Updates...

[Ronz Rocketz]

I hope it's not that windy this Saturday.

Probably but will likely be extremely muddy. I've visited Hoopili after a rain storm and it's a quagmire.

That looked like a lot of fun! My brothers live in Dallas, I've got to get down there for a launch sometime!

I wanted to revisit the JFK museum, but was too crowded.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Hawaiian rainbows on a moderate wind day with 3 altimeters and a couple close calls

Gary, Christopher, and I ventured out to the park on a moderately windy day. No lost rockets and a few close calls. We planned to have our MPR launch on the 4th but I traveled to the mainland. Turned out a massive rain storm from the equator drenched the islands through the weekend into Monday. On our return trip, we had to divert to Maui for two hours until the rain storm passed. It was a very bumpy ride. Hopefully next Saturday works out...

I was trying out my new David Thomas controller with the 12v battery charger from Costco. It worked really well as long as I remember to press the power button. When I plug the cables into the charger, the red light is lit. When I press the power button and turn the key, the green light is lit and ready to go. After launching, I have to unplug the cables or the charger will eventually start beeping. I'm not sure if the new controller is better than my 18v DIY controller but it's different.

For the Helios, I used the last of the C11-7 pack that I bought for an unknown reason. I didn't want to risk the Flightsketch altimeters so used the Estes altimeter. This one has been very lucky for me so far. I think I had the best flight of the Twin Factor with a near single hand catch. The Quinstar chuffed itself to life, very dramatic.

Gary only had one misfire and had 3 out of 5 mini motor Catos. His Doubles MX booster ignited but didn't separate from the sustainer then had a hard landing from no streamer. Fortunately, the ground was soft. The Sprint is an interesting rocket. The mini fits in a sleave that gets pushed down so the ejection can escape out the port. With the Cato, the sleave popped out and the glued nose cone came off. We found the NC but not the sleave. I was surprised it was a 1/2A because it's mostly the A10s that seem to Cato.

0:00 Intro
1:39 Harpoon 5pts
3:06 Helios 4pts
4:08 Spirit 346ft 5pts
5:11 Laser-X 128ft 5pts
6:25 Orbit 391ft 5pts
7:36 Twin Factor 5pts
8:27 Quinstar 3pts
9:22 Gary's MX igniters
9:51 Doubles MX
10:56 Brocket
11:48 Totally Tubular
12:10 Razor
12:58 Sprint
13:28 Starhopper
13:47 Mini Fat Boy
14:24 Stubby
14:41 Total 32pts + 5 bonus = 37pts

 

[neil_w]

Strongly recommend lower thrust, longer burn motors for the Quinstar (C6-0 is good, D12-0 is better if you left it at 24mm).

 

[BABAR]

I have doubts about your launch controller, that button seems a bit small—— I am guessing that space satellites can only clearly see it on cloudless days.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Strongly recommend lower thrust, longer burn motors for the Quinstar (C6-0 is good, D12-0 is better if you left it at 24mm).

And deny us the pleasure of chuffing???

"This old rocket is a warrior, Frank. I have tried to kill her, but she will not die. I have a great respect for that.”

I have doubts about your launch controller, that button seems a bit small—— I am guessing that space satellites can only clearly see it on cloudless days.

There are rumors that the button can be operated by foot but have not been confirmed...

 

[BABAR]

There are rumors that the button can be operated by foot but have not been confirmed...

You know, a foot operated launch button would actually be a great assist for those of us doing videos of our rockets, especially those without sons as cooperative and with such a great sense of humor as yours. Please thank him again for me, I really do enjoy his "embellishments" to your launch videos.

 

[Cape Byron]

There are rumors that the button can be operated by foot but have not been confirmed...

Why?

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

You know, a foot operated launch button would actually be a great assist for those of us doing videos of our rockets, especially those without sons as cooperative and with such a great sense of humor as yours. Please thank him again for me, I really do enjoy his "embellishments" to your launch videos.

