Exciting New Rocketry Products Coming Soon - We Need Your Feedback!

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

Hello Everyone!

We at VRS are thrilled to announce some fantastic new additions to our product line, designed with the passionate rocketeer in mind. But before we launch, we want to hear from you - the heart and soul of the rocketry community!

Coming Soon:

• Kevlar Risers/Shock Cords: Available in both 1/2" tubular, 1/" flat weaved and 7/8" flat weaved options, our Kevlar risers are built for durability and performance. VRS is a leader in Kevlar construction and with our automated process we are able to provide consistent quality at a lower cost. You will not find better quality anywhere else!
• JLCR Protectors: To enhance the safety and longevity of your JLCR or other small electronics.

In Development (Your Feedback Needed!):

• Innovative Charge Wells: Imagine a system where you don't need to measure powder every time. These charge wells are designed to be wired through the bulkhead, offering a self-contained, hassle-free experience.
• Deployment Bags: We're exploring high-quality deployment bags, and we want to know what features you'd find most useful.

We Want to Hear from You! Your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape these products to best suit your needs. Here's what we're eager to know:

• Quality Expectations: What are the key quality features you look for in rocketry products?
• Pricing: What price range do you consider reasonable for these types of products?
• Shipping Times: How quickly do you typically expect delivery of rocketry supplies?
• General Suggestions: Any other products you wish were on the market? Any features you'd love to see?

Join the Conversation Reply to this post or contact us directly at [email protected]. Your insights will directly influence our final designs and offerings. As a company who has a focus on providing the best, we believe that your input is the key to our mutual success in this thrilling hobby.

Fly high and safe!

Ashleigh
Office Manager

 

[David Schwantz]

Ashleigh, love the JLCR stuff, maybe add a very good tether to case. I like tubular kevlar, just ordered my first flat stuff to try out. But I like a tight weave that is still flexible so that it may be Z folded.
Charge wells, cant think anything but you offering a size in all quantities. But that would be an over whelming amount. Just think about it, a different can for 1 gram. 1.1 gram. 1.2 grams and so on. I reload, so knowing the importance of a very accurate measure. You would also have to have a can for each type of powder, 3F, 4F and such.
Quality, we want the best. Want to use it more than once.
Pricing, the cheapest. Isn't that we all want on everything.
Shipping, right away. If not keep in contact with customer.

 

[mh9162013]

I'm into LPR and it appears what you sell is for HPR people. That being said, here are my thoughts:

Quality Expectations: What are the key quality features you look for in rocketry products
- Higher quality = better, but there's always a cost with that, whether it's monetary, performance or durability.That being said, I consider quality in relation to other factors, as well as the level of disclosure from the manufacturer (I can't stand puffery). I think your parachute protectors is a great example of why a lower quality product is fine, as long as the price reflects that. I think your product description for the parachute protectors could be a smidge more clear about the sacrifice a customer is making for a lower cost parachute protector, though. In my experience with parachute protectors, saving money for edges that are more likely to fray is a worthy tradeoff because the parachute protector will need to be replaced in the foreseeable future anyways (unless a baffle is used).

Pricing: What price range do you consider reasonable for these types of products?
- N/A, as I don't buy HPR equipment.

Shipping Times: How quickly do you typically expect delivery of rocketry supplies?
- I will answer this in relation to how quickly the seller completes my order, not how fast the shipping company is. I expect the seller to ship when they say they will ship. For example, I'm fine with a seller taking a week to ship something out. However, they must make this clear before I place my order. I'm also willing to pay extra for faster turnaround (or less for slower turnaround). Having this option is a good thing in my opinion.

General Suggestions: Any other products you wish were on the market? Any features you'd love to see?
- Your website could make it easier to figure out where I need to go to see the products you're selling. Why would I go to the "More" menu, then select "Explorer by VRS" to get to your online store? That makes no sense to me.
- Add products for the LPR market, like smaller parachute protectors or parachutes. Not sure how realistic this is for your company, though.

 

[Joshua Smith]

Hello Everyone!

We at VRS are thrilled to announce some fantastic new additions to our product line, designed with the passionate rocketeer in mind. But before we launch, we want to hear from you - the heart and soul of the rocketry community!

