Keith and I both hope to be able to attend "Thunda Down Under"[1] in
2015, and I've sent the organizers email requesting information on what
it takes to be treated as an on-site vendor.
Of course, it's always more fun to be at a launch when you have something
interesting to fly! Thus, while Keith and I might each show up with a
modest "travel rocket" of some sort... I've started pondering possible
larger "Altus Metrum" group projects. Since transporting a large
airframe to Australia would be a hassle, I wonder if a group project to
build an airframe in-country makes more sense? To that end, I'd be
pleased to know if any of our friends and customers in Australia want to
sign up to help with such a project?
My thoughts would be to engage in some group-think about project scope
and goals, then hope friends in-country would take on the sourcing and
preparation of suitable airframe materials. Depending on who wants to
participate and how tasks get taken up, we might plan to arrive a bit
early to help with any final assembly or other preparations,
installation of suitably fresh Altus Metrum electronics, etc.
So, to all our Aussie friends... does this sound like fun? If so,
please chime in with a reply. I don't expect the email associated with
such a project to be too heavy a load for this list to carry, but we can
always spawn a dedicated lists.gag.com list if I'm wrong.
Regards,
Bdale
[1] http://thunda.com.au/
Bdale Garbee,
I have one of your older Altus, which I have not been able to get it to work
with my laptop which has Windows Vista on it. Do I need to uninstall it to
update it?
Bill Wagner
Hi all,
I picked up a TeleMega from Apogee 2 weeks ago and have tried to fly it
twice since, but have had problems with getting it to enter pad mode.
First try was last weekend, 4" rocket, Telemega configured to transmit APRS
every 5 seconds on 434.350, standard out of the box pyro configuration with
the antenna up. Everything tests out fine at home-it detects continuity and
transmits when it is powered up with antenna up, and not otherwise. I get
to the launch site, and it will enter idle mode and beep continuity (I
don't recall if it transmitted or not) when it is upright (antenna up, as
configured), and if it is antenna down, it would enter pad mode, but not do
the continuity beeps. I didn't fly it that weekend, brought it home, and it
behaved like it should have.
Come this weekend, different rocket, antenna down, Pyro A configured for
after drogue, descending + 2 seconds. Other pyros stock, with the main at
500m. Same APRS configuration as the previous flight. Everything once again
checks out at home. I get to the site, igniters check out fine during prep.
Load it on the pad, it beeps out the 4 beeps for pad mode but doesn't
transmit or do continuity beeps when it's vertical. Take it back to the
bench, and it works (continuity beeps + APRS) when horizontal. Decide to
arm it horizontal to get the APRS going, move it vertically (carefully, yes
I know this might not be the brightest idea with charges attached), and
launch. I had a stratologger I had confidence would take care of things if
it didn't work. I don't know for certain if the apogee charge fired as
there were 2 ematches in the same device, but channel A definitely did not
fire and the main charge definitely did. I tried to pull data, but just
have a 1 minute file with the altitude slowly increasing a few feet (which
seems to correspond to it recording the pad raise, I think?). Firmware is
from the latest 1.41 release. Only other thing I can think of, which
doesn't explain the first attempt, was that I had a 100mw Beeline GPS about
2' away on the same frequency during this weekends flight. There's a 12mw
Beeline beacon 500khz away on both flights.
Any ideas? Planning on using this for a 2 stage flight at Balls, but don't
have any more opportunities to fly it between now and then, so I'm a bit
concerned about getting to Black Rock and having things not check out.
Thanks for any help or insight,
-Andrew Wimmer
KD0FTK
Andrew Wimmer
Department of Electrical Engineering-MS 2015
University of California, Los Angeles
MIT Aero/Astro 2012
I have a Telemetrum V2 and it talks to a Teledongle when in
Pad mode. It will not talk to the Teledongle in Idle mode.
Both Telemetrum and Teledongle have latest firmware installed.
I've checked the callsign and both set to N0CALL. I've also
tried an alternative callsign.
