[[!tag tags/rockets]]

Over the weekend, I put two more 
[TeleMetrum](http://altusmetrum.org/TeleMetrum) 
boards together, serial numbers 7 and 8.  The good news is that both boards
turned on and worked right the first time, but only after working around what
appears to be an icky bug in the kernel cdc_acm driver.  We've seen various
problems with this driver before, but for some reason my ability to talk to
our programming dongle failed hard this weekend.  In the process of digging
around for helpful info online, we discovered that the usbserial driver can 
be made to work with our boards, and are pondering switching.  More on that 
later.

Building these two boards used up the last of my cache
of the expensive parts, and we'd like a few more boards for upcoming launch
events like [Chili Blaster](http://www.scronline.net/html/chili_blaster.html)
and [NCR Oktoberfest](http://ncrocketry.org/modules.php?name=Oktoberfest), so 
I ordered more parts... and as of this morning they've started arriving.  The 
plan is to build up another half-dozen full TeleMetrum boards, and two 
partially-loaded boards for use in our first 
[TeleTerra](http://altusmetrum.org/TeleTerra)
prototypes.

A special note for folks near Colorado.  Weather permitting, on Sunday morning
the 23rd of August, I'm planning to "drag race" my [big Goblin](http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdale/3568189349/) airframe against my good friend Jason 
Chamberlin's similarly-sized [Polecat Fat Man](http://stores.whatsuphobby.com/-strse-11/Polecat-Aerospace-10\"-Fatman/Detail.bok) on long-burning 
[Aerotech](http://www.aerotech-rocketry.com/) 
[M650W](http://www.thrustcurve.org/motorsearch.jsp?id=471) motors 
at [Chili Blaster](http://www.scronline.net/html/chili_blaster.html).  Even
for those of us who fly high power model rockets every chance we get, a 
drag-race between 10-inch airframes on long-burning M motors is a special 
event.  If you've never seen rockets like this fly, and/or would like to see 
a TeleMetrum board in action, that could be a great day to come hang out 
with us!