launch controller designs - Northern Colorado Rocketry

This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 6 months ago by Bruce R. Schaefer.

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March 23, 2007 at 8:05 pm #39828
Greg Rapp
Participant
Folks,

I currently use the simple Estes one-at-a-time controllers for my non-club launches. I would like to build something bigger, that would allow hooking up 6 rockets at once, and also allow for drag races. This would just be for low-powered rockets – Estes and the like. It would be for my personal use, but also for my sons Cub Scout pack.

I googled “rocket launch controllers” and the like and didn’t come up with much – lots of simple one-shot designs, a few incomprehensible schematics for something bigger. Apogee has a book with 9 designs, but they don’t show any examples, the book looks prettty old, and they want $20 for it after adding in S&H.

So, it occured to me I should ask around here! I’m a EE, pretty handy with a solder iron, and I understand how circuits work. I could probably design something on my own, but I’m lazy and I’d rather build from a design that has been proven to work. Any advice?

Thanks,

Greg
March 23, 2007 at 8:59 pm #44404
Doug Gerrard
Participant
Check out http://www.info-central.org/index.cgi?support

For a multi channel launcher http://www.info-central.org/index.cgi?support

Doug
March 24, 2007 at 11:25 pm #44405
Dale Netherton
Participant
Joe, I will be glad to make you a launch control as you described.

Call me.

Dale.
March 25, 2007 at 1:39 am #44406
Bruce R. Schaefer
Mine does a digital countdown on a display from 99 to 0, or has an option to speak the countdown from 9 to 0, which I use most often. It is also flashbulb or ematch safe, with a relay option for a battery at the pad. There are so many options… contact Dale first though. I have a bunch of schematics that I merged, and have no idea where they are. 🙂 I’ll be using it for ground testing my L3 at the next launch. 8)
March 25, 2007 at 4:18 am #44407
Bruce R. Schaefer
Who designed and built the club’s controller? Piece of brilliance! I have an old, very old, Centuri club launcher from the late 60’s, for 8 pads–with a selector switch, but you can’t do simultaneous launches, just one at a time. The one I use now–though rarely–was designed by me to launch one at a time… there are switches both manual and electronic that will do the job. Yep, go to Dale. He knows about launching many things at once, or in sequence. Trust me on that. 😉
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