From: Bdale Garbee Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:31:05 +0000 (-0700) Subject: document first v0.2 test flight X-Git-Url: https://git.gag.com/?p=web%2Fgag.com;a=commitdiff_plain;h=74929c2ab4ce282298ca30bd3da8635885b35f7a document first v0.2 test flight --- diff --git a/bdale/blog/posts/TeleMetrum_v0.2_First_Test_Flight.mdwn b/bdale/blog/posts/TeleMetrum_v0.2_First_Test_Flight.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5253fab --- /dev/null +++ b/bdale/blog/posts/TeleMetrum_v0.2_First_Test_Flight.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +[[!tag tags/rockets]] +On Saturday, I joined [The Albuquerque Rocket Society](http://arsabq.org/) +monthly launch in Rio Rancho, NM. A friend, Mike, who lives in the area +joined me for the launch. While the morning started off clear and +calm, if a bit cold... the wind came up hard and we had to call it quits +before lunch. But before the wind "blew us away", I managed to get one +flight in. And it was an absolutely perfect test of one of my brand-new +[TeleMetrum](http://altusmetrum.org/TeleMetrum) v0.2 boards! + +My cut-down Hawk Mountain "Raptor" kit, renamed "G-Spot" last October during +my quest to +[exceed 50 g](http://www.gag.com/bdale/blog/posts/TeleMetrum_Progress.html) +acceleration, was loaded with [TeleMetrum](http://altusmetrum.org/TeleMetrum) +serial number 51... and launched on a [Cesaroni](http://pro38.com/) +229H255WT-14A motor. + +The ascent was beautiful! I've put a few photos of the rocket leaving +the launch rail up [on flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdale/4357476723/in/set-72157618450890674/). +However, despite a clear sky, we quickly lost sight of it! I managed to spot +a bit of the smoke trail from the delay grain as the rocket approached +apogee, but that was it! None of us at the launch saw anything after apogee! + +After losing sight of the rocket, I turned my attention to my computer, +where we were receiving a solid telemetry stream. It quickly +became apparent that the rocket was descending normally under chute. As it +got closer to the ground, I started calling out elevation, azimuth, and +distance numbers, but still nobody could spot the rocket. As expected, we +lost the RF link once the rocket reached the ground. + +As various folks on the flight line wished me luck finding my rocket, +I put the last reported GPS position into my hand-held receiver. Staring at +the map display, Mike and I realized the rocket was far down range, near one +of the roads into the site. We jumped into my vehicle and drove down the +road to the point closest to the rocket's reported position. We then walked +to where the GPS receiver said the rocket should be... + +And found the rocket within about 20 feet! That was well within the window of +position uncertainty my hand-held GPS was reporting at the time. Things just +don't get much better than that! We picked up the rocket, and returned to the +flight line only a few minutes after leaving it. After dumping the data from +the board's on-board memory, I quickly generated +[the usual plots](./gspot-ars.png). The rocket reached 1881 meters apogee, +or around 6173 feet, and the maximum acceleration was 19.5 g. It touched +down nearly 1.3 miles down range from the launch rail, in a sage-brush +desert. + +I honestly don't think I would have found the rocket without at least the +radio beacon. It was hugely gratifying that the GPS worked and let me walk +right up to the rocket! I could not have asked for a better test of the +new electronics! + +Later in the day, Keith flew +[a successful test](http://keithp.com/blogs/TeleMetrum_v0.2_testing/) +of serial number 52 at a launch in +[Wilsonville, Oregon](http://www.oregonrocketry.com/?page_id=208). + +We're very happy with these results! Weather permitting, I hope to get more +test flights in next weekend at +[Hudson Ranch](http://www.scronline.net/html/flying_site.html). Stay tuned! + diff --git a/bdale/blog/posts/gspot-ars.png b/bdale/blog/posts/gspot-ars.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ec0f2ca Binary files /dev/null and b/bdale/blog/posts/gspot-ars.png differ