Alas, he has a job now two blocks from the park. We usually get there at 7am, then he heads off to work at 7:30. With sunrise now at 7am, I like to start at 7:30 for the best light. I'm fortunate that @kuririn is able to help me with launching while I video record. During summer months, sunrise is at 6am which gives my son more time.

Why?

The key switch that comes with the controller isn't a two-handed operation. The David Thomas video I built this from replaced it with a momentary key switch.

 

[Cape Byron]

The key switch that comes with the controller isn't a two-handed operation. The David Thomas video I built this from replaced it with a momentary key switch.

I think a foot operated switch is great. I've used my Pratt Go-Box like that a few times.

 

[BABAR]

I think a foot operated switch is great. I've used my Pratt Go-Box like that a few times.

Well crud, I HAVE the Pratt Go-Box (love it), and never even THOUGHT of trying it like that. Great idea. Of course, now that I am in Washington state I am having problems finding places to fly (haven’t tried ”clubbing” yet.)

new house has a decent backyard, could easily handle MicroMaxx, but I prefer BT-20 and BT-50 size birds. I think anything that goes above 100 feet too high and I don’t want to offend the neighbors. It’s one of the few things I miss about Tennessee, I had a park with a combine baseball field and soccer complex. Monday through Friday, aside from school holidays and vacation days, it was amazing, i pretty much had the whole place to myself from7 a.m. when they opened the gates until 1-2 p.m.

 

[user 35280]

Well crud, I HAVE the Pratt Go-Box (love it), and never even THOUGHT of trying it like that. Great idea. Of course, now that I am in Washington state I am having problems finding places to fly (haven’t tried ”clubbing” yet.)

new house has a decent backyard, could easily handle MicroMaxx, but I prefer BT-20 and BT-50 size birds. I think anything that goes above 100 feet too high and I don’t want to offend the neighbors. It’s one of the few things I. It’s about Tennessee, I had a park with a combine baseball field and soccer complex. Monday through Friday, aside from school holidays and vacation days, it was amazing, i pretty much had the whole place to myself from7 a.m. when they opened the gates until 1-2 p.m.

Where did you live in TN?

 

[BABAR]

Where did you live in TN?

Jackson

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Three wet rockets and live streaming where we discover we are not rocket scientists

The winds were nearly calm. Several of the rockets seem to point toward the north. Maybe there was more gravity at the north end of the park. This was my first attempt at live streaming our launches. I figure I'd just set up the camera and see who shows up. My son was able to play moderator. I'm not sure how we'll be able to interact without one of us staring at the screen. It took a day for the chat messages to show up on the replay.

The stream can be found at https://youtu.be/aqGFyTgpBnA.

The Star Orbiter went into the canal taking the JLCR with it. The scratch Mega Tubular and Gary's Spitfire ended up in the tree. Unfortunately, a rain squall went through before we could rescue them so they ended up wet also. I tried drying the JLCR in rice but doesn't seem to want to recharge. I might try to open it and see what can be done. Ironically, the JLCR probably saved the nose cone of the Mega Tubular from drifting away and landed the Star Orbiter into the canal. Thus is the nature of rocketry.

This was the second launch of the Mega Tubular scratch rocket. The ejection blew out the Kevlar cord attached to the cardboard baffle I installed. The elastic shock cord mostly fused together so not sure if the F15 motor had a particularly spicy ejection charge or if the baffle just sucked. With the 29mm motors, I need to start using more Kevlar and less elastic cord.

There were no Catos today. Gary launched two of the three E9 motors he had in the saucer rockets which are Cato proof. I mistakenly left the David Thomas controller at home so had to use the Estes controller which didn't seem to have trouble igniting the QuickDip starters I made.

