HOLY COW!! What Level 2 really costs...

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firemanup

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Last summer I certed Level 1, this winter decided I'd go for Level 2 in spring/summer of 2004.

Can't be that bad in cost heck lookin at rockets I can get a good level 2 bird for 100 to 125 bucks.

Well assume you have none of the necessities or what you believe are the necessities for a Level 2 flight and have to obtain them all, this is where I was at.

So here's the projected cost of my Level 2 flight, some of the items are already purchased some have yet to be purchased, and total does not include shipping.

BSD 4" Thor $120
RRC2 Altimeter $90
Loc Motor Adapter 54 to 38mm $5.35
Rocketman R7C Chute for main $45
Rocketman Deploy Bag $20
Dr. Rocket 38mm motor system $99.95
Two I211's for test flights $61.90
J350 $45
Smokin Rockets AltiTube Alt bay $25.00

For a grand total of $512.20

OUCH... and this is assuming that I will be able to borrow a casing for the J350 otherwise the price will probably be closer to $600.

Glad I'm gettin all this stuff in steps... LOL Today for the first time I added this all up and finally came to realize how much the total was going to be....

Guess that's why the words welcome to high power rocketry are usually followed by something like get out your wallet... LOL
 
We don't discuss how much we spend on our hobby... There may be wifes listening....


Sure, buy a J350 case... then you will need..

A set of 54mm cases....
Oh, gotta try a AMW GG K670... case and motor....
Kosdon are fun too.. buy one of them....

Then you will want a second altimeter for backup....

Maybe a RDAS so you can get all the cool data back from the flight...

Add a camera in.....

Fly a big rocket that needs a R18....

Now L3 starts to look doable....


Hey, EX motors look like fun... lets build a thrust stand...

Gotta buy a AD converter... load cell... mixer... vacuum pump...

I need chemicals... lots and lots of AP......



Oh the bills are just starting for you.... it gets much better....


ha
 
I think it all depends what you want to do with your Level 2. I want to do dual deployment like yourself and so the electronics and other stuff start to add up. I also like to own my own motor cases -- I prefer Pro38 -- but I figure I can use those for years to come.

I saw a successful Level 2 flight this past weekend. The gentleman flew a LOC Minie Magg ($100), borrowed a motor case, and whatever a J350 costs - no electronics.

So, you can go "cheap and dirty" OR explain to your wife why you can't go on a family vacation this year because of all your hobby expenses.:D
 
Yeh I could trim it some if I wanted to, but this is the way I want to do it..

Like the two I211's for test flights.. don't have to do test flights, but being new to electronics want to get a couple under my belt before I use them on a cert flight.

The 38mm system (240-480) won't even be used for a J350, will need to use a larger 38mm case for that flight but looks like I'll be able to borrow it.

Could go with the stock chute, but like the better chances if there's a higher speed than expected deployment with the rocketman chute.

Those three items alone would trim off a couple hundred. But unlike my level 1 flight when I fly my level 2 flight I want to get it on the first shot......
 
Jason,
Maybe I was lucky. Both my cert flights went well. I used a PML Quasar for my L-1 on an H-242. For L-2 I built a PML Amraam 4. I flew it first on a I-211, and a J-350 for the cert flight. No electronics. I was able to buy the 720 motor for about $80.00. Its only been used once:(

The stuff sure does add up fast. I hate to think to much about that
;)

Larry
 
Originally posted by Bullpup
We don't discuss how much we spend on our hobby... There may be wifes listening....


ha

Yeah, what Bullpup said - Shhhhh! :D Although I'm not married, the "other" side of me might wake up and slap the "better" side of me back into reality. I plead ignorance on the cost of some of this stuff. So long as at the end of the day I'm eating and there's a smile on my face, more power and more rocketry! LOL!

