Rocket gods Semi-Hungry

[nomopbo]

Well,
Went flying today. I decided to fly the Astro-Cam and get some shots while the snow is still around. Then I was going to get the film developed. It had pictures from the summer too.

Well...
In true Astro-Cam fashion, I had a separation. I had the rocket angled due to the wind, and it separated pretty far away from me, and the nose cone burried itself in the snow. I looked for a good while, then decided not to waste a decent day to fly on looking for something I was never going to find.

I don't think I need to go into the Astro-Cam's faults. I was looking forward to getting something back from the rocket though. I have learned some things from the Astro-Cam. One of which is that there is a better way to get pictures from your rocket. I will persue the better way rather than another Astro-Cam I think.

Dont mean to offend Fans of the Astro-Cam. Just my personal running bad luck with that particular rocket.

Got a little Estes X-Ray stuck in a tree but was able to recover it.

All in all is wasn't a bad day, but when I start off loosing stuff, I don't push my luck.

 

[bsexton]

I almost never leave a launch without sacraficing at least one rocket to the "tree gods"...

 

[Fore Check]

I haven't flat out lost a rocket to the tree monsters since becoming a BAR - but I have placed sacrifices through failed recoveries and significant impact damage......

 

[eugenefl]

nomopbo,

Dude, I totally feel for you man! The *only* 24mm Advantix camera pod that I've ever owned got hung up in a tree over a swamp. A month or two later I lost my Intel DMC camera AND autographed 24mm upscale Deuce's Wild! rocket when they both landed in a pond. I don't know of anyone else that could sympathize with you more. I tell ya what, if I could make a deal with the rocket gods, I would have asked them to keep the rockets and cameras but return to me the footage and film!

Don't give up. Estes just rereleased the Astrocam in a rocket called the SnapShot RTF. I say try it again. This time mount some Kevlar instead of elastic and snap away.

Good luck man...don't give up!

 

[xxxREKxxx]

It must have been the day for it. I sent a Caution! Rocket Launch in Progress up first thing this morning and all went fine. Later I flew a CD spool which cracked on the snow crust. No surprize there. Later still one of my co-workers wanted to se the C!RLIP go again Soooo! I figure this would be a chance to try an experiment. Seems that way down deep in my range box is a tube of old Estes A83s. I got them in the mail when I was a kid. The post mark was August 16, 1967, my 11th birthday. Aw what the heck. It flew perfectly. Then I felt like Paul over there in the UK, Deploy the chute you Bast..... only I finished the swear as it augered in at terminal velocity. I hope to post pics of the carnage tomorrow. Anyway it's a great paper rocket and a good excuse to build a hundred more.
Bob

 

[nomopbo]

eugenefl,
Thanks for the encouragment! It just takes some wind out of the sails. I will try again. I really want a shot of my property.

We have these guys that fly over in one of those "Power Chutes". (I have to keep an eye out for them when launching)Maybe I should get them to take a shot! LOL

 

[PGerringer]

Nomo,
What happened during the separation? I've been thinking about one of these rockets but I would expect to toss the shock cord and chute. Put a bit of kevlar and a nylon chute. Then some kind of tracking so you can load it up with an 24mm F reloadable and get some serious height.

BTW: Does your name mean NO MOre PBO? As in you got out of the service?

 

[nomopbo]

PGerringer,
I had my astrocam shredded on a previous launch. The thing about the rocket is that it has to be in a nose dive to take the picture. So when everything deploys, the rocket has enough speed going to do things like...oh I don't know.... RIP THE CHUTE OFF!

After several minor repairs, I replaced the shock cord with Kevlar, but what I did was attach the nose cone to the kevlar with the elastic. Now... the reason I did that was
A) The kevlar was long enough that the elastic would be safe.
B) The nose cone is pretty heavy, I wanted the elastic to reduce things like Estes dents, zippers, and the like. It's just such a heavy nose.

Well, when it ejected in a nose dive, the weight of the nose just snapped the elastic with the force of the ejection behind it, and the sudden slow down of the body tube when the chute deployed. It's just too many forces in opposite directions. Like I said before... got to be a better way.

I found a link for a modified Astrocam with a rear facing camera. This would enable the rocket to eject properly at apogee, take a picture, and not tear it to pieces.
Here is the link.
https://straylight.dhs.org/rocket/rap3a.shtml

NoMoPBO is exactly what you are thinking, (career related, only not for the Service)

 

[rokitflite]

A rearward facing astrocam is definately the way to go!!! I've been flying these things since they came out in 1979. All but one I converted to take a rearward photo. I also would recover the cameras on streamers. I used a 20 foot length of red, white & blue streamer material from a party store. The only problem I had was the way I had the streamer attached. When the camera hit the ground it would pop the shutter open again. At first I could not figure out why all of my pictures looked so washed out, until I realized it was taking a second picture of the sky when it hit. Funny thing is on that whole roll of film only one picture did not have that happen because I caught it... And that picture made it into the Estes catalog! Since then I attaced the shock cord to the top of the nose cone and had no problems.

https://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes87/87est28.html

 

[nomopbo]

A rearward facing astrocam is definately the way to go!!!

