I loved my MAWD... it's still out on the prairie in my SSS bird from an Oktoberfest flight. I'm still offering a reward if it is returned. I'll buy another one if I don't find the old one. I also have the newer Perfectflight Hi-Alt 45K and I recommend either one. My one bitch is I never got the data download to work from the MAWD despite many years as a computer geek and extensive experience with data acquisition systems. Something wrong with my MAWD I suppose, or the cable header they provided for download.

Warren

I've flown James Russell's MAWD more than he has. I like it. I fly that in tandem with an RRC2 and never had any issues with it or getting the data back off of it.

One really cool thing is you can open the data raw and play with it. I spent time after my A2 flight in Vegas screwing with a Time Speed Distance formula and used it to figure out I nudged into mach with the flight.

I'd buy it.

Dave2

www.samsfrog.com/coloradorocketry
Don't get caught at the kids table!

I'm pretty happy with the MAWD as well.

Their service is good too. I had the large capacity get a bit loose so I sent it back for repair. It was a quick turn and at no charge (except for the return shipping).

Like Dave said, you can take the data and play with it in several ways. I copy and paste the text data into Microsoft Excel. Then, with just a couple of formulas you can plot altitude, speed, and acceleration.

I've got a tiny Perfectflite 15k just for logging purposes. I believe the data is in at least a similar format. I've pulled it into Excel, but the baro data is really noisy for pulling derivatives for velocity and accel.

Anyone got a spreadsheet with some good smoothing or curve-fitting algorithms in it? I'm still working on rolling my own, but if one already exists, let me know.

Thanks,
Ken

I fly the PerfectFlite MAWD quite often, and yes -- it was in a conical nosecone in a rocket that coresampled, and the altimeter is fine. Incredible. I also like the PerfectFlite HA45 (Hi-altitude, 45K). It works great for regular flights as well... the HA45 is smaller, a lot less expensive, etc. It does NOT have logging capabilities, and it does use jumpers (which suprised me -- aren't jumpers sort of stone age??) That said, they work great. I flew an HA45 in a 24mm G boost, and later flew the very same altimeter in an O rocket.

I like to support Missile Works when possible, as Jim supports NCR to the nth degree. The PerfectFlites do fit in 29mm (and even 24mm) tubes, so they fill a real niche. I flew the PerfectFlite HA45 in the O because I didn't have a high altitude version of the Missile Works RRCX with me at Black Rock. I would have been comfortable flying a MW in the O as well.

JW

I've pulled it into Excel, but the baro data is really noisy for pulling derivatives for velocity and accel. Anyone got a spreadsheet with some good smoothing or curve-fitting algorithms in it?

Excel does curve fitting. After you plot your raw data, right click on data on the chart and select Add Trendline. You can select the type, and under options even has a few advanced features. You can't extract the cruve fitted data to do integration (that I'm aware of) but you can display the equation of the curve and go from there. I hope this helps.

Doug

Ken,

Shoot me an email and I can send a copy of my spreadsheet. It's not perfect, but it works well enough for me.

BTW, I need to echo JW's comments about Missile Works. There great altimeters. I have two of them. They're easy to use and extremely reliable. I plan on the Missle Works for my L3, with the MAWD as a backup.

Ed
thedawsons@qwest.net

I have a missleworks for most of my applications. I was just asking about the MAWD for my SSSS bird simply because of the size.