How high are you planning on flying the rocket(s) with the GPS?
Do you want something more plug and play or willing to read a manual to get it
to work correctly and use the data?
Do you want something more than finding your rocket, like using a GPS track log
showing the path of your rocket?
Do you have a iPhone or iPad if you are considering a FeatherWeight GPS?
Positioning the tracker with a reliable switch and battery connections is very
important and some ROC folks have created some cool ways to mount various
trackers.
If you use a Comm Spec as a back up like I do, get a HAM license. Then you
could use something like the Eggfinder HAM version which has about twice the
range.
But, you do not need HAM radio capability to track at high altitude.
Regardless of what you get, practice using it is the most important thing. Use
it when you can visually track the rocket and do this several times before you
launch out of visual range.
Richard Dierking
On Jul 3, 2021, at 4:42 PM, Ken Brown <ken@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Chris,
If you know electronics, getting your ham license isn’t that hard. It’s just
lot’s of studying.
Ken Brown
Amateur Extra AG6LD (on the first try)
On Jul 3, 2021, at 3:38 PM, David P Smith (Redacted sender "dave_w6dps" for
DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
wrote:
A couple of things I would like to point out.
Note that I am biased toward ham radio solutions, since I have been licensed
since 1977.
I have had very good results with BRB 70cm APRS.
This is not the only APRS solution. I have been thinking of writing an
updated article for the web page about some of the current option.
Light-APRS is a $115 option for a transmitter. It is kind of bare bones, but
the price is pretty good and it is quite usable.
Pico-APRS is a self contained transceiver that works very well. It has all
needed components built into a very small case. There is also a version
without the case or display that works well for balloons and rockets. The
self-contained transceiver is $219 and the tracker is $159.
WiMo PICOAPRS WiMo PicoAPRS Transceiver with GPS Receiver | DX Engineering
<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dxengineering.com%2Fparts%2Fwmo-picoaprs%3Frrec%3Dtrue&data=04%7C01%7C%7C60f64b31c5f64489394208d93e7c4b68%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637609525835179909%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=xuak5xP%2BezUuGjhHsDqmk9jDggzPu3OlALI4gWj1Ijg%3D&reserved=0>
WiMo PICOAPRSLITE WiMo PicoAPRS-Lite APRS Transceiver Module | DX
Engineering
<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dxengineering.com%2Fparts%2Fwmo-picoaprslite&data=04%7C01%7C%7C60f64b31c5f64489394208d93e7c4b68%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637609525835189864%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=ei%2FHHOgGuH44smfo3novbrda1jSJPwtjyKKHMAfKcTE%3D&reserved=0>
The current hot ticket for receiving is a Mobilinkd unit. It is a $60 modem
that can be used with a smart phone and any reciever, such as a ham HT or
hand held scanner.
Mobilinkd
<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstore.mobilinkd.com%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C60f64b31c5f64489394208d93e7c4b68%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637609525835189864%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=TB%2FIyBAaCcPvFEQY%2Fcl2hCcck4V7IucXsw2mQo3kzM0%3D&reserved=0>
I can provide any information and help you need to get a license. I am a
registered instructor and VE.
Actually, if you have a tracker on board I can help with receiving also. I
have several ways to receive and display APRS signals.
My 2 cents worth--refunds available on request.
David P Smith
ROC Board of Directors
BARC Vice President
NAR 78668, TRA 15803, L2
Amateur Extra, W6DPS
http://www.qsl.net/w6dps ;
<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.qsl.net%2Fw6dps&data=04%7C01%7C%7C60f64b31c5f64489394208d93e7c4b68%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637609525835199820%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=iqAxcwJlyZtoC%2BaDhj98W4%2F33MOwJ2%2BFgx97wVkM0Xo%3D&reserved=0>
On Saturday, July 3, 2021, 02:52:47 PM PDT, Chris Feenstra
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I am considering getting a GPS Telemetry system. Based on the number of
entries at the https://rocstock.org/rocket-tracking/ ;
<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frocstock.org%2Frocket-tracking%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C60f64b31c5f64489394208d93e7c4b68%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637609525835199820%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=y%2F3a4sDq0h9mMkPRGiJJtojkHWkXVgNN14rD1lYmZ%2B4%3D&reserved=0>
page:
Model: “Votes”
Eggtimer 8
Beeline APRS 5
Featherweight Tracker 4
Telemetrum 3
BRB 900 1
Any comments and/or recommendations?
I do not have a ham radio license at this time.
Chris Feenstra
NAR #61291
Tripoli #9123
Level 2
