The Ultimate - Tracker

[PayLoad]

...would have 2 pieces, one went in the rocket, one could dongle to a pad/laptop, and it would just immediately show position on Google Map, and show you how to walk there

 

[PayLoad]

And it would have no instructions. Software comes up on your laptop that is just too simple to screw up

 

[watheyak]

So the AimXTRA is for sale?

 

[PayLoad]

I own one of those

 

[watheyak]

I know. I figured this thread was born out of you deciding the AIM wasn’t ultimate.

 

[Hobie1dog]

somebody's working on that really hard right now and they're almost there.

 

[MidOH]

He makes a good point though.

New software needs to be plug and play, installed and operating in less than a couple minutes. Not download new drivers, enter a secret code, or sign up for a weird forum somewhere (Fordscan, I'm looking at you).

This is a hobby. I haven't the patience to deal with software bugs like I'm forced to at work.

Standalone on a memory stick type device with an antennae. I ran into this at work a while ago. Had to use a huge dongle plugged into my USB port to setup a PLC. But had no software. Was supposed to be downloaded. But I was at a cell tower in BFE that was shredded by bigfoot. Had to travel to get the next towers signal. What a PITA. There's no reason that the giant dongle I used couldn't have a flash memory stick in it with the software ready to rock.

Im going to pickup a Marco Polo system soon. Since it is a completely stand alone product. Works by itself, not linked to my damn phone.

 

[PayLoad]

He makes a good point though.

New software needs to be plug and play, installed and operating in less than a couple minutes. Not download new drivers, enter a secret code, or sign up for a weird forum somewhere (Fordscan, I'm looking at you).

This is a hobby. I haven't the patience to deal with software bugs like I'm forced to at work.

Standalone on a memory stick type device with an antennae.

Im going to pickup a Marco Polo system soon. Since it is a completely stand alone product. Works by itself, not linked to my damn phone.

You - Get it

 

[watheyak]

Marco Polo sounded pretty neat until user reports came back that it couldn’t actually find rockets.

Edit- I was looking for the thread to back up my statement. I guess it works great for most flights. I stand corrected. Extreme flights that land far away, perhaps not the best solution.

 

[BDB]

IMHO, Featherweight is the closest to the OP's ideal. Instead of a dongle, it connects via bluetooth, and you follow the arrows on the phone to guide you to the rocket. It doesn't export directly to Google Maps--I agree; that would be really cool.. Though the arrow and distance measurements on the phone seem to work pretty well.

 

[mbeels]

Marco Polo sounded pretty neat until user reports came back that it couldn’t actually find rockets.

What was the issue? I thought it sounded pretty promising.

 

[watheyak]

IMHO, Featherweight is the closest to the OP's ideal. Instead of a dongle, it connects via bluetooth, and you follow the arrows on the phone to guide you to the rocket. It doesn't export directly to Google Maps--I agree; that would be really cool.. Though the arrow and distance measurements on the phone seem to work pretty well.

I totally agree. It’s about as plug and play as installing an app on your phone. And I’d much rather be “tied to my damn phone” (you’re gonna have it with you anyway, right?) than tied to a massive and hard to read laptop needed to support a USB dongle.

 

[watheyak]

What was the issue? I thought it sounded pretty promising.

My understanding is that it's essentially a 900mhz direction finder. The issue for others was that if it flies and lands out of site, you have no idea which direction to start walking, so you can never get back in range of the tracker. Which to me entirely defeats the purpose.

On the other hand, the Featherweight (and most other GPS trackers for that matter) tells you where the rocket it the entire flight. When it lands you have an arrow or pointing you right at the rocket at all times. You can share the lat/lang with others that are helping you retrieve, or put the position into other GPS apps such as Gaia or Google maps. And it's 90% ready to rock, as Payload was asking for. Except rather than plug in a dongle, you're installing an app. It does need an iphone, but not service. You can buy a old used iPhone for cheaper than you can most other manufactures handhelds. It's also way more practical than a laptop out at the flight line.

 

[MidOH]

Marco Polo sounded pretty neat until user reports came back that it couldn’t actually find rockets.

Edit- I was looking for the thread to back up my statement. I guess it works great for most flights. I stand corrected. Extreme flights that land far away, perhaps not the best solution.

I can handle that. I dont mind searching a bit to pick up a signal on rare occasions.

 

[Kelly]

...would have 2 pieces, one went in the rocket, one could dongle to a pad/laptop, and it would just immediately show position on Google Map, and show you how to walk there

And it would cost less than $50.
I worry about losing rockets, so I put electronics in to be able to find them, but then the electronics end up costing more than the rocket, and now I find myself worrying more about getting the electronics back in one piece than the rocket itself.

 

[DaHabes]

He makes a good point though.

New software needs to be plug and play, installed and operating in less than a couple minutes. Not download new drivers, enter a secret code, or sign up for a weird forum somewhere (Fordscan, I'm looking at you).

This is a hobby. I haven't the patience to deal with software bugs like I'm forced to at work.

Standalone on a memory stick type device with an antennae. I ran into this at work a while ago. Had to use a huge dongle plugged into my USB port to setup a PLC. But had no software. Was supposed to be downloaded. But I was at a cell tower in BFE that was shredded by bigfoot. Had to travel to get the next towers signal. What a PITA. There's no reason that the giant dongle I used couldn't have a flash memory stick in it with the software ready to rock.

Im going to pickup a Marco Polo system soon. Since it is a completely stand alone product. Works by itself, not linked to my damn phone.

