Tools and Techniques

• All Launches:
  • Adhesives
    • 5-Minute epoxy
    • CA & Accelerator
    • Elmers / White Glue / Wood Glue
  • Alcohol / Acetone / Solvent
  • All-thread
  • Cameras
    • Digital SLR
    • Go Pro / Video Camera
    • Rocket body cameras
  • Clamps
  • Compressed Air
  • Cutting board
  • Dog Barf / Wadding
  • Dowels
  • Drill / Electric Screwdriver
    • Drill Bits / Screwdriver bits
  • Elastic bands
  • Flashlight / Headlamp
  • Fly-away rails
  • Garbage Bags
  • Hack saw
  • Hobby/X-Acto knife / Scalpel
  • Igniters & Ematches
  • Launch lugs
  • Lighter
  • Microfiber towels
  • Mixing sticks
  • Motors
    • Motor Retainer caps
  • NAR/Tripoli cards
  • Paper
  • Clip board
  • Paper towels
  • Parachutes
  • Pens/Pencil / Sharpies
  • Plastic cement
  • Pliers (Regular, Needlenose , hemostat, snap ring, etc)
  • Portable Soldering iron / Soldering kit
  • Powder Brush
  • Push rods / sticks, pry bar
  • Qtips
  • Rail buttons
  • Rice Bags / Weights to hold down parachutes, paper, etc
  • Rubber bands
  • Ruler / Tape measure
  • Sandpaper / Emory Cloth
  • Scissors
  • Screwdriver sets (large, small, mini, hex, torx)
  • Shock Cord
  • Spare parts / Hardware
  • Talc Powder
  • Taps & Dies
  • Tape (various sizes as needed)
    • Aluminum
    • Double sided
    • Duct
    • Electrical
    • Kapton
    • Masking
    • Mylar
    • Scotch
    • Tamiya
  • Tarp / Ground Mat / Blanket
  • Toothpicks
  • Tray, small parts
  • Tweezers / Forceps
  • Utility knife / Box Cutter
  • Wet Wipes
  • Wax paper
  • Wire Strippers / Wire Cutters / Clippers
  • Zip ties
  • Ziploc bags
• LPR/MPR Local launches
  • Launch controllers
  • Motors
  • Rail / rod launch pads
• HPR Launches (long drive)
  • Altimeters
  • Batteries
    • 6V, 9V, LiPo, button
  • Battery charger
    • Solar Charger
  • Black Powder
  • Bubble Level
  • CG Jig
  • Charge Wells
  • Charging cables
  • Chute release
  • Couplers
  • Delay drilling tools
  • Dremel
  • Electric wire
  • E-matches
  • Flight Cards
  • Hammer
  • Inverter
  • Motor Adapters
  • Motor Casings
  • Motor Cleaning
    • Brushes
    • Bucket
    • Cleaning solution
    • Black powder solvent (i.e. – Hoppes #9)
  • Motor Reloads
  • Mounting putty
  • Multi-meter
  • Parachute / Shock cord protectors
  • Rocket cradle
  • Scales – Precision for black powder and larger scale for rockets
  • Shear pins
  • Socket sets
  • Speedy Stitcher
  • Spray Glue
  • Super Lube / WD-40 / Silicon Dry-lube
  • Volt meter
• Personal protection/safety
  • Allergy Meds
  • Antacid
  • Bug juice
  • Ear protection
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • First aid kit
  • Hat
  • Gloves
    • Work
    • Nitrile
    • Cold Weather
  • Safety glasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Tylenol/Motrin
• Comfort
  • Chairs
  • Food
  • Pavilion / Tent / Umbrella
  • Table
  • Water / Drinks
  • 

