What national event draws the most TRFers?

[dragon_rider10]

If I had to choose one national rocketry event to attend next year, what one would be the best if my primary purpose is to meet fellow TRFers? NARAM? LDRS? NARCON?

 

[DAllen]

I suspect the best attended of the bunch you've listed would be LDRS but that's quite a hike from Florida. If you can do it I would strongly recommend it because the field is amazing and so are the projects that show up...

-Dave

 

[sam_midkiff]

If I had to choose one national rocketry event to attend next year, what one would be the best if my primary purpose is to meet fellow TRFers? NARAM? LDRS? NARCON?

You might want to set up a poll as to who is going where. If I'm free I'll go to NARAM outside of Cincinnati next year, and if a meeting is scheduled on the right date I'll go to NSL in California. But where I go from year to year depends on location and timing, and a poll will let you get this "instantaneous" information.

Sam

 

[georgegassaway]

Before setting up any poll, take note the results will be almost worthless if there is no multiple choice option for those who will attend more than one.

Not that I myself will be attending more than one. And I can't be 100% sure of that one (NARAM) if my financial situation does not get better.

- George Gassaway

 

[cjl]

I would guess that LDRS is probably the best choice, just based on my experience. I will admit though that I've been to quite a few more LDRSs than other national events though, so my view might be a bit skewed.

 

[WillMarchant]

I'm curious, so I added the poll. It is multiple-choice, so you may indicate more than one event...

Did I miss any "national events?" TARC doesn't really count, I think... The same goes for CANSAT and BattleOfTheRockets.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Going to work real hard to get to LDRS (in Kansas, not that far from me) and Midwest Power; other than that no others unless I find out their even closer than LDRS.

 

[plano-doug]

If I had to choose one national rocketry event to attend next year, what one would be the best if my primary purpose is to meet fellow TRFers? NARAM? LDRS? NARCON?

You didn't include the NAR's National Sport Launch, NSL. [Edit: I see it is listed in the poll.]

There is lots of sport flying at LDRS, NSL and NARAM, too, despite it first being a competition meet. Not sure about NARCON - I know they added a flying day a while back, but not sure if it has been permanently included or not.

So, if you want to go to one, as Dave mentioned, whichever of the first three is most suitable for you logisitically is likely the best bet. I live in Dallas. I'll go to NSL in College Station. Or Tulsa. But probably not in Boston.

Whichever one you go to, there will be lots of TRF members there.

NSL 2011: June 10-12, 2011 - Lucerne Dry Lake, Lucerne Valley, CA
NARAM-53: July 23-29, 2011 - Lebanon ,Ohio (Cincinnati) .
LDRS30: Sept1-6, 2011, Argonia, KS

Looks like NARAM is closest to you.

Doug

.

 

[judo]

Has the Orangeburg, SC field been lost to LDRS? I've heard before that it's open when July 4th falls on a Friday or Monday.

 

[JDcluster]

:jaw: What, No option for BALLS?



JD

 

[Brent]

Has the Orangeburg, SC field been lost to LDRS? I've heard before that it's open when July 4th falls on a Friday or Monday.

There is an Industrial park on the outskirts of the field now.

 

[MarkII]

NARCON is NAR's annual convention, consisting of workshops, presentations, a town hall-style meeting, vendor showcases and often tours. Sometimes they include a launch somewhere in the schedule (because this is, after all, rocketry) but the purpose is education and information-sharing. It is usually held in March, which in much of the US is just before the launch season kicks off.

The National Sport Launch (NSL) is a fairly recent event added to the NAR schedule. It started as an event that was held at NARAM each year, but it was soon broken out into a separate event with its own place on the schedule, usually in late spring. It was created in response to the desire of many non-competing NAR members to have a national event that was focused entirely on sport launching, separate and distinct from the national championship meet.

 

[o1d_dude]

I voted for the NSL which will be in the Peoples Republic of California this coming year. Much closer than LDRS for me.

 

[cjl]

Well, considering their locations this year, I'll nearly definitely be at LDRS, and I might make NSL as well (I did vote for it, but it's far less certain than LDRS at this point).

 

[MarkII]

LDRS 30 hasn't been scheduled yet, has it?

 

[cjl]

LDRS 30 hasn't been scheduled yet, has it?

Yep

They always announce them a year early - each LDRS's dates and location is announced at the banquet at the prior LDRS. LDRS 30 will be in Argonia KS over labor day weekend next year. It's an amazing launch site, and I can't wait to go. I'm (optimistically) hoping to launch my L3 rocket on an N10k at LDRS, assuming it survives when I fly it on an N5800 C-star next spring. I might also fly some other fun stuff, like possibly my upscale Deuce (we'll see...)

 

[MarkII]

Yep

They always announce them a year early - each LDRS's dates and location is announced at the banquet at the prior LDRS. LDRS 30 will be in Argonia KS over labor day weekend next year. It's an amazing launch site, and I can't wait to go. I'm (optimistically) hoping to launch my L3 rocket on an N10k at LDRS, assuming it survives when I fly it on an N5800 C-star next spring. I might also fly some other fun stuff, like possibly my upscale Deuce (we'll see...)

Oh, that's right; I did read about that awhile ago right on this forum. Funny that it's not mentioned anywhere on Tripoli's web site.

 

[troj]

Funny that it's not mentioned anywhere on Tripoli's web site.

That's a function of when the host club has the page ready to go -- the LDRS link on the website goes directly to a page run by the host club.

-Kevin

 

[Peartree]

Current plans are to attend and help out at NARAM since it is in Ohio (and all the clubs I visit are sponsors).

LDRS is a *very* remote possibility.

 

[troj]

I'll admit, I'm a bit surprised by the voting, thus far.

I would've expected it to be a bit more even.

-Kevin

 

[MarkII]

Possibly many people don't decide on NARAM until later in the competition year after they have had a chance to debug the designs that they would use in that year's events. Not all events listed in the Pink Book are run every year (or else the meet would need a month to get them all in) and the event selection varies from year to year. So competitors are constantly challenged to come up with a new set of entries each year. They accumulate competition points during the year by flying in a limited number of meets. I suspect that many potential participants don't come to a decision about whether or not to attend until sometime in the mid to late spring.