0:00 Intro
0:16 XF-45 4pts
1:16 Gryphon 4pts
1:54 Mega Tubular 6pts
4:32 Conquest 5pts
6:02 Star Orbiter 4pts
7:58 Sprite
8:31 Tumbleweed
8:49 Streak Mini
9:14 MACME Shrew MX
9:57 Terraformer
10:27 Sreamin' Mimi
12:35 ACME Spitfire
14:45 Cinco
15:00 NASA SLS
15:46 Nike K
16:05 Total 23pts + 5 bonus = 28pts

 

[Cape Byron]

Several of the rockets seem to point toward the north. Maybe there was more gravity at the north end of the park.

Gravity increases inside trees. True story.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

I got the following comment on the channel. It makes sense. I plan to add another baffle end and attach a longer Kevlar cord. The elastic cord is what fused together.

Winston Smith
11 hours ago (edited)
The Estes 29mm BP motors have a HOT ejection charge because they need to work with large ID BTs, so in a minimum or close to minimum diameter rocket you need a longer than usual shock cord. I double its length compared to any supplied shock cord. Plus, the shock cord material I always use is elastic band which bonds very well with the tri-fold shock cord anchor made from card stock (note card) that I add wood glue to until it is saturated to paper mache status before putting it in the tube and smoothing it against the inner wall of the tube. I've NEVER had a separation at ejection.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

I’m becoming addicted to cheap launch systems. The remote is a simple on/off switch so added the power switch. The recharger times out after 90 seconds. At least there won’t be a wire to trip over if it works. Testing this Sunday.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Post Christmas launches on a turbulent wind day while live streaming with guests

I was tempted to launch on Christmas morning but winds and sky were better on Sunday. The winds were turbulent (3 to 10 mph) because low level winds were heading in different directions while surface winds were mild. My son gave me a telescoping rod with a hook for Christmas when the next rocket lands in a tree. Gary and I were joined today with Koa and his dad, Mill. We met them previously at the WCC launches.

I created a new remote launch controller out of a 12v remote attached to the 12v recharger. I added a push button switch for safety. With the QuickDip starters, it worked perfectly and no wire to trip over. The live streaming worked well again. Roger suggested I set up the cam on the other side, so the viewers see some activity. I’ll try to connect the cam to the weather station, assuming it doesn’t wiggle too much. I seem to have mislocated the staff so didn't use it this time.

Live stream:


I received a wonderful Christmas present on the 24th. Earlier this year, I offered to send a viewer a free tshirt if they email me. I got a response about a month later so mailed the tshirt. I then received a package with a very nice letter, the Curvilinear kit, and a travel mug with an awesome Cricut logo. I’m not sure why the rocket was unstable but added some weight to the cone to see if that’ll help next time.

I was lucky to get the Estes Christmas ornament back. I didn’t add recovery to the rocket but just added 8g of clay and a BT-5 tube with epoxy. The hard part is keeping track of the rocket when it lands nose first like a Swift. Unfortunately I was watching the motor fall and lost track of the rocket. I joked that we all need to aim our rockets in that direction so we’ll step on it. Fortunately, Gary found it when he stepped on the rocket with minimal damage. It was a Christmas miracle.

I’m surprised the ESAM went into cruise mode. Since I made it in Dallas a month ago, I painted the rocket and added a Qualman baffle. The C6-5 shoulda sent it skyward but instead tried to take out the pickleballers. They were not happy, and I apologized about 8 times to them. I used sandpaper on the rod so don’t think it was binding. I might add a bit of NC weight and try the C6-5 again.

The Checkmate, Hi-flier XL, Starship Nova, and Mars Mars Longship we’re excellent flights. I was expecting the Longship to reach 500ft which is why I was surprised. I’m holding back on using the JLCR for the MPR launch after loosing the other to the canal. The Nova is showing stress cracks in the thin tube, but I think it’s from the Qualman baffle so put a piece of tape over the tube crack.

