Tracker Bay for BRB transmitterI

[awseiger]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a BRB 70cm Transmitter, and I want an easy, reliable way to transfer it between all of my rockets. I know that a dedicated bay would be better, but I would rather have something I can just hang off of the shock cord.

Anybody ever done something like this? I'm thinking of using a body tube and plywood rings to make a little tube I can attach with a quick-link to the nosecone eybolt. I would leave the antenna sticking out the bottom. I could also use PVC, but this is considerably heavier and larger, not to mention the static charge buildup problems.

My only concern is that the antenna will get bent upon ejection and not work as well, or the antenna itself will get burnt up by ejection charges.

Thanks in Advance!
Alex

 

[Greg Young]

Alex, I use a method another flier, Jim Goggins came up with.
Get 2 pvc end caps, and a short piece of pvc pipe.
Drill a small hole in one of the end caps to allow the BRB antenna to poke though. The other end cap is drilled out for a eyebolt, to which you attach a short piece of elastic/kevlar strap/whatever to attach it to your NC, etc.
Glue one end cap on, insert the BRB and then tape the other.
Hang the unit in the payload/main body section off of your nosecone, etc eyebolt. It rapidly transfers from rocket to rocket.
Your antenna might get a little bent from time to time, assuming you are using the rigid one with the SMA connector, but it really doesn't harm it.
It won't of course if you use a wire antenna, but we have not found this to be a problem.
This is a simple to build, transferrable unit!

 

[dcbertelsen]

Alex,

Plastic bags and electrical tape also work. You could use some igniter tubing to keep the antenna a little more reinforced. I suppose you could even add some fiberglass and reinforce it. How much space do you have available?

 

[awseiger]

Alex,

Plastic bags and electrical tape also work. You could use some igniter tubing to keep the antenna a little more reinforced. I suppose you could even add some fiberglass and reinforce it. How much space do you have available?

I want it to fit in a 54mm body tube, with a little room to spare. I will make dedicated bay for anything smaller.

I have the wire antenna version. I guess it wont hurt if iIjust tack on a new antenna of the original gets damaged. I may house it in a fiberglass shaft or something to be safe.

 

[troj]

You'll have to replace your antenna periodically, but other than that you'll be fine

 

[jsargevt]

I have a coupler with some end plates that I built for a transferrable BRB GPS "bay" for those rockets w/o a payload location for it. I never thought of PVC - that is probably a little lighter but not by much.

I tried using a Rx bottle but that didn't survive what I can only imagine was a FWFG tube landing directly on it at just the right speed and angle.

You could "curl" the antenna inside the bay but that would probably cut your transmission strength. The SMA antennas are pretty cheap - maybe get a whip RC antenna or something if you are that worried about it.

 

[awseiger]

I have a coupler with some end plates that I built for a transferrable BRB GPS "bay" for those rockets w/o a payload location for it. I never thought of PVC - that is probably a little lighter but not by much.

I tried using a Rx bottle but that didn't survive what I can only imagine was a FWFG tube landing directly on it at just the right speed and angle.

You could "curl" the antenna inside the bay but that would probably cut your transmission strength. The SMA antennas are pretty cheap - maybe get a whip RC antenna or something if you are that worried about it.

You know... I have a bunch of little RC car antenna tubes left over from my Nitro Car days.... That would work perfectly!

I remember the Rx bottle failure last season. In fact, it was this event which gave me this idea! Thanks!

 

[bigredbee]

Curt von Delius showed me a really cool trick regarding flexible antennas. You can buy braided stainless steel whip antennas from Marshal Radio Telemetry. Cut the head off a #2 screw and solder to your beeline. The Marshal antenna screws onto this #2 screw, make for an easily replaceable and very flexible antenna.

Greg

 

[RadManCF]

I sprung for the SMA antenna version, for greater flexibility with antennas. It turns out this makes it easier to mount, also. I'm using a plastic pill bottle as an enclosure. I mounted the transmitter in it just by sticking the transmitter's SMA connector through a hole in the lid, sticking a nylon washer on the connector, and screwing on the antenna (not the stock antenna, I also sprung for a rubber duck antenna, for durability and compactness.) Sadly, due to the weather here, I haven't gotten a chance to fly it yet.