It's just too bad it cost 35 Bucks to figure that out.
Sort of same type disappointment like when your hamburger doesn't look anything like the one in the picture.

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by nomopbo
It's just too bad it cost 35 Bucks to figure that out.
Sort of same type disappointment like when your hamburger doesn't look anything like the one in the picture.

Have some fun on your next trip to McD or BK...

Point to the picture of *whatever* burger and say "I'll have one of these"...

when it arrives, unwrap it, hold it up to the picture and say "nope, that's not what I ordered... I ordered one of THESE (pointing to the picture again)" and just stare at them...

my bad...

 

[nomopbo]

Jim,
I noticed the 35mm Astrocams on your site.
https://www.jflis.com/hobbies/rocketry/photos_misc.htm
Are they Rear facing cams?

 

[rokitflite]

Jim,
You have WAY too much time on your hands, remind me never to get in line behind you at McDonalds!!! I may get hit by some of the special sauce when they end up throwing the food at you!!! And just a note to keep the thread going... It really sucks that Estes does not sell JUST the Astrocam separatlely!!!

 

[xxxREKxxx]

Originally posted by rokitflite
It really sucks that Estes does not sell JUST the Astrocam separatlely!!!

Isn't that how they used to sell the old Camroc?
I was in Wally World today and I almost bought a AstroCam but then i remebered these posts and thought ,"Heck I'll just borrow my buddy's. He doesn't like it that much anyway."

Way, Way OT The new Epping Walmart has a McD's right in it and you can order your value meal right at the cash register and pick it up on the way out. Jim, you could stall the whole store with that set up
Bob

 

[Initiator001]

Originally posted by rokitflite
A rearward facing astrocam is definately the way to go!!! I've been flying these things since they came out in 1979. All but one I converted to take a rearward photo. I also would recover the cameras on streamers. I used a 20 foot length of red, white & blue streamer material from a party store. The only problem I had was the way I had the streamer attached. When the camera hit the ground it would pop the shutter open again. At first I could not figure out why all of my pictures looked so washed out, until I realized it was taking a second picture of the sky when it hit. Funny thing is on that whole roll of film only one picture did not have that happen because I caught it... And that picture made it into the Estes catalog! Since then I attaced the shock cord to the top of the nose cone and had no problems.

https://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes87/87est28.html

Hey!

I recognize that black Daytona in the picture!

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by nomopbo
Jim,
I noticed the 35mm Astrocams on your site.
https://www.jflis.com/hobbies/rocketry/photos_misc.htm
Are they Rear facing cams?

You're one of the *few* people who have noticed that rocket

Notice also the upscale Port-a-Pad it is sitting on. Also in the picture are the maxi-grissom (one of the *early* ones), maxi mars snooper, maxi CamRoc with working Delta booster and 35mm cam, maxi scout and maxi orbital transport

both of the camera rockets worked in the exact same manner as their kit counterparts. they weren't real serious camera rockets, more of a serious up-scale, so I kept them true to form.

That picture was take at a Pearl River MODROC convention in the late 80's, early 90's...

jim

 

[nomopbo]

Beautiful day in Northern Va today!
I tried to do some painting, but the wind wouldn't work with me.
I decided to do some flying.
1st flight, Sacrifice one unpainted "Sizzler" to the Rocket gods (on a neighbors roof).
Later, Sacrifice daughters "Wiggle Rocket" (I lost it in the sun and never saw it again) I will probably come across it. It's hot pink for gosh sakes.

Now the good news. Another rocket landed in the neighbors yard. My dogs followed me and I had to chase them back home. Low and behold, I ran right up on my Astrocam nose cone!!!

Lost 2 to get one back. Now I can atleast see if I got any decent shots, and I will be rebuilding it to work rear facing for the future.

 

[PWALPOCO]

I think your sacrifice was in order to repay the Gods for our good weather window we had last weekend. Even that cost us a BT , seems the Gods wanted more !!

Why do thee smite us Lord !! Whyyyyyyyyyyyy !!

Paul

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by PWALPOCO


Why do thee smite us Lord !! Whyyyyyyyyyyyy !!

Paul

just because....

https://www.holyjoe.org/wallpaper/smite.jpg

 

[PWALPOCO]

Well well well , I kinda figured it would be something like that !

Fortunately on the other side of the keyboard theres going to be a nice button.

Paul

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by jflis
Have some fun on your next trip to McD or BK...

Point to the picture of *whatever* burger and say "I'll have one of these"...

when it arrives, unwrap it, hold it up to the picture and say "nope, that's not what I ordered... I ordered one of THESE (pointing to the picture again)" and just stare at them...

I have always wanted to do that...... I just couldn't keep a straight face while saying it to the cashier.......