I decided to risk using the FS altimeter in the Quest Turbo scratch which was a mistake because it lawndarted causing minor damage to the battery case but still seems to be working. I have a replacement NC and will add more tube to replace the cracked BT. I forgot to include the data, but you can find it here. https://flightsketch.com/flights/3232/

0:00 Intro
0:21 Estes Christmas Ornament 3pts
0:59 Curvilinear 2pts
1:41 Gryphon 3pts
2:39 ESAM-58 3pts
3:31 Hi-flier XL 4pts
5:06 Checkmate 5pts
6:08 Starship Nova 4pts
7:27 Quest Turbo 158ft 4pts
8:29 Mars Mars Longship 368ft 5pts
9:54 Gary's Doubles
10:27 Koa's Frosted Flakes 430ft
11:03 Gary's 12 Top
11:23 Gary's Emma's Dilemna
11:59 Koa's Candy Cane 400ft
12:51 Gary's Wire to Wire
13:13 Gary's Show Stopper
14:19 Gary's Persephone
14:34 Gary's Athena
14:52 Gary's Lucky Seven
15:05 Koa's Candy Cane
16:16 Total 33pts + 10 bonus = 43pts



As a bonus, send me a PM and I'll mail you an Eggtimer Classic Flight Computer free that I assembled. I have no idea if it works, but it's yours if you tell me how you will use it. I mainly wanted to try out my soldering skills. I think I did an okay job. I don't have the motivation to test it out.

http://eggtimerrocketry.com/eggtimer-classic/

 

[BABAR]

Very much enjoy these montages with multiple views.

I didn’t realize the Curvilinear was named for its flight trajectory!


Gary’s two stage did something different, the sustainer came down before the booster, I think!

 

[kuririn]

the sustainer came down before the booster, I think!

Yes, didn't realize that until I saw the video.
Quite unusual.

 

[kuririn]

I’m surprised the ESAM went into cruise mode. Since I made it in Dallas a month ago, I painted the rocket and added a Qualman baffle.

Been thinking about this, and the only thing I can come up with is maybe the baffle was installed too far back. Could have shifted the CG closer to the CP and made the rocket unstable. Try compensating with a little nose weight. Now, if it windcocked, that's another story.........

 

[BABAR]

Post Christmas launches on a turbulent wind day while live streaming with guests

I was tempted to launch on Christmas morning but winds and sky were better on Sunday. The winds were turbulent (3 to 10 mph) because low level winds were heading in different directions while surface winds were mild. My son gave me a telescoping rod with a hook for Christmas when the next rocket lands in a tree. Gary and I were joined today with Koa and his dad, Mill. We met them previously at the WCC launches.

I created a new remote launch controller out of a 12v remote attached to the 12v recharger. I added a push button switch for safety. With the QuickDip starters, it worked perfectly and no wire to trip over. The live streaming worked well again. Roger suggested I set up the cam on the other side, so the viewers see some activity. I’ll try to connect the cam to the weather station, assuming it doesn’t wiggle too much. I seem to have mislocated the staff so didn't use it this time.

Live stream:


I received a wonderful Christmas present on the 24th. Earlier this year, I offered to send a viewer a free tshirt if they email me. I got a response about a month later so mailed the tshirt. I then received a package with a very nice letter, the Curvilinear kit, and a travel mug with an awesome Cricut logo. I’m not sure why the rocket was unstable but added some weight to the cone to see if that’ll help next time.

I was lucky to get the Estes Christmas ornament back. I didn’t add recovery to the rocket but just added 8g of clay and a BT-5 tube with epoxy. The hard part is keeping track of the rocket when it lands nose first like a Swift. Unfortunately I was watching the motor fall and lost track of the rocket. I joked that we all need to aim our rockets in that direction so we’ll step on it. Fortunately, Gary found it when he stepped on the rocket with minimal damage. It was a Christmas miracle.

I’m surprised the ESAM went into cruise mode. Since I made it in Dallas a month ago, I painted the rocket and added a Qualman baffle. The C6-5 shoulda sent it skyward but instead tried to take out the pickleballers. They were not happy, and I apologized about 8 times to them. I used sandpaper on the rod so don’t think it was binding. I might add a bit of NC weight and try the C6-5 again.

