Streamlining: GSE
That’s rocketry jargon for Ground Support Equipment. In my enthusiasm last spring I acquired a bunch of it. It’s going to turn out not to be needed. I’m still working on what to do with the surplus, but I do know what’s staying:
The LPR Rig: Estes Porta-Pad II, Quest Launch Controller with External Battery Connector.
The Estes Porta-Pad II is an ideal basic pad. It supports both 1/8″ and 3/16″ launch rods and has an easy tilt adjustment (maybe too easy). The Sky launch pad is mostly an overseas bargain clone of the original Porta-Pad, so it would be good too (but I don’t have one). The Quest basic pad only supports the 1/8″ rod and I don’t understand its tilt mechanism.
The Quest Launch Controller has a nice grip design, and includes both a light and sound continuity alert. It’s biggest flaw is the use of a 9V battery system — I loathe cheap 9V battery connectors. So I’ve spent a few extra dollars to get the External Battery Connector. 9V permanently connected inside, goes to small alligator clips outside that will fit onto any battery pack I care to use. I’ll probably get some sort of battery holder from Radio Shack to create a 9V source for this, so I don’t have to lug the Jump-Start Pack out with it (unless I want to).
The Estes Electron Beam controller has slightly longer launch leads, which I like, but the incandescent bulb sucks the AA batteries flat in no time. As regular readers know, I’ve made a simple modification to eliminate that problem — but newer Electron Beam controllers are not as easily modified. The Sky launch controller is an Electron Beam clone, but with an LED indicator that should be gentle to the batteries and plays safely with all igniters including low-current ones.
The MPR Rig: AeroTech Mantis Pad, Pratt Hobbies GOBox launch controller.
No surprises here — this is the big, more expensive stuff, but it works really, really well. The only downside on the Mantis Pad is that changing out launch rods takes several minutes. It might almost be worth it to me to buy a second Mantis just to be able to swap out preset guide heads in less than a minute. But that’s a hundred-dollar whimsy I can’t afford right now.
The Mini Rig: Quest microMAXX Pad, Quest Launch Controller.
I haven’t gotten to break this out yet. But it’ll be cute.
Redundancies:
This leaves me with two complete rigs of Estes gear and one complete rig of Quest gear in surplus. And they’re ridiculously easy to come by, so there’s not going to be demand. Also got 4 Estes AltiTrak devices, but I won’t be using them and it seems that the 4-Hers won’t either.
“It is a puzzlement.”