Hybrids

[Chilly]

In light of the lawsuit decision, I'm thinking real hard about going Hybrid instead of getting a LEUP.
If I've gotta shell out some serious $$ either way, with hybrids we could at least share the cost in a club for support equipment. And there'd be no ATF record keeping, fingerprints, or inspections to deal with. Anyone have any pointers, recommended products, or know where to get stuff at a discount? Right now I'm leaning towards HyperTek.

 

[Ryan S.]

you arent going to have to spend a huge amoount of money, definantly a bigger starting price though, but the loads are so cheap that it evens out.

I am seriously thinking about getting some skyripper motors and building my own ground support equitment. I have heard awesome things about them and the owner is a great guy. Hyperteks are okay but they seem to take forever to set up and dont always work. With hypertek you are going to need to spend more money on equitment and you need GOX as well. THe only advantage to Hypertek is you can get some big motors out of them.

www.skyrippersystems.com

they even show you how to build GSE

 

[Ryan S.]

I was gonna make an argument about skyrippers, but just read the homepage, the best part is the snap rings.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

My suggestion about getting into hybrids is this....... Go in with several people to get the GSE......... This would apply to any of the brands of hybrids...... I have only launched two hybrid motors so far, but I love it....... Our local "hyrbid" guy just got a larger "L" motor tank so I need to build another rocket so I can fly some big motors cheap.......

 

[Chilly]

That's what I'm hoping to do with our club...IF we can ever get together to fly again. $&*@! Ohio weather...

I'm hoping there's enough interest in it so we can all pool our money for GSE. It's not an urgent thing for me personally since I'm still waiting to get my L1 flight! But it's the only way I can see being able to afford L2 and especially L3.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by Chilly
But it's the only way I can see being able to afford L2 and especially L3.

Yep...... The only way I can even think about L3 is to use a hybrid motor........

 

[Zippy]

I've been looking into hybrids for awhile. The Skyripper site was very helpfull in bringing down my estimated cost for GSE. Hundreds of dollars saved in fact. The main problem I'm still having is I want to fly relativly large heavy rockets to relativly low (1500' at most) altitudes becouse I'm flying on a smallish field. All the hybrids I've found have either a low average thrust (too low for the size rockets I want to fly) or a large enough average thrust but a long burn time that will send the rocket too high. What I would like to see is a hybrid that has the initial thrust of say a H238 with a burn time of like a second or two instead of 6 or 8 sec. Maybe it's not possible, I don't know enough about hybrids yet. Maybe someday I'll move out west and won't have to care. Has anyone ever heard of clustered hybrids?

 

[HeadHunter]

Has anyone ever heard of clustered hybrids?
Zippy

Just came across this one; a pair of 54mm's...snort...snort!!!

"GemiNOS" hybrid cluster demonstrator

 

[hokkyokusei]

There's an article about clustering Hyperteks here:

https://www.hypertekhybrids.com/tips.html

 

[shockwaveriderz]

zippy:

IF you use dual deployment techniques on the hybrid then you should be able to fly high but deploy low on small fields......


also tell us about your GSE analysis please....hybrids to me are looking better every day except for the up front costs of the GSE......

also I wish some hybrid manufacturer would consider mid power hybrids.....say EFG?

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by shockwaveriderz
IF you use dual deployment techniques on the hybrid then you should be able to fly high but deploy low on small fields......

I am not an expert on hybrids, but to my knowledge, dual deployment is the ONLY option with hybrids .........

Originally posted by shockwaveriderz
also I wish some hybrid manufacturer would consider mid power hybrids.....say EFG?

yea, I think an "I" is the smallest motor available...... Check out this link for some of the specs on the HyperTEK J grains...... I have flown the I205 (300cc tank and .125 orifice) and can tell you it's not a lot of power...... only 2.3 sec burn time and 470ns total Impulse.....

https://www.nowhybrids.com/J.htm

 

[Zippy]

IF you use dual deployment techniques on the hybrid then you should be able to fly high but deploy low on small fields......

True, and I allready have an altimeter. I suppose I'm just being overcautious.

also tell us about your GSE analysis please....hybrids to me are looking better every day except for the up front costs of the GSE......

$145 for a 10 pound nox tank from Pratt
About $80 for a solenoid from Summit Racing Used ones are all over Ebay but I prefer a new one from a reputible company.
A few bucks for various odds and ends to plum the tank to the solenoid.
A few more bucks for parts for a 12 volt momentary contact setup to control the solenoid. Or just use a spare 12 volt launch controller.
Being able to fly HPR without a LEUP... priceless.

