Mounting a tracker in a plastic nose cone

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Zyzzyva1000

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Specifically What I am looking for is figuring out how to mount an egg finder mini into a plastic (LOC) nosecone.

I have kitbashed some Estes Big Daddy's in the past, removing that terrible sloped shoulder and then 3d printed a bulkhead (just out of PLA) with a hole in the middle and mounted an egg timer apogee in that (via lab rat rocketry's 3d printed mounting kit). This worked ok, just curious if anyone has any better solutions?

I currently have my egg finger mini in the shock cord mount sled (from Lab Rat) and that is find for larger rockets. But my winter build is a laserloc 163 (planning to extend and add an ebay) and was hoping to figure out how to more elegantly add my egg finder mini into the nose cone (and if I can figure this out, was going to try and replicate on my hyperloc 300. I know this would be easier with fiberglass components, but I am trying to find a way to make this work with what I currently have.
 
Get a bulk plate for the same diameter as the nosecone. Cut the aft end of the nosecone off so that you keep as much shoulder as you can. Sand the bulk plate so that it just barely fits in the now open nosecone. Use several (6 or so) countersunk screws through the nosecone shoulder into the bulk plate to secure it in place. You now have a removable aft closure on the nosecone that you can use to mount an av-bay like sled to host your Eggfinder Mini. If you add a eyebolt to that bulk plate it also is a much more robust method of attaching your recovery harness if going dual deploy.
 
Get a bulk plate for the same diameter as the nosecone. Cut the aft end of the nosecone off so that you keep as much shoulder as you can. Sand the bulk plate so that it just barely fits in the now open nosecone. Use several (6 or so) countersunk screws through the nosecone shoulder into the bulk plate to secure it in place. You now have a removable aft closure on the nosecone that you can use to mount an av-bay like sled to host your Eggfinder Mini. If you add a eyebolt to that bulk plate it also is a much more robust method of attaching your recovery harness if going dual deploy.
How do you prevent the screw heads from interfering with the overall diameter of the nosecone shoulder? Even if I used flat head screws, with multiples I would figure this would end up interfering with the ejection of the nose cone?
 
How do you prevent the screw heads from interfering with the overall diameter of the nosecone shoulder? Even if I used flat head screws, with multiples I would figure this would end up interfering with the ejection of the nose cone?
Counter sink them. There is ~1/8" of plastic thinkness in the nosecone shoulder. More than eough to hold the head of the screw. Nearly all the holding strength is done in the bulk plate.

I've done this in LOC nosecones from 1.6" up to 7.5". On the smaller ones like the 1 6", I use 6x #4 1/2" flathead phillips screws and double up the bulk plate to give more area to screw into.
 
If you undersize the bulk plate slightly, the screw will actually clamp the wall of the shoulder to the bulk plate and pull it in. I've had the happen before so I end up adding tape to the nosecone shoulder to bring it back to a closer fit.
 
I cut a hole in the base of the NC that's the OD of a 38mm or 54mm tube (or whatever size is convenient) and then glue the tube in and close it off with a cap. Plenty of space.
 
I will double what heada says. But you can also do it by making it a CR and installing it in the NC past the internal lip on the NC. Rough it up and glue it in place. Now make a bulkhead to fit over the CR and screw that in place. Now you have made a compartment that is both removable and strong enough to anchor your shock cord to.
 
I will double what heada says. But you can also do it by making it a CR and installing it in the NC past the internal lip on the NC. Rough it up and glue it in place. Now make a bulkhead to fit over the CR and screw that in place. Now you have made a compartment that is both removable and strong enough to anchor your shock cord to.
That is my preferred method on 5.5" and 7.5" On those, I drill and add t-nuts so that screwing in the bulkhead is easier and transfers all the load to the CR that is jammed in and epoxied in place.
 
Marten (mbeels) built a sled/bay for a Eggfinder Mini in the nosecone of his LaserLoc 163. From that build thread: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...with-modifications.159420/page-4#post-2010212
 
I cut a hole in the base of the NC that's the OD of a 38mm or 54mm tube (or whatever size is convenient) and then glue the tube in and close it off with a cap. Plenty of space.
Same, but use a 29mm tube and foam it in. You can easily put a Mini with a small sled and one a small 300 mAH 1S or 2S Lipo. You can also mount a TX or a Quasar in that tube, and squeeze a 500 mAH 2S Lipo in there if you find the right battery.
 
I have the LaserLoc 223 and also want to put an Eggfinder in the nose. But have not yet formed a plan. I have flown it with the Mini GPS in a coupler tube tied to the shock cord. The 54mm BT is large enough for this but a nose mount seems to be a cleaner design.

I do have the HyperLoc163 (38mm BT) and the Mini GPS in a coupler will not work. Will be following this thread to see how it can be done.

Marten (mbeels) built a sled/bay for a Eggfinder Mini in the nosecone of his LaserLoc 163. From that build thread: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...with-modifications.159420/page-4#post-2010212
Marten, this link didn't work and would like to read the thread..
 
I have the LaserLoc 223 and also want to put an Eggfinder in the nose. But have not yet formed a plan. I have flown it with the Mini GPS in a coupler tube tied to the shock cord. The 54mm BT is large enough for this but a nose mount seems to be a cleaner design.

I do have the HyperLoc163 (38mm BT) and the Mini GPS in a coupler will not work. Will be following this thread to see how it can be done.
What won't work about the mini in a coupler in the hyperloc 38? I figured if I cut the bottom of the nose cone off and added a bulk plate I could just use the sled I already have to let it sit inside the nose cone?
 
For my 38mm min dia rocket I don’t use a sled. I have some pink esd foam roughly cone shaped with a pocket I stuff the eggfinder into. Then stuff the foam into the nose cone. The cone is closed off with a bulkhead to keep everything in place. For some of my larger rockets I use pink esd bubble wrap packed around the tracker without any sled.
 
Specifically What I am looking for is figuring out how to mount an egg finder mini into a plastic (LOC) nosecone.

I have kitbashed some Estes Big Daddy's in the past, removing that terrible sloped shoulder and then 3d printed a bulkhead (just out of PLA) with a hole in the middle and mounted an egg timer apogee in that (via lab rat rocketry's 3d printed mounting kit). This worked ok, just curious if anyone has any better solutions?

I currently have my egg finger mini in the shock cord mount sled (from Lab Rat) and that is find for larger rockets. But my winter build is a laserloc 163 (planning to extend and add an ebay) and was hoping to figure out how to more elegantly add my egg finder mini into the nose cone (and if I can figure this out, was going to try and replicate on my hyperloc 300. I know this would be easier with fiberglass components, but I am trying to find a way to make this work with what I currently have.
MAC nose cone kit. Easy peezy, done
 
I made mine using a PVC slip joint extension tube. Use a centering ring to secure the tube to the nose cone using epoxy. This also has the advantage of the sled being portable between rockets as they use a 'universal' screw attachment (for the same diameter extension tube). Pictures show example and the sled has space for the Eggfinder Mini and a LiPo battery. IMG_6546.jpgIMG_6549.jpg
 

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I cut a hole in the base of the NC that's the OD of a 38mm or 54mm tube (or whatever size is convenient) and then glue the tube in and close it off with a cap. Plenty of space.
What do you use for a cap? Can't think of anything that would be both secure and easily removable. For mine, it would be on a 24mm tube.

Hans.
 
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