[NRVR-Members] Tracking Beacon/System Reccomendations?

Mon Aug 27 05:33:10 CDT 2018

Thanks Eric - good info.
Did Jordon ever comment on what he thinks are best trackers?

--------------------------------------------
On Sun, 8/26/18, Eric Paterson <egpaterson at gmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [NRVR-Members] Tracking Beacon/System Reccomendations?
 To: "NRV Rocketry Members" <nrvr-members at server2.nrvr.org>
 Date: Sunday, August 26, 2018, 8:07 AM

 Caitlyn,
 another option is the RTx/GPS and T3 systems from
 missileworks, https://www.missileworks.com/products/
 I have both.  The RTx/GPS works
 with a number of interfaces (direct HMI, bluetooth to
 android device, or USB to a computer) and I’ve flown it
 with mixed success.   Slaving it to the RRC3 altimeter
 proved to be a bit tricky.  In contrast, The T3 is much
 simpler and I have it in a minimum diameter project that I
 haven’t flown yet.  
 In general they work, but software
 is clunky at best.    However, I haven’t really had to
 rely on them for actual tracking.   I am expecting that MD
 project will push that a bit due to small size of rocket and
 expected altitude. 
 --
 Sent
 from my iPhone

 On Aug 25,
 2018, at 9:10 PM, Captain_Zero Residential School Bus of Ten
 Forward <uss.defiant-a at live.com>
 wrote:

 Thanks, everyone, for your input! Definatly a lot of good
 information here to sit down and work through.

 Again, thanks for the input, everyone!

 Caitlyn A. Stone, KE8FNY 

 __ 

 B.S. Aerospace Engineering 

 B.S. Meteorology 

 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Class
 of 2018 

 __ 

 P.O. Box 73 

 Mullens, WV 25882 

 __ 

 castone at vt.edu

 uss.defiant-a at live.com

 From: nrvr-members-bounces at server2.nrvr.org
 <nrvr-members-bounces at server2.nrvr.org>
 on behalf of Thomas Tweeks Weeks <tom at theweeks.org>

 Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2018 12:47:25 AM

 To: NRV Rocketry Members

 Subject: Re: [NRVR-Members] Tracking Beacon/System
 Reccomendations?

 I've
 heard great things about the Egg Timer units.

 I really want to get a 70cm APRS based tracker (like the
 cool stuff Jordan flies).. But it's a bit pricey for
 me..  (what's all that hardware go for Jordan..
 ~$300?)

 For my L3, I did a last minute on-site vendor purchase of a
 cool little, button cell powered, 216MHz beeper (fox and
 hound style) that was designed for falcon tracking for
 around $125:

 https://marshallradio.com/north-american-falconry-products/north-american-falconry-transmitters/item/122-scout-transmitter

 It's okay.. you can also get 150MHz MURS transmitters
 for $70-80.  If you don't want to use a BaoFeng +
 analog meter (for directional gain fox/hounding).. then you
 can get a nice little dedicated hand held two element (see
 com-spec link) + wide beam yagi to
  get basic a basic bearing.. 

 These cheaper analog beeper fox/hounds works pretty well for
 bare bones directionalityt (as long as your rocket
 doesn't land in a ditch or dip in the ground, then range
 is severely shortened ;).  Mine claims to xmit 30 miles..
 but I think between 1-3mi is more
  real world.  

 One of our vendors sells sa little 216MHz unti for like
 $75:

 https://www.csrocketry.com/electronics/communications-specialists/tracker-rchp.html

 more specs + dedicated receivers:

 http://www.com-spec.com/law_enforcement/index.html

 Also.. here's a good write up on NICER, GPS/APRS
 trackers.. including this club's growing favorite, the
 Altus Metrum (if you can afford it):

 http://jcrocket.com/gps-tracking.shtml

 GPS/APRS tracking is MUCH more cool.. you don't just get
 a bearing, but a bearing + distance.. or if decoding into a
 phone+app, you can get cross hairs of your rocket location
 on google maps. Seen this in action and it's very
 cool.

 Jordan is the authority on this subject.

 Hope that helps..

 Jordan.. time to do another "Radio in Rockets"
 talk? :)

 Tweeks

 On Friday, August 24, 2018 10:49am, "Jordan
 Truesdell" <jordan at truesdell.org>
 said:

 > _______________________________________________

 > NRVR-Members mailing list

 > NRVR-Members at mail.nrvr.org

 > http://server2.nrvr.org/mailman/listinfo/nrvr-membersI
 have four - a beacon on

 > 70cm, a GPS on 70cm (both BigRedBee), an RF-v16 (GPS
 tracker over GSM/SMS), and an

 > Eggfinder (one which failed before I flew it but after
 testing, and one still in

 > kit form). Any particular questions?

 > 

 > --

 > Jordan

 > On 8/24/2018 8:59:59 AM, Captain_Zero Residential
 School Bus of Ten Forward

 > <uss.defiant-a at live.com>
 wrote:

 > I was wondering what folks would reccomend for using as
 a means of tracking. I've

 > looked at a couple of different types and methods, but
 beyond product descriptions

 > and user reviews there are, I'm not too sure on the
 pros and cons.

 > 

 > 

 > Any suggestions/reccomendations from folks who
 routinely use tracking systems in

 > their stuff?

 > 

 > 

 > Caitlyn A. Stone, KE8FNY

 > 

 > 

 > __

 > 

 > B.S. Aerospace Engineering

 > 

 > B.S. Meteorology

 > 

 > Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
 Class of 2018

 > 

 > __

 > 

 > 

 > P.O. Box 73

 > 

 > Mullens, WV 25882

 > 

 > __

 > 

 > 

 > castone at vt.edu

 > 

 > uss.defiant-a at live.com

 > 

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