Ultimate Wildman questions

[John Williams]

So I just ordered the ultimate Wildman kit. Tim and Jason from QCRS helped me complete my level one and level two certification at Midwest power a few weeks ago. I bought the Wildman to be my level 3 rocket. I have some questions and will certainly have more once I get hold of the kit hopefully you guys can help me out. The metal tipped nose cone. Does the tip unscrew from the nose one and if so is it threaded underneath for an eyehook to thread into the tip? Also which altimeter do you recommend for the attempt I was considering either dual rrc3s or dual Raven 4s what do you think is the better electronics? I have a Simple GPS system from apogee but when I flew with it for my level two flight I found it fairly inaccurate which could have been to poor calibration on my part but I'm not sure I was looking into the featherweight GPS system. Does anyone have any experience with it if so what do you think is it a good choice? Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[Voyager1]

If you’re ok with a soldering iron, then an Eggfinder Mini GPS is hard to beat for cost.

 

[John Williams]

So I've seen the eggfinder. I'm efficient at soldering but I'm concerned about the interface the number one thing that attracted me to the simple GPS and the featherweight GPS is because I don't need a laptop or something to track the rocket it's either a stand-alone handheld or in featherweights case your phone or tablet. But unfortunately I have had some trouble with my simple GPS so I don't know if I'm willing to trust it on my level 3 rocket that will probably get out of sight. So i guess I'm looking for simple but reliable and accurate if that's possible?

 

[Voyager1]

You can use the Bluetooth option with the Eggfinder Rx kit and connect it to an android phone.

 

[John Williams]

Oh I didn't know that I'll have to research that some more that sounds like a good option then! My simple GPS is cool but the two times I flew with it it was all over the place this could have been because I didn't know how to calibrate the compass correctly I really would love to use it since I just bought it and it cost a bunch of money but I'm not sure I can trust it maybe eggfinder is a better way to go

 

[WILDMANRS]

So I've seen the eggfinder. I'm efficient at soldering but I'm concerned about the interface the number one thing that attracted me to the simple GPS and the featherweight GPS is because I don't need a laptop or something to track the rocket it's either a stand-alone handheld or in featherweights case your phone or tablet. But unfortunately I have had some trouble with my simple GPS so I don't know if I'm willing to trust it on my level 3 rocket that will probably get out of sight. So i guess I'm looking for simple but reliable and accurate if that's possible?

I have used the feather weight Gps and it worked perfectly.
the nose cone screws on with a 1/4-20 screw that can be replaced with https://wildmanrocketry.com/collections/eyebolt/products/1-4-long-shoulder .
A little bit of locktite and you are good to go

 

[John Williams]

Cool what I'm planning on doing is if the opening in the nose cone tip it's large enough unscrewing the metal tip and screwing a piece of all thread into the tip and mounting the GPS transmitter on a small wooden sled and attached it to the allthread with nuts and then screwing the whole tip back on to the nose cone thus mounting the transmitter inside. But it will depend on how big the opening is with the tip off

 

[Wallace]

Ya won't find better for the price than an Eggfinder. Otherwise they'll all do what you need ..

 

[Wallace]

The metal tip on a 6" nose cone is pretty big.

 

[Wallace]

But..There may be better ways to accomplish what you intend.

 

[Wallace]

You'll see when it arrives.

 

[phyzzld]

I flew a Featherweight GPS to 20k at LDRS. Worked perfectly. It is super easy to use. Just make sure it is fully updated before you fly it. I also did an Ultimate Wildman for my L3. I checked without removing the metal tip on my nosecone, it looks like the tracker would fit but probably not the battery. It would be close, but I agree with Wallace, the rocket is huge you won't have trouble finding a place for the tracker. As for the redundant altimeters, I would choose two different ones to reduce the chance of duplicating some unknown error. I used a rrc3 and a stratologgerCF. Good luck with your L3.

 

[John Williams]

The metal tip on a 6" nose cone is pretty big.

