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- Jan 20, 2011
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The ION is just a WiFi enabled flight logger. No outputs for deploying or anything. And it is not like the Jolly Logic stuff in that it can not sit in the body tube (or so I assume). Nor is it powered internally - which sort of sucks as that makes the Pnut, Adept Altimeter One, and the JL things, a lot more convenient. However it will (barely) fit in a BT-50 payload tube with a 100 to 300 mah LiPo. I am building three. So I don't care if 100mah is good for 90 minutes at best. Unless I am launching at ROC, 90 minutes should be fine. And one can charge small LiPo bats almost anywhere. I like to throw altimeters in almost every flight. Really helps validate the sims. And its just fun. But I still have to pick... payload bay or no payload bay to figure out which goes up.
I replaced the tiny JST with the next up tiny JST. I have an adapter cable to go from super tiny, whatever its called, to just sort of tiny, whatever its called, connector. Its an old man thing. Cause I find batteries are all over the map when it comes to connectors. Most of the 400mah batteries I found used 'molex' connectors. Easy enough to cut off (BE CAREFUL) and replace.
Anyway the IONs are to drop into a payload bay with a battery strapped to its back (isolated by foam tape, don't want no punctures!). No way am I making a 'sled' for it. That's way too much work. It is not as small as a Jolly Logic Altimeter 1, 2 or 3, nor my beloved Adept Altimeter One's, nor the Perfectflite PNut, but its WiFi and cool, and is cheaper at $20 than all those I just mentioned. And I can brag I built it.
I assembled mine using a relatively cheap hot air rework station and a 'Pencil' soldering iron with a pointy tip. I did not use the supplied solder. I found it hard to use at any temp. The roll of .020 I got from Adafruit seemed to work a lot better. I have practiced using the hot air station using SMD practice kits from Amazon for like $5 a piece.
I must admit, using resistor leads to fake a chip socket was pretty brilliant. I have several ESP boards. Most are the more modern 32 bit variety. But I have to hand it to Chris at ET, another really nice job!
One thing I have not read in the docs. My ION beeps FOUR short beeps. Then a long one. Not three. Then self arms in 60 seconds, or is there to be dealt with on my phone via WiFi. Unless I missed it, I do not know what 4 instead of 3 means.
Again for $20 and less than 2 hours work, Chris' stuff is just the best.
I replaced the tiny JST with the next up tiny JST. I have an adapter cable to go from super tiny, whatever its called, to just sort of tiny, whatever its called, connector. Its an old man thing. Cause I find batteries are all over the map when it comes to connectors. Most of the 400mah batteries I found used 'molex' connectors. Easy enough to cut off (BE CAREFUL) and replace.
Anyway the IONs are to drop into a payload bay with a battery strapped to its back (isolated by foam tape, don't want no punctures!). No way am I making a 'sled' for it. That's way too much work. It is not as small as a Jolly Logic Altimeter 1, 2 or 3, nor my beloved Adept Altimeter One's, nor the Perfectflite PNut, but its WiFi and cool, and is cheaper at $20 than all those I just mentioned. And I can brag I built it.
I assembled mine using a relatively cheap hot air rework station and a 'Pencil' soldering iron with a pointy tip. I did not use the supplied solder. I found it hard to use at any temp. The roll of .020 I got from Adafruit seemed to work a lot better. I have practiced using the hot air station using SMD practice kits from Amazon for like $5 a piece.
I must admit, using resistor leads to fake a chip socket was pretty brilliant. I have several ESP boards. Most are the more modern 32 bit variety. But I have to hand it to Chris at ET, another really nice job!
One thing I have not read in the docs. My ION beeps FOUR short beeps. Then a long one. Not three. Then self arms in 60 seconds, or is there to be dealt with on my phone via WiFi. Unless I missed it, I do not know what 4 instead of 3 means.
Again for $20 and less than 2 hours work, Chris' stuff is just the best.