Activity

LOVE the new photo – never been to a night launch and always wondered how it looks – sweet!

Biggest problem we have with changing the photo is for folks to send us photos to put up.Use photo’s from the photo album page. Or I bet Ray has one or two worth while. There is no shortage of photo’s…   Read more»

Yep, that fat guy with the white rocket on the home page is getting a little outdated 8) I’ll bet Doug has some nice shots? The one Doug G uses on his signature would look outstanding on the front page….   Read more»

Sorry Doug. Biggest problem we have with changing the photo is for folks to send us photos to put up. I have some candidates, but with the upgrade to the latest PHPNuke, I’ve been holding off. I’ll make the change…   Read more»

We put in a Web site update tonight that should address the spam issues that we’ve had. You’ll may notice that captcha is now turned off for regular login. Most of the other changes aren’t so obvious but the changes…   Read more»

If anyone has trouble with the site – please speak up so we can address it.

I’m not sure I would call it trouble, but how about updating the photos on the front page a little more often?Doug

PM sent.

Don’t use steel wool as it will catch fire.Steel wool, with the proper oxidizer, can be used as a fuel in amateur rocketry—not to be confused with what we do. Good thing you pointed this out, Chad. You probably saved…   Read more»

I have used both pistons and baffles in low-mid power rockets. Baffles are a partial solution, but do what they are intended to do- trap hot particles and cool the gases. I still use kevlar blanket or wadding with a…   Read more»

Thanks for all the replies. New rocket is almost done. Very happy with build so far, still needs color. Excited to see new design this weekend.3,2,1, Launch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!David

Doug,I’m not aware of any problems on larger rockets, it’s just my personal preference. I suppose I should have been clearer on my post that it’s just opinion – not based on science or bad experience.I just think that in…   Read more»

I vote pistons (for rockets less than 5” dia.)Hi Ed, why only less than 5″ diameter? I’ve used them on 6″ rockets for years and even on Odyssey with a 7 1/2″ body tube there was a piston. I was…   Read more»

I vote pistons (for rockets less than 5” dia.) for all the reasons said so far. Plus, they don’t get scorch marks or burn trough Nomex, Kevlar or the chute. I have had to retire Nomex blankets but never retired…   Read more»

I’m pistons all the way. Never had one jam or fail. Just make sure you ground test!Edward

I especially like pistons in low-power birds. They take a lot less room than the amount of dog barf you need for the same amount of chute protection.

I favor dog barf and then a kevlar pad wrapped around the chute like a tortilla holding burrito filling.

I’ve had a piston jam twice. Once in a filthy quantum tube airframe and another time by greatly overpowering the ejection charge in an all-composite bird. (about x5 bigger than it needed to be.). Otherwise, I’m with John – I…   Read more»

I’m a piston guy – if the nosecone shakes off and doesn’t pull the chute out, the main charge just blows by the laundry and the next thing you hear is a loud THUDDDDDDDDD. With a piston, you are pretty…   Read more»

Kevlar pad. There are different kinds of baffles. Personally, I don’t use them unless it comes with a kit. Warren Musselman is a piston expert, as is John Wilke. You’ll see them both at the cleaning party this weekend. The…   Read more»

Pictures of Chad’s first dual-deploy flight: