I currently serve on the boards of
the [Software Freedom Conservancy](https://sfconservancy.org),
-the [FreedomBox Foundation](http://freedomboxfoundation.org),
+[Tripoli Colorado](http://tripolicolorado.org),
and [Amateur Radio Digital Communications](http://ampr.org), where I am
-also the Treasurer / CFO.
+also President.
+
+I served for a while on the board of the
+[Freedombox Foundation](http://freedomboxfoundation.org)
+and made significant technical contributions early in the project history.
I served for a while on the board of the
[Linux Professional Institute](http://lpi.org) helping it recover from
[Keith Packard](http://keithp.org). I hold a "Level 3 certification" and am
a member of both the [National Association of Rocketry](http://nar.org)
and the [Tripoli Rocketry Association](http://tripoli.org). My personal
-confirmed flight altitude record is 32,635 feet above ground, my highest
+confirmed flight altitude record is 36,555 feet above ground, my highest
recorded acceleration is 86 g, the heaviest project I ever built weighed 168
pounds on the launch rail, and I've flown a rocket I designed and built
that reached Mach 3.21. I served on the committee that defined the
in high-end computer equipment. There are only a few carbohydrates I've met in
my life that I didn't like, I have very eclectic tastes in music, enjoy old
movies, and I have this "German metal habit"... Porsche flavored. My
-current such toy is a 1984 Porsche 928S Euro, moss green metallic
-with beige interior and a dog-leg 5-speed.
+current such toys include a 1984 Porsche 928S Euro, moss green metallic
+with beige interior, a dog-leg 5-speed, and a fairly loud custom exhaust
+system based on [Magnaflow](https://www.magnaflow.com) components. I also
+have a base-model 1987 Porsche 944 with the hard-to find "sunroof delete"
+option like the 928. And my current track-day car is a bit of a mongrel...
+it started life as a 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo, but now has a Chevy LS V8
+engine, a Ford Hydroboost brake system, a transaxle from a 1989 944 Turbo S,
+and many suspension upgrades. Looks like a Porsche, sounds like something
+completely different, and is a hoot on track wearing Hoosier R7 tires!
Over the years, I've spent a lot of my "spare time" on various facets of
[Amateur Radio](rf/). KB0G is my current callsign, previously I was N3EUA
and before that I was KA3ORU. I'm a life member of
-[AMSAT](http://amsat.org/),
+[AMSAT](http://amsat.org/) and of the [ARRL](http://www.arrl.org),
President of [CODE](http://gag.com/code/),
a former Vice-President of [TAPR](http://tapr.org/),
a past Chairman and member of the Technical Committee of
the
[Pikes Peak FM Association](http://www.ppfma.org), past board member
of the [Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association](http://ppraa.org),
-and a member of the
-[ARRL](http://www.arrl.org) and [QCWA](https://qcwa.org).
+and a member of the [QCWA](https://qcwa.org).
Perhaps my best-known early contribution to the hobby was the silly little
mail program I wrote for KA9Q's NOS networking software, called
[BM](ftp://ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/mailers),
Not sure how to pronounce "Linux"? Why not let Linus himself
[tell you](ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/SillySounds/english.au)...
-In recent years, my son and I have become very active building and flying
-small and large model [rockets](http://gag.com/rockets). I hold a
-"Level 3 certification", and my personal confirmed
-flight altitude record is 32,635 feet above ground, my highest recorded
-acceleration is 86 g, and I've flown a rocket that reached Mach 3.21. I served
-on the committee that defined the
-[Tripoli Mentoring Program](http://www.tripoli.org/TMP), and am
-proud that my son aced the test to become one of the earliest TMP
-participants. My current focus combines rocketry with my electronics
-background and strong interest in radio, see the
-[Altus Metrum](http://altusmetrum.org)
-community web site for more details...
-
* [Bdale's blog](blog)
* [Bdale's biographical information](bio)
* [Garbee Gallery](http://gallery.gag.com)
* [Cabell Garbee](http://www.garbee.net/~cabell), Bdale's brother, restores
neat old vehicles as a hobby.
-* [Allen B. Loyd](http://sites.google.com/site/allenloyd/Home),
- one of Bdale's first cousins, has a site documenting his theatrical set
- designs, paintings, and other fun stuff.
-* [Space Machine & Engineering Corp](http://space-machine.com),
- operated by another of Bdale's first cousins. It's kind of cool
- having a waveguide company in the family!
* [Graves Mountain Lodge](http://www.gravesmountain.com),
owned and operated by "my extended family" in Virginia. We used to
visit often... and still get back once in a while!
[Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_D._Barksdale)!
* A [photo](http://digitalcollections.vmi.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15821coll7/id/2862/rec/1) of him
from 1919, in uniform.
-* He was a [Judge of the United States Court](http://air.fjc.gov/servlet/uGetInfo?jid=97)
* Many of his papers were gifted to the
[University of Virginia Library](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/uva-sc/vivadoc.pl?file=viu00129.xml)
* There are scholarships in his name at
- [VMI](http://www.vmi.edu/media/content-assets/documents/human-resources/Faculty-Handbook.pdf) and
+ [VMI](http://www.vmi.edu) and
[Hollins](http://www.hollins.edu).
