Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ulisesbeato
Estes Transroc (v1) - more info and where to find one...
Hi, all!
I'm an old rocketeer being reborn (for a second time) and who's discovering new things about the hobby thanks to the information age. Please indulge me on a couple of queries (and please know I'm new to this forum).
The Estes Transroc Transmitter is fascinating.
It seems this product was years ahead of its time in this world of low powered model rockets.
A tiny CB transmitter able to convey quite a few pieces of telemetric info via citizens band radio. How cool, educational and fun is that?
I found a pdf copy of both the thick-as-hell Transroc operating manual and the Rocketronix catalag. Judging from the info I'm able to find this was no mere toy but a sophisticated instrument for the passionate hobbyist.
So it seems some of those on here have had a small bit of experience with this unit but I have not run across accounts from people that have explored this in any great depth.
I would love to have my own T-roc unit to play with.
Do any of you have one? Have actual experience with one?are curious about knowing more? Can YOU build one from schematics??
Please engage me in this interesting conversation.
Looking forward to responses...
|
It sounds like you qualify as a reincarnated rocketeer... :-) I share your enthusiasm for the Transroc, even though I was never able to afford one when it was available. I could build one from a schematic, having built other radios and electronic devices from them--schematics are easy to build from. (If you're not familiar with schematics, just buy a cheap Radio Shack/Tandy 75-in-1 or 150-in-1 Electronic Projects Kit [they're solder-less] on eBay
www.ebay.com ; their manuals teach how to recognize the component symbols and how to use schematics [how to recognize wire junctions versus non-connection "wire crossing points," etc.] to build electronic circuits.) A Transroc could be built using soldered wire connections, with the components being mounted on perfboard (Radio Shack and other electronic parts suppliers sell perfboard, and it's also available on eBay). Also:
A more elegant (and slightly lighter and more compact) solution would be to make--or have made--a custom PC (Printed Circuit) board. (PC board-making kits are available, and there are also custom PC board-making companies that make them to customers' specifications.) If memory serves, the Transroc manual (I've seen the scanned online one that I posted links to, in Reply #13 *here*
http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showt...8848#post198848 ) even has an illustration of the Transroc's PC board, which would make it easy to duplicate. In addition:
You've just inspired an idea for getting the Transroc back in production, at least (to start with) as a kit. The Xtal Set Society (see:
www.midnightscience.com ) is a crystal radio enthusiast group and supplier ("xtal" being an abbreviation for "crystal")--but they don't just deal with crystal radios (they offer several of their own-design, soldered-on-PC board *and* "no soldering required" crystal radio kits). They also sell one-tube radio kits, antenna tuner kits, and other device kits, and many of their soldered kits include custom-made PC boards. (I have no financial stake in the Xtal Set Society--I'm just a satisfied customer of theirs!) Now:
While I haven't talked with them about this and can't speak for them, I think they might be interested in producing the Transroc kit, and/or the simple, six-component 27 MHz rocket tracking transmitter in G. Harry Stine's "Handbook of Model Rocketry," to sell to model rocketeers and to schools and youth groups. (Both transmitters could also be used for numerous non-model rocketry educational and hobby purposes.) As well:
One problem that the "'way back when" Transroc users had (which should be easy to solve today) was the lack of ready-made signal processing equipment for making meaningful use of the received Transroc data (for the modes other than the onboard microphone and the roll rate sensor [using a photocell], because these two modes required only recording the Transroc's received audio). The other modes, such as measuring the air temperature, needed a chart recorder interfaced to the receiver. But today, there are readily-available data loggers and signal processing programs for personal computers and mobile devices such as tablet computers, and these would be very useful for processing the data from the various Transroc sensor modes. Instead of using a chart recorder, the data could be viewed on the computer's screen and be printed, for hard copies, using an ordinary printer. I don't know how to do this myself, but there are many computer mavens here on YORF who would know how to do this.