Every since I purchased my first Oracle camera set last year, I keep trying different boosters for the camera.

I modified a Semroc Goliath model to use as a 'schoolyard' booster when flown with C11 motors.

I wanted to fly a two stage booster with the camera. It only seemed proper to fly it with the 'classic' booster, an Estes Omega.

Thanks to a Blast From The Past Omega II kit and Phred at Excelsior Rocketry, I have my two stage booster.

The finishing scheme reflects both the classic Omega and the current Oracle booster.

First flight is planned for NARAM-48. I'll be flying my entire Oracle 'family' at the launch.

Bob

Attached Thumbnails

   

I like EVERYTHING about the looks of your Omega II with the Oracle on top
That is clean and it looks great in red. Estes should take some ideas from your project and offer an optional two-stage vehicle for the Oracle for larger fields and higher altitude flights.

__________________
Steve Naquin
TRA# 677 L2
NAR# 85518 L2
SAM# 0052

🚀 In Construction: Der Blue Maxx/Minie-Magg 5.5” & Vander-Burn MDRM Clone w/Stickershock23 Custom Decals
🚀 In Paint & Detail: USR Banshee
🚀 In Build Queue: Estes Doorknob w/Vander-Burn Rocketry Upgrade Kit [Sport Decor], Semroc Centurion-F, Semroc Egg Crate
🚀 In Repair: SLS Lil’ Hustler, SLS Aero-Dart 1969 Trim
🚀 Stay Tuned For Fall 2021 Launch Dates

Gathering dust in a rocketry related hobby shop nearby is a Oracle. This is from much later than my original model rocket days (still film, then....) but before I became a BAR. Is there any redeeming value in this product?

__________________
Rocketeer 1968-1975
BAR 2008-
NAR# 91623, SAM# 0425

Ehhh.. if you can get a smoking deal on it, and if there is a way to easily retrofit a more capable camera in the shell, maybe.

Expensive, low quality video seemed to be the big points against it.

kj

IIRC, there were substantial usability issues with it. Something along the lines of if you turn it off or if the battery is drained before you download the video, it was lost.


Bill

__________________
It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill!

If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too...

Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit.

: countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ;

Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding...

Plus you have to have software to download the video, and it isn't supported anymore... the camera had only an incredibly small amount (about 90 seconds or so IIRC) of on-board memory, and it's volatile memory, so if the thing has a hard landing and the battery loses contact for a moment or you accidentally switch it off, the video is erased. The video was very low quality as well, no sound, with a pretty low frame rate IIRC... Ok here's a link that should help... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_(rocket)

There are MUCH better products on the market now, but the Oracle was the first "mass produced" digicam put on the market, so there's some historical value in that, I suppose. Estes replaced it with very limited digital camera product called the Astrovision which was basically an equivalent product.

The most popular digital microcams in use now are the "keyfob" cams available from bayourat rocketry or from various vendors on Ebay, or the fancier DVR "lipstick cams" available from Art Upton at Boostervision.com.

Later! OL JR

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!