| Launch towers are expensive and have a much | | | | Launch controller electronic schematic looks very |
| tighter tolerance in the design. Many who use | | | | good, although I will admit I know little about |
| them will design the tower to work with a | | | | resistors and diodes, which is why I don't use |
| particular rocket, making the project even more | | | | them myself. That's why most use two separate |
| expensive. The main reason they are used is the | | | | buzzers instead of a diode to prevent the |
| weight of the rocket is just too massive for a | | | | backflow of electricity to send full voltage through |
| launch rod and the lack of launch lugs is primarily | | | | the igniter when the test button and launch button |
| critical if your rocket is planning on going Mach. | | | | were pushed together with all other safety |
| There have been a lot of people that launched | | | | features disarmed. Some just experimented with |
| several high-power rockets and all use launch lugs, | | | | various wiring combinations until they found one |
| although the bigger the rocket, the larger the rod. | | | | that didn't fire the igniters when they pushed |
| They use two lugs, each 1.5 inches long, cut at 45 | | | | various combinations of buttons. |
| degrees on the upwind side. Most of them use a | | | | Launching rockets three at a time is pretty easy. |
| launch rod as a guide to make sure they are | | | | You just need to run three different sets of leads |
| glued on straight, with one at the base and one | | | | out to each rocket from one controller. You will |
| towards the top of the body. With a good | | | | need a battery that will be able to handle the load. |
| amount of distance between them, they provide | | | | As far as the launch in sequence goes. Back in |
| a good smooth liftoff, and the drag of such small, | | | | the "good old days" they use to use a "nail board". |
| angled tubes is negligible. | | | | This is exactly what it sounds like. A battery was |
| Most like to keep there launch lugs small but | | | | attached to a bunch of nails that where wired to |
| strong. Some use copper tubing (nice and thin | | | | the rockets. When you touched the launch lead to |
| walled), cut in on the top at about a 45 degree | | | | a specific nail it would send the rocket skyward. |
| angle to reduce drag. Cut them only 2" long | | | | You could then move to the next nail/rocket. |
| where they are epoxies to the body tube. They | | | | This would fire them in any sequence you |
| use two of these lugs, and place them about | | | | wanted. A very crude, but effective way to |
| 12"-18" apart, with the lower one at the base of | | | | launch. You could take this idea and use the basic |
| the rocket. Put the launch rod through the lugs | | | | concept and move it into the 20th century and |
| and tape it to the body while gluing the lugs so | | | | use a rotary switch to launch a specific rocket. |
| they are aligned perfectly. They work great and | | | | This way you could keep all the "safety" features |
| I've never heard of anyone having a problem with | | | | of today's controller's in place and just route the |
| them. | | | | launch voltage to the rockets. |