WOOSH Review of Chute Release

[John Beans]

Tom Disch wrote a detailed account of his experiences with Chute Release in the recent newsletter of the Wisconsin Organization of Space Hobbyists (WOOSH).

I posted it to our news site here: https://www.jollylogic.com/category/news

 

[lawndartman]

Just a note. We used the crap out of a chute release at Northern Colorado Rocketry Mile High Mayham a few weeks back. Three days of one flight after another. Worked every time, except once we forgot to turn it on. No damage. I now have two of them. This thing changed the way I fly. It added 2 to 3 flights a day. John, these things are SWEET!! Tim Thomas L3

 

[John Beans]

Just a note. We used the crap out of a chute release at Northern Colorado Rocketry Mile High Mayham a few weeks back. Three days of one flight after another. Worked every time, except once we forgot to turn it on. No damage. I now have two of them. This thing changed the way I fly. It added 2 to 3 flights a day. John, these things are SWEET!! Tim Thomas L3

Tim,
What size rockets and motors do you fly with Chute Release?

 

[The_Lone_Beagle]

Worked every time, except once we forgot to turn it on.

If only there was a firmware update for *that* problem!

 

[fyrwrxz]

Tom Disch wrote a detailed account of his experiences with Chute Release in the recent newsletter of the Wisconsin Organization of Space Hobbyists (WOOSH).

I posted it to our news site here: https://www.jollylogic.com/category/news

John-I picked one up as i was leaving LDRS and buddy, the packaging rocks! I normally 'debone' stuff and throw it in my range box, but this one stays. I have to say this is really 'value added'! Long story short, I screwed up my back pretty good and didn't fly anything because recovery would have been a little painful. I have 'other' units that use black powder, but just didn't want to mess with it. If i'd picked it up at the start of the meet, things may have been different, but I had a great time with my boys and friends with absolutely no regrets, except I didn't pick up the production unit sooner. Kudos and much respect as always, brother, for a chap that brings us really cool things. (cool beans-get it? LOL) Next flight on my WildChild is all Jolly Logic! Thanks!

 

[dshmel]

Tim,
What size rockets and motors do you fly with Chute Release?

I used it in a LOC Bruiser with a 60" chute. Kinda made people nervous until the release activated and the chute deployed.

 

[dshmel]

, the packaging rocks! I normally 'debone' stuff and throw it in my range box, but this one stays. I have to say this is really 'value added'!

+1 on the packaging.

 

[dshmel]

If only there was a firmware update for *that* problem!

After a full charge, my release went for 2 full days in standby mode and the battery meter went from 5 to 3. I think it is safe to say you could easily get a full day of flying out of one. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about it timing out on the pad.

 

[Ravenex]

I have been considering getting one of these and have a question and a suggestion. First, on most systems with an altimeter the electronics are sealed in an av-bay away from the charges and I was under the impression that being exposed to the pressures from ejection and the corrosive gasses could harm the pressure sensors on an altimeter. Is this not an issue for the chute release being in the payload bay? If this is not an issues my next question has to do with using the chute release with a non motor eject flight (all of mine). In this case you still need an av-bay and two separate altimeters (if you want backup). I think a beautiful upgrade to this product would be the addition of a single pyro channel, with 2 contact screw terminal, that could be programmed for a main altitude. With this setup you could use a pair of chute releases in a redundant setup around one chute each with one charge and have a fully redundant dual deploy setup with no av bay at all (sampling holes would be needed in the payload bay). The only issue I see is with safely arming the charges, which I'm sure could be figured out.

 

[John Beans]

I have been considering getting one of these and have a question and a suggestion. First, on most systems with an altimeter the electronics are sealed in an av-bay away from the charges and I was under the impression that being exposed to the pressures from ejection and the corrosive gasses could harm the pressure sensors on an altimeter. Is this not an issue for the chute release being in the payload bay?

It has worked great in thousands of flights. No worries.

I think a beautiful upgrade to this product would be the addition of a single pyro channel, with 2 contact screw terminal, that could be programmed for a main altitude. With this setup you could use a pair of chute releases in a redundant setup around one chute each with one charge and have a fully redundant dual deploy setup with no av bay at all (sampling holes would be needed in the payload bay). The only issue I see is with safely arming the charges, which I'm sure could be figured out.

