board called [TeleScience](http://altusmetrum.org/TeleScience), a 1000 mAh
LiPo battery, and a power switch.
-The TeleScience board supports connection of up to 12 NTC thermistors along
+The prototype TeleScience boards support connection of up to 12 NTC thermistors along
with other capabilities.
-Installing the electronics in the fin can bay is a *huge* challenge due to the
-restricted space between the MMT and airframe.
+Installing the electronics in the fin can bay was a *huge* challenge due to the
+restricted space between the MMT and airframe. All of the through-hole connectors on
+both boards were removed, along with the GPS antenna and beeper on the TeleMetrum board,
+yielding two boards with no parts on the "top" side. A short piece of ribbon cable was
+hard-wired between the companion ports on the two boards, and the LiPo battery leads
+were soldered to TeleMetrum. The TeleMetrum board was equipped with an edge-launched
+SMC RF connector (smaller in diameter than an SMA) for attachment to an off-board
+antenna. Then the boards were installed on minimum-height standoffs above the phenolic
+motor mount behind a hatch cut in the airframe between two fins, with the GPS antenna
+and beeper epoxied down to the side of the TeleMetrum board. The battery was mounted
+as far forward as possible and blocked in with some small bits of scrap balsa stuck down
+with super glue. The power switch was mounted near the aft end of the bay such that a
+small screwdriver reaching through the 0.25 inch static vent can be used to turn things
+on and off.
+
+### Fintenna ###
+
+On 2YikStik, one of the big disappointments was a very poor signal from the
+UHF transmitter on the TeleMetrum board mounted in the fin can. This isn't
+surprising, since the antenna was just a wire whip running in parallel with
+and very close to the motor casing. For this build, I decided to try
+something completely different.
+
+The quick summary is that I'm loading up the two fins that don't have thermistors
+in them as an antenna. And it works brilliantly!
+
+Before bagging the fins with the CF and glass lamination, I put 1 inch wide
+copper foil tape on two of the fin substrates, running from near the tip
+down to the root. Then the fins were bagged with 2 layers of 5.7 oz 2x2
+twill carbon fiber and a 6 oz glass sanding veil layer on both sides, all in
+one bagging operation to ensure all the layers formed a strong chemical epoxy
+bond.
+
+After unbagging, while the epoxy was still somewhat leathery, I carefully
+cut the CF back at the root edge of each fin exposing the copper foil. The
+fins were then allowed to cure and get sanded normally. When installing them
+in the airframe, I oriented them so that the thermistor fin is on the anti-rail
+side of the airframe, and the two copper-foil-equipped fins bracket the rail
+side, with the copper foil sides facing each other across the rail-side valley.
+
+After applying fin to fin glass across the motor mount, additional copper foil
+tape was used to join the two fins, soldering the new foil to the foil embedded
+in the fins. I then cut a "gap" in the center of the space between the two
+fins, and installed a 1.5-20pF piston trimmer capacitor with the screw aimed
+aft, and a piece of small diameter teflon coax with two ferrite beads on the
+forward side of the gap. The coax was run through a hole near the root of
+the fin separating this valley from the ebay and terminated with an SMC
+connector to mate with the TeleMetrum board.
+
+I'm pleasantly surprised at how well this seems to work. With a Pro75 6xl
+case installed, the variable cap allows the antenna to be tuned to about 1.3:1
+SWR, and the resulting transmitted signal seems strong...
## Build
-Parts gathered during late 2011 and early 2012. Built underway in early
-March of 2012.
+Parts gathered during late 2011 and early 2012. Built starting in early
+March of 2012, and completed in time for [NCR](http://www.ncrocketry.org/)'s
+Mile High Mayhem 2012.
The nose cone was custom fabricated by Jeff Lane at
[Shockwave Rocketry](http://shockwaverocketry.com), with thermistors embedded.
but we want to use glass couplers this time around for more strength, and
that leads to fit issues with the Magnaframe-based Dynawind tubing. So even
though it's slightly heavier, we're going with an all-glass build this time.
-We'll lose a little bit of max velocity, but hopefully it'll all hang together
-this time!
+We'll lose a little bit of max velocity, but hopefully it'll all hang together!
The tailcone is a no-longer-available Giant Leap 98-75mm Slimline tailcone
recovered from 2YikStik's wreckage.
birch plywood. The fin forward and leading edge rings are made from 3/4 inch
thick birch plywood, mostly to provide sufficient depth for milled fin slots.
-Will add a pointer to build photos here once they are available.
+## Photos
-## Publicity
+I've put all the [build photos](http://gallery.gag.com/rockets/YikStik3/Build/)
+I took together in one place.
+
+Friends who were present for YikStik3's first flight during the
+[Kloudbusters](http://www.kloudbusters.org/) Airfest 18 launch over Labor Day
+weekend 2012 took these photos and videos:
+
+* [Terry Lee](http://gallery.gag.com/rockets/YikStik3/Airfest18-Terry.Lee/)
+* [Tom Marble](http://media.info9.net/tag/yikstik3/)
## Flights
-The intended first flight of YikStik3 will be at NCR's Mile High Mayhem 2012
-on an as-yet-unreleased [Cesaroni](http://pro38.com) Pro75 6xl Imax reload
-tentatively designated 9874M2245, which is a 92.7% M with approximately
-4.4 seconds burn time. It's going to be one heck of a ride!
+The intended first flight of YikStik3 was to be at NCR's Mile High Mayhem 2012
+on an unreleased [Cesaroni](http://pro38.com) Pro75 6xl Imax
+reload. Unfortunately, the jet stream was parked over the site yielding
+strong upper level winds, such that it would not have been possible to keep
+the airframe inside the waiver cylinder during recovery... so we didn't fly.
+
+The motor was certified in early August as the Pro75-6GXL 9977-M2245-IM-P.
+
+I was able to fly YikStik3 for the first time at the
+[Kloudbusters](http://www.kloudbusters.org/)
+[Airfest 18](http://www.kloudbusters.org/airfest/Default.aspx). They've got
+a huge waiver cylinder and an awe-inspiring recovery area .. which it turns
+out we didn't need much of! The airframe achieved approximately Mach 2.2 and
+21,660 feet above ground. More details will be posted once we have time to
+analyze the data we collected.