Well, I suppose $512 can be a lot of different things. In this case, you did buy quite a variety of rocketry items that will be reused. Just tell yourself that you made a worthy investment into a future in HPR rocketry. :D
 
firemanup, I feel your pain on the L2. Mine as well was expensive, about 700 or so when all was said and done. But then of course most of the items were reusable, and as Eugene said, an investment. Such as the rocket (hope so anyways:rolleyes: ) which was a PML Sudden Rush. It is dual deploy, so i needed an altimeter, so i got an Altacc2A (worked great till it got eaten by Blackrock:kill: ) also, planning for the future, i got the 54mm mega system with all four cases from Hawk Mountain. I also picked up some rocketman chutes for it (those got eaten too :mad: ). SO on and so forth, but all the extras were vey useful of subsequent flights, and I am very glad I got them.


Lots O' luck on the L2!:)
 
Public Enemy Extreme 4" Performer $59
RRC2 $85
54" PML chute from friend $5
misc. supplies (i.e. fiberglass, epoxy, hardware) $25
E-Bay from Giant Leap $15
HyperTEK fuel grain then $20

J300 HyperTEK Hammerhead tank (borrowed) to 4,333 ft March 1999...priceless
 
my plan for march 2004

TCB Thunder kit (5.5" x 69") built stock
$102 (Performance Hobbies)


Pro38 5 grain motor and case (J)
I am able to borrow the case
J motor $50

motor base ejection
zipperless construction
1700 '

level 2 total........ $152
 
My L2 Rocket was also my L1 Rocket.... ISP Caliper.....

ISP Caliper......... $83
RRC2.................. $80
Pro38 J285..........$45


Total $208


L3...... That will be a totally different story
 
Originally posted by firemanup
Last summer I certed Level 1, this winter decided I'd go for Level 2 in spring/summer of 2004.
So here's the projected cost of my Level 2 flight, some of the items are already purchased some have yet to be purchased, and total does not include shipping.

BSD 4" Thor $120
RRC2 Altimeter $90
Loc Motor Adapter 54 to 38mm $5.35
Rocketman R7C Chute for main $45
Rocketman Deploy Bag $20
Dr. Rocket 38mm motor system $99.95
Two I211's for test flights $61.90
J350 $45
Smokin Rockets AltiTube Alt bay $25.00

For a grand total of $512.20

It's possible to put together a decent Level 2 rocket for a fraction of that price. For starters, stick with motor ejection and skip the cost and complexity of altimeters. Second, skip the kit and build from scratch -- a couple of 4" LOC tubes, a nosecone, coupler, some centering rings and a bit of plywood or G10 for fins and you're there.

Shop around for parachutes. Spherachutes makes great chutes at reasonable prices. Or check surplus centers for small cargo chutes, flare chutes etc. You can sometimes find some good deals that way. Several years ago I bought some fantastic 6 foot reefed X-form mil-surplus chutes, brand new for $20 a piece. I still use them on all my 4" diameter rockets, one for the camera payload and one for the lower half of the rocket.

If you can borrow the motor hardware that'll help too, but if you expect to fly that motor fairly frequently you should plan on buying your own hardware at some point.
 
I started with sonotube, a home made foam cone, and free plywood - very economical. I used Bob Smith epoxy which ran up the cost as I used about three packages, but still not wildly expensive. I bought the 38/720 case. I don't count the test motor as I would have flow it in something else anyway (and I had the case already). The reload was free from AT as part of their LDRS cert program. I used an altimeter as a backup for deployment, but I bought that because I wanted one, not just to get L2. About the only thing with real sticker shock that I got just for my L2 was the expensive, but nice, Rockeman R-12, which was bit over $100 IIRC. Wish i had known of Aerocon at the time as I could have bought a 72" chute for $35 or so.
 
Okay, I'll chime in.

I did my L2 certification on the same rocket I made my L1 cert with, the BSD Horizon on an Ellis Mountain J330. It flew to 5019' AGL and I recovered it within 200 yards of the launch pad.

BSD Horizon $100 (already had it)
Ellis Mountain J330 $45
Ellis Mountain 38/910 hardware $50 (used)
 
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