Trackers, Name Me Some Brands

[JasonF]

I saw some trackers used at a recent launch, but am having a bit of trouble finding info on them. I have no idea as to what the brand was, and that my be why my searches aren't showing much. What brands are out there, and what experiences have you had with them?

 

[shockwaveriderz]

You mean altitude trackers?

like these old Centuri sky-traks circa 1969 ?

 

[teflonrocketry1]

Adept:

https://www.adeptrocketry.com/radio.htm

Ramsey:

https://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=MR6


https://www.jbgizmo.com/page22.html

Bruce S. Levison, NAR #69055

 

[BlueNinja]

No I think he means walstons, there were quite a few of those at KLOUDburst. I don't think Walston has a website but if you look in the back of an old SR there is usually an ad for them.

Originally posted by Blue_Ninja_150
including the illegal Walston transmitters and the illegal "Rocket Hunter

That was on the Adept website, is that true???

 

[shockwaveriderz]

heres an example of a Barber Triple Trak which you can make

The instructions for building this can be found in this:

NAR Technical Review, Vol. 6 - Contains articles
on calculation of optimum model rocket mass,
Cineroc film analysis, a two axis open-sight
optical tracker and streamer duration.
TCR-6 $3.50

and here:

Tracking - A collection of articles including altitude
tracking and data reduction, two station tracking,
and the Triple-Track Tracker.
TR-107 $2.00

https://www.nar.org/NARTS/narts2004catalog.pdf

hope this helps

 

[JasonF]

No I think he means walstons, there were quite a few of those at KLOUDburst.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding. That would be them. I guess I should have specified electronic trackers. Something that sends out a signal I can track to the rocket. I keep looking at the altitudes the motor lists, of my rockets. Then I look out the window at the Oklahoma wind. Wind+HPR=Bye Bye Rocket. I'm looking at altimeters too, but would be nice to have both.

 

[aksarben10]

I know there are more but here are a couple to add to the list.

https://www.rockethunter.com/

https://www.gpsflight.com/GPSF/products.htm

The RDAS unit fitted with telemtry

https://www.aeroconsystems.com/

The Walston unit has been a standard for years, I could not find a web page for this unit. This is a link to review of how to use a Walston system by Sue McMurray

https://www.colonialvirginiahpr.org/walston.html


Good luck,
Scott

 

[shockwaveriderz]

heres another Centuri Sky Trak photo

 

[maxq2244]

I think he's refurring to electronic trackers. like walston.

 

[shockwaveriderz]

ohh you mean trackers like this:

https://www.merlin-systems.com/falconry/index.htm

 

[JasonF]

Any idea what a Walston setup runs?

 

[WiK]

Traxa Rocketry: https://www.traxa.co.uk/

 

[shockwaveriderz]

Originally posted by JasonF
Any idea what a Walston setup runs?

In the neighborhood of $500-750 +........


IF I had that kind of money to spend I would get that gpsflight system...that way cooler....

 

[Micromeister]

Heres photos to go with the diagram Shockie posted earlier, I can tell you once you have a set of two build they will last.. these pic were taken in 1989 and I know these same Tracking scopes are still used today by Novaar

 

[aksarben10]

Originally posted by shockwaveriderz
In the neighborhood of $500-750 +........


IF I had that kind of money to spend I would get that gpsflight system...that way cooler....

None of these systems are cheap. I like to RDAS solution myself, not that I can afford it. We have a member in our club who is good with electronics and is making a system based off the Garmin GPS FRS radio system. It is a really cool system you can watch the location of the rocket on the GPS screen.

The best solution I think is a club one. Before I was a member of my club they pooled there money together for the Walston system. So now for $10 a flight you can rent the whole rig, actually I think that there is a $20 fee upfront fee first then the ten bucks forever after that. A number of the club members use it.

We had it at LDRS in Kansas last year, but we had problems with it. There were just too many trackers and transmitters in the same place all at once. With the tracker we were getting signals all over the place and there was no way to tell whose beep is whose impossible to track anything. I even found a transmitter that someone dropped or fell out of a rocket on the ground out by the away pad 38 or 39 it was on and transmitting. This is the only drawback I have seen with the system, we do not have that problem at the home field.


Scott

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Keep one small point in mind. Some of these systems require that you have at least a technician class amateur radio license to operate.

Adept won't even sell you one without a license as they code your call signal into the pulse train.

A

 

[JasonF]

Originally posted by Hospital_Rocket
Keep one small point in mind. Some of these systems require that you have at least a technician class amateur radio license to operate.

Adept won't even sell you one without a license as they code your call signal into the pulse train.

A

Yep, I saw that. My father has been a ham radio guy since the 50's. If all else fails, I'll just get him to do it. Since he owns a radio crystal company, I may see if he can just build me one.