Moving chutes, electronics and batteries

[rocketcharlie]

I'm wondering about something.

At launches it seems as though other participants are able to fly more rockets than I am. Do you keep seperate altimeters, batteries and parachutes in each rocket? I move these from one rocket to another to keep the cost down.

Just wondering-

Charlie

 

[tim cubbedge]

I might move a chute from 1 rocket to the next but I have enough altimeters/electronics for every rocket I take to launch.

 

[heada]

I used to have just 2 or 3 altimeters and moved them between rockets. This was due to the cost of each altimeter. With Eggtimer devices being so cheap, I now buy 1 per av-bay and no longer move them around. This saves significant time. Now I charge the batteries the few days before a launch and then day of launch, I just verify electronics, verify parachutes, load the motor and go. Prep went from 1 to 2 hours per rocket to 15 to 20 minutes per rocket.

 

[mrwalsh85]

Most of my existing rockets have their own electronics. I also have a fair amount of chutes so most rockets have their own. If they don't already have a chute, I buy one or just share between rockets. So I do a little bit of everything.

 

[rharshberger]

Generally I have electronics and chutes for each rocket, however here lately I have started using universal bays in 3", 4", and BT80, so its easy to move the whole bay from one rocket of a given diameter to another rocket of the same diameter.

 

[TimothyG]

I started off moving stuff and gave up on it after 2 years. Eventually, your interests will change enough that you'll have a variety of things to fly which cannot fly on the same chute or av bay.

 

[mrwalsh85]

Additionally, I'm starting to get tired of wasting 3 hours prepping a rocket at the field. I'm learning the value of prepping at home. BP is cheap, so I'll load 'em early ahead of time... Motors, not so much. I'd be OK with prepping a motor at the field (I can do an M1315 in 10 mins), but not so much fiddly BP charges.

 

[afadeev]

At launches it seems as though other participants are able to fly more rockets than I am. Do you keep seperate altimeters, batteries and parachutes in each rocket? I move these from one rocket to another to keep the cost down.

Just wondering-

I move equipment between rockets (chutes, altimeters/ebay components, RMS motors, etc), but usually only at home.
Things are frequently hectic at the field (setup time, talking to others, waiting for your turn, etc.), and flight time is in short supply. Thus I aim to fully prepare HP rockets at home, and am only ignitor installation away from flying. Unless I forget something.

For LP/MP rockets with disposable motors, motors get installed at the launch site, but everything else is ready-to-fly before rockets go in the car the night before the event.

YMMV,
a

 

[teepot]

I used to have a chute for every rocket until one day I realized I had $500 worth of chutes hanging from my garage ceiling. Now I have a chute in just about every size from 15" to 96" and move them around. I have av bays in 2.6", 3" and 4" and move them around. I prep charges at home and then wire them up at the launch. I do the motor prep at the launch.

 

[rocketcharlie]

OP here. You guys have sealed it for me, I'm going to invest in more electronics and chutes and hopefully fly more. Ideally, I would just hookup an already prepared ejection charge(s), put an igniter in it while its vertical on the pad and let her rip.

Thanks All,

Charlie

 

[nmartin]

I also acquired enough chutes and electronics over the years. Having extra pays off because I get mode launches per day.

 

[Kelly]

I'm still waiting for GPS trackers to come down to $15 before I can quit swapping electronics.

 

[heada]

Eggfinder TX is $70 and mini is $75. The number of rockets that I fly high enough that I'd be at risk of losing, I'd have much more invested in motor case alone to make it worth it. If you use a Eggtimer TRS, that is 2 event flight computer with GPS tracking built-in for $90. My first Perfectflight MAWD was more than $90 and only did 2 event deployment.

Gone are the days of no options for less than $250 for decent electronics. $500 kit, $300 motor case, $250 reload, pair of $100 parachutes.....and the dual deploy electronics with GPS with remote config and arming for $90. Cheapest item of the flight.

 

[Rocketclar]

I, too, have modular ebays that I can move between rockets. I've accumulated a bunch of chutes over the years so I move those around as needed. In fact, with one of my 'standardized' ebays (for 3.9"), just last Sat I launched one fin can from one rocket, an upper AF from another with the ebay that has been used with several other rockets. It was the "first" flight of that combination of components and worked well. I keep a spreadsheet of my ground tests so I just looked at that to pick the size of charges I needed for each piece. I have a 3.9" NC with an Eggfinder that I move between a number of rockets. I try to do as much prep at home before the launch to max flights and minimize distractions. One time a person was asking me lots of questions as I was preparing for a K flight and in the distraction, I forgot to D-link attach the NC which fell on it's own at main deployment. Fortunately, my on-board video happened to catch where it fell so I was able to find it!

 

[Handeman]

I prep everything but the motor the night before. The deployment will work the same no matter how high I fly. I wait until I'm at the field for the motor so I can "fly the field". The motor I intend to fly is seldom the one I actually use. i.e. the last launch I intended to fly a AT J350W, but prepped a J415W instead, and then after watching a L3 that deployed at apogee, ended up using a Pro54 K1200 WT. It works the other way many times too, I end up with smaller motors than I planned.