2 <img src="level2.jpg" align="right">
6 Building and launching model rockets is one of our favorite hobby activities
7 right now. While everyone in the family gets into the act in one way or
9 and Robert are the most serious and so most Garbee rocket projects end up
10 being father and son affairs...
12 [Bdale](http://www.gag.com/~bdale) is
13 [NAR](http://nar.org/) Sr member 87103 and
14 [Tripoli](http://tripoli.org/) member 12201, and holds a level 3
15 high power certification. Robert is [NAR](http://nar.org/) Jr member
16 87104 with a Jr L1 certification, and [Tripoli](http://tripoli.org/)
17 member 14036. He was one of the first kids to pass the
18 [Tripoli Mentoring Program](http://www.tripoli.org/TMP)
19 exam, and at age 16 can now often be spotted flying research motors at
22 ## [Airframes](airframes) ##
26 See some of our launch photos in the [Garbee Gallery](http://gallery.gag.com/rockets/),
28 Bdale's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28636323@N03/">Flickr Photostream</a>.
32 We have family memberships in (and regularly enjoy flying our
33 models with!) local clubs
34 [COSROCS](http://cosrocs.org/), which is
35 [NAR](http://nar.org/) section #515,
36 [SCORE](http://scronline.net), which is
37 [NAR](http://nar.org/) section #632, and
38 [NCR](http://ncrocketry.org), which is
39 [NAR](http://nar.org/) section #565, and
40 [Tripoli](http://www.tripoli.org/) Prefecture #72.
41 We have also flown with
42 [Tripoli Colorado](http://www.tripolicolorado.org/) and
43 [ARS](http://www.arsabq.org/).
47 * [Apogee Components](http://www.apogeerockets.com/) is a local
48 company. Perhaps best known as the place to get the RockSim
49 rocket design and simulation software (which we wish came in a Linux
50 version!), we've also bought lots of
51 [parts](http://www.apogeerockets.com/building_supplies.asp)
52 from them for building rockets from scratch, and we really like some
53 of the [Dynastar](http://www.dynastar-rockets.com/) mid-power
54 kits like the Rip-Roar and Sky Torpedo. Apogee is also a distributor of
55 our [TeleMetrum](http://www.apogeerockets.com/Altus_Metrum_GPS.asp) starter
58 * [Giant Leap Rocketry](http://giantleaprocketry.com/) is a
59 great source for components for building high power rockets. We particularly
60 like the Pinnacle nose cone series, and DynaWind pre-glassed airframe
61 tubing. Local rep Joe Hinton shows up at various launches we attend, and
62 gets most of our commercial motor reload business.
64 * [What's Up Hobbies](http://stores.whatsuphobby.com) is the home of the
65 Polecat Aerospace line of kits, plus Jack carries a lot of other useful
68 * [Public Missiles](http://www.publicmissiles.com/) make very nice parachutes
69 and HAMR retainers, which are our favorite retainers for 29-54mm motors.
71 * [Aero Pack](http://www.aeropack.net/) makes the flanged motor retainers we
72 like the large projects that contain 75 and 98mm motor mounts.
74 * [Chris' Rocket Supplies](http://www.csrocketry.com/) handled a problem
75 caused by one of their suppliers with an order brilliantly, and will get
76 more of our business in the future.
78 * [Discount Rocketry](http://www.discountrocketry.com/)
79 used to consistently have the best prices on kits and motors, but recently
80 has seemed to be mostly out of stock on things we want. We've bought lots of
81 [Estes motors](http://estesrockets.com),
82 smaller [Aerotech reloads](http://aerotech-rocketry.com),
83 and [Rouse-Tech cases](http://rouse-tech.com) from them. And they're
84 responsive and helpful on the phone, so we'll happily buy things from
85 them that are in stock.
89 Lots of people make electronics for use in hobby rockets. This is a brief
90 list of only the things we've actually used ourselves.
92 First off, Bdale and friends develop fully open hardware and software
93 designs for rocketry avionics, under the name
94 [Altus Metrum](http://altusmetrum.org).
96 We also fly commercial altimeters in some projects. The cheapest off the
97 shelf altimeter we've used and often recommend to beginners is the
98 [Missile Works](http://www.missileworks.com/) RRC2-mini. At about $80, it
99 gets the job done for simple barometric control of dual deployment. Note
100 that while early versions had a firmware bug that we believe is at least
101 partially responsible for Bdale's loss of his first L3 project, recent
102 versions seem fine. For another $20, the
103 [PerfectFlite](http://www.perfectflite.com/)
104 [miniAlt/WD](http://www.perfectflite.com/catalog/MAWD.html)
105 adds the ability to records the barometric flight altitude profile. Both
106 of Bdale's L3 certs flew with one each of these two commercial altimeters,
107 and we often use the MAWD as a backup for our
108 [TeleMetrum](http://altusmetrum.org/TeleMetrum) units during test flights.
110 The [BeeLine TX](http://www.bigredbee.com/BeeLine.htm) boards from Big Red
111 Bee are radio tracking transmitters that just work. They require an
112 [amateur radio](http://www.altusmetrum.org/Radio) license, but we think
113 anyone flying big rockets can and should get one of those anyway!
117 While a lot of great information is available on the web, there are some paper
118 books that we've found very helpful at various stages.
120 * <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471472425?ie=UTF8&tag=garbandgarb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0471472425">Handbook of Model Rocketry, 7th Edition (NAR Official Handbook)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=garbandgarb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0471472425" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
121 may be the best first book on model rocketry. While the focus is on small
122 rockets, the basic principles of static stability and construction covered
123 here are important at all levels of the hobby.
125 * <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1412058104?ie=UTF8&tag=garbandgarb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1412058104">Modern High-Power Rocketry 2</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=garbandgarb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1412058104" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
126 covers a lot of material, and is a great resource if you're starting to think
127 about a high power certification and don't have a club nearby, or just like
128 to read about how other people have done things and why.
130 * [Topics in Advanced Model Rocketry](http://www.apogeerockets.com/topics_advanced_model_rocketry.asp) is definitely not for everyone, as it's heavy on
131 math and isn't a "how to" book at all! But, if you really want to understand
132 what's going on with higher performance models and/or inside the simulation
133 software we use when designing rockets, the material here will take you