I've tried with two different aerials and at different distances
between TM and TD.
I can connect over the USB serial ports to both TM and TD,
so is there anything I can do to verify if there is a radio link
between the TM and TD when in Idle mode? Is there anyway of
snooping the packets so I can see why the TM is not talking
to the TD? Anything else I can check to debug this issue?
Just a quick note to let you know two new accessory items are now
available in my web store at shop.gag.com:
I now have 9V battery clips with 12" leads, these are useful for using
an EasyMini with a 9V battery (all our other flight computers use only
3.7V single-cell LiPo batteries, but EasyMini can use either a LiPo or a
9V alkaline cell).
http://shop.gag.com/parts-and-accessories/9v-battery-clip.html
And for the first time since the fire, I have edge-launch SMA connectors
in stock if you want to replace the wire whip on a Tele* flight computer
so that you can attach a remote antenna:
http://shop.gag.com/parts-and-accessories/sma-connector-pcb-edge.html
Enjoyed seeing some of you at NARAM yesterday, looking forward with
Keith to seeing more of you at Airfest!
Bdale
I just fired up my new Telemetrum 2.0, of course I waited until the day
before a launch, and I'm having a wee bit of a problem. I can't see it
with either my teledongle or my teleBT when in idle mode. It works fine in
pad mode, just not idle. I can see the Telemetrum via the USB cable in idle
mode just not via the radio link. I didn't have an HT at the moment so
couldn't tell if it was transmitting a carrier but I'll do that soon.
I verified that my older Telemetrum works in idle mode so I think I'm doing
things correctly.
Suggestions?
Ted Apke
KC2FOB
Hello,
I have a problem with AltosDroid.
I was receiving data from my TeleMega and after the rocket has landed I switched to the map view, which works well and is pretty cool.
But if I touch the map in any way Altosdroid crashes, exits the application.
If I restart AltosDroid the location of the rocket is lost.
Sure I have the saved telemetry file, but AltosDroid can not open it so it is not really helpfull if you are standing in the woods searching for your rocket.
It took some time but I got again a signal, since the rocket was hanging in a tree, so I found it and got my TRA level 2.
The crash is reproducible and happens always when I touch the map.
I am using an Asus phonepad with Android 4.1.2.
Best
Thomas
I have been trouble shooting this board for about 2 years so far. (might be 3 not sure) (I am getting close ... ) The last thing I found was my switch was causing resets, so after several ground tests, I fired matches' using telemetry, and it worked great. I used a bridge wire on the switch terminals to arm the TM, then fired the channels over my link.
Everything looked golden. So, we took to the launch site, and we got two great flights out of it. problem , no receivable telemetry link. (after a close look at the symptoms, I decided there is something wrong with the signal, not the board, so the flights would be safe.) I had tones for RDF so, I knew we could track it down.
So, being the switch was my last problem the plan was to fly with a bridge wire. Prep with the rocket in idle, then reboot on the pad for flight ready. We prep, and no link. No matter what I do ... no link. My receiver is picking up the tones on 435mhz, with a yagi. my dongle is using a rubber ducky. I use the ducky for ground use, then plug in the 7 element yagi for flight.
what I found is that with the sled open there is a link with the dongle, as soon as my coupler is over the TM, my link disappears.
what I find odd, is that it is a radome, and the coupler really shouldn’t be affecting signal strength that much(as I see it).
I have attached a photo to show the sled and coupler, as it sits I the link works, once the coupler is moved to the bulkhead, the telemetry will drop
I am just curious if anyone has any ideas on what may be the cause.
I am guessing the distance of antenna before the bulkhead and after the bulkhead is the culprit? any thoughts?
my Radome is made from this stuff..http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/sul/suls577.htm seems like some sort of nylon. really strong hard stuff..
This e-bay will be changed, it is grosely overbuilt. I am moving to a machined sled. But, it would be nice to get this to work prior to moving forward, so I know whats wrong. Otherwise I will never learn.
Thanks,
Clay
can bp residue affect rf?
