Fred, the credit for the article goes to Mike Konshak - he is the whiz behind that. I just got in the way of the camera.

There are a couple of receivers floating around the club, so I'd guess there is a way to "buy in" to a share of those. Track me down at the next launch (nice pun, huh?) and we can collectively put our heads together on the receiver situation.

That would be great. I will plan on coming up on 8/1. It will be interesting to see it in action.

Best regards,

Fred

The Astro is a great unit. John Wilke told me to use one in my first L3 attempt and because I didn't I ended up storing my rocket on the prairie and logging a 19 mile one day hike to find it.

Here is the readers digest version of my two different L3 flights.

Flight one:

No GPS. Used a radio tracker that was from LL Electronics - worked wonderfully. Rocket went to 19940, main came out at apogee and drifted 4.5 miles 12 degrees west of north and landed in the rocket eating canyons. Took a good friend - John Bixler - to help me go out and track it down. Got a signal 3 miles away and then we walked to it. Very difficult recovery but got it back. John is 100% with the LL Electronics trackers.

Flight two:

Used Astro GPS + radio tracker. Rocket went to 25211 and again the main came out at apogee. Drifted 4.25 miles due east. Watched descent on the GPS while we also had a great radio bearing from the hill. Had signal for approximately 15 minutes until we lost it. I was standing by the pads at the bottom of the bowl and was using an extended antenna. Drove down the road, made a left, drove down there and stopped. Got out and walked 1/4 mile to the rocket and back. Launched and recovered in under an hour.

Was great to have the security to know where the rocket was and that it was under chute. But, I will continue to use both because if one fails I have a backup. I also like that I have the radio tracker which was still transmitting 4 days after the launch.

If I do any more high altitude flights I'm going to follow John Wilke's advice and put the DC-20 in there. It was just way too easy to go and literally drive to the rocket. Even knowing the last coordinate would have made searching much easier.

Edward

The tracker has been in every launch, for me, over a "G" for the last year and a half. Only really (kinda) needed it once at Hartsel when the main shook out at 12000.
I have figured it out. Put the tracker in, the Rocket stayes in sight. It knows better, and stays closer. Leave it out, it knows 😕 and it takes of in a gust of wind and your looking for 4 hours. 😡

Oh and for those radio becons........sorry guys, thats like Sputnick compared to Corona!
One gives you a picture, the other just beebs at ya. 8)

Indeed, as long as you have room (both weight and diameter), then GPS is the only way to go. Let me know when you have it whittled down to fit a 29mm rocket 8)

I'm using the GPS on a project for Oktoberfest. It is way very cool.....