My goal is to eliminate charges entirely. They are messy and dangerous. The next obvious step is electronic initial deployment.

 

[dshmel]

First, on most systems with an altimeter the electronics are sealed in an av-bay away from the charges and I was under the impression that being exposed to the pressures from ejection and the corrosive gasses could harm the pressure sensors on an altimeter. Is this not an issue for the chute release being in the payload bay?...

I can't speak to the long term effects of corrosive gasses, but here is what I do to mitigate the issue.

1. Use piston ejection to "separate" the ejection cavity from the chute cavity.
2. Use cellulose ("dog barf") wadding to act as a buffer and "absorb" the particulates from the BP charge. I use cellulose wadding on all motor eject flights.
3. Use the custom chute release protective sleeve. Not sure if the sleeve covers the location on the case where the air enters.
4. After securing the chute release's rubber band around the folded chute, wrap the entire assembly by a Nomex (I use Kevlar) blanket.

I locate the chute and release at the top of the stack, as close to the nose cone as possible, so it is the first thing to eject and clear the sustainer. The ejection charge pushes the clean column of air inside the BT which, in turn, pushes the nosecone and chute out. For non-stubby rockets, the column of clean air above the motor tube is usually of sufficient volume to separate the ejection gasses from the payload at the top of the stack.

 

[bob jablonski]

I used it in a LOC Bruiser with a 60" chute. Kinda made people nervous until the release activated and the chute deployed.

I was wondering how they worked on BIGGER rockets. I have watched many on rockets 4 inches and smaller. but wasn't sure on bigger rockets. I'm planning on adding it to Polish Thunder (LOC King Viper) and switch it to smaller rockets. Best thing I don't need a Ebay for each rocket.

 

[ksaves2]

My only comment is try not to do anything "new and novel" with the chute release. I had two failures simply because stupidhead didn't use enough powder to get the nosecones off. One flight where more powder would have helped as due to the
wimpy discharge the shockcord wrapped around the package and kept the chute from deploying even though the chute release, released. Last one was a motor CATO where the rocket simply was too low. The chute release actually deployed but the
rocket just didn't have enough height for the chute to fill. It was close enough I could see the chute unrolled but couldn't fill before it hit. None of the above was the CR fault of course. Kurt

 

[jd2cylman]

I've used it on my LOC IROC with a 52" (?) Skyangle with great results. I'm thinking I might need another one soon...

Adrian

 

[noffie79]

I plan on using mine on my Madcow SeaWolf with a 44" Angel chute. Soon...

 

[John Beans]

At LDRS I was told someone did their L3 with a 72" chute. Redundant Chute Release units on the secondary deployment.

 

[dhbarr]

At LDRS I was told someone did their L3 with a 72" chute. Redundant Chute Release units on the secondary deployment.

Neat!

 

[TheAviator]

At LDRS I was told someone did their L3 with a 72" chute. Redundant Chute Release units on the secondary deployment.

I was actually wondering if you could do redundant Chute Releases. Do you just plug the little clips into the other CR and loop the whole thing around the chute?

 

[dhbarr]

Yup!

 

[CzTeacherMan]

Speaking of JLCR at WOOSH... I discovered another benefit of the doo-dad this past weekend. Launched my son's Demon Sport on an I204 IMAX to 5754ft... I may have forgotten to close the quicklink to the chute bundle... in either case, we recovered the rocket sans chute following the tracker. In order to find the chute, we just walked downwind about 100 yards, and BAM, chute.
Since it was all bundled up all the way down to 400ft, it didn't really drift all that far and thus was easy to find. Glad the JLCR was on it otherwise, bye-bye chute...

 

[John Beans]

I was actually wondering if you could do redundant Chute Releases. Do you just plug the little clips into the other CR and loop the whole thing around the chute?

Yes, you can "daisy chain" them.

But with two units, be sure you've still got a secure wrap. Size bands appropriately.

 

[ksaves2]

At LDRS I was told someone did their L3 with a 72" chute. Redundant Chute Release units on the secondary deployment.

Now that would be novel. I could see a project with a MAD units for apogee deployment and the chute release for main unfurling. That would be unique.
I wonder if the two chute release devices were placed in a series connection? Only one would have to work and the release would be actuated. Kurt