The Eggtimer Apogee - A Very Simple Apogee-Deployment Altimeter

[cerving]

Eggtimer Rocketry is proud to announce the Eggtimer Apogee, the easiest and least expensive deployment altimeter on the market. In a tiny 1.75” x .9” package that fits into a 24mm motor mount, the Apogee deploys your parachute at apogee and beeps out your altitude, with no programming of any kind. It has a built-in NAR/TRA-approved screw switch, and an on-board JST-PH battery connector for small 1S LiPo batteries. It’s the ideal companion for a Jolly Logic Chute Release™ because it does the things that the JLCR cannot… get the parachute out and tell you how high you went.

Like other Eggtimer Rocketry products, it’s sold as a kit… you put it together, just like your rockets. It’s the easiest-building kit that we sell, with almost all through-hole parts… easy enough for a beginner.

Also available is a special 3D-printed Easy Mount for the Eggtimer Apogee (designed by Chris Bender of Lab Rat Rocketry), it makes it a snap to install an Apogee into most 38mm or larger nose cones. It can be easily interchanged from one rocket to another, and includes a built-in charge well and terminal screws. It’s designed to use a tiny 110 mAH 1S LiPo battery, which Eggtimer Rocketry will also be sourcing.

The Eggtimer Apogee is available now, for the special introductory price of $12 (it lists for $15), until October 18th. The 110 mAH 1S battery is $5... it MUST be purchsed with an Eggtimer Apogee (due to shipping regulations I can't ship them separately without serious hassles). The Easy Mount will be available in a few weeks... price TBD, but it will be competitive with similar 3D-printed mounts on the market.

As usual, thanks for all your support!

Cris Erving, Eggtimer Rocketry

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

HOE.
LEE.
COW.
Do you realize how many rockets I build that use apogee deployment only? Just recently got some resistors in to fool the main channel on my Quarks. And also just got a pancake bay designed and printed that accommodate said Quarks. This would have saved me some headache for sure.

Curious..why through-hole and not SMD to make it even smaller? Just wondering. An surface mount LED in place of the buzzer for altitude and that thing could be teeniny! Ordering some now.

 

[cerving]

The Apogee is designed to be used by people who have never done electronic deployments before, and who may not have the same soldering skills that many of our other customers possess. That's why we made it with almost all through-hole parts... the sole exception is one 22 uF 1206 capacitor. It's also designed to be used often with a Jolly Logic Chute release, which pretty much requires at least a 38mm body tube, so making it smaller doesn't really make much of a difference.

 

[Voyager1]

Well done Cris! I hope you've stocked up for this because it will be popular.

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

The Apogee is designed to be used by people who have never done electronic deployments before, and who may not have the same soldering skills that many of our other customers possess. That's why we made it with almost all through-hole parts... the sole exception is one 22 uF 1206 capacitor. It's also designed to be used often with a Jolly Logic Chute release, which pretty much requires at least a 38mm body tube, so making it smaller doesn't really make much of a difference.

Gotcha.
Just sent you another email concerning my invoice.

 

[SeanW78]

Looking on the website and can't find the Apogee.

 

[cerving]

It will be posted by the time I go to bed tonight.

 

[n27sb]

I will take 2. Email sent

 

[OverTheTop]

Nice product. Thanks .

Email sent.

 

[ether]

can you post the drill hole template

looks great

 

[cerving]

can you post the drill hole template

looks great

I was wondering how long that would take... yes, give it a day.

 

[ether]

Thanks, did you consider a different name?

How about climax - "the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex."

Would drive sales

 

[o1d_dude]

Put me down for two Apogees and two batteries. I need at least one to use and the spare one may serve as a parts unit if my soldering skills let me down and I burn up a board or component. On the plus side, I might get two functional devices out the deal.

Email already sent.

Have a LaserLOC 163 that will exceed the motor delay.

 

[ghostfather]

Just ordered a few to try out. Thanks.

 

[RobertH3]

+10,000 on no SMT - discrete components open up the electronics hobby to people w/o frustration and a higher equipment investment. It's actually fun while at least to this 37 year tech, SMT is doable but unnecessary pain. Leave it to machine assembly : )

Good job.

Cheers / Robert

 

[markg]

This looks like a great device as a backup to motor deploy. Very cool!

 

[cerving]

This looks like a great device as a backup to motor deploy. Very cool!

Actually, motor deploy is better as the backup... drill it a few seconds past your expected apogee. Even then, there's a 20% allowable tolerance for the delay, so it could still pop early. I've seen it many times...

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

Nice. I already have another Eggtimer, but the low cost and the THT parts means I'll pick one of these up.

 

[James Darnell]

I want one or 2 lol

 

[Zbench]

PM sent for a couple with batteries.

 

[Kelly]

Love the on-board switch, I've been hoping someone would do that.

What is the serial port for?

 

[PayLoad]

Curiosity only - why in kit form?

 

[SecondRow]

I’ll be ordering 2 or 3. Will the Easy Mount be available on the EggFinder website or Lab Rat?

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

Curiosity only - why in kit form?

That's how they do all their products; it saves in production costs.

 

[Kelly]

Cris/Eggtimer release all their products in kit form - it's a great way to keep the price down, and also to allow people an opportunity to get a more 'hands-on' experience - which is what rocketry is about, for some. All of the kits are rated as far as difficulty goes (so you know what you're getting into), and a simple kit like this (just a handful of parts, mostly through-hole) could be tackled by anyone with an inexpensive solder iron and a few minutes of practice.
If you're not up for the assembly, there are people (including TRF subscribers) who will take delivery from Cris and send you an assembled kit, for a few extra $$.

 

[neil_w]

Cris/Eggtimer release all their products in kit form - it's a great way to keep the price down, and also to allow people an opportunity to get a more 'hands-on' experience - which is what rocketry is about, for some. All of the kits are rated as far as difficulty goes (so you know what you're getting into), and a simple kit like this (just a handful of parts, mostly through-hole) could be tackled by anyone with an inexpensive solder iron and a few minutes of practice.

Also soldering is fun.

 

[KilroySmith]

I love the feeling I get after an hour or two of breathing in flux and lead fumes...uhh...Man, I had a thought here somewherr...

True story: A company I was working at here in Arizona got bought by a Silicon Valley company, and (mostly) moved there. One of our marketing guys was building demo units in a "lab" he had set up (a soldering iron, magnifying glass, and table top in an unused office). A state inspector came through and was horrified to see that he was using leaded solder. They put police tape across the doorway, sealed up the room with plastic, and the company spent almost a month doing lead mitigation and toxic waste cleaning of the office. Unthinkable to me as a long time electronics hobbyist...

 

[ether]

Is there a built in delay after sensing apogee? how does it handle situations in which the rocket weathercocks and has a fast horizontal speed at apogee

 

[Zbench]

Kilroy,

That is nonsensical. The only way there would be lead "fumes" is if the lead were to boil. Lead boils at over 3000 F which is impossible to attain with a soldering iron. The only toxicity comes if you lick your fingers while handling it or handle it or eat food after handling it.

 

[NateB]

I just sent an email for the Apogee kit. It will be perfect to mount in the nosecone of my 3" Excel.