2" dia altimeter bay design???

Look at LOC Precisions site. They do an avionics bay for 3" & 4" kits. I know that's not the size you want, but there is a very good diagram of how it is constructed which may help you out in making a well designed bay from scratch.

Kev T

I have had good luck creating a 2 inch bay from the LOC 54/38 mm motor mount adapter. I glue the thrust ring to the middle of the coupler tube. Epoxy both of the centering rings an 1/8 inch deep into each end of the coupler tube. Discard the motor tube to the spare parts bin and purchase 2 couple bulk plates to use as end caps....drill then for 1/8 inch all thread and voila....2 inch electronics bay.

Mark Palmer

Xavien has one in the works at this time.

If your interested I have some photos of a 54mm ebay I did on my Phobos. Extremely simple design and very functional. Send me a line at tdstr at visi dot com and I'll dig them up.

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

Email Giant Leap Rocketry. I have their 4 inch version and it is first class. I'm sure they can provide the pieces to do a 2 inch one...

John

Building an altimeter bay is easy. I have built my particular version in sizes from 2" to 6" diameter with no troubles.

Materials:

Coupler

2 ea. bulkheads sized for couplers misc.

Cut a length of coupler to at least twice the diameter of the airframe. For a 2" airframe this is at least 4". The length of your altimeter will determine the required length in this case. The interior needs to be long enough for the altimeter and provide clearance for the hardware in each bulkhead.

Cut another length of coupler that is the same length minus the thickness of the two bulkheads. Slit it lengthwise and remove a slice of material sufficient to let it slide into the first coupler.

Slide it into the first coupler and test fit the bulkheads. Make any adjustments required. Now remove the bulkheads and use CA on the inner coupler to keep it in place.

Now epoxy in one of the bulkheads. You probably want to install the U or eye-bolt first. Be sure to use a little Loc-tite or equivalent on the nut.

Now drill the bulkhead and install one or more pieces of threaded rod that run the full length of the coupler to the other bulkhead.

Fill out the other details such as altimeter mounting, holes for wires, U-bolts, and you are done.

Because I typically use an AltAcc, I do a slight variation on this. The AltAcc is designed to bolt to the inside of the airframe. Rather than add extra unsightly bolt heads on the outside, I put them inside. Before gluing the two coupler pieces together, I first drill the altimeter mounting holes. The inner coupler has small holes for the machine screws and the outer coupler has holes larger enough for the screw heads. PML coupler is typically thick enough that the screw heads do not interfere with sliding into the airframe. If they do, a little work with a file solves that problem.

To make sure everything lines up the way I want, I start by fitting the coupler into the body tube where I want it. Then I drill the arming and LED holes through the body tube and coupler. Now I measure the mounting holes in the coupler from these holes.

To prevent mixups in the field, I install a wire harness with a polarized connector on the altimeter and in the altimeter bay. This makes it easy to install the altimeter and I don't have to worry about mixing up drogue and main. Which happens more often that you would think.

Altimeter bays are as simple or complicated as you care to make them.

Peter,

I put together a 2.25" diameter electronics bay. You can view the results / example pictures here:

XAVIEN and U.S. Rockets are currently putting together a kit for the smaller diameter series.

Good luck, let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards, Steve

Steven Kosmerchock * XAVIEN * Phoenix, Az USA

snipped-for-privacy@xavien.com

Nice.

I suggest adding a facility to mount a power switch.

If you cannot get a long enough piece of coupler tubing, take 3 couplers and slit one of them to use as an internal splice for the other two. If it will be a coupler bay between the booster and payload bays, glue a short length of body tube over the splice as well. Add bulkheads, etc. just like the fatter bays. Not all units will fit in a bay like this, but most of the smaller ones will.