This is gonna be the biggest rocket I have ever build and my first fiberglass rocket I'm excited and I've never had one with a removable tip especially a metal one!

 

[John Williams]

I flew a Featherweight GPS to 20k at LDRS. Worked perfectly. It is super easy to use. Just make sure it is fully updated before you fly it. I also did an Ultimate Wildman for my L3. I checked without removing the metal tip on my nosecone, it looks like the tracker would fit but probably not the battery. It would be close, but I agree with Wallace, the rocket is huge you won't have trouble finding a place for the tracker. As for the redundant altimeters, I would choose two different ones to reduce the chance of duplicating some unknown error. I used a rrc3 and a stratologgerCF. Good luck with your L3.

What if the battery is below the tracker in a straight line?

 

[phyzzld]

The battery is wider than the tracker. I measured and the battery is about 24mm wide (the tracker is 20mm). The metal tip outside diameter is about 34mm. What you need to know is the diameter of the lip of the metal tip that fits into the nose cone. Maybe Tim can get that for you.

 

[Wallace]

Once again, you'll see when it arrives. I also get ahead of myself on projects but until you actually have parts in hand you're just guessing. Not that it's a bad thing..

 

[dshmel]

My ultimate Wildman question may not even have anything to do with a rocket. Just sayin'

 

[Wallace]

Well that's between Y'all..

 

[blackjack2564]

Cool what I'm planning on doing is if the opening in the nose cone tip it's large enough unscrewing the metal tip and screwing a piece of all thread into the tip and mounting the GPS transmitter on a small wooden sled and attached it to the allthread with nuts and then screwing the whole tip back on to the nose cone thus mounting the transmitter inside. But it will depend on how big the opening is with the tip off

what holds the tip on,if you do this?

 

[Wallace]

Love?

 

[John Williams]

Some tips have a threaded hole in the bottom of the tip to thread an eyelet into for headend deployment as I understand it. This shouldnt interfere with the tip threading onto the nosecone

 

[Tobor]

I have an UWM kit (Pics). IIRC the tip is held in place with a washer and bolt like the other FWFG nosecones Tim sells. I will check my kit when I'm at home tomorrow. BTW, the NC on this beast is HUGE!

As to GPS trackers, I've had pretty good experiences with my EggFinder (ver. B4) tracker being mounted in the NC's of my rockets. Even when my L2 cert landed in the lake at Bong with the NC floating nose down in the water, I was able to track it with a little effort.

 

[John Williams]

I have an UWM kit (Pics). IIRC the tip is held in place with a washer and bolt like the other FWFG nosecones Tim sells. I will check my kit when I'm at home tomorrow. BTW, the NC on this beast is HUGE!

As to GPS trackers, I've had pretty good experiences with my EggFinder (ver. B4) tracker being mounted in the NC's of my rockets. Even when my L2 cert landed in the lake at Bong with the NC floating nose down in the water, I was able to track it with a little effort.
View attachment 399954

Oh I didn't know it was held on that way I assumed the tip threaded into the cone I guess I'll come up with another way of mounting it in the cone I just figured if it was that way it would be fairly easy to do but I guess I'll have to wait till I have it all in hand and figure out how I'm going to do it

 

[blackjack2564]

Figured you did not understand how it was attached. Here is how to make it a tracker bay. Just put stuff on a sled and slide onto rod.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...ass-kit-build-starts.45666/page-4#post-443548

Might want to go through entire thread its a "how to" build a fiberglass rocket in great detail.

 

[FMarvinS]

John-follow Jim's (above) and Tim's advice. They've been doing rocketry since 1812 (rocket's red glare...). Seriously though Jim's instructions (pnisher build) are directly applicable. Also Tim, on the Wildman site under "downloads" has excellent generic instructions. Finally, if you are putting your gps transmitter near an all thread rod, the closeness to such a conductor (steel) will diminish your transmitter range. I suggest, if you do this, get a titanium all thread (doesn't conduct electricity well). They are about 16 bucks from Amazon. I have ground tested it in a "glueless" nosecone bay in a Drago 4XL that contains a gps receiver and 2 meter transmitter. Preliminary testing demonstrates no harm from the titanium all thread in the nose cone.

