build your own altimeter!

[cls]

this link has been circulating on various rocketry lists:

https://jbgizmo.com/page27.htm

it shows complete instructions to scratch-build your own barometric altimeter. very cool!

The article is a good intro to understand baro altimeters like the Perfectflite Alt15k. but fair warning: probably suited for middle to experienced electronics hobbyists because you need to make a circuit board, etc.

 

[eugenefl]

Looks like a challenging project. If anyone builds this I'd be interested to hear how well it performed and how difficult it was to source the parts. Very cool. Now if they could show you how to add events to the altimeter we'd be set.

 

[cdma77]

Originally posted by eugenefl
Looks like a challenging project. If anyone builds this I'd be interested to hear how well it performed and how difficult it was to source the parts. Very cool. Now if they could show you how to add events to the altimeter we'd be set.

To be honest the cost of the parts alone get very close to the cost of buying one on the market. I have priced it out plus my time to make a PCB board and it is not worth the hassle.

Jeff

 

[cls]

to be sure, making any of your own electronics for anything is not cost-effective. heck, flying rockets isn't cost effective!

but we build things ourselves to reasons other than cost, such as education, pride, chance to modify it, custom size or form factor or power supply, etc.

 

[mike_bar]

Originally posted by cls
but we build things ourselves to reasons other than cost, such as education, pride, chance to modify it, custom size or form factor or power supply, etc.

I agree with Cliff, 100 percent...

 

[teflonrocketry1]

I've built a few JB Gizmo kits, tracking transmitters and receiver; they were fun moderately challenging projects, and they worked the first time I assembled them. I have been talking to Jerry Baumeister about obtaining parts for this altimeter; the most expensive part is the pressure sensor (about $19.00). This makes it difficult to release this project as an inexpensive kit.

Bruce S. Levison, NAR #69055

 

[rstaff3]

Originally posted by cls
to be sure, making any of your own electronics for anything is not cost-effective. heck, flying rockets isn't cost effective!

but we build things ourselves to reasons other than cost, such as education, pride, chance to modify it, custom size or form factor or power supply, etc.

I agree also. I do lots of things that don't make sense from a practical standpoint. It all boils down to fun

 

[SwingWing]

I have been looking at this project, but it looks to me that the altimeter is only good to 999ft. (3 digit output) Am I looking at this correctly?

I figured that if I get the programmed PIC from him and buy everything else from Digikey, and wire it on perfboard instead of making a board, it would be just shy of $40.

I also came across the CP technologies "kit" altimeter: https://www.space-rockets.com/electron.html
You buy the PIC and assy instructions from him, everything else from digikey and have a dual deploy, peak alt, mach inhibited altimeter. The components would be a bit more (closer to $60)and the 9V batt is a bit heavier.
Anybody have any experience with this unit???