[roc-chat] Re: Separate LPR area at ROCtober
- From: ENHolmberg@xxxxxxx
- To: roc-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:38:43 -0400 (EDT)
I have experienced long waits with only one rocket in the roll. My roll
was by-passed repeatedly because I was the only one or could not be seen.
In the past, their have been recommendations to go through every roll every
time. I would like to see follow through on this.
Thanks, Eric
In a message dated 6/26/2012 4:31:26 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
derbas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
On 6/26/2012 2:58 PM, Mike Riss wrote:
> I'm not sure that waiting for 30 minutes is necessarily bad. It's
surely not optimum, but if
> there are 45+ pads, and if almost every pad is occupied, that's
something less than 1 minute
> processing time per pad.
>
Please note that I never said that every pad was occupied, simply that
it is very common to wait 30 minutes (or more!) for a launch. At
ROCStock last November, I had one rocket sitting on the pad for an hour
and fifteen minutes -- so I was being 'conservative' with the 30 minute
comment. I also tried to point out that if the banks of pads were
actually CYCLED in order, that much (if not all) of the problem would be
alleviated - the point being that a bank of pads is often overlooked for
extended periods of time. It's along the lines of (for example) all
banks being launched multiple times EXCEPT the rack that I'm on.
I do my best to NOT comment to the LCO or PM about overlooking banks of
pads, because I don't want to discourage folks from doing those jobs,
and those few times I have made comments it's generally not even been my
rocket on the pad (something along the lines of, "Hey, that purple
rocket on pad 24 has been sitting there for a while, hasn't it?").
I'll point out that sometimes a rocket is ignored when you have one or
two small, unpainted, almost invisible rockets on the middle pads -- and
the LCO isn't even aware that there are rockets sitting there waiting
for launch. In this situation, it's extremely important for the PM to
ensure that those cards are given to the LCO so they don't sit there
forever.
I'm personally convinced that whatever system is implemented simply
needs to be one that 'reminds' the LCO/PM about cycling the pads in
order -- that's what Rick's comment was about, what the 'Starbucks
timer' method was about, and my suggestion of a 'gizmo' that gets reset
by the arming signal. Bottom line is that (and I KNOW I'm guilty of
this myself) the LCO will tend to launch the rack that looks to be the
fullest -- even if another rack with fewer rockets has been waiting longer.
Just sitting here writing this I thought of another Rube Goldberg method
-- a flashing light at each bank. This light will be initiated by a
timer that is triggered by the first press of a continuity button on the
given bank, and will be reset by arming a row. Here's how it works --
assume an empty bank, no rockets. So, no flashing (ever). Someone
comes out, puts a rocket on a pad. They check continuity by pushing the
button. This starts a (for example) 10-minute timer. Second guy comes
up five minutes later, puts a rocket, presses the continuity button.
This DOES NOT reset the timer. Ten minutes after the first guy has put
his rocket on the pad, the flashing light out at the pads starts
blinking (could be duplicated at the control panel, as well). This
tells one and all (LCO/PM and rocketeers) that this bank is 'due for
launch', and no more rockets should be placed. The LCO arms the pad,
which shuts off/resets the light, he launches the bank, and the light
remains off until the next rocket is placed on the bank. If there are
five banks with flashing lights, well, then there are at least five
banks that have had a rocket sitting for at least ten minutes -- and the
LCO should be launching those banks and ignoring any non-flashing banks.
Over to you... <G>
David Erbas-White
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