Very well done! Any lessons learned from that build for the AvBay/Co2 setup? I was thinking of using the terminal blocks but since I am less concerned with reusability I liked the simpler setup of the wire retainers.
Tony
I wouldn't use the terminal blocks if I did that av-bay again. They just seem too fragille and prone to getting knocked off the plate.
Other than that, this rocket met an unfortunate end. Much was learned, just not about the av-bay or the CO2.
That looks like a good setup. Did you think about shortening the coupler, looks like you don’t need all the room?Here is my Avbay for 4” 12” long coupler. 2 AIM Xtras for tracking and deployment.
I would suggest getting a buddy to track and locate your booster. It takes much of the stress off sustainer recovery. Get somebody else on camera duty as well.
Write down the landing coordinates provided by the tracking systems. I have seen both a laptop and a phone with the backup of the location data go flat in the field during recovery (not mine). Don't need a battery to keep numbers written on a piece of paper .
That looks like a good setup. Did you think about shortening the coupler, looks like you don’t need all the room?
When I was flying my TeleGPS aboard a SLI team's rocket, I recorded the screen (Screen capture) for the duration of the flight. I thought it'd be cool to have the audio output recorded. This is another way to capture your data - you can make sure you've saved the data and review it in your video. I will probably start doing this just because.
I plan on using the extra room for a go pro and runcam 2
I can understand why you'd want to do this Mike, but in application with Altus Metrum products I don't think it's necessary. Both AltusUI and AltusDroid applications by default save every packet of telemetry data they receive. You can find this flight log in the default directory where all telemetry and eeprom (downloaded from the unit) files are stored. The telemetry stream/flight log file is stored in the .telem file whereas you eeprom file comes when you download the full flight log from the device you're using.When I was flying my TeleGPS aboard a SLI team's rocket, I recorded the screen (Screen capture) for the duration of the flight. I thought it'd be cool to have the audio output recorded. This is another way to capture your data - you can make sure you've saved the data and review it in your video. I will probably start doing this just because.
I can understand why you'd want to do this Mike, but in application with Altus Metrum products I don't think it's necessary. Both AltusUI and AltusDroid applications by default save every packet of telemetry data they receive. You can find this flight log in the default directory where all telemetry and eeprom (downloaded from the unit) files are stored. The telemetry stream/flight log file is stored in the .telem file whereas you eeprom file comes when you download the full flight log from the device you're using.
You can then use the AltusUI software "Replay flight" feature to play back the .telem file. The audio will work identically to the flight audio as well.
Sure, that works. But it doesn't help you in the event of inadvertently closing the app, turning your phone off (to put it in your pocket), etc., thus losing the gps coordinates. I don't recall being able to put my phone in my pocket and then get it back out to review the coordinates, I think I keep losing my data at that point (basically you're terminating your connection to your TeleBT at that point, then trying to reconnect). Besides, I shared the video with the SLI team who thought it was cooler than all get out.
In short, the screen record is only intended for reviewing data while you're on the ground and in the phase of going off to find your rocket. There might have been an anomaly during the recovery process, and you'd need to review the data at that event. For instance, you suddenly lose power (and thus, lock) while you're at 4,000 ft AGL. "What heading was it on? At what GPS coordinates did we lose lock? We need to have a starting point for our canvass!" review screen record "oh, whew, it was on this path when we lost lock so we should be able to start at this spot and then work in the direction it was heading at that point in time"...
Ah, I see where the problem lies. You're running the iPhone port of AltOS. I've never used an iOS device for Altus telemetry, nor do I plan to. TBH I don't use TeleBTs either.I just opened up my UI on my iPhone and found two tracks. But I don't see a way to scroll through GPS coordinates over time, velocity at a given time, etc... So that is where a screen record comes in handy.
Tony, I agree with your comment about the importance of checking the launch rail. In this case, it appears to me that the pad and rail were inadequate for your flight. It is your obligation to ensure that the pad is sufficient, period. It also appears to me that a rail button came off during the flight. If that had not happened, it's hard to say where this rocket might have gone.GoPro test went well at the local launch this weekend. I should have had the camera at a better angle to capture more of the ascent and not the ground but I think the 2.7k 120fps is a good setting choice. This was a 47G launch so definitely a camera challenge.