On Life
-------
+<p>
+"The American story is, really, just enough of us did just enough of the
+right thing at the right moment to push us forward."
+<br> -- Jon Meacham</p>
+
+<p>
+"In a very real sense, we are all aliens on a strange planet. We
+spend most of our lives reaching out and trying to communicate. If
+during our whole lifetime, we could reach out and really communicate
+with just two people, we are indeed very fortunate."
+<br> -- Gene Roddenberry</p>
+
<p>
"Bob Dylan is Bob Dylan not because he hits all the right notes...
but because he hits all the right emotions."
sitting in a lecture, or even by simply doing problems that are assigned."
<br>-- Richard Feynman, in his preface to the printed Lectures on Physics
+<p>
+"If every trace of any single religion were wiped out and nothing were passed
+on, it would never be created exactly that way again. There might be some
+other nonsense in its place, but not that exact nonsense. If all of science
+were wiped out, it would still be true and someone would find a way to figure
+it all out again."
+<br>-- Penn Jillette
+
<p>
"For every vision, there is an equal and opposite revision."
<br>-- "Thal's Law", which I first heard quoted by Lyle Johnson
"Fools live to regret their words, wise men to regret their silence."
<br>-- Will Henry
+<p>
+"Have more than you show, speak less than you know."
+<br>-- William Shakespeare
+
<p>
"Kids are more nimble than wise..."
<br>-- Nancy Gibbs, in a Time opinion piece
is traded for a worthy price."
<br>-- Orson Scott Card, a realization by an older Columbus in Pastwatch</p>
+<p>
+"Enduring pain to do something good for someone you care about, isn't that
+what life is?"
+<br>-- Dr Eric Foreman, a character on the TV series House
+
<p>
"Some films are slices of life, mine are slices of cake."
<br>-- Alfred Hitchcock</p>
* [FreeCAD](http://www.freecadweb.org/) design file for
[guitar body](guitarbody.fcstd)
-* [STL output](guitarbody.stl) from FreeCAD for guitar body
More to come!
--- /dev/null
+[[!map pages="rockets/airframes/AltusARCAS/* and ! rockets/airframes/AltusARCAS/*/*"]]
--- /dev/null
+# Altus ARCAS
+
+## Motivation
+
+This airframe started as an on-sale 4.5" HV ARCAS kit with 98mm motor mount
+from [Composite Warehouse](https://compositewarehouse.com/).
+
+## Design Details
+
+As the prototype ARCAS included a boat tail but the kit did not, I decided
+to modify the kit. I added a a fabricated-in-place epoxy tailcone about 3
+inches long, which shifted the fins aft by that amount. This in effect gave
+me another 3" of length to play with in the fin can part of the airframe, which
+meant a CTI Pro98 6xl case would fit very nicely.
+
+I also did a thing I'm growing to like where the "electronics bay" is just a
+stepped bulkhead with stuff hanging behind it, which also serves as the forward
+end of motor retention using all-thread into the forward closure and a lifting
+eye ahead of the electronics. This allows for hard attachment of the forward
+airframe tube in flight, with dual deploy from a single airframe break at the
+back of the nose cone
+
+The plan was to complete the project in time to fly at Airfest 2022 when my
+son would be in attendance. A CTI N3301 White motor which was in stock at
+Chris' Rocket Supplies was purchased for the flight, and a high altitude
+flight request was filed with and approved by the Kloudbusters. The motor
+was delivered to us on the flight line during setup on Thursday evening in
+the Rocket Pasture (to avoid hazmat shipping charges).
+
+Sadly, a glue-bonding disaster occurred that night in our hotel room, as the
+Gorilla Glue recommended for use in glue-bonding the grains in the liner
+"kicked off" before we could get the last grain in the liner, leaving us with
+an utterly un-flyable mess!
+
+To avoid just tossing the motor, my big plan then became to use my huge 1930's
+era metal lathe to cut the liner off the grains, cleaning them up to be glued
+in to a replacement liner. Thanks to help from Chris, we managed to procure
+an exact replacement liner assembly from CTI.
+
+I hoped to get the motor rebuilt in time to fly on the Argonia Cup weekend in
+2023, and the Kloudbusters re-approved my high altitude flight
+request. Unfortunately, my father passed away in March before the motor work
+could be done, throwing that plan out the window.
+
+Fortunately, I was able to make time to extract the grains from the original
+liner over the summer of 2023. The only problem is that at one point, the
+cutting tool on the lathe got loose in the holder and jambed into the end
+of one grain, forcing me to trim that grain to get a non-damaged end. I lost
+about 303 grams of propellant in the processing, leaving 98.1% of the original
+propellant mass. With a third high-altitude flight approval in hand from the
+Kloudbusters, my business partner Keith and I managed to get the grains
+bonded in to the replacement liner before leaving for Airfest 2023, and the
+rest of the motor assembly went smoothly.