Coming Soon:

• Kevlar Risers/Shock Cords: Available in both 1/2" tubular, 1/" flat weaved and 7/8" flat weaved options, our Kevlar risers are built for durability and performance. VRS is a leader in Kevlar construction and with our automated process we are able to provide consistent quality at a lower cost. You will not find better quality anywhere else!
• JLCR Protectors: To enhance the safety and longevity of your JLCR or other small electronics.

In Development (Your Feedback Needed!):

• Innovative Charge Wells: Imagine a system where you don't need to measure powder every time. These charge wells are designed to be wired through the bulkhead, offering a self-contained, hassle-free experience.
• Deployment Bags: We're exploring high-quality deployment bags, and we want to know what features you'd find most useful.

We Want to Hear from You! Your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape these products to best suit your needs. Here's what we're eager to know:

• Quality Expectations: What are the key quality features you look for in rocketry products?
• Pricing: What price range do you consider reasonable for these types of products?
• Shipping Times: How quickly do you typically expect delivery of rocketry supplies?
• General Suggestions: Any other products you wish were on the market? Any features you'd love to see?

Join the Conversation Reply to this post or contact us directly at [email protected]. Your insights will directly influence our final designs and offerings. As a company who has a focus on providing the best, we believe that your input is the key to our mutual success in this thrilling hobby.

Fly high and safe!

Ashleigh
Office Manager

I realize your charge well solution may not involve measurement marks, but if it does, etch/engrave and stamp with ink (I'm not sure if there's a better way to say that). I have sockets w/engraved sizes and they are unreadable %90 of the time due to lighting etc. On the other hand, I have items where the ink has rubbed off, so something that has relief and is "filled" with ink, basically "high-viz" markings.

Regarding deployment bags, consider offering a version that doesn't have the flap, basically just a tube. Some people use pistons to protect the gear from the deployment charge and the bag is there for organization and to aid in a clean but gradual chute deployment. Some of those folks just cut off the flap which is a waste of material for you and money for them.

 

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

I'm into LPR and it appears what you sell is for HPR people. That being said, here are my thoughts:

Quality Expectations: What are the key quality features you look for in rocketry products
- Higher quality = better, but there's always a cost with that, whether it's monetary, performance or durability. That being said, I consider quality in relation to other factors, as well as the level of disclosure from the manufacturer (I can't stand puffery). I think your parachute protectors is a great example of why a lower quality product is fine, as long as the price reflects that. I think your product description for the parachute protectors could be a smidge more clear about the sacrifice a customer is making for a lower cost parachute protector, though. In my experience with parachute protectors, saving money for edges that are more likely to fray is a worthy tradeoff because the parachute protector will need to be replaced in the foreseeable future anyways (unless a baffle is used).

Pricing: What price range do you consider reasonable for these types of products?
- N/A, as I don't buy HPR equipment.

Shipping Times: How quickly do you typically expect delivery of rocketry supplies?
- I will answer this in relation to how quickly the seller completes my order, not how fast the shipping company is. I expect the seller to ship when they say they will ship. For example, I'm fine with a seller taking a week to ship something out. However, they must make this clear before I place my order. I'm also willing to pay extra for faster turnaround (or less for slower turnaround). Having this option is a good thing in my opinion.

General Suggestions: Any other products you wish were on the market? Any features you'd love to see?
- Your website could make it easier to figure out where I need to go to see the products you're selling. Why would I go to the "More" menu, then select "Explorer by VRS" to get to your online store? That makes no sense to me.
- Add products for the LPR market, like smaller parachute protectors or parachutes. Not sure how realistic this is for your company, though.

Thank you for the suggestions. We took your input and made some adjustments to the layout of the website categories and changed some of the verbiage of the protectors' description to be more transparent.

We have looked into a few items for LPR and we are still trying to work out the feasibility. A lot of our work is planned to be done in-between contracts. Are there any specific items you are looking for, or pricing that would make more sense for items already on the market?

 

[mh9162013]

Are there any specific items you are looking for, or pricing that would make more sense for items already on the market?

Outside of parachutes and parachute protectors, I'm not sure there's anything else from a recovery perspective.

As for pricing for those LPR items, I don't think there's much more room to lower prices further. Maybe having more realistic shipping methods/prices would be nice (not saying you don't do this, but some model rocektry companies don't). For example, if I wanted to buy two 3"x 3" parachute protectors, couldn't that be shipped for less than a dollar (instead of $6) because you mail them to me in a standard envelope?