My main issue with Marco Polo is that it's range is limited to 2 miles. I've seen upper level winds at 10,000' that can be 50+ MPH. A rocket can can pretty far pretty fast in those conditions, even if surface winds are launchable.

 

[DaHabes]

And it would cost less than $50.

When pigs fly...

 

[grouch]

Marco Polo sounded pretty neat until user reports came back that it couldn’t actually find rockets.

Edit- I was looking for the thread to back up my statement. I guess it works great for most flights. I stand corrected. Extreme flights that land far away, perhaps not the best solution.

You know...an awesome RDF would be just the ticket!

 

[DaHabes]

I totally agree. It’s about as plug and play as installing an app on your phone. And I’d much rather be “tied to my damn phone” (you’re gonna have it with you anyway, right?) than tied to a massive and hard to read laptop needed to support a USB dongle.

I also agree. I just purchased a Featherweight, waiting for it to show up. I intend to use it on the high altitude stuff eventually.

I also recently built an Eggfinder Mini for the lower altitude (but still out-of-sight) stuff. I put the receiver and battery in a small utility box. It too connects to the phone via bluetooth. The Rocket Locator app points directly to where the rocket is, overlayed on top of the Google Maps satellite view. As good as it gets.

 

[watheyak]

You know...an awesome RDF would be just the ticket!

Right? No app, no nuthin. Just your pride on the line.

But you have to twist a knob, tune a frequency. Sounds too complicated for the indolent lay-abouts who who don't even want to install software.

Not to mention it's not even available for android. Jerks.

 

[drgarymartinez]

I have used the featherweight gps system and found it to work perfectly for HPRs. I found that vendors tend to knock it because they can’t sell it. I even bought a second gps transmitter, should the first one “get hidden.” Will launch it up in a second HPR to piggy back to the receiver.

 

[iowa]

I also agree. I just purchased a Featherweight, waiting for it to show up. I intend to use it on the high altitude stuff eventually.

I also recently built an Eggfinder Mini for the lower altitude (but still out-of-sight) stuff. I put the receiver and battery in a small utility box. It too connects to the phone via bluetooth. The Rocket Locator app points directly to where the rocket is, overlayed on top of the Google Maps satellite view. As good as it gets.

It looks like the Eggfinder Mini doesn't have data logging due to its size, are you able to get a consistent signal during the entire flight to determine its max altitude? I've been looking at the eggfinder and also considering the 'Featherweight', in addition to the real time tracking the featherweight has on board data logging. I'm interested in your thoughts on using the two once you've tried your Featherweight tracker.

 

[Zman1961]

Like everything in our hobby, there are many solutions. I am considering the Marco Polo after reading several threads about it in TRF. I like not being dependent on marrying several differnt technologies from varying sources, which can change in unexpected ways. The biggest weakness I see is if you lose the signal and have no idea what direction to look. If the chute didn't deploy it would be worse since the prevailing winds would not be much help. I am assuming that a person would be making observations about where other people's rockets have been drifting, in order to understand the wind far above ground level. That would at least point you in the correct direction, and should help as long as there is some access/roads to the landing zone.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Needs to fit in a 5/8" ID tube. The LL Electronics trackers fit. But then you've added $150 to a $10 rocket. Full F23-10. If it ends up in a tree

 

[drgarymartinez]

It looks like the Eggfinder Mini doesn't have data logging due to its size, are you able to get a consistent signal during the entire flight to determine its max altitude? I've been looking at the eggfinder and also considering the 'Featherweight', in addition to the real time tracking the featherweight has on board data logging. I'm interested in your thoughts on using the two once you've tried your Featherweight tracker.

the featherweight reported altitude verbally which was really cool.

 

[iowa]

I agree, a very nice feature. Have you had any issues with your featherweight?

 

[Crazyrocket]

I sold my MissileWorks RTx/GPS navigation system so I could get a featherweight GPS system. I love the altitude callout and its ability to record the flight data. Flown it several times without any issues. Great product!

 

[drgarymartinez]

As of this date, I have had no issues at all.

 

[Buckeye]

...would have 2 pieces, one went in the rocket, one could dongle to a pad/laptop, and it would just immediately show position on Google Map, and show you how to walk there

And it would have no instructions. Software comes up on your laptop that is just too simple to screw up

Weren't you raving about the AIM Xtra and how simple it was? What changed your tune?

Given all the tracker options these days, I surprised that people can't find one that meets their needs. I have 3 different flavors - BRB900, T3, and Featherweight. They all work, with varying levels of features. The computer interfaces are not hard. We are all rocket scientists, right?

On the other hand, the Featherweight ... you're installing an app.

The problem is that the Featherweight app is beta, with a 90 day expiration. If the developer walks away, stops updating, or just forgets, then our $400 devices cease working.

I worry about losing rockets, so I put electronics in to be able to find them, but then the electronics end up costing more than the rocket, and now I find myself worrying more about getting the electronics back in one piece than the rocket itself.

Same is said of reloadable motor casings.

I think of my GPS as a "feature" of the flight, not an insurance policy. I want my rockets to "do" something, that's why 90% of my flights are dual deploy and carry a GPS. More enjoyment per launch.

 

[boatgeek]

It looks like the Eggfinder Mini doesn't have data logging due to its size, are you able to get a consistent signal during the entire flight to determine its max altitude? I've been looking at the eggfinder and also considering the 'Featherweight', in addition to the real time tracking the featherweight has on board data logging. I'm interested in your thoughts on using the two once you've tried your Featherweight tracker.

I’d flown the Mini on several flights, and it has always re-established lock by apogee. I still use altimeters for altitude recording though so that I get AGL vs above sea level.