Rocket tracking gadget

Here's their ruturn policy: Can I return or exchange an item? And how? The return will be accepted ONLY on exchange basis. If an item is defective upon arrival and has to be replaced, customer must notify us with one (1) day of arrival date.

It looks cool but with this return policy, I'll wait for someone to try one.

Buyer beware.

Phil Stein

Phil Stein

It doesn't give details, but it most certainly doesn't do the site-n-go feature of the Summit, Vista, or 76S units. It seems more like the Garmin Rino in features. One by itself is only marginally helpful in rocket locating.

But since this and the Rino show you the position of other similar units by transmitting data over the FRS radio, if you put one unit IN your rocket, you could use another to home in on it after it landed.

One other comment: I've never seen an Audiovox GPS. Garmin, Magellin, and other quality GPS units are built rugged to take field abuse. I've seen Audiovox FRS radios. Drop one on a hard surface, and it's dead, Jim. At this price, I wouldn't expect the kind of ruggedness I've got in my Garmin GPS or Motorola FRS.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

So. Isn't this the standard Microsoft warranty?

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

It looks like a nice unit, but how would you adapt it for use in rocketry? If I understand the description properly, it seems that the entire handheld unit would need to be in the rocket, transmitting to a companion unit on the ground.

check out this unit designed expressly for rocketry/RC application

GPSFlight

from their website:

GPSFlight delivers the smallest, most affordable GPS based telemetry solutions available to the RC, Recreation, and other markets. Track anything in real-time, and see exact speed, heading, altitude, and position information for more than 15 miles range!

also see

- iz

J.A. Michel wrote:

I found a link to the user manual -

But it's a 55 page document if you're on dialup.

p39 talks about using the locate feature.

Terry

Thanks Bob. I checked up on the Garmin units you mentioned, none of them list the site-n-go feature. Do they call it something else? Both the Garmin and Audiovox units list about the same features, waypoints, tracking, routing, etc.

Funny you mention putting it in the rocket because I had that idea too. Don't know if it would work. The only way to know would be to buy one and try it.

-- Joe Michel NAR 82797 L1

I was really interested in the site-n' go feature that Bob talked about. Meaning you point the GPS in the direction that you seen your rocket come down, and the GPS keeps you on a straight line walking to it. Putting it in a rocket was just a random thought that probably wouldn't work anyhow.

Actually, there is another little piece of gadgetry ya'll might be interested in.

It's kinda new, and used in Model Airplanes... was about 2 months into the hardware\software when I discovered it already existed.

It takes the GPS way point info (more specifically, two distinct NEMA 2.0 sentences) and gives an RC output to operate a solenoid to move left or right to steer a vehicle back to a way point (or along a given course).

A little modification and creativity (and help from GPSFlight?) and the thing could be used to operate the brake lines of a Parafoil, or even an X-Form 'chute.

I smell the technological foundation of 'GPS Recovery by Autonomous Steerable Parachute'...

GRASP system anyone? Tired of going to find your rocket? Let your rocket come back to YOU!

To compare Garmin units, go to

enabling feature you're looking for is the ELectronic Compass.

To actually see how Site N Go works, select one of the units (Summit, Vista, GPSMAP76S), click on Manuals, and download the owners manual. Sight N Go is on page 25 of the Summit manual, which can be opened from

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Invitation excepted! (May need a few spare rockets as well) ;)

Email me for this feature.

Thank you for the links. In lieu of having a GPS with an E-compass or site'n go, what could a guy do in the way of tracking? With a non site 'n go GPS, wouldn't it be possible to do the following:

1. Watch your rocket come down and get a good 'bead' on it.
2. Mark the position your standing at.
3. Walk in the direction of your bead for 100 feet or so.
4. Mark that point.
5. Continue in a strait line relative to the first two waypoints you just marked until you find the rocket.

All the rockets I have lost was because I lost my bearings going over a hill or being in tall weeds or CORN. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's a lot easier for me to get wife-approved-funding on a 70 or 80 dollar GPS than one that costs 200.

-- Joe Michel NAR 82797 L1

The enabling feature you're looking for is the ELectronic Compass.

/products/manual.jsp?market=3&subcategory=37&product=010-00212-00

The cheapest I've seen a Garmin or other quality unit is about $100.

Looking through the Garmin manual, I'd at least look for any GPS unit to meet the IPX7 water resistant standards so you don't have to worry about rain or splashes damaging the unit. Also check the interface formats for downloading, connecting to a PC or other electronics. And see what software is available to work with them. Garmin is VERY software friendly. Not sure about other brands.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

No. Microsoft gives you more than one day to return a product you are not satisfied with. I think it's at least 30 days. Check

for details. You know you want to.

Phil Ste>>> Here's their ruturn policy:

Phil Stein

But can I actually return the shrinklicense software that comes with a new peecee and get a refund of the microshaft license costs that are bundled in with the box? A bunch of Linux folks tried, and were refused refunds. Search on something like "windows refund day"...

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

kaplow snipped-for-privacy@encompasserve.org.TRABoD (Bob Kaplow) wrote in news:pji$XZ$NyPz$@eisner.encompasserve.org:

Wow. Finally, after 320 posts of noise, some signal!

And the moon is new, not full.

len.

My emachines T-1090 came with a Windows XP "restore" CD which simply writes a low-level system image to the hard drive. It over-writes any partitioning done on the drive and destroyed my Linux partitions when I attempted to re-install XP. I repartitioned and left XP off the machine.

I contacted emachines about the "Microsoft Tax" refund. They said the disk image restore was based upon MS OEM license agreements (you can bundle Windows, but nothing else) and I needed to contact MS for any refunds.

Microsoft (depending upon the division I contacted) essentially said the hardware OEM's were responsible for refunds. It wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with MS, and I quit trying (the T-1090 was a deal without XP when I got it on sale. A full OS refund would have been 2/3 of what I paid for the machine).

Some people have received refunds from the OEM, most have not. Small claims court cases usually side with the consumer, but you shouldn't have to sue just to get a refund on an item you don't want or use.

Not sure what is going on now as the T-1090 is the only OEM machine I own (all the others are scratch-builds with Linux and/or an ancient Win95 OS I bought retail).

Someone screwed up in reverse. ; )

Randy

I just saw they basic yellow Garmin GPS in the holiday Target at for $79.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!