Yeah, I like the "misfire alley" systems.

I sometimes launch off the club rack, but most of the time I like to use my "Pad 34Z" ("Z" for Zooch) and reworked Estes controllers on my own 12 volt jumper pack. I like the freedom.

We usually do "launch your own" from the club launcher, so it's not a big deal. I write up the club "launch reports" (or at least I did until the past few months have kept me busy on weekends and unable to attend launches) and posted them here, TRF, and RP in the "events" and "mission control" sections. I do that by putting out a legal pad by the club launcher and asking everyone to write down their name, rocket name, engine(s), and any short details, and to jot down how it flew/landed afterwards. Works pretty good so long as folks remember to sign the stuff to the sheet.

I'm more of a loner anyway so I tend to the "less is more" theme but that's just me, and I realize it. There was talk of not allowing "individual pads/launchers" and making everyone launch of the club system under centralized control, which isn't for me. I'd probably just observe (since it's on my farm) and fly on my own under those conditions, most of the time anyway.

I'm sort of a scofflaw myself... I could see where "centralized control" can get out of hand-- we had a situation where someone "outlawed" tilting the launch rods because of a "cruise missile" LPR flight. I've gotten pretty good at guessing how much tilt to put into the rod and so I just basically 'scoffed' at it and did it my own way. Problem with central control is, "WHO is the central one controlling things, and what are THEIR standards and ideas compared to everyone else's?"

Meh... that's just me though... why I'm not a "club" kinda guy... I'm a loner not a joiner anyway, and I'm not very 'organizationally minded'. INFORMAL is a good word IMHO...

Later! OL JR

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The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

I suppose it depends a lot on the number of people involved, and their level of common sense. In any group, the level of common sense is equal to the lowest of the individual's levels...

I suppose I'll just name them here... it's SPARC I've launched with, twice. The first time, there were, at peak count, something like 5 adults and 3 kids launching, and at the other there were 4 adults and 1 kid. We all more or less know each other (even if I can't remember one guy's name) and we all understand range procedures pretty well.

For a large group, that wouldn't work so well. I don't think I'd enjoy launching regularly with a large group (though it might be nice to do it once).

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NAR # 115523
Once upon a better day... SAM #0076
My site: http://rocketry.gonnerman.org

Hmm.

7x18 is too expensive... but I have a bunch of A10-3T's. I wonder how a 7x13 Big Daddy would fly? That's like, 7/8 D70-3, right? (Being facetious, I know the numbers are just seat-of-the-pants estimates on a good day.)

Need Q2-G2's to light that mess though. My 12V launch controller lights 3x clusters just fine with Estes igniters, but 7 Estes igniters might be a bit of a stretch.

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NAR # 115523
Once upon a better day... SAM #0076
My site: http://rocketry.gonnerman.org

Being the President of my Club, we pretty much have a DIY kind of launches. Where we're at fild wise, we can fly upto 2k ft, so if you've got a heavy G rocket, you can fly it. Usually we've got around 20 people at our launches, so we have decent size launches now. But really we are pretty relaxed. We have rules we follow to a T, others we follow loosely. all in all we try to have as good a time as possible. Just fly, be safe about it, and have fun.

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She said, "Don't make me release the flying monkeys!"

Too late, I'm here......

OpenRocket says I need a bit of nose weight, but I can make it fly that way. It is still going up at about 25 ft/s at deployment though... will have to make the parachute XX heavy duty. My single-engine Pharos is like that... it has NO gentle deployments, so I made the parachute out of heavier mylar and heavier cords.

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NAR # 115523
Once upon a better day... SAM #0076
My site: http://rocketry.gonnerman.org

7 x C6-3 (which are 18mm) are great in a BT-101 sized model. And if you buy lots of Blast Off Flight Packs, you probably have a lot of left over C6-3 motors. I also bought a lot of discounted C6-3 motors when Wal-Mart had clearance sales.

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-Fred Shecter NAR 20117 (L2)
Southern California Rocket Association, NAR Section 430

Thanks for the advice Gus.
Has about as much value as a turd in a swimming pool.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

I have probably a hundred (individual) A10-3T's bought at $1.00 per package at Wal-Mart.

Besides, 7x13 fits in a BT-60, which I can then use as a core to attach the TTW fins to (just have to shorten them).

I really think I'm going to build this one.

GH: Sorry for the threadjack. Good luck finding an area to fly... were you closer, I'd invite you to join us.

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NAR # 115523
Once upon a better day... SAM #0076
My site: http://rocketry.gonnerman.org

I don't know....I thought it was good advice. Wasn't it directed at the local flying clubs? You know, to be on the look-out.....

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Bravo52
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Jerry Little
TRA #11767
Level 1

GH,

It wasn't advice, it was a request. Please stay away from organized rocketry if you won't follow the rules. If it's too onerous for you to respect the conventions of the launch organizers, then just stay away. You're not doing us a favor by showing up and ignoring what we've put in place to try to keep everyone safe.

For a guy who spends so much time on these forums railing about how much you value your personal freedoms, you sure don't show much respect for what others have done to be sure they can continue to fly. As you've seen, it's no fun to lose your flying field. So please don't jeopardize ours.