The Checkmate, Hi-flier XL, Starship Nova, and Mars Mars Longship we’re excellent flights. I was expecting the Longship to reach 500ft which is why I was surprised. I’m holding back on using the JLCR for the MPR launch after loosing the other to the canal. The Nova is showing stress cracks in the thin tube, but I think it’s from the Qualman baffle so put a piece of tape over the tube crack.

I decided to risk using the FS altimeter in the Quest Turbo scratch which was a mistake because it lawndarted causing minor damage to the battery case but still seems to be working. I have a replacement NC and will add more tube to replace the cracked BT. I forgot to include the data, but you can find it here. https://flightsketch.com/flights/3232/

0:00 Intro
0:21 Estes Christmas Ornament 3pts
0:59 Curvilinear 2pts
1:41 Gryphon 3pts
2:39 ESAM-58 3pts
3:31 Hi-flier XL 4pts
5:06 Checkmate 5pts
6:08 Starship Nova 4pts
7:27 Quest Turbo 158ft 4pts
8:29 Mars Mars Longship 368ft 5pts
9:54 Gary's Doubles
10:27 Koa's Frosted Flakes 430ft
11:03 Gary's 12 Top
11:23 Gary's Emma's Dilemna
11:59 Koa's Candy Cane 400ft
12:51 Gary's Wire to Wire
13:13 Gary's Show Stopper
14:19 Gary's Persephone
14:34 Gary's Athena
14:52 Gary's Lucky Seven
15:05 Koa's Candy Cane
16:16 Total 33pts + 10 bonus = 43pts



As a bonus, send me a PM and I'll mail you an Eggtimer Classic Flight Computer free that I assembled. I have no idea if it works, but it's yours if you tell me how you will use it. I mainly wanted to try out my soldering skills. I think I did an okay job. I don't have the motivation to test it out.

http://eggtimerrocketry.com/eggtimer-classic/

Like the ESAM. wondering where you buy these bottomless Teal paint cans?

 

[Back_at_it]

Curvilinear was an interesting flight. Not sure why it would do that on a 13mm motor. When I built mine I upgraded to an 18mm mount. It's first flight was a bit wobbly so I added .25oz of nose weight. Has flown dead straight every flight after that.

Good news it is appeared to survive.

Another excellent video.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Like the ESAM. wondering where you buy these bottomless Teal paint cans?

Honestly, it's a very forgiving color to apply. I'm in the process of painting dark grey on my Vesta Intruder and have had nothing but trouble.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Medium Powered (F, G, and H) Flights at Aloun Farms

The live stream can be found at https://youtu.be/2UkrJ62w578.

We are grateful for Aloun Farms to allow us to use their land to launch the MPR in the country. Most of the rockets remained under 1000ft and didn't go far from the launch area on this low wind day. The main benefit is that the mid powered motors would scare the residents in the city. There were a lot of misfires. For some reason, the Der Red Max rockets were the most successful.

My Bounty Hunter and DBRM rockets were flawless except the FS altimeter didn't work both times. I regret not putting the AC cam on the rockets which would have been epic. I did put the cam on the Mega Tubular which was too bad because the elastic cord broke and couldn't find the rocket. I only had about a foot of elastic cord but was enough to snap so will need to go all Kevlar for the BT-60 rockets and F motors. I'll have to order more Astrocams from AC Supply which is the cheapest source for the cams.

Jake brought one student with him and hopefully more will join us in March. He has a box of mid power motors that have been sitting in a box in sealed packages in his lab for the past three years. Next flight, we'll endeavor to use the motors before they get older.