 

[DAllen]

In Development (Your Feedback Needed!):

• Innovative Charge Wells: Imagine a system where you don't need to measure powder every time. These charge wells are designed to be wired through the bulkhead, offering a self-contained, hassle-free experience.
• Deployment Bags: We're exploring high-quality deployment bags, and we want to know what features you'd find most useful.

These 2 items I am far and away most interested in. If you want to make the charge wells super duper convenient supply caps with them to hold the BP. Maybe even go with the exact same little red caps that Aerotech uses on their DMS motors.

I've never used a deployment bag but one thing I've seen that was really cool was flaps as part of the bag on the side that acted as a drogue chute to pull the bag off of the chute.

 

[Wrightme43]

I would be interested in a JLCR protector, and a JL altimeter 2 protector.

 

[KBlack]

I'm interested in Kevlar soft links. Metal quick links are bulky, heavy, and... metal.

 

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

I'm interested in Kevlar soft links. Metal quick links are bulky, heavy, and... metal.

We have quite a few in stock of various sizes. After running the numbers though we would be in the $7-10 range for a single one. This is a pretty significant price for the hobby/ amateur market. We can probably offset cost if we combined soft links with other items like shock cords or parachutes, but we haven't decided a good direction. What are your thoughts on a price around $7/ link or coupling with other items? Do you have any other suggestions on how we could provide those in a fair way that makes them a product that can be offered consistently without price hikes every so often?

Thank you for your insight,
Ben
CEO

 

[cerving]

...For example, if I wanted to buy two 3"x 3" parachute protectors, couldn't that be shipped for less than a dollar (instead of $6) because you mail them to me in a standard envelope?

USPS is very picky about what goes in a standard envelope (and especially a larger manila envelope), anything with any bulk whatsoever has to be sent as a "package", at a higher rate. I have the same issue... I have to charge customers $4 to send a one-ounce altimeter kit as a "package" instead of throwing two stamps on the envelope. They also consider anything in a padded envelope as a "package".

 

[mh9162013]

USPS is very picky about what goes in a standard envelope (and especially a larger manila envelope), anything with any bulk whatsoever has to be sent as a "package", at a higher rate. I have the same issue... I have to charge customers $4 to send a one-ounce altimeter kit as a "package" instead of throwing two stamps on the envelope. They also consider anything in a padded envelope as a "package".

That doesn't surprise me, but we're talking about parachute protectors here that are smaller than a toilet paper square. So the bulk they produce won't be any more than sending 3 or 4 sheets of paper (tri-folded). I imagine that could cost more than a regular 1st class stamp, but it shouldn't be more than a dollar.

 

[David_Stack]

We have quite a few in stock of various sizes. After running the numbers though we would be in the $7-10 range for a single one. This is a pretty significant price for the hobby/ amateur market. We can probably offset cost if we combined soft links with other items like shock cords or parachutes, but we haven't decided a good direction. What are your thoughts on a price around $7/ link or coupling with other items? Do you have any other suggestions on how we could provide those in a fair way that makes them a product that can be offered consistently without price hikes every so often?

Thank you for your insight,
Ben
CEO

KBlack posted the initial suggestion and that is who your reply is targeted toward, but as a 'data point', another vendor of recovery supplies has theirs priced at $5 per. No idea what their sales statistics look like at that price...

 

[Zman1961]

Ashleigh, love the JLCR stuff, maybe add a very good tether to case. I like tubular kevlar, just ordered my first flat stuff to try out. But I like a tight weave that is still flexible so that it may be Z folded.
Charge wells, cant think anything but you offering a size in all quantities. But that would be an over whelming amount. Just think about it, a different can for 1 gram. 1.1 gram. 1.2 grams and so on. I reload, so knowing the importance of a very accurate measure. You would also have to have a can for each type of powder, 3F, 4F and such.
Quality, we want the best. Want to use it more than once.
Pricing, the cheapest. Isn't that we all want on everything.
Shipping, right away. If not keep in contact with customer.

+1 on the tether for the JLCR case.

 

[KBlack]

KBlack posted the initial suggestion and that is who your reply is targeted toward, but as a 'data point', another vendor of recovery supplies has theirs priced at $5 per. No idea what their sales statistics look like at that price...