Level 3 Pre-Launch Checklist

• Motor preparation – Follow instruction sheet.
  • Motor preparation materials, e.g. lubricants, wet rag for cleaning inside of casing.
  • Tools for airframe assembly and inspection
  • Loose hardware (e.g. for motor retention, shear pins)
• Internal Ebay Prep:
  • Insert batteries into holders and secure with zip ties/tape
  • Turn on computers and check primary and backup charge settings
  • Turn off computers
  • Check all wire connections
• External Ebay Prep:
  • Connect switch wire mini-clamp connections
  • Insert Ebay sled into ebay coupler, put bulkheads in place and secure with 5/16-18 wing nuts and washers
  • Cut igniters to length
  • Insert igniters in terminal blocks and secure with set screws
  • Check continuity on all igniters
  • Pour black powder into charge well
  • Insert igniter head into black powder and insert dog barf until charge well is full and tightly packed
  • Securely tape off top of charge well
  • Place tape over bulkhead components (wiring and terminal blocks) to protect them from black powder charge
• Secure Ebay to Payload bay
  • Attach end of main shock cord to nose end ebay u-bolt with 3/8” quick link
  • Feed main shock cord through payload bay and insert nose end of ebay into payload bay. Line up witness marks
  • Secure ebay to payload bay with #6-32 screws
• Prep Nosecone tracker bay
  • Install Marco Polo / GPS Transmitter to nosecone bay sled
  • Install tracker batteries
  • Ensure Marco Polo/GPS transmitter is charged and turned on
  • Test connection to base station
  • Insert sled into Nosecone AV Bay and secure bulkheads with ¼-20 wing nuts and washers
  • Insert AV bay into Nosecone and line up witness marks
  • Secure AV bay to nosecone with #6-32 screws
• Prep main parachute
  • Lay out parachute – inspect for damage
  • Fold parachute per manufacturer instructions for placement in deployment bag
  • Ensure parachute apex is connected to loop inside deployment bag with quick link
  • Insert parachute into d-bag carefully, ensuring shroud lines remain untangled and stretched out
  • Z-fold shroud lines into loops on outside of d-bag, leaving about 6” of shroud line loose in order to connect to shock cord
  • Connect parachute shock cord to nosecone u-bolt with 3/8” quick link
  • Connect pilot chute to deployment bag with snap link
  • Wrap pilot chute in nomex blanket
  • Connect main shock cord to nosecone u-bolt with 3/8” quick link
  • Z-fold main shock cord, securing every 10-15 feet with dental rubber bands.
  • Insert shock cord into payload bay, then carefully insert d-bag and pilot chute
  • Insert nosecone coupler into payload bay, line up witness marks and secure with 4-40 shear pins
• Prep Drogue
  • Attach end of drogue shock cord to fin can bridle swivel with 3/8” quick link
  • Attach drogue swivel to middle shock cord loop with 3/8” quick link
  • Attach nose end of shock cord to u-bolt on ebay
  • Fold drogue chute neatly and then fold nomex blanket around drogue
  • Z-fold shock cord, using a dental elastic band every 10-15 feet
  • Insert shock cord and drogue chute in fin can
  • Insert ebay coupler into fin can and secure with 4-40 shear pins
• Prep Onboard Cameras
  • Test each camera to ensure the batteries are charged and they can connect to app via wifi
  • Check all camera settings in app
  • Turn off cameras
  • Insert cameras into shrouds and secure shroud covers with 4-40 screws
• Prep rail buttons
  • Determine if Unistrut or 1515 buttons will be used and install proper buttons with ¼-20 screws
• Insert motor into MMT and secure with Aerotech 98mm threaded cap
• Prep motor igniter
  • Tape igniter wire to small wood dowel so igniter head extends beyond one end
  • Lay a piece of tape on the table, sticky side up
  • Lay pyrodex pellet on tape with igniter sandwiched between them
  • Roll tape up until igniter head is securely taped between pyrodex pellets
  • Shunt igniters wires
  • Test to ensure assembly will still fit in motor nozzle, but do not insert assembly all the way into motor
  • Prep two of these igniter assemblies in case something goes wrong at the pad
• Prep to go to pad
  • Ensure all electronics are off and igniters are not in motor
  • Ensure switch cover is removed
  • Fill out flight card
  • Items to bring to pad
    • Screwdrivers for switches
    • Switch cover and 4-40 screws
    • Igniter assemblies
    • Tape
    • Flashlight/headlamp
    • Go Pro-cameras
    • iPhone to turn on Runcam 2 Cameras and Eggtimer computers
  • Get rocket RSO’ed for pre-flight check and sign-off
• At launch pad
  • With help, mount rocket on rail
  • Take photos!
  • Verify/adjust launch angle/trajectory
  • Turn on Switches 1 and 2 (battery connections)
  • Ensure battery connections are good, then turn on Switch 3 (primary computer)
  • Allow primary computer to go through pre-flight and ensure proper tones for continuity
  • Turn on Switch 4 (backup computer)
  • Allow backup computer to go through pre-flight and ensure proper tones for continuity
  • Connect to cameras with iPhone app and turn them both on. Ensure both are recording before leaving pad
  • Insert an igniter assembly in motor and secure with tape
  • Connect launch control leads to igniter wires and secure each with tape
  • Check continuity
  • Place Go-Pro Cameras and ensure they are on and recording
• Give rocket final check to ensure nothing was forgotten
• Return to LCO and place flight card on table
• Wait for launch, video it and enjoy it!

Mis-Fire Procedure

• Remove igniter
• Turn off all the electronics. Verify none are active.
• Recycle to “At Launch Pad” sequence

If the rocket has to be disassembled…

• verify that all altimeters are in the off mode.
• take back to the table and put in horizontal position.
• remove nose cone first.
• remove fin can shear pins.
• Remove metal screws holding forward section on coupler section.
• disconnect igniters from the terminal blocks on both ends of the eBay section
• ebay can now be disassembled and inspected.