Spot Trace

[eggplant]

Does anyone have experience with satellite-based asset trackers like these units? I have an Eggfinder and have used it successfully, but range results I have heard of people getting with the system makes me wonder if it would work in the case of a main-at-apogee on a high-flying MD project (think Black Rock). For someone who has the budget for the subscription like a university rocket team, it seems like it would be good for peace of mind if it functions as advertised. Has anyone used one to recover a rocket?

 

[jkovac]

I haven’t used one for rocketry but I have used them for high altitude balloon flights. They work great for that but a key point is the SpotTrace must be oriented in a specific direction after landing, with the logo facing toward the sky, to work well. That is fairly easy with a typical balloon payload in a cubical container. In a rocket, you’d have to build some sort of gimbal to keep the SpotTrace in the correct position. No way I can see to do that in a 54mm MD rocket, just not enough room.

On the other hand, Eggfinders are cheap and easy to use and work great in MD rockets. My personal highest flight with one is 18,645 but others have gone way higher than that with them. There was a recent thread about that.