What's the current state of the hobby?

Everything is pretty much as it was, though Aerotech had a devastating fire which forced it to move from Las Vegas to Utah, but they've gotten pretty much back to normal. There are some new motor vendors as well. The NAR/TRA case against the BATFE is going well, but moving slowly, so no, no real changes in regulations yet.

NARAM is in Phoenix this year (in less than a month).

LDRS has just ended. There's a lot of activity on and .

Roy nar12605

Look here:

Not much. Unfortunately, some DAMFSOB has taken his place. Hopefully folks will quit crossposting and peace will finally be restored.

We're getting over the 9/11 stuff. The lawsuit's going well. The October Sky effect, which brought me back, has worn off some, but we're still getting lots of BARs and newbs.

Aerotech is up and running again. Several new motor vendors have sweetened the offering: RoadRunner has F&G SU motors. CTI goes all the way up to 150mm motors and has 54mm and 98mm motors, too. Loki now has 38mm certified reloadables. Contrail and Sky Ripper have joined the hybrid ranks. Apogee is selling MR APCP Medalist motors again. Ellis has lots of new SU motors. AMW has 38mm reloadables now.

You betcha! I'm having a blast. I got my L2 at LDRS last weekend and am as hyped now as ever. Got lots of ideas swimming around in my head right now. Can't wait for the next launch.

Talk to your local motor dealer. What they'll sell you varies from dealer to dealer, depending on how they interpret the rules. But "easy access" motors can be had without too much hassle.

And welcome back.

Doug

Will anyone own up to being a RoadRunner dealer? I'd like to try the motors but the RRR site's "Dealers" list is empty.

Glen

Hi, Glen,

I think that page is set up more for dealer inquiries than for directing end customers to dealers. You might email RoadRunner and ask about dealers in your area.

HTH.

Doug

Note that the motors Apogee is currently selling are _uncertified_.

While they were certified at one time, Apogee has let that lapse and has apparently made no efforts to correct the situation.

Look carefully at the combined motor list and pay particular attention to the explanatory material at the beginning.

"The Con. Cert. column also notes which motors have certification ?expiring? in the near future, meaning their certification for general use will be withdrawn on the indicated date (see the key). So-called ?consumer protection periods? are built into the expiration dates listed here. This means that only old motors, manufactured at least three years before the designated expiration date, may be used. Newly manufactured motors of these types are not considered certified for use. After the indicated date passes, no motors of the indicated types may be used at all."

As NAR recently extended the "consumer protection period" from three to five years, I can only assume that this really means that only motors manufactured at least _five_ years before the expiration date are certified for use.

I sent an email to NAR S&T recently (with a copy to Apogee) asking about this. S&T responded that they are indeed uncertified while I have heard nothing from Apogee.

At the LDRS Banquet, an update of the legal procedures were given. Don't quote me, but as I remember it, the BATFE has to present all their specifics for putting APCP on the explosives list, proof of deflagration, etc, and everything else to the court on the 21st of this month. To summarize, it looks as though the BATFE is screwed and redemption for everyone is coming soon. Time will tell, but things are definitely coming to a head soon.

-Booms

Don't know about any specific dealers, but they were selling them at their own booth at LDRS and all of them that I heard announced flew great. Lots of people were flying them. I even brought back a LOC weasel with one in it that had drifted way out by my rocket, and was probably figured as lost. Winds on Saturday were really strong at 3000-6000 feet. Sudden Rush still drifted a good 3/4 mile with dual deploy.

-Booms

ORDERED that the defendant shall submit a status report to the Court and the plaintiffs by July 19, 2006, outlining the efforts it has taken to comply with the Circuit?s mandate. Accordingly, this status report shall identify the laboratory selected by the defendant to perform the testing called for by the Circuit, how long this entity estimates it will take to complete the required analysis, and what additional tasks, if any, the defendant will have to complete to comply with the Circuit?s mandate. It is further.

ORDERED that the status report shall also address the progress that has been made in completing the rulemaking that is already being conducted. It is further. ORDERED that a status hearing shall be held on July 26, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 5 at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, 333 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001.

Booms, you got to admit I still have the drift championship. Good thing my daughter has her eagle eyes.

Thanks Dave, knew it was something like that :)

-Booms

"Should production of one of these motors be (re)started, contest certification will be restored after a 60 day delay and it will not be decertified for general use. "

Still have questions?

-Fred Shecter NAR 20117

ahhh yeah well didn't the NAR S&T get rid of the contest certfification?

SInce there isn't any Contest certfication anymore, and R80 states that the D10, E6 and F10 will lose safety certfication on 6/1/05; doesn't that mean that those AT motors are uncertfied or non-certfied and being sold..... in violation of NFPA ? Huh?

terry dean nar 16158

I notice in the combined listing that Apogee/AT d10/e6/f10 have safety certification till 12/31/2007...

terry dean nar 16158

Gosh, I never, no wait a minute, I did think of that.

Apogee did a run of the E6 and F10 motors in the last year or so. So I would think that S&T would have changed the status of the motors by now which is why I asked them about this. Their response is that the current production Apogee composite motors are not NAR certified.

If you have any questions I suggest that you ask NAR S&T about the status of the Apogee motors.

I must have missed that or perhaps they did it and didn't tell anybody. The best explanation is that this is a figment of your imagination.

You missed the extension of the consumer protection period from three to five years.

Shockie,

I rejoined NAR yesterday. Is it to late to vote for you?

Phil

yes phil, its too late to vote for me....sorry

terry dean nar 16158