On 6/26/2012 6:42 AM, David Reese wrote:I agree completely with the wait time issue. Not complaining (much), but at the last ROCStock I launched a total of 1 (one) rockets. Granted, much of that was because of 'W', but there were times I looked at the wait times and realized that it was completely pointless to even put a rocket on the pad. (Also note that the one rocket had two igniters burn through before it finally launched -- but each recycle took a while as well).
And this isn't just anecdotal -- I timed how long it took to launch some rockets of others, and how long they sat there, etc. During low 'W' times, when the pads should have been launching continuously, there were times it took upwards of 20-30 minutes.
Also, as has already been iterated in this thread, it's one thing to (particularly on the front row) say, "John Smith with an Alpha on pad 2", versus "John Smith with an Estes Alpha launching on an Estes A8-3, and just look at that pretty paint job." It may only take a second or two longer, but that 'second or two' adds up REAL quick.
Oh, while I'm on the subject -- one other thing. If you think you've mispronounced a name, don't hold things up by asking if you've pronounced it right and wait/ask for a correction. If someone is that worried, they can write their name out phonetically. Or they can write more clearly (ask Jack about why I'm now called "Daniel" <G>). Bottom line, the job of the LCO is to launch rockets, in a safe and timely manner -- not to be a DJ.
Frankly, the above is probably the crux of the issue with the whole ROCStock vs. ROCtober thing -- when there are a number of mid-and-high power rockets waiting, the time spent launching the larger number of low-power rockets becomes INORDINATELY time-consuming, particularly when the launching is being done slowly. Slower pacing during a 'down time' is one thing -- but at a Saturday or Sunday of a ROCStock with little to no 'W', there should be only one pace -- fast.
I am also not suggesting that we compromise safety -- HOWEVER, lets be realistic, there is no comparison between the possible safety hazards of a low power rocket compared to a larger one. Frankly, I wouldn't even flinch at an Alpha hitting me on the head (presuming it's under chute), but even an Aerotech mid-power rocket under chute could do serious damage to somebody if it were to hit them. Not recognizing the fact that there is a REAL difference between the two is not seeing the forest for the trees...
Okay, I've probably bloviated enough for this morning...
David ("Daniel") Erbas-White
On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 02:04:24 -0700, Kenneth Brown <ken@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:I hope that there will be some more ideas on streamlining the launch process. We can refine as we go along, but not getting something in place is criminal.This. Wait times have *always* been an issue at ROCStock. Coordination between PM and LCO is the greatest challenge; at RS last month, there was a period when rockets (none of which were mine) had been sitting on the range for upwards of a half hour, and I got peeved enough that I went up, bumped the existing pad manager from their position, and started feeding cards to the LCO. We had the range cleared in <10 minutes.
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