[NRV Rocketry] Santa and Rockets?

[Charles Albright]

Hi Tom,

I hope Santa is kind to you, and I think the LOC Precision Hi-Tech rocket 
would be a great rocket to own, and fun to fly. For all the reasons you 
mention, it would be a versatile rocket good for various launch locations.

I'm an avid fan of LOC rocket kits having built and flown three of them: the 
Forte, the Fantom (for Level 1), and the HyperLOC 835 (for Level 2). I think 
they are good kits which is why I'm considering buying a fourth one this 
winter.

However, to any readers who may use your link to read about the Hi-Tech kit 
on the Apogee Rockets website, I say do not believe all you read. I must 
take issue with some of the misleading sales hyperbole that Tim Van Milligan 
writes there. Some examples:

Quote: ".plywood fins on a lot of other manufacturers' mid and high power 
kits are laser cut and are burned on the edges. You can go to life drawing 
and use them as your charcoal sticks. Not LOC kits. These fins are clean, 
mean, and ready to scream right out of the bag."

Comment: of the three kits I've purchased, two had clean fins, but one (the 
HyperLOC 835) had fins with the burnt and sooty edges he describes. They 
needed a lot of cleaning and sanding.

Quote: "The main body is slotted, and they're clean slots with no hanging 
chads. The fins fit perfectly, not like some kits, where the body shape 
bulges around the fins because they fit too tight."

Comment: Yes, they are slotted, but don't count on perfection. The Forte, a 
four-fin rocket, came with mis-positioned slots, not 90-degrees apart as 
they should have been. I had to do some time-consuming filling and recutting 
to get the positions correct.

Quote: "The centering rings fit as they should around the motor mount and 
into the body. No sanding needed."

Comment: pure nonsense. All centering rings I have received from LOC have 
needed sanding to fit properly, and that is as it should be. All 
manufacturing has to deal with tolerances and no process is perfect. It's 
better to err on the large side. You don't want those rings being too small 
to start with, being therefore useless.

Quote: "Designed to finish in one evening, it's a fast build."

Comment: not if you care about a quality result. Take your time. Remember 
the cliché "haste makes waste." Read the directions several times before you 
start. Also if you're heading toward high power always use epoxy glue. I 
advise using the slow 30-minute cure variety. It's more forgiving, allowing 
more time to get parts into the right position before the glue sets. And it 
provides a stronger bond than the fast-cure epoxies (and doesn't smell as 
bad as some of them).

Obviously, Tom, my comments are not addressed to an experienced rocketeer 
such as yourself, but are meant for those just beginning to consider more 
advanced rockets. So, in conclusion, let me say again that I like LOC 
Precision products, which is why I don't like it when people (such as Tim 
Van Milligan in this case) over-promise what the buyer should expect from 
the kits. However, I encourage everyone to try a LOC kit. I've always found 
building and flying them to be a rewarding experience.

Good luck, and Merry Christmas!

Charley



----- Original Message ----- 
From: Thomas Weeks
To: nrvr at nrvr.org
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2012 2:51 PM
Subject: [NRV Rocketry] Santa and Rockets?


So is Santa bringing YOU anything for Christmas?
I asked him for this one:
http://www.apogeerockets.com/index.php?main_page=product_rocket_info&cPath=1_86&products_id=1090
Since it is a little smaller that a full high power, so that I can fly it 
BOTH at our high power and non-high power launches! :)
For you all who have not certified yet, it can also be a great starter 
rocket as you can fly it on G motors as well as high power, as well as get 
you certified L1 (H-I motors), and even up to L2 (on J motors)!
I better be good for the next week and a half! :)
Bob? Are you being good? :)
Tweeks
p.s. some of you were asking my about my tiny little USB thumb-altimeter.. 
this is the one that I use both in may larger and smaller rockets:
http://www.apogeerockets.com/Electronics_Payloads/Electronics/Jolly_Logic_AltimeterOne
I like it bc it's dead simple, and even small enough to stick in my kid's 
little Estes rockets. Plus I can charge it in my USB charger in the car on 
the way to a launch. Perfect stocking stuffer for the rocket geek. :)



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