Do any of you launch in the freezing cold dead of winter?

[Rob Fisher]

Just wondering.

 

[flying_silverad]

As long as the snow isn't to deep and the wind isn't blowing! Other than that, yea. This year has been kind of screwy for me. Everytime the weather ont he weekend is nice, I usually have to much work and don't get out.

(No, i'm not complaining)

Somedays I think about moving from New England to somewhere that's more suitable for rockets...

 

[Stymye]

I do it often
as long as the wind aint blowing,.If it's really cold..I sit in the truck and prep them ,jump out, set it on the pad real quick,and hope they don't drift too far.....

 

[n3tjm]

I heard of a few people who tried....

never saw them again .

Actually, sometimes I go out and fly in the cold

 

[mkmilion]

Most definately!!! Only a true rocketeer would all-season launch.

 

[mge55389]

Every month but December!
( X-Mas stuff going on most weekends)

 

[teflonrocketry1]

Keep the batteries warm and the launch controller will work. I only fly BP motors during the winter. Low power flights are preferred since its harder to judge upper level wind speeds with no leaves on the trees! I have flown in below zero conditions with snow on the ground.
I wonder about reloads in freezing temps.; as I recall NASA once had some problems with "O" rings in cold weather conditions.

Bruce S. Levison, NAR #69055

 

[rabidsheeep]

next week or as soon as my estes blast pack or whatever gets here ill be launching in the snow...

 

[n3tjm]

My freind Jake and I plan to build a couple rockets at his house soon... and then launch them on Ballard Pond... . For once I hope the temperature goes back below freezing.... it is not very safe walking on ice when it is above freezing....

Maybe I should get some ice skates

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Oh yeah...

http://www.catorockets.org/cato85/cato85.html

It was 7 degrees when we got there and there was still about 20 people there.

A great time, however attaching motor clips is a real pain when your fingers are numb...

 

[n3tjm]

Oh... and cold weather contibutes to more CATO's... like this picture from the above link...

What was this Deuce powered by?

 

[daveyfire]

Freezing cold dead of winter? What's that?


Greetings from sunny and warm Southern California, where the epoxy cures outside all year long!

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by Hospital_Rocket
Oh yeah...

http://www.catorockets.org/cato85/cato85.html

It was 7 degrees when we got there and there was still about 20 people there.

A great time, however attaching motor clips is a real pain when your fingers are numb...

Sorry i missed that meet! Al, nice rockets by the way!

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by n3tjm
Oh... and cold weather contibutes to more CATO's...

What was this Deuce powered by?

Doug, what was that Deuce powered by? Was that a forward closure failure?

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

The Deuce shred was courtesy of a booster (0 second delay) as one of the two motors. Yup, our eyes were numb too. The owner of that Deuce also hard:

1 - An Initiator zipper
2 - Another one, don't remember which, tried to lawn dart into the frozen ground and became much shorter.

And he kept on flying....An inspiration to us all.

Sadly, I will have spend the upcoming launch (late Feb) in Orlando at a heatlhcare nformation technology symposium (HIMSS)

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by daveyfire
Freezing cold dead of winter? What's that?


Greetings from sunny and warm Southern California, where the epoxy cures outside all year long!

LOL, yea, you should start a thread " Do any of you launch in the luke warm dead of winter?"

 

[gothique_97]

Originally posted by Hospital_Rocket
A great time, however attaching motor clips is a real pain when your fingers are numb...

I remember that all too well at many a Morris CT launch in the dead of winter. I distinctly remember trying to wire up ignitors for a cluster and getting to the point where I just couldn't move my fingers. I think I put that flight off for a warmer month.

But, for all the cold weather flying I've done, the one thing I never experienced was flying on a frozen lake...

 

[kelltym88]

I gotta agree with daveyfire,ain't nothing like WARM,SUNNY SO CAL, it was about 72 yesterday and clear as a bell.

 

[Manwithbeers]

This thread makes me wonder. I've got a PerfectFlite MAWD Altimeter that says it's operational range is only as low as freezing.

What do people do with electronics in below freezing conditions?

Do they still make 'Hot Shots' I remember they were good for ice fishing but I'm in warmer climes now and I never see them. I thought one of those in the avionics bay might keep things warmed for a while.

 

[el chubbo]

Dateline: Lawrence, KS.

Our elementary school senior club (4th - 6th graders) has a couple of really great and devoted rocketeers.... crazy enough to make it into the local paper on the coldest day of the year!

This was a great learning experience - none of our launchers worked because the batteries were too cold and too distant from the pad... we ended up hotwiring the pad to my car...

This experience caused me to start building a launch controller that is tied to a relay box ...that will allow us to use a automotive battery that will sit beneath the pads ....

Gotta show the picture!

http://www.ljworld.com/photoviewer/day/2004-01-28

p.s. Great Job Grace!