+
+The recovery system plan was a 2' Giant Leap TAC drogue to be released at
+apogee by blowing the nose with 2 2-56 nylon shear pins off using 2.5g primary
+and 3.0g backup 4F BP charges in CPVC charge cannons, then releasing the main
+in a deployment bag witn a Tender Descender slightly modified to fit two of
+the Chinese e-matches I prefer so both flight computers on board could have
+a chance of getting the laundry out.
+
+The OpenRocket design file is
+[ARCAS_ala_Bdale.ork](/rockets/airframes/AltusARCAS/ARCAS_ala_Bdale.ork),
+and that design file plus all content on this page are released under the
+[Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode) license.
+
+### Electronics ###
+
+One each TeleMega v3.0 (primary) and TeleMetrum v2.0 (backup).
+
+## Build
+
+## Photos
+
+## Result and Lessons Learned
+
+The airframe was 49 lb 13 oz on the rail, and flew on Saturday of Airfest
+weekend, reaching Mach 2.2+ on the way to 36555 feet above ground! This was
+a new personal best for Bdale.
+
+Recovery went well, except that the main parachute was clearly under-sized.
+The ground hit appears to have been at about 47.5 ft/sec. One fin popped
+loose as a result of the hard hit on landing, and later inspection revealed
+that the fin can airframe tube "banana'd"! There is a clearly pronounced
+bend in the tube starting a bit aft of the front of the motor case. Since
+the motor mount is fairly short and it's a 98mm case inside a 4.5" inside
+diameter tube, it sure looks like the tube really was bent on landing. It
+could not have bent during ascent, and the hard hit plus long moment arm
+plus very high temperatures on the day and from Mach 2+ flight must have
+contributed to soften the tube enough to let it bend!?! None of us have
+ever seen anything quite like it!
+
+I'm still satisfied in considering the first flight of the airframe a success
+since my mission objectives of a new personal best altitude and proper
+operation of the recovery deployment were achieved. However, the fact that I
+clearly will need to rebuild/replace the fin can before I can fly again (on
+a larger main parachute next time!) is annoying.
+
### Others
+* [Altus ARCAS](./AltusARCAS)
+ 4.5" ARCAS with 98mm motor mount
+
* [V2-8](./V2-8)
8-inch V-2
--- /dev/null
+# Batch 2021.11.12 #
+
+5 grains of 75mm KNER, intended to be a reload for a Loki 76/6000 case.
+with Loki-style #36 short nozzle. Grains to be cast 5.25" long using Delrin
+coring rods of 0.75" diameter. Liner calculates to be 28 inches long. Will
+"glue" grains in liner using clear silicone and o-ring spacers.
+
+Nakka's SRM spreadsheet suggests this could be an 84% L968, with 3473g
+of propellant, a 4.88 second burn time, and max pressure of 655psi.
+
+Will mix a 3500g batch, the formula for which is:
+
+* 65% KNO3, 2275g
+* 35% Erythritol, 1225g
+
+I started by setting the multi-cooker to 300F indicated for this batch, but
+had to turn that up to 350F to get the entire batch melted, or the heating
+element would keep turning off. It still took a very long time to all melt.
+Once it did, I dialed back to 300F indicated. It's true that the ambient
+temperature was lower in the shop than on other days I've cast sugar.
+
+The 5.25" grains were poured to a 122mm fill line, and then an 0.75" Delrin
+coring rod was twisted down into the goo puncturing foil over the coring rod
+hole at the grain base. A casting cap was then placed over the top to hold
+the coring rod centered and protect the grain during cooling.
+
+The first four grains poured easily. There was enough propellant sticking
+high on the sides of the pot that I couldn't figure out how to break loose,
+though, that I paused and added 3 old 38mm KNER grains to the pot and waited
+for them to melt and get mixed in before casting the last grain. The last
+grain was also problematic in that the casting cap didn't want to go down
+over the casting tube, perhaps due to a bit of KNER splash already hardening
+on the outside of the tube?
+
+I noted that there were lots of small bubbles visible on the surface
+of the melt, all of which were popping easily at the time of the pour. I did
+the usual thing of twisting the coring rod as it went in and saw bubbles
+come to the grain surface, then tapped each grain on the table top after the
+cap was on to hopefully further settle the propellant. It's hard to imagine
+vacuuming KNER helping this, as the KN wants to settle to the bottom of the
+pot, requiring re-stirring to homogonize the mixture before pouring... which
+necessarily lets more air back in?
+
+## Results ##
+
+The grains came out very poorly, with lots of cracks and voids. My guess is
+that since the shop was colder than normal, and I could see massive amounts
+of propellant solidifying on the sides of the multi-cooker, that rapid and/or
+differential cooling as the propellant was being poured into cold casting
+tubes and cold Delrin coring rods were inserted was the root cause.
+
+The only credible choice is to set them aside to be re-melted in a future
+batch.
## Activity Log ##
+### 2021 ###
+
+* [2021 batch 01](2021.11.12.html) - 12 November 2021 - 5 75mm KNER grains
+
### 2020 ###
* [2020 batch 01](2020.08.31.html) - 31 August 2020 - 8 75mm KNSB grains
projects / web / gag.com / commitdiff