0:00 Intro
0:32 Bounty Hunter 6pts
2:31 Der Big Red Max 5pts
4:30 Mega Tubular 6pts
5:48 Ron's Mega DRM
6:51 Gary's Mega DRM
7:43 Ron's HV Arcas
8:22 Mike's Mega DRM
9:12 Gary's Crayon Bank
9:43 Unicorn rocket
10:21 Jake's rocket
10:47 Ron's Cherokee-H
11:33 Lil Jake's Alpha
12:20 Ron's Hi-flier XXL
13:09 Gary's Super Batray
13:57 Jake's big rocket
15:35 Total = 17pts + 20 bonus = 37 pts



I’m still offering my Eggtimer Classic Flight Computer from last time if you PM me what you would use it in.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Sunny day in the park with the crew and new audience

The live stream can be found at https://youtu.be/J0DifO-B38k. The footage froze later in the stream because the battery was running low so just recorded the audio from that time on. When RonL set up his launchers, I didn't realize he was off cam. As the days start to go longer, my son can spend more time helping set up the stream.

This was day 2 of a mild winds weekend. Yesterday was the mid-powered rockets at Aloun Farms. Today was low-powered on a clear sunny day (or what we call winter here in Hawaii). We had an audience today with people lining up nearby for their COVID test. I'm sure they were entertained by our rocketry antics. I was joking we should get sponsor billboards to put around us like they have in baseball outfields.

This was the initial flights of the Vesta Intruder and Dark Silver. The elastic snapped again, this time on the Vesta Intruder. I wonder if the roll of elastic I bought in 2020 has gone bad. I have a new roll so should replace the old elastic on the rockets. Kevlar is fine but tends to knot up. The tube suffered minor damage thanks to the strafes, and the JLCR returned on the NC. The Dark Silver was a fantastic flight and earned it's decals.

The Kevlar on the MR capsule snapped also. The original string seems excessively long so will replace it with about a 4ft strand of new Kevlar. The barrel on the escape tower broke off in the tall grass, so hopefully I can get a replacement from Boyce Aerospace without having to buy the whole kit again. The V2/Spacemonkey came down fast on the 15" chute, but at least it deployed unlike the past three launches. It's a very sturdy rocket so not a problem.

My Gryphon arced over and Gary's flew fine, which means I added too much counterweight to the glider. I'll try to scrape off half of the aft clay. I thanked Ron L for entertaining us with his N-1 rocket. He was nervous about launching it and about had a coronary when it flew on the F67 motor. It was so spectacular, I included Ron's video. Very well done. For the sake of his health, he has retired the rocket.

0:00 Intro
0:05 Hi-flier 747ft 5pts
1:11 Vesta Intruder 4pts
2:47 Dark Silver 4pts
3:43 Mercury Redstone 2.6" 220ft 5pts
5:09 V2/Spacemonkey 4pts
6:30 Gary's Mini Copter
7:02 Gary's Blue Origin
7:29 Ron's Blue Origin
8:37 Gary's Mix N Match 55
9:03 Ron's N-1
9:42 Ron's N-1 video
10:43 Gary's Long Overdue
11:40 Ron's Honest John
12:15 Gary's Cinco *E12-0*
12:39 Ron's Mean Machine
13:27 *Ron's* Astrocam
13:54 Gryphon 4pts
14:16 Gary's Gryphon
14:42 Total = 25pts + 10 bonus = 35pts

 

[BABAR]

For the Mercury and the Spacemonkey, the initial launch smoke has a reddish tinge. Is that real or image artifact?

really striking on Space Monkey at 5:16.

 

[kuririn]

For the Mercury and the Spacemonkey, the initial launch smoke has a reddish tinge. Is that real or image artifact?

really striking on Space Monkey at 5:16.

Special effects.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

For the Mercury and the Spacemonkey, the initial launch smoke has a reddish tinge. Is that real or image artifact?

really striking on Space Monkey at 5:16.

I use orange line chalk on the pad for dramatic effect.

 

[user 35280]

I use orange line chalk on the pad for dramatic effect.

You could use Tang

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

You could use Tang

Blech. I already paid $1.50 for line chalk so I'll stick with that for now.

I have to balance between the coolness of the powder chalk and the mess it leaves behind.