Remote RF motor igniters

[Bill Morrison-Bates]

Hello from Wiltshire

Has anyone else here tried the remote ignition systems available online ?

I have now have two of them and to date haven't had any problems with either of 'em...apart from explaining to my grandson that I wasn't using black magic (hint...hiding the remote launch switch behind you back helps with this illusion !)

Any requests for more info please use my email

Bill

 

[PhilC]

I've never used a wireless system but have an open mind. Provided that the system has sufficient immunity to interference and misfires I can see no reason why it shouldn't be used. As a club chair I'd want to see some evidence

 

[prfesser]

Wireless for away cells is a good idea. ABSOLUTE SAFETY is the watchword(s), though. About 15(?) years ago LDRS was at the Jean Dry Lake bed. I was LCO for an away pad that held the Gates Bro's rocket, don't remember what it was, but it was a cluster of big'uns. What I *DO* remember is that their continuity box was on the bottom step of a ladder. One of those dust devils showed up, swarmed over the ladder, knocking it down. About one second later the rocket decided to go. I was paralyzed---WHAT DID I DO?? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! PANIC ATTACK!!!!

Thankfully the flight was nominal and my heart attack slid back down into my belly, awaiting a future venue

Best -- Terry

 

[Bill Morrison-Bates]

I've never used a wireless system but have an open mind. Provided that the system has sufficient immunity to interference and misfires I can see no reason why it shouldn't be used. As a club chair I'd want to see some evidence

I have been using this value for money system for a while now with Estes, Klima and the supplied ignitors all with equal success and as the remote signal is at 433.92 mhz, I can see no problems arising from the use of teens' life support systems ( aka Mobile phones)
I use 2.4ghz radio control equipment and I'm confident that the huge spacing between the frequencies will not cause any problems..,.add to that that fact that with this system, the receiver and transmitter are 'electronically bound' in that the receiver will only operate after receiving a signal from the previously 'bound transmitter a la 2.4ghz radio control equipment ... I rest my case M'luddite

 

[Bill Morrison-Bates]

Wireless for away cells is a good idea. ABSOLUTE SAFETY is the watchword(s), though. About 15(?) years ago LDRS was at the Jean Dry Lake bed. I was LCO for an away pad that held the Gates Bro's rocket, don't remember what it was, but it was a cluster of big'uns. What I *DO* remember is that their continuity box was on the bottom step of a ladder. One of those dust devils showed up, swarmed over the ladder, knocking it down. About one second later the rocket decided to go. I was paralyzed---WHAT DID I DO?? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! PANIC ATTACK!!!!

Thankfully the flight was nominal and my heart attack slid back down into my belly, awaiting a future venue

Best -- Terry

I have been using this value for money system for a while now with Estes, Klima and the supplied ignitors all with equal success and as the remote signal is at 433.92 mhz, I can see no problems arising from the use of teens' life support systems ( aka Mobile phones)
I use 2.4ghz radio control equipment and I'm confident that the huge spacing between the frequencies will not cause any problems..,.add to that that fact that with this system, the receiver and transmitter are 'electronically bound' in that the receiver will only operate after receiving a signal from the previously 'bound transmitter a la 2.4ghz radio control equipment ... I rest my case M'luddite

https://www.rfremotech.com/AlphaFire2BSeries.html

 

[PhilC]

I have been using this value for money system for a while now with Estes, Klima and the supplied ignitors all with equal success and as the remote signal is at 433.92 mhz, I can see no problems arising from the use of teens' life support systems ( aka Mobile phones)
I use 2.4ghz radio control equipment and I'm confident that the huge spacing between the frequencies will not cause any problems..,.add to that that fact that with this system, the receiver and transmitter are 'electronically bound' in that the receiver will only operate after receiving a signal from the previously 'bound transmitter a la 2.4ghz radio control equipment ... I rest my case M'luddite

Not a luddite, I'm afraid. I know that some people use Spektrum radio control gear to ignite their boost gliders. Spread Spectrum waveforms like the DSMX (Spektrum's implementation of DSSS) are very resistant to interference which makes them good for this type of application. Operating at 2.4 GHz, where there is a fair amount of low power activity, is generally not a problem because interfering signals are unlikely to fall in the same part of the band and should be demodulated as self noise.

I'm a little more cautious about the ISM portion of the 433 MHz band. There's a lot of badly made gear out there that could interfere with a launch system. Its also in an amateur radio band where much stronger signals could exist in the same area.

As I said earlier, I'm not against it per se but I would like to see evidence before using it at our club.

 

[aerostadt]

The Spectrum DX6e also has the option for setting up one of the levers as a safe/arming switch that needs to be activated in order to use the throttle.

 

[Bill Morrison-Bates]

Not a luddite, I'm afraid. I know that some people use Spektrum radio control gear to ignite their boost gliders. Spread Spectrum waveforms like the DSMX (Spektrum's implementation of DSSS) are very resistant to interference which makes them good for this type of application. Operating at 2.4 GHz, where there is a fair amount of low power activity, is generally not a problem because interfering signals are unlikely to fall in the same part of the band and should be demodulated as self noise.

I'm a little more cautious about the ISM portion of the 433 MHz band. There's a lot of badly made gear out there that could interfere with a launch system. Its also in an amateur radio band where much stronger signals could exist in the same area.

As I said earlier, I'm not against it per se but I would like to see evidence before using it at our club.

Que sera sera.....horses for courses I guess, and if they can't afford Futaba they have to settle for something

 

[PhilC]

The Spectrum DX6e also has the option for setting up one of the levers as a safe/arming switch that needs to be activated in order to use the throttle.

Interesting. I use a 6E and hadn't noticed that. I must read the manual one day!

 

[Bill Morrison-Bates]

Interesting. I use a 6E and hadn't noticed that. I must read the manual one day!

And my T18MZ has the extra sugar option

 

[Bill Morrison-Bates]

And my T18MZ has the extra sugar option not forgetting the milk frother

 

[StuartL_UK]

I guess the big question is: How well does the RF system protect against accidental/unauthorised launches? Are the communications secure against accidental triggering? Is the launch controller cryptographically authenticated or will any 433MHz garage door opener set it off? RC systems (e.g. the 2.4GHz spread spectrum systems from a variety of manufacturers) have this built in but I'd be a little anxious about trusting a cheap 433MHz system which is probably based on the cheap ubiquitous remote systems for cars and garage doors, well known for being unreliable at the best of times.