 

[Zippy]

I am not an expert on hybrids, but to my knowledge, dual deployment is the ONLY option with hybrids .........

A timer can be used or one of those magnetic field detectors or whatever they are and probably a few other ways as well are out there. Dual or single deploy seems to make the most sense though.

I think an "I" is the smallest motor available......

Ratt Works makes an H70. I think it's about $60 and three reloads go for about $30. Not enough umph off the pad for me though.

 

[Dwight]

I had never even considered Hybrids until I read that page at Skyripper.

GSE is not all that expensive if you go simple with it.

 

[daveyfire]

Originally posted by Zippy
Ratt Works makes an H70. I think it's about $60 and three reloads go for about $30. Not enough umph off the pad for me though.

Goes great in a LOC Legacy to about 2500 feet -- not too bad. Add an altimeter in the payload bay and you're set to go. I love this combo, and it would be a great first hybrid flight.

 

[gothique_97]

I'm in the same boat as you, Chilly; I'd like to fly high power, but I don't do it often enough to really warrant getting a LEUP [and since I don't fly high power in my home state, a LUP wouldn't do me any good]. I, too, have given quite a bit of thought to going for my L2 cert on a HyperTEK motor. Before I do, of course, I would need to buy a deploying altimeter, which is where I'd much rather drop $100. I already have a rocket, which will need a few modifications to accomodate said altimeter...

 

[Chilly]

I've been interested in hybrids for a long time now. The added complexity is very appealing - more like "real rocket science" - in addition to avoiding the ATF. Don't forget, that $100 fee is just the start. Also plan on laying down a couple hundo more for storage.
Now if I could just get that @$&! L1 flight out of the way. Looks like Tripoli Mid-Ohio had a launch today...I'm posting from work.

P.S. Can't hold this in - the buzz here at work is we will be moving some people down to S.C.! That would be a dream come true to actually be able to go back home from exile in Ohio...you guys have no idea how sparse the job opportunities are down there for my particular line of work. I'm having a hard time not getting my hopes up. Gotta get my kids down there so's they can learn to talk right!!!

Any of you Carolina rocketeers care to fill me in on the scene down there? Is O-Burg the only place to fly HPR, or are there fields around the Beaufort/Savannah area?

P.P.S. The difference between a redneck and a good ol' boy is that a G.o.B is just an ed-u-cated redneck.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by Chilly
Any of you Carolina rocketeers care to fill me in on the scene down there? Is O-Burg the only place to fly HPR, or are there fields around the Beaufort/Savannah area?

I am a "little" biased, but I think O-burg is the best place around here!!!!!!........ But our club has Hybrid GSE I am going to fly my LOC Expeditor on a 300cc tank, .110 orifice and a standard "J" grain on sunday.......... The cost...... $8........ $3 for the gas and $5 for the flight fees..... I already have the "J" grain and have already used it once (and paid for it)

 

[Zippy]

Originally posted by jcrocket
Roughly $350 for plumbing plus $150 for tanks.

Thats why I've ruled out HyperTek for myself. Great motors but the GSE is more than I'm willing to spend. A used nox tank from a local dealer would be "a good thing" (Martha owes me money so I can steal her catch phrase) and I might consider a solenoid from Ebay if I recognized the name of the dealer but I do a lot of buisness with Summit anyway and I know I can trust them. I haven't bought anything yet though and probably won't start for a few more months at least. But when I do I'll probably go with a RATT Works motor unless something new comes out in the meantime that looks even simpler or cheaper.

 

[daveyfire]

Originally posted by jcrocket
3 solenoids ~= $200 (NOS #16000,NE Iceman, and Pratt O2)

Can the NOS #16000 handle the high flowrate for the duration required for filling hybrids? Sounds like a good solenoid to me... I may have to get a pair...

 

[gothique_97]

Originally posted by Chilly
Any of you Carolina rocketeers care to fill me in on the scene down there? Is O-Burg the only place to fly HPR, or are there fields around the Beaufort/Savannah area?

O-Berg is about the only place I'll fly, when I actually do fly. I've not heard of any active fields elsewhere in South Carolina or south Georgia.

 

[Elapid]

I have two 10lb tanks with pressure gauges, one is about half full


plus i have two nitrous solenoids and varoius braided steel lines...

i need to get some cash together so i can get into these!