole steady and stationery after you raise it to vertical, but if you are trying to bring a rocket down from a high branch with it, you are going to need to move the pole around a bit. And in that case, coordinating your movements with those of the people holding the guy wires while the group tries to move in unison as one or more spotters shouts out directions sounds like a recipe for frustration. At what point do you ask: is getting the rocket down really worth all of this investment in people, equipment, time, physical effort and mental energy? Eventually, the use of a shotgun may actually start to look like a good idea. BTW, even if you have permission of the landowner, felling a tree with a chainsaw carries its own set of risks, too.

MarkII

 

[sandman]

The Shotgun Dethermalizer/De-treeing Mechanism is more of a theoretical mechanism than practical. We all joke about it, especially on those models that just float off (I've chased a D-ELD model over three miles before), but I have yet to see someone use one.

And please, PLEASE, don't take that as a challenge.

I've used a .22 and once used a sligshot...and the slingshot worked!:jaw:

With the sligshot I got my daughters model off of a power line. I hit ond broke the plastic loop on the nose cone.

We were both very supprised it worked.

 

[Handeman]

Anybody tried using some 'guy wires' on those extra long poles?? I know what you mean about trying to get a long tall thin pipe/tube to stay upright once it's in the air... My Dad and I pulled his water well pipes and when you have that 20 foot pipe out of the hole, it gets AWFULLY squirrelly on you before you can get it unscrewed and leaned up against something!

What I was thinking was, tie 2-3 strings onto the pole and tape them down, maybe say halfway up (or so) and have three other guys holding the strings to help stabilize the pole, spread out like a tetrahedron (pyramid). That should GREATLY stabilize the pole from whipping around, and then you can give instructions to the guys to move in or out, pull or let slack a bit, to guide the end of the pole where it needs to be to hook the rocket.

Later! OL JR

Actually, if they attach at the center, you should have them stay steady and use the attachment point as a pivot. Moving the bottom around to direct the top while the three anchors hold the center in one place.

 

[MarkII]

Yeah, you may be right.

MarkII

 

[luke strawwalker]

Speaking of the olympics, you can always hire her.:y:

Hmm..... I'd probably want to do something besides recover rockets with HER!!!!

OL JR

 

[Micromeister]

The Shotgun Dethermalizer/De-treeing Mechanism is more of a theoretical mechanism than practical. We all joke about it, especially on those models that just float off (I've chased a D-ELD model over three miles before), but I have yet to see someone use one.

And please, PLEASE, don't take that as a challenge.

I hate to tell this story because it hurts just thinking about it but YES the shotgun Tree recovery system has been tried and I must say failed misurably!

Long ago but not to far away, A younger and NOT so wiser Mod-Rocer went flying on a local Maryland field with some of his buddies. These folks were not Model rocket flyers but rather just a bunch of friends that wanted to see what was Keeping me out of the bars at the time

We flew most of the day without incident but one of my better and larger D12 powered models ended up drifting into the very top of a 120foot or so HUGE Oak tree just at the edge of the flying field.
I'd really given up hope of recovering the model but Ray, one of my friends and avid Goose hunter said. NO Problem John! I'll be back in a little while... he returned a bit later with his goose gun. An Archer at the time, I'd never fired a shotgun of anykind, but was interested in seeing if this could possibly work.
We tramped down into the woods slightly to get a better view of the model hanging on a single branch that looked to be about 3 or 4 inches in diameter and about 100 feet or so above us. Ray dialed the choke down as far as he could and loaded up a 12ga shell...to this day I'm not sure what size shot was in it. He took careful aim and BOOM! half the limb disappeard about a foot from the hanging model. He then looked at me and said OK your turn!
Ahhhh Ray! I've never shot one of these things, I said..why don't you go ahead and finish the job. NO, no it'll be fun he said! my other 3 buddies all joining in yea you can do it! I've seen you shoot that bow, your a natural... Bla bla bla!!!
I finally relented...not feeling very good about this mind you! but the guys hid behing other trees as Ray loaded the gun and handed it to me. This thing had an enormously long barrel. I'm a pretty big guy, but it still felt like a cannon I was lifting. Anyway I hoisted the thing up to my shoulder, grabbing it firmly and pulling it in tight as I was smart enough to know it was gonna kick but I didn't know about NOT wrapping my thumb around the stock, resting it nicely beside my NOSE!.... I took careful aim just to the right of my model. and squeezed the trigger... BOOM! the recoil darn near knocked me down and drove my thumb into my nosebridge, instant nosebleed! worse yet the kick jurked the muzzle left just about centering the choked down shot pattern squarely on the model....raining down ittsy bitsy pieces of balsa and cardboard and a 24" plastic chute came floating down looking like a sieve.
I came away with a brused shoulder, bloody but not broken nose and that sieve of a chute.... I'll never try that again LOL!!!!!
the guys were rolling on the ground laughing! and yes today it's kinda funny but at the time I could shot Ray!

