Mike, in this economy, my wife and I are faced with keeping our house or not... just got cut off of unemployment... rent is more expensive, but, yes, I'll get you pictures. I have the most complicated and un-user-friendly, and the easiest. 🙄

Best I can do on the DC20 for now. 3" bird, nose cone mount.

I have a better camera now, if this looks like something you like I will get some better ones.
Greg

Best I can do on the DC20 for now. 3" bird, nose cone mount.
I have a better camera now, if this looks like something you like I will get some better ones.
Greg

Greg,

yes but take it again without the clutter behind it and move the object a bit more away from the camera so it in focus. I can always zoom in with a picture editor if the original picture is clear.

I'm impressed that yours works after twisting the antenna connector 90 degree. Mine broke off when I tried that and it cost me $50 to get a warranty replacement from Garmin. (My attempts to resolder the connection failed to work).

Thanks

Thats the way I did mine, like Greg, however, last launch the wieght in the front of the nose cone busted loose and broke the antena and another small part. Are you saying it cant be soldered??? 😯
I was actually going to call you up Mike for some expertise on this.
🙄

I think the original pictures were taken with a cell phone camera. So, yeah, those are pretty bad.
I'll have my wife get out the good camera tonight.

I epoxied the base of the antenna on. It doesn't move much. I really need to make a piece of foam to fit inside the nose cone to help dampen the shock of landing.

Sorry this took so long, I was waiting to get my Daughter's Nikon D70 out of the repair shop...... Dimension of this mounting position is 1.5" x 1.5"x6.5" tall. I used fiberglass circuit board as a mount to the DC20 and to an "L" bracket that bolts to the bulkhead using the cast eye bolt. This setup will work inside of a 1.5" nose cone, I have trial fit it.
Greg

Are you saying it cant be soldered??? 😯
I was actually going to call you up Mike for some expertise on this.
🙄

When I attempted to rotate the SMA connector it broke the shield from the board. There is not very much length to allow a 90 degree twist. I also failed to make it work by eliminating their SMA connector and attaching a coax directly to the board and using my own 50 ohm coax and connector at the antenna end. I think there is some sort of filter within that special SMA connector, and if you don't use it it doesn't work.

I believe in retrospec that laying the antenna over the GPS receiver (the white module) disrupts the WAAS signal. What You did as well as Greg did, is orient the antenna the other direction, so that method appears to work.

I was impressed with Rick McDonald's trick. (see picture below). He unsoldered Garmin's SMA connector, patched in a length of coax at the PWB end and spliced it to the SMA connector on the other end. If there was any magic within the SMA connector then this solves that problem. My only negative to his approach is that the antenna is blocked (shielded) by the PWB itself. Of course the rocket will be rotating so signals should come around. I tracked his 38mm bird with my handheld so it was good enough to find it.

Larger size:

Larger size:

Here's my installation in the 54mm Sustainer stage of "Gates of Heaven" which I will hopefully fly March 7. I'm missingthe push button swith and charge port (TBD). That will happen tonight.

Larger size:

Larger size:

Larger size:

Larger size:

Which model is preferred, the DC-20 or DC-30. After walking 19 miles (and finding my rocket) with a falconry tracker I was thinking of adding this to it so it might narrow the search down a bit and still use the falconry tracker.

Edward

Anybody see this yet?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000MN8NL8/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=172282&s=electronics

I've got one of the stubby antennas if anyone wants to try it out.

-Ken

Have you tried it?

I got my 3 DC20s off ebay, but haven't had a chance to check them out with someone's handheld. There was also one stubby antenna and some dog harnesses in the package if anyone wants those!

So no, I haven't tried it, but I assume the range will be reduced.

-Ken

Mike,
Just got back from BALLS and one of the guys there had a DC-20 mounted in a solid block of "potting" epoxy - battery and all with the antenna sticking out one end and the switch and charging cable out the other. Still got a good signal and survived a fall from 10k plus feet where deployment failed. Heavy design but rugged as hell. If you are interested for your article I could see if he has a photo of it. -Sean

I would like to see a photo.
And, I would expect a shorter range with that short antena.
And Ken, any time you want to try out those collers, Let me know.
I have bids on 3 collers now on ebay. I think they are going to be harder to come by soon.
Scott e