Fred, L2
ICBM,
Camden, S.C.
KG4YGP

 

[Wallace]

I have an UWM kit (Pics). IIRC the tip is held in place with a washer and bolt like the other FWFG nosecones Tim sells. I will check my kit when I'm at home tomorrow. BTW, the NC on this beast is HUGE!

As to GPS trackers, I've had pretty good experiences with my EggFinder (ver. B4) tracker being mounted in the NC's of my rockets. Even when my L2 cert landed in the lake at Bong with the NC floating nose down in the water, I was able to track it with a little effort.
View attachment 399954

It's truly difficult to miss the water at Bong ain't it?

 

[Wallace]

Bong water?

 

[John Williams]

John-follow Jim's (above) and Tim's advice. They've been doing rocketry since 1812 (rocket's red glare...). Seriously though Jim's instructions (pnisher build) are directly applicable. Also Tim, on the Wildman site under "downloads" has excellent generic instructions. Finally, if you are putting your gps transmitter near an all thread rod, the closeness to such a conductor (steel) will diminish your transmitter range. I suggest, if you do this, get a titanium all thread (doesn't conduct electricity well). They are about 16 bucks from Amazon. I have ground tested it in a "glueless" nosecone bay in a Drago 4XL that contains a gps receiver and 2 meter transmitter. Preliminary testing demonstrates no harm from the titanium all thread in the nose cone.

Fred, L2
ICBM,
Camden, S.C.
KG4YGP

Thank you I read the thread that looks perfect and a really good way to attach the shoulder and still be able to remove it all later for the reconfiguring! I'll take your advice on the titanium threaded rod too I was concerned about the that aspect too

 

[boatgeek]

If this were my project and I was buying new altimeters for it, I'd go with either Egg products (self-assembled or paid assembly) or the Missileworks RRC family. Either way, I'd use one recording altimeter (Egg Quantum/Proton or MW RRC3) and one basic function altimeter as a backup (Egg Quark or MW RRC2+). My thinking is that having the smaller altimeter is useful in some builds, so it's helpful to have in stock. Using two models from the same manufacturer gives some extra redundancy, while using the same manufacturer means that the apogee detection algorithm is the same between the two altimeters, making it less likely that you'll have both try to pop the drogue at the same time, possibly overpressurizing the tube. I like Stratologgers, but availability has been an issue and it's harder to get to different drogue settings with the preset options. Ravens are pricier, but nobody goes in to an L3 project without a fairly fat wallet...

 

[John Williams]

If this were my project and I was buying new altimeters for it, I'd go with either Egg products (self-assembled or paid assembly) or the Missileworks RRC family. Either way, I'd use one recording altimeter (Egg Quantum/Proton or MW RRC3) and one basic function altimeter as a backup (Egg Quark or MW RRC2+). My thinking is that having the smaller altimeter is useful in some builds, so it's helpful to have in stock. Using two models from the same manufacturer gives some extra redundancy, while using the same manufacturer means that the apogee detection algorithm is the same between the two altimeters, making it less likely that you'll have both try to pop the drogue at the same time, possibly overpressurizing the tube. I like Stratologgers, but availability has been an issue and it's harder to get to different drogue settings with the preset options. Ravens are pricier, but nobody goes in to an L3 project without a fairly fat wallet...

Thank you for the insight. I definitely haven't settled on computers yet and I'm sure my wife would appreciate a cheaper price point. I have very little experience in dual deployment and have never run backups. I am working on building a smaller rocket out of spare components to serve as sort of a test bed to help me be more proficient in it. The only electronic deployment I have done used a single old g-wiz lc 400 I had from highschool when I was doing the TARC. I motor deployed my drouge and used the g wiz to blow the main and it could only do one of two altitudes 400 feet or apogee it worked for my level two certification a few weeks ago inspite of being 15 years old lol but I need something much more complex for this project