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ComSpec AT-2B

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Wayco

Desert Rat Rocketeer
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Broke the end of the circuit board off my AT-2B tracker transmitter. Communications Specialists, Inc. no longer supports this device. I have the "button" transmitter, and don't like it as well as the older design. Hoping someone would part with theirs at a reasonable price?
 
I destroyed mine also . . was very disappointed to here the AT-2B was discontinued

Kenny
 
Broke the end of the circuit board off my AT-2B tracker transmitter. Communications Specialists, Inc. no longer supports this device. I have the "button" transmitter, and don't like it as well as the older design. Hoping someone would part with theirs at a reasonable price?

They won't even repair them? I just killed mine this weekend. Was hoping I could send it in for service.
 
Broke the end of the circuit board off my AT-2B tracker transmitter. Communications Specialists, Inc. no longer supports this device. I have the "button" transmitter, and don't like it as well as the older design. Hoping someone would part with theirs at a reasonable price?

I might have a new one still...I'll check tomorrow
 
wonder if you could strip all of the components off the broken circuit board and sketch a replacement and have a new circuit board printed by a 3rd party ?

Bobby
 
wonder if you could strip all of the components off the broken circuit board and sketch a replacement and have a new circuit board printed by a 3rd party ?

Bobby

What's the chance you could do that and have everything survive the transfer? I think the big module is re-flowed on in an oven. That's beyond my skill set.
Surely someone on this forum has one, if not, I will get another button style and deal with it, they are cheaper anyway.
 
If you're amenable to an alternative product, this thread makes mention of a transmitter, the XLF 6v from L.L. Electronics, that can be factory-programmed to work with Com-Spec receivers.
 
One disadvantage here is if one has one on the ham bands and a programmed callsign in there, it's not really amenable to selling because it's not on the wildlife band nor do I think
there is an easy way to reprogram. What got Com-spec in trouble was the power output on the wildlife tracker area of the band. 50Mw busted those rules. With the Ham band
222 to 225Mhz they're legal with a callsign on them for when a Ham operator uses. They very easily could have kept selling them to Hams if they wanted to but I suspect they
either thought there wasn't a big enough market or maybe one or more of the components on the board went out of production. Having to possibly face legal issues that might
have been the impetus to drop it.
Come to think of it, are there any non-licensed "legal" RDF trackers out there besides the wireless bugs on the FM broadcast band? I did learn a lot by building some of them.
It looks like if one wants to be able to do RDF, they might consider getting a tech license so they can get access to stuff on the ham bands. Kurt
 
Wayne,,
Why don't you give Cris Erving a shout / email..
I know it's not his device but he sure is good at electronic engineering...
He may be able to point you in the direction of a fix that you'd be able to do yourself...

Teddy
 
Wayne,,
Why don't you give Cris Erving a shout / email..
I know it's not his device but he sure is good at electronic engineering...
He may be able to point you in the direction of a fix that you'd be able to do yourself...

Teddy

If it's a multilayered board it's toast. One could try epoxying it together and doing bridges for the traces but if the board broke at one of the essential components might not be
salvageable if single layer. Even if fixed, I wouldn't trust it as a primary tracker. Wayne is a Ham and some of the other RDF options are available to him.
This unit is close in size but the issue is it's on the 2M band: https://www.west.net/~marvin/microhnt.htm
The antenna requirement would be the only handicap but it could be tracked with any 2 meter radio. I suspect Wayne already owns one or get a Beeline RDF
With the appropriate Yagis and an electronic attenuator, https://www.west.net/~marvin/k0ov.htm one is ready to go.

Kurt
 
If you're amenable to an alternative product, this thread makes mention of a transmitter, the XLF 6v from L.L. Electronics, that can be factory-programmed to work with Com-Spec receivers.

Been there, done that. I have the XLF and a smaller LF-2 for my MD 29mm Kick Asspire. I even bought the L. L. Electronics Receiver and used it at the last Eagle eye launch. The jury is still out on it, I'm deep into the learning curve, but still don't know what I don't know. It's definitely different than the ComSpec receiver.
I'm really happy with the LF-2, which is tiny and fits into anything. The XLF is much more robust, but there is a trick to tuning to the null, which I didn't figure out until after the last launch. I have made about 10 recoveries using the ComSpec R-300A and the LF-2, which is set at 224.110 Mhz. The XLF is set to 224.315 Mhz so the ComSpec receiver doesn't work well with it.


Wayne,,
Why don't you give Cris Erving a shout / email..
I know it's not his device but he sure is good at electronic engineering...
He may be able to point you in the direction of a fix that you'd be able to do yourself...

Teddy

I spent the weekend with Chris and the TRASD gang at Holtville Havoc last weekend. Picked up a bunch of his stuff and then won two Quarks in the raffle. I won't bother him with this, since Chris Short has one I can pick up at NSL.


If it's a multilayered board it's toast. One could try epoxying it together and doing bridges for the traces but if the board broke at one of the essential components might not be
salvageable if single layer. Even if fixed, I wouldn't trust it as a primary tracker. Wayne is a Ham and some of the other RDF options are available to him.
This unit is close in size but the issue is it's on the 2M band: https://www.west.net/~marvin/microhnt.htm
The antenna requirement would be the only handicap but it could be tracked with any 2 meter radio. I suspect Wayne already owns one or get a Beeline RDF
With the appropriate Yagis and an electronic attenuator, https://www.west.net/~marvin/k0ov.htm one is ready to go.

Kurt

Thanks for the link Kurt, I hadn't heard about that one. Since I'm already invested in two receivers, I won't try the 2M band.
I have repaired a AT-2B that broke right behind the antenna coil, it's a single layer board, so I epoxied it back together and bridged the coil to the other side of the board. It works fine, but I only use it in conjunction with an Eggfinder.
I have gotten a few PM's regarding this topic, and as I mentioned, Chris Short has one to replace the broken one, so I should be good to go with the two other beacons I already have.
When I have some more experience with the LL Electronics receiver, I will post up a report.
 
I've used the LL Electronics with great success. I found a rocket that had went to just over 20k in a box end canyon 5 miles away 5 days later. Took a 16 mile hike to get a signal, but once I did we homed in on the rocket very easily.

Edward
 
Sent my XLF 6V back to LL Electronics to be remade. I will let everyone know how it works after being tuned to the correct frequency for my R-300A (this thread). I will do a side by side test between the XLF 6V and the AT-2B and see which provides a stronger signal.
 
I've used the LL Electronics with great success. I found a rocket that had went to just over 20k in a box end canyon 5 miles away 5 days later. Took a 16 mile hike to get a signal, but once I did we homed in on the rocket very easily.

Edward

Hmmmmm, I've never though about this but if one flies in geographic areas like Edward describes, long battery life might be a consideration.
Especially if there's a chance it might be days to effect a recovery. Kurt
 
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