multiple station tracking systems

Order TER-6 from NARTS.

"Automatic Altitude Data Reduction System", by Dan Wolf

tater schuld wrote:

On that note we did several 3 station tracks of model rockets in a system approximately 1000 feet equilateral.

Jerry

I probably should mention that this report is probably only usefull as a baseline for building something on your own. I would NOT build the systems documented in it.

Why?

Technology has moved on since its publication. The 80C52 (with BASIC in ROM), external EPROM, SRAM, counters, and PAL's can be replaced with a single microcontroller.

David Schultz wrote:

Plus - with an RS-485 link instead of RS-232, you can get baselines in the 5000-10000 foot range. :-)

WiFi?

We're talking about communicating data between premeasured baselines are we not? Also tracking the tracking stations themselves provides the baseline checksum.

Jerry

Pardon the tech post. I have tracked alot.

I haven't read the original NARTS article, so I don't know how the stations coordinate among themselves. The point I was trying to make was that if that co-ordinating protocol has the requirement that when a station sends a "packet" to another station that it arrive at some deterministic time later (like at some speed deterministically related to C), then 802.11 won't work as a drop-in replacement.

But it could be that 802.11 will work fine, because the station-to-station "protocol" doesn't have tight timing requirements.

Exchange of timing information (which is clearly related to ranging information) over networks with very loose latency guarantees is one of those hard problems. Talk to Dave Mills about it sometime :-)

Pardon the tech post. I used to be a timelord.

I am afraid timelords superceed trackers :)

Cool. The ability to transmit tracking data has practical benefits beyond merely quicker data reduction. It would also allow 3D tracking mapping on boost and recovery.

Jerry

Hey Marcus, with the new THX1178 implant upgrade, the WWVB signal is an option that can be turned off! Worked perfectly for me!

It's really easy to do too! First make sure your tinfoil hat has the shiny side in. Next, at exactly 12:34:56 UTC, aim your 4.2 meter Yagi at Galactic Coordinates 2678.1+, and 1472.9- (make sure the neighbors don't see... wouldn't want to blow your cover). Finally, connect Yagi lead to tinfoil hat with jumper cables. When Zebutan at the controls on Bleem'fwa'blah gets the ping, then the download/upgrade will commence.

You'll *love* what it does to your hair too!

Tod "From Planet Zyrtec!" Hilty