I have my approx 30 foot recovery pole. the club now has a 40foot 2 man pole that well reach models to about 50feet. and
since then, I've had a lot better luck with a bunge cord and 10lb kevlar fishing line to recover models from trees up to about 80-90feet. Here's the only photo I have on a lower fishing rod recovery Goofy looking but it does work. Throwing a line with bunge can work also

 

[McKailas Dad]

I was thinking something like this...

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You would think at least one of those would hit...

 

[MarkII]

I was thinking something like this...


You would think at least one of those would hit...

Hey, why not? It's worth a try...

MarkII

 

[SteveA]

Any questions? :y:

Beautiful!:clap::w::headbang:

 

[Nathan]

Yesterday I launched a 2 stage D-engine CC Express which ended up in the top of a VERY tall tree, along with an 808 camera and an Adept Rocketry sonic locator beacon. It has been up there beeping loudly for more than 24 hours. So today I tried to retrieve it using a bow and arrow and fishing line. I spent the afternoon shooting arrows with fishing line high up into the tree attempting to snag the rocket or at least the branch it is on so that I could shake it loose. All I accomplished was getting some arrows stuck in the branches. So the result is that the rocket, video camera, and beeper are still up there but now there are also several arrows hanging from the upper branches by fishing line like Christmas tree decorations. It will probably continue beeping for another day or so until the battery dies.

The Adept Rocketry sonic locator worked perfectly. The rocket went out of sight and we didn't see it come down. So we walked in the direction it was last seen and after several minutes I heard the faint beeping in the distance. We found the rocket in the trees at the edge of the park, about 250 yards from the launch site. If it had come down 10 feet closer it would have landed in the grass. :bang:

 

[tightwad]

I have used the shotgun once with good success, but normally let mother nature blow the tree down or pick up the pieces after the winter winds and rain have done their work. So far 1 shutgun recovery, 1 blown over tree and 3 winter part recoveries. Since then, I fly in hay fields with no trees.

 

[BlueCollar Rocketeer]

PM a member by the name of 'wingarcher'. He IS the man when it comes to rocketree recovery. His system has been perfected and I am a witness to it's success.

 

[Tarasdad]

I've done the fishing arrow bit recovering RC airplanes semi-successfully (got the plane back, but put the arrow through the wing breaking both spars) but that was many years ago. I've also had success using a 1/4" nylon rope with a 10- to 12-ounce bank sinker (offshore fishing weight) tied to the end. With practice it's easy to put the weight over a limb 60 or more feet up. Use a long enough rope to let the sinker come back down and you can then shake the limb to free something, or of need be tie off to a heavier rope and yank the limb right out of the tree. Once I watched someone use the same technique, but with one of those wire saws spliced into the middle of the rope. Cut right through a pretty hefty limb!

 

[jadebox]

I've done the fishing arrow bit recovering RC airplanes semi-successfully (got the plane back, but put the arrow through the wing breaking both spars) but that was many years ago. I've also had success using a 1/4" nylon rope with a 10- to 12-ounce bank sinker (offshore fishing weight) tied to the end. With practice it's easy to put the weight over a limb 60 or more feet up. Use a long enough rope to let the sinker come back down and you can then shake the limb to free something, or of need be tie off to a heavier rope and yank the limb right out of the tree. Once I watched someone use the same technique, but with one of those wire saws spliced into the middle of the rope. Cut right through a pretty hefty limb!

