Queeg500's NARCON 2008 report

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Queeg500

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This is my report and I'm stickin to it. I only went Saturday the 15th and brought the my elementary school's rocket club. We had been planning on this event since November 07. Two kids told me they lost sleep the night before anticipating the event and at the return home today they said they were very glad they went! Thanks everyone!

The area we hit right away was the vendor arena which was quite a refreshing variety compared to the stale shelves at Hobby Lobby and WalMart. Sorry I didn't chat much with any sellers because I had to split my time between the tasty merchandise and controllng my baboons. I did buy Aerotech engines from BMS and some stuff from Jim Fils.
flisNarcon08.jpg

We made the make and take rocket seminar supervised by Andy. Looks like even LCMS Lutherans are occasionally involved with the latest trends. LOL!

starhawk.jpg


In between seminars the Narcon staff answered my kids questions about the rockets on display - "What"s Bert standing there for?" And the HPR fleet was interesting as well. Seemed to me the seminar that would grab my kids attention the most would be the MicroMaxx seminar by Chan Stevens.

chan.jpg


Chan delivered a flood of information and passed around all his MMX fleet for all to view - at least a dozen micro rockets and EVERY ONE was serious quality.

Sorry we had to leave early to make it to Oak Island so we missed the last half hour of the seminar. Conditions at Oak Island were reported Thursday as wet and muddy. Ok, well we arrived at 3pm and saw one flight from the highway. That proved to be the last because as we drove down the road to the launch area everyone was headed towards the exit. when the porta-potty drives past you know the launch has officially been shut down. Hmmm.... At the time that was a big disappointment because we did want to fly this club-built LOC Onyx on a G80:

onyxDone.jpg


I know the paperwork said the sport launch would last until 4pm but probabbly another hour in the 30 degree temps and the mucky conditions must have been the reason for the early close. no problem.

And actually the early close saved us tired legs and launch fees which is okay. headed west, my crew came up with the idea of flying our rockets at the local junior high school which has three paralell football fields.

This saved the day because we got in six launches. For free rockets, those little Starhawks are superb flyers! I even sent my Launchpad AIM-4 Falcon up on a D12-3. The kids were happy.

Sooo, I was pleased with NARCON 08 and hope NARCON comes back to Minnesota in 2009. I would suggest one or two more LPR seminars and those seminars early in the morning so that LPR vendors can get some sales. Vendors, people are interested in interesting items and that's why I bought from Jim Flis. I had a question about the sport launch I should have asked 2 weeks ago on TRF but I asked it Friday night at 7:30 and it was answered before I left today at 6:30am. VERY nice. Whatever the turnout numbers - I think they correlate directly to the number of people who already know more than a little of model rocketry. If we want the hobby and sport to grow, then more outreach needs to be done during the year. We need to grab attention and put model rocketry in front of kids.

That's what I pledge to do. My guys started planning fundraisers so that we would be able to stay at the hotel next year! Thanks again everyone!
 
Sorry to here you missed the launch. Yes, Everyone was cold and getting tired. Brrr = cold....Last year was BEAUTIFUL!!!! (43 and sunny!)

We fly every 4th Saturday pending wether in the summer. We would love to have all you guys come!!!

How many were there of you? Email me with your address so I can get you some info. I have pics too!
 
Does anyone know where it will be next year? I know it usually takes awhile before a section steps in to volunteer. I had attended a few years when it was in Kenosha and another time last year in Rochester. The WOOSH guys had it for 3 years so I was wondering if it will be in Rochester again next year?

I really missed not being able to go this year. I live in ILL and it was a nice drive last year and the weather really was nice the whole time.

Thanks for the photos. Anyone have any more, any videos??
 
Sorry to here you missed the launch. Yes, Everyone was cold and getting tired. Brrr = cold....Last year was BEAUTIFUL!!!! (43 and sunny!)

We fly every 4th Saturday pending wether in the summer. We would love to have all you guys come!!!

How many were there of you? Email me with your address so I can get you some info. I have pics too!

good to know! I'm sure I can persuade six flyers to make it.
 
Does anyone know where it will be next year? I know it usually takes awhile before a section steps in to volunteer. I had attended a few years when it was in Kenosha and another time last year in Rochester. The WOOSH guys had it for 3 years so I was wondering if it will be in Rochester again next year?

I really missed not being able to go this year. I live in ILL and it was a nice drive last year and the weather really was nice the whole time.

Thanks for the photos. Anyone have any more, any videos??

I saw a camcorder rolling during Chan's MMX seminar. Not mine.
 
Here is a shot of Vern and Gleda Estes autographing my EAC Viper.
I also got them to sign my Golden Scout, along with Carl, Sheryl, and Bruce from Semroc. A very good finish to my Saturday.

IMGP0279crg Gleda & Vern Autographing Viper.jpg
 
The featured speakers were Vern and Gleda Estes. Gleda read several excerpts from their forthcoming book "Dear Mr. Estes", and shared several interesting anecdotes about the early days of the company.