I've ordered from that other vendor a couple months ago... and ever since my credit card was charged, I haven't received any communication or delivery of goods from them. And yes, I've reached out to them... but that's not the topic here.

Going back a few years now, my communications with Ben and Ashleigh have been top notch, with quality products delivered quickly.

Needless to say, I'm looking for a new vendor of all of the products I can currently only get from that other vendor. Depending on what load rating we're talking about, I can make $7 each pencil out. But if the smallest capacity ones are $7 each, and it goes up from there... then maybe it doesn't work out. More information is needed.

 

[cwbullet]

I ordered the parachute protectors. I will use them at the next could launches. They appear well-made. They do not have serged edges but that should not be an issue.

 

[mitchell2701]

I would love a protective pouch for the Perfectflite PNut altimeter that is similar to the proposed JollyLogic Chute Release pouch.

 

[mitchell2701]

A protective pouch for the Featherrweight GPS Tracker similar to the proposed JollyLogic Chute Release pouch would also be very cool.

 

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

Thank you to everyone's feedback. We are working on developing more products to meet your needs. We wanted to get some feedback on a JL AltimeterTwo Protector. We have made a simple sleeve with an integrated tether. The tether is a 600lb Technora cord that is sewn into the protector and then routes through the JL AltimeterTwo to be secured to the rocket. Below are some pictures of what we made (JL AltimeterTwo is a 3d printed model). We would love to have your feedback to ensure that we are putting out the best products we can.

If we get the dimensions of other altimeters/ electronics that can be protected by a nomex sleeve, we will work on offering those as well.

Thank you,
Ashleigh
Office Manager

 

[Wrightme43]

Well if you have a fair price I am a buyer.

 

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

Well if you have a fair price I am a buyer.

We are looking at $1.95/ea for these JL AltimeterTwo protectors

 

[Wrightme43]

Can I buy two of them?

 

[Wrightme43]

Also not to mind your business, it really should be closer to 4 or 5 dollars.
Shipping things takes time, packaging has a value, manufacturing has a value.

I have no problem at 5 dollars each. Its protection for a 75 dollars altimeter.

Again not meaning to stick my nose in your business, just if you don't make money, you will disappear.

I am old now, and the best advice I have received about business came from a old man.


He told me, Steve, I don't need any more practice. We have to make money. If we aren't going to make money, no is the best deal you will ever make.


I hope this helps you.


Steve

 

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

Can I buy two of them?

Our internet was down this morning so we are playing catch up with posting an update on a new product and printing labels for shipping, but we have listed the JL AltimeterTwo protector here: https://www.valkyrierecoverysystems.com/store/p11/JL_AltimeterTwo_Protector.html

Early next week we will be putting our tubular nylon shock cords on clearance to make way for our Kevlar shock cords! We also will be listing our soft links next week.

Thank you to everyone and have a great weekend,
Ashleigh
Office Manager

 

[Wrightme43]

Thank you!

 

[Wrightme43]

Received 2 JLCR, 2 JLA2, and 2 nomex chute protectors yesterday. Very nicely made. I am more than satisfied.

Thank you!

 

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

We have clearanced all of our old soft links and now our new ones are up for sale here: https://www.valkyrierecoverysystems.com/store/p20/Soft_Links_2_pack.html

We still have plenty of tubular nylon risers on clearance and a sale running until the 15th. Thank you to everyone for your support and orders.

 

[mtnmanak]

We have clearanced all of our old soft links and now our new ones are up for sale here: https://www.valkyrierecoverysystems.com/store/p20/Soft_Links_2_pack.html

These look cool! When they are back in stock, will definitely order some to try them out!

 

[Valkyrie Recovery Systems]

These look cool! When they are back in stock, will definitely order some to try them out!

We had added some more stock in our soft links, including the large size that can go up to 18,000lb break strength. You can find them here: https://www.valkyrierecoverysystems.com/store/p20/Soft_Links_2_pack.html

 

[mtnmanak]

We had added some more stock in our soft links, including the large size that can go up to 18,000lb break strength. You can find them here: https://www.valkyrierecoverysystems.com/store/p20/Soft_Links_2_pack.html

Awesome, thanks for the update - just placed an order!