More importantly make sure you double check your launch rails. IDK if this was an old rail or if I just didn't tighten the angle adjust enough but it is clear in the slo-mo that the rail moved WAYYY too much. Rocket flight was very straight but it could have easily not been.
Tony, I agree with your comment about the importance of checking the launch rail. In this case, it appears to me that the pad and rail were inadequate for your flight. It is your obligation to ensure that the pad is sufficient, period. It also appears to me that a rail button came off during the flight. If that had not happened, it's hard to say where this rocket might have gone.
If you are able to launch your O3400 flight, let this flight be a lesson with respect to pad design. I can tell you that on my larger flights, the design of the pad gets as much consideration as the rocket itself. I have seen many examples where it is apparent that the flier hasn't given much consideration to the pad that they are flying from.
Jim
Tony,You are correct, the aft rail guide did separate from the rocket about 2/3 of the way up the rail. I make no excuse for not checking the pad more thoroughly. I have launched 2 similar size motors from the same type of rail with this rocket and all of them were clean looking at the footage again. That makes it clear to me that I did not do my part. This will definitely be a lesson for me!
What have you used for launch tower design styles with your larger launches? I am looking now at the Attebery style and a 1515 extrusion style of tower.
Tony
Caztek Engineering makes incredible launch towers. The current O3400 record rocket flew of a Caztek tower.
Tony,
I have a pad/rail that I have built that lets me transport it in 6' sections. It has guy wires for support and I can raise the rocket with a winch. No one is around or under my rockets when I raise them. Beyone this, the details of what I do are not important.
One piece of advice I would offer is that I would never fly anything above an M motor on the equipment supplied at large launches. If I had the time, I could give you many examples where fliers regretted doing this. Balls in particular is a bring-it-yourself launch. Obviously, people have flown O motors from the supplied pads at Balls, but I would never even consider doing that. I want to know and control the characteristics of the pad in advance.
I'm not sure what an Attebery style is or a 1515 extrusion style of tower. If you are using a tower and not guides, then you will need to make or borrow the tower. The biggest issues I have seen with towers is a failure to secure the bottom of the tower, particularly if the motor exhaust can undercut the ground. Towers are often too short. When they are long enough, the guides sometimes are not strong enough to contain the rocket.
Jim
Wow - relegate that pad in the video to mid-power only.
Not even sure it's fit for that - you can see the wind blow it at the end.
That is insanely bad.
With a usual limit of 14" per side, flying out of the center of a triangular tower is for small-finned rockets only.
Chris makes amazing launch towers tooAgreed, the tower will have a steel base plate to avoid the exhaust undercutting it and my initial thoughts are an 8 foot tower. This is the Attebery tower, the newer ones have a steel base plate.
Tony
View attachment 464615
Wow - relegate that pad in the video to mid-power only.
Not even sure it's fit for that - you can see the wind blow it at the end.
That is insanely bad.
With a usual limit of 14" per side, flying out of the center of a triangular tower is for small-finned rockets only.
At least the pad in this video has some legs for support. I don't see them in the first video. They could be there I suppose, but I don't see anything extending beyond the 70 sign.For comparison this is a slightly larger motor on one of the same style rails... Still no excuse for my bad setup but this rail seems to do fine.
At least the pad in this video has some legs for support. I don't see them in the first video. They could be there I suppose, but I don't see anything extending beyond the 70 sign.
One error in both videos is the use of an angled blast deflector. You can't use that with a high thrust motor unless the structure of the pad is strong enough to support the lateral force. Watch how that affected the exhaust and pad movement in your first video. I don't ever fly off of angled blast deflectors - they are for model rockets. I realize you didn't put them there, but you have to recognize these things. I think you narrowly avoided a very bad outcome.
Jim
Impressive!Caztek Engineering makes incredible launch towers. The current O3400 record rocket flew of a Caztek tower.
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