Later Vern shared a fan fiction story that he had found when Googling himself. At one point the villain in the story is attacked by Mabel, and Vern was cracking up so hard (along with the rest of the room) that he couldn't continue for almost two minutes.

I tried unsuccessfully to post a link to the story at www.worth1000.com. I found it by doing a Google search on ' "Vern Estes" ivanchenko'. Definitely worth a read for the "rocket nerds" in the audience.
 
Thanks for the report!

Sometime when you get a chance, could you tell me how the elementary club is working out--logistics, numbers, how you approach it etc (another thread is fine). I was mulling it over but wound up having to take chess club so that my son could continue playing but I'll be done here in a few weeks.

I don't know that I can make it work out due to the timing, but frankly I'm a little nervous to offer it--53 kids showed up for chess club--almost 25% of the eligible students. At least with rocketry I'd have a clue to what I was doing.
 
We enjoyed NARCON as well. I wanted to make the launch but it was a little cold and a ways to drive, besides I wanted to get in on some of the forums. I missed out on most of the MMX one:cry: I'm disappointed also that I didn't have anything for Gleda and Vern to sign. I hope I get a chance sometime in the future. Sure would like to see NARCON 09 in Minn. its close enough if I have to make a last minute decision whether I can make it or not.The kids got in on the make and take, and I won a door prize(discount coupon from Qmodeling), I have a couple things in mind for that;) Thanks to all the staff for putting on a great event.

Larry
 
Folks, if anyone wants NARCON to be [wherever] next year or any year in the future, your best bet is not to beg & plead on public forums such as this one, but either step up and volunteer to host one or coax a club nearby you to do same. I think the big "secrecy" if you will is because as of this moment, there are no official bids to host it.

Of the 3 national events, NARCON is by far the easiest to pull off, so let's see some clubs step up to the plate and host this puppy. If folks want to see it in MN again, then one of the MN clubs will need to do it. I think MASA has done a fine job these past two years, but after two straight years I'm sure they're due for a break.

One of Bunny's key town hall themes was a simple reminder that if you want to see something done, please consider stepping up and helping to make it happen rather than counting on the continued kindness of other overworked volunteers.

--Chan Stevens
 
I hadn't heard that MARS was probably done with it this year. It does seem to get easier as clubs get more experience with the details and a 3 year run would seem reasonable, yet no one wants to push any club into doing more than they'd like.

I've had a personal interest in doing a NARCON but our new club is too small right now. I used to be in the shopping center promotion business and spent many years coordinating large traffic building events for regional shopping malls.

The WOOSH guys had videotaped a lot of the presentations and made a DVD available after NARCON was over. I thought was a great idea and it makes for a good resource. I realize however that it also requires having more than a few camcorders to record concurrent sessions.

Vern had read from a draft of his book a few years ago when NARCON was in Kenosha. I wonder how much further along he is at this time. I remember his writing was excellent and used a very interesting conversational style.
 
I can't speak on behalf of the other NARCON 2008 staff members from *MASA* ;), but after two years of NARCON fun, I'm planning to "retire". :cool:

I hear that the NAR would like NARCON to get out to a coast for a while; it's been in the middle of the country for quite a few years now. This thread from last month may give you a hint:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=42908

Thanks for all the kind words about NARCON 2008. A big thanks to everyone who attended, all the vendors, all the presenters, and everybody who pitched in! It was an exhausting, but fun, weekend!

Alan
NARCON 2008 webmaster and presentation coordinator
 
Oops, sorry Ted. I meant MASA. Thanks for doing it guys.

This geographic distribution of the NAR events is obviously subject to which clubs volunteer to do things. I always thought it was nice when NARCON is held in the northern climates simply because the southern areas can still enjoy their launches when we're loaded with snow!

Does seem like the west coast hasn't hasn't had a lot of events in recent years. I went to the Capitol Cup competition in VA last year and it's in the same place this year along with the TARC finals and NARAM. That's a lot of events at one location and makes for expensive travel, especially for the west coasters (I'm in ILL myself.) And NSL it out east/southeast too?
 
I'm disappointed also that I didn't have anything for Gleda and Vern to sign. I hope I get a chance sometime in the future.

Larry

I was in the same boat. then realized that having them sign my program book would be best. got them to sign both their bio's then I got the MASA president to sign the table of contents, then got (almost) all the vendors to sign next to their ads or logos.

I wish I had thought of this when I went to my first NARCON and subsequent ones, I'd have Jay Apt, Matt Steele, and quite a few others.

I'll have to remember the net time NARCON comes close to my area again and do the same. shoudl have had the presenters all sign next to their seminar descriptions(maybe with emails for followup questions!)
 
ok, I should have said, that wasn't me. I sat second row front left and the camcorder was on the right side middle. one of those $150 USB cameras everyone is buying from Target. So is MASA going to produce a video?
 
Queeg500,
I sent you an e-mail. If you did not receive it, please check your spam filter.
 
I asked him to turn it off during both of my talks.


Hey, I remember that! Not sure who he was, but he'll be reliving NARCON in the months to come - he videoed everything I was at, except for Glen's talks.
 
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