Re: Rocketry newcomer questions

[Anthony Cooper]

I recommend submitting to the announce and general lists. http://www.lunar.org/docs/lists/lists.shtml

The general list is cc'd on this email. 

1. Are small rockets welcome to be launched at Snow Ranch? 

Yes

2. How busy are the launches? 

Yes

3. Is there usually time to launch a rocket more then once?

Yes

4. I recall building the Estes Gnome (and the Alpha III looks very familiar), but do you have any recommendations for current beginner kits for a young kid?

4 and 6 years old, any E2X kit. But I sense you are a skilled adult so they my handle more that most kids. 

https://hobbylinc.com/e2x-model-rocket-kits

 5. For an adult?

Any Aerotech kit. 

https://aerotech-rocketry.com/collections/ebya-sl-3-kits

6. Any local (south bay) shops to support?

None I know of. 

7. Finally, I still have a few (small) motors which were stored indoors in a tackle box for nearly 30 years. Is it worth trying to use these?

Hopefully there are some nice D motors in there. They often get exciting after 30 years. Don't put them into a rocket you love. Most others will burn fine.

______________________________________
Anthony M. Cooper
31120 Chicoine Ave.
Hayward, CA 94544-7432
VP and Membership for lunar.org
Membership for mgscv.org
Cell: 510-589-5292

On Sun, Dec 31, 2023, 8:50 AM Jonathan Lawton <jan...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello!

I built model rockets (launched with BayNAR) in the 90s but not since then. My kids (6 and 4) recently expressed interest and I found LUNAR while checking on the state of the hobby. I'm considering taking the family to the next launch event but we are a ways away (Morgan Hill), so a few questions first:

Are small rockets welcome to be launched at Snow Ranch?

How busy are the launches? Is there usually time to launch a rocket more then once?

I recall building the Estes Gnome (and the Alpha III looks very familiar), but do you have any recommendations for current beginner kits for a young kid? For an adult?

Any local (south bay) shops to support?

Finally, I still have a few (small) motors which were stored indoors in a tackle box for nearly 30 years. Is it worth trying to use these?

Thanks,

Jonathan 

[Rocket Supplies]

For local rocket supplies, please feel free to contact us at Rocket.Supplies. 

We have hundreds of kits and motors. 

—

Fred Radford

408.707.0640 

Https://Rocket.Supplies 

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[srkendal]

Right answer. Happy New Year everyone.

On Dec 31, 2023 at 1:48 PM, Rocket Supplies <mot...@rocket.supplies> wrote:

For local rocket supplies, please feel free to contact us at Rocket.Supplies. 

We have hundreds of kits and motors. 

—

Fred Radford

408.707.0640 

Https://Rocket.Supplies 

On Sun, Dec 31, 2023 at 1:44 PM Anthony Cooper <To...@coopers.org> wrote:

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[jhag...@juno.com]

 

 I don't want to discourage you from visiting Snow Ranch (the best launch venue in the country, IMO), but if you're in Morgan Hill, you might want to also consider our launches in Hollister.  That's less than a third of the way to "the ranch" from where you are, and you can fly anything you're currently comfortable with.  It's when you start to get into HP rocketry ("H" motors and up) that you need the longer haul.

 

Jack Hagerty
LUNAR #0002

[Cliff Sojourner]

I'm sure Fred will give great suggestions for beginners and kits.

My feeling:  do not buy Gnomes for kids.  Too small.  Too hard to pack, can't see them flying, they always jam the streamer and crash.  Cheapest option but not saving anything.

Get the kids something substantial, like "BT60" sized.  Now that's a rocket.  Big parachute.  Easy to see flying. Won't disappear.  Big in a kid's hands and on the shelf at home.

Cliff

[do...@eljay.org]

To second this, for 4H groups we do Balsa Machining 3” School Rockets - we find little hands have trouble with the little rockets and the through the wall feature makes it way easier to align the fins.  And they don’t go up so high as to be hard to recover.  We also find using Titebond Thick ’n’ Quick works wonders.  We’ve also had luck with the Estes Bertha series of rockets.

I’m sure Fred can recommend some good fliers out of his stock on hand though.

Doug

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/lunar-general/FF80B969-AACD-4C72-B978-26CD56F78226%40employees.org.

[Alan Marcum]

Great questions, and lots of great answers so far.

One corollary: many people who fly rockets want to get the rocket as high as possible. With beginners, especially with kids, that’s a bit counterproductive. Instead, use one of the two smallest motors recommended for the rocket, so all the interesting stuff, like motor burn-out, coast, and parachute deployment, happens at a height where those things are still easy to see.

- Alan

Alan Marcum, a...@RhinoAviation.com
LUNAR 392, NAR 63357
(pronouns: he/him/his)

On Sun, Dec 31, 2023, 8:50 AM Jonathan Lawton <jan...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Bill Orvis]

I agree, the Big Bertha is a great rocket even for old hands like mine. A big rocket, flies slow, easy to find. What kid wouldn't want an 18 inch long rocket compared to a 6 inch Alpha?

Bill

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/lunar-general/750E573C-FD78-4173-9320-4ECE29ACC242%40eljay.org.

-- 
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William Orvis
226 Joyce St.
Livermore, CA 94550
or...@compuserve.com
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[Jonathan Lawton]

Thanks for the replies!  Excited to get back into / introduce my kids to the hobby.

I saw Brigantino Park in Hollister mentioned on the website, but didn't see any launches there on the calendar, so I wasn't sure if this site was still being used.  When are events typically held there?

Jonathan

[Anthony Cooper]

I can only say, watch the calendar.

http://lunar.org/calendar.shtml

______________________________________
Anthony M. Cooper
31120 Chicoine Ave.
Hayward, CA 94544-7432
VP and Membership for lunar.org
Membership for mgscv.org
Cell: 510-589-5292

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/lunar-general/CAFB9hN2QYJZX7WfSiH6iK3nZ%3DRmLjnMxF2fcA1%3DJJUfZ-wCoiA%40mail.gmail.com.