I havent seen this much drama since visiting my 9 year old niece. It's not complicated. They dont want people with energized electronics involved with deployment charges crowded around the RSO table. Solution is to put a switch on the battery line JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER DUAL DEPLOY ROCKET THAT DOESNT USE WIFI! Which is still the majority of the fliers out there. Its simple, its safe and it works. No one needs to disassemble their rockets ebay at the pad. Put in a switch accessible from the outside of your ebay LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES!. You can even turn them on before its on the pad making it even easier then it is for everyone else.
Er, umm, Some minimum diameter projects are difficult to put a mechanical switch in. I think dissing mag switches for deployment devices is uncalled for. The Galejs MAD unit is one caution inducing device as once energized, if the rocket tips over, the charge is going to blow. I use exquisite precaution when using that device (plus a mechanical switch). A mag switch is simple, plug the battery in with ematches/charge disconnected, shut off switch with magnet, connect the charges go to pad and turn on with the magnet when upright.
If RSO's are so paranoid, they can specify to check in the rocket without the battery connected then the flier can proceed with the above protocol. If REALLY paranoid, after turning the mag switch off, could use a contained ematch with no powder and plug it into the terminals to PROVE there is no current flowing THEN connect up the live charges and proceed to the pad.
The only time an altimeter is going to blow charges when power is applied is 1. if it is defective due to a hard hit. 2. Lousy design so wind blowing through the ebay confuses the electronics. 3. Rf interference from a tracker.
4. Reversing the polarity of the altimeter battery.
Number 2 and 3 have pretty much been alleviated with modern altimeter design but I've been burned by number 2 and number 3 both. Both times I was walking away and the show was simply embarrassing. Number 4 in the old days would
happen in some altimeter designs. Turn on the switch in that state and the charges immediately blew. I heard number 1 was reported by a flier the first flight after the altimeter took a hard hit. Next flight when the altimeter was turned on, it
blew the charges immediately.
Personally, I believe if they want to have a rule that all rockets be inspected with disconnected batteries. Fine as fliers can safely go about setup once checked in.
As far as staging is concerned, I haven't done it but if I did I would go wireless with an approved device and the wireless altimeter that is connected to the sustainer igniter, I'd definitely use a good quality mechanical switch on the battery of that device. If the rocket is large enough I can't take issue with switches on all devices as there is plenty of room to do so. Kurt