Non-HAM Tracker

[thom9894]

After wasting a ridiculous amount of time recovering my 2nd HPR flight, I need to invest in tracking. Currently flying to around only 2500' AGL in Argonia. Once I get my L2 I may throw a long-burn J in Norad Pro and go to 7500', or Rocksim tells me my Nike-Zeus can hit 10k with a long-burn K.

Not interested in a radio technician test. Also don't know how to solder. Seems like my two options become Featherweight GPS or a Marco Polo. Unfortunately I don't have an iPhone, so that complicates Featherweight (unless an iPad can run it?).

Thoughts, comments, advice? Thanks!

 

[mbeels]

I've not tried it myself, but I've heard great things about Marco Polo. I'd be curious to try it some time.

 

[seth_cooper]

Big Red Bee

 

[Titan II]

Missile Works

 

[cerving]

You don't necessarily need to know how to solder to get an Eggfinder... there are people out there that have made a cottage industry out of assembling them. PM me if you're interested.

 

[thom9894]

Big Red Bee

I assume you mean the BRB900? Why that over the others?

 

[afadeev]

I need to invest in tracking. [...]
Not interested in a radio technician test. Also don't know how to solder. Seems like my two options become Featherweight GPS or a Marco Polo. Unfortunately I don't have an iPhone, so that complicates Featherweight (unless an iPad can run it?).

You didn't specify the budget, thus in the descending order of $$$:
- MultiTronics: https://www.multitronix.com/
- Telemetrum: https://altusmetrum.org/index.html
- MissileWorks: https://www.missileworks.com/

 

[seth_cooper]

I assume you mean the BRB900? Why that over the others?

Yes the brb900

I have the missile works RTx/GPS, T3, brb900 and an old fashioned Walston Rf tracker. The brb900 gets used most often.

It's a simple stand alone system. Small. Good battery life. Good range. Plug the coordinates into any GPS map app and walk to your rocket.

It resilient enough that I wrap it in bubble wrap and stuff it in any sealed section of the rocket.

There isn't a bad GPS tracker except no GPS tracker. Some systems are Apple or Android specific.

 

[Buckeye]

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/the-true-cost-of-gps-systems.164983/post-2111614

 

[Rocketjunkie]

LL Electronics. Main market is falconry. Tiny RDF transmitters and hand held receivers and antennas. Uses ISM band, no license necessary.

 

[Handeman]

Walston no longer sells or repairs his transmitters and receivers due to poor health. All the Walston RDF equipment was made by https://wildlifematerials.com/ They still sell the transmitters, receivers, and antennas.