We’re gearing up for our first rocket launch, and I wanted to test our Estes launch controller, so I got out my voltmeter.
I figured I’d probably see zero volts across the clips until I had both the key in and the button down, at which point I’d see around 6-7 V and a light.
That is not what happened, and I’m trying to understand if this is not a valid way to test it, or if there’s something wrong with the controller.
What I saw was this:
No key or button: 0 volts, no light
Key alone: 5 volts, no light
Key and button: 6.5 V, no light
I’ve attached photos. My top two theories are that (a) the circuitry is more complicated than I’m imagining, and the presence of the actual starter affects its behavior, and it’s actually working fine, or (b) the controller is malfunctioning.
Thanks for your feedback!
I figured I’d probably see zero volts across the clips until I had both the key in and the button down, at which point I’d see around 6-7 V and a light.
That is not what happened, and I’m trying to understand if this is not a valid way to test it, or if there’s something wrong with the controller.
What I saw was this:
No key or button: 0 volts, no light
Key alone: 5 volts, no light
Key and button: 6.5 V, no light
I’ve attached photos. My top two theories are that (a) the circuitry is more complicated than I’m imagining, and the presence of the actual starter affects its behavior, and it’s actually working fine, or (b) the controller is malfunctioning.
Thanks for your feedback!