A friend's rocket ended up in a tree at a recent launch. So, the next day, my wife and I headed back to the launch site with a bag of rocks, some plastic cut from trash bags, and two rolls of kite string. We tied some of the rockets into a bundle inside one of the pieces of plastic and tied the bundle to the end of one of the rolls of string. Then I swung the bundle around and tossed it toward the rocket.

That's when something I had learned flying kites came back to me. I suddenly recalled how badly fast-moving kite string can cut you as it slid across my finger taking a chunk of skin with it. Fortunately, it was a glancing blow, rather than cutting deep. But, it still hurt!

Of course, my first toss was wide of the mark. So, I stripped a sock off my foot and used it as a glove and tried again.

I managed to get the string over the branch with the rocket a couple of times. But, I wasn't able to shake the rocket lose. We ended up leaving some string and a bag of rocks, up in the tree with the rocket. :-(

-- Roger

 

[KennB]

I had an Alpha III get stuck in a neighbors tree one time.
While I was standing there looking at it, trying to figure how to get it down, the neighbor asked what I was doing? I told him what happened. He said,"why don't you just cut it down?" :eyepop: Huh? He then asked if I would cut all of the trees down in that row while I was at it!!

Is your neighbor's name Tom Sawyer? :wink:

A group of students from MIT flew an M-impulse off the MMMSC field in Berwick, Maine, earlier this year. It ended up in a tree on someone's property a mile or so away. He said they could try climbing to release it and one of the smaller women on the team got pretty close but couldn't quite get there. The owner then offered to cut down the tree and did so. Either it was the wrong tree or the rocket got hung up on another on the way down so he cut down the second tree. Very nice man.

The extendable pole and the slingshot-deployed line have worked with CMASS, as Bob said above. There's even a video around of Bill Spad and Howard doing a pond recovery with the slingshot.

 

[Huxter]

How about an RC Helicopter w a long line tied to a hook?

I had a toy heli that went around in a circle, it had a hook on the bottom, that I got fairly good at!

Pat

 

[hornet driver]

There's a product called EZ-Hang, that's popular in amateur radio circles. It's a slingshot that throws a lead weight with a very light line up and into/across a tree or other structure so you can string an antenna.

I've used mine twice to recover rockets that the kids flew into our wooded creek by the school - both of 'em had altimeters inside that I didn't want to lose. It takes a bit of practice to put the shot where you want it, but with a bit of practice you can snag that shock cord and drag it out of the tree.

Being a fisherman, I like that idea--I'm gonna look into it! Up to about 20 feet I use a Jigger pole--I attach a single edge razor at the tip and a hook on the other side. If I can't hook the shock cord or it's too tight in the tree--I'll cut it--sorta a pain but it works!

 

[Derek]

How about an RC Helicopter w a long line tied to a hook?

I had a toy heli that went around in a circle, it had a hook on the bottom, that I got fairly good at!

Pat

As a rc heli pilot, I'd say that is a bad idea. It would most likely end up being a very expensive failure.

 

[ckreef]

Although I used this method for recovering a Ultra Micro RC plane the method would work for a rocket. I borrowed a Tree Climber Deer stand from a friend to get me about 35' - 40' up in the tree. I then Stood up in the stand and used a 30' custom duct taped (multi section) pool cleaning pole to finally nudge the plane out of the tree.

Here is me at the highest point up the tree the deer stand would go and then a pic of me holding the pole (look carefully it's a long pole). The plane was at the very top of the tree and standing up in the deer stand and reaching with the pole as high as I could I just barely nudge the plane out of the tree.

 

[THier]

As a rc heli pilot, I'd say that is a bad idea. It would most likely end up being a very expensive failure.

As an RC plane and heli pilot,, I have to agree with Derek 10000000%

Tom