More news:
There will be a new version of the Chute Release. Half the size and less expensive. Plus more features.
GPS will be integrated at some point with the ability to "mesh" with other frequencies. This will take care of problems with two or more people on the same frequency and create signal boost (don't ask me how) to increase the range of the signal. Apparently the antenna is a big challenge.
A long term goal is to have electronic ejection at initial deployment therefore eliminating the need for black powder charges ever again.
Altimeter 4 case size -
More info after the NARCON dinner with Keynote Speaker Lee Piester of Centuri Engineering.
More news:
There will be a new version of the Chute Release. Half the size and less expensive. Plus more features.
GPS will be integrated at some point with the ability to "mesh" with other frequencies. This will take care of problems with two or more people on the same frequency and create signal boost (don't ask me how) to increase the range of the signal. Apparently the antenna is a big challenge.
A long term goal is to have electronic ejection at initial deployment therefore eliminating the need for black powder charges ever again.
More news:
There will be a new version of the Chute Release. Half the size and less expensive. Plus more features.
GPS will be integrated at some point with the ability to "mesh" with other frequencies. This will take care of problems with two or more people on the same frequency and create signal boost (don't ask me how) to increase the range of the signal. Apparently the antenna is a big challenge.
A long term goal is to have electronic ejection at initial deployment therefore eliminating the need for black powder charges ever again.
I believe it's something like your rocket goes out of range of your ground transceiver. If I recall correctly the planned device (at least from the earlier discussions) was to be a transceiver so one would need two units to track independently. Now, your rocket with the "mesh" tracker is on the ground after a good deployment of your recovery system, Flier "B" flies a rocket with the same device in it and if it "hears" the signal/position from your "downed" rocket, it relays it back to the "ground" transceiver. So, especially if the tracker is in the 33cm band (900Mhz) with not so good propagation at ground level, the rocket "on high" is at
a vantage point to receive the signal and relay it back.
This would be further insurance one would get their rocket back although independent GPS tracking is pretty darned good to start with by using the last known position. The mesh method has the potential of giving one the exact location of an out of range rocket before one even goes out to get it.
Some have mentioned in other threads to suspend a transceiver up in the air in a tethered balloon to take advantage of the better propagation at altitude.
This would really make it easy to find your rocket. Kurt
Please make the new Chute Release some color besides black, like maybe bright orange. That way when you forget to attach the tether you at least have a chance of finding it.
I have had the yellow DinoChutes cover for the CR assist in finding mine after one of those "ooops - I forgot to attach the tether!!" moments. Granted the field we were flying from was pretty short grass, but the yellow cover did help it be found.
I vote for a load buzzer that the chute release turns on when it lands.The yellow cover didn't help me. My rocket shreaded from an early deployment at about 250 ft above the pad. The chute and nose cone drifted off and the rest came down in parts because it was moving fast enough when it zippered that the BT tore in half. The JLCR only dropped from directly above the pad into mostly dirt and a few corn stalks. It was never found.
I still vote for blaze orange, florescent yellow, or a bright glow in the dark feature so you can go out in the dark and find it.
I vote for a load buzzer that the chute release turns on when it lands.
+1 That's a great idea!
I vote for a load buzzer that the chute release turns on when it lands.
How is the progress coming in regards to the Altimeter 4????????Thanks for all of the kind words.
One of the "rewards" for attending NARCON (besides hearing from legends like Jim Barrowman and Lee Piester) is hearing about upcoming stuff from manufacturers. I enjoy the chance to talk about what I'm working on, and how I'm thinking about future products. I'll continue to do what I did with Chute Release, which is to let you inside the testing of products as they near release.
But as I explained to the audience, it's tough to predict commercial availability. AltimeterFour will be "this year." The other products I discussed aren't on a glide slope yet. I have a number of products built in prototype form, but which have never converged to a final released product. It's much easier to build a circuit board than it is to release a product!
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