Odd'l Adeptor Post from The Rocketry Forum

I recently purchased the Odd'l Rockets Adeptor in a batch of things I ordered from Apogee.

Unfortunately, I have bad legs and squatting or kneeling down on the ground requires assistance getting up most times.
I was concerned about how it would go for me with my old Estes basic launch stand...
When shopping around, I saw the Adeptor, and thought it could be a solution for me.

The Adeptor is one of the greatest gadgets I have purchased throughout my on-again-off-again affair with rocketry.
Take a look:

This may not be news to anyone here, but it appears it will be a life-saver for me!

That's an old tripod that I got way, way back in my college days that has been one of those things that I've always kept with me, thinking that it may prove useful one day.
Standing there with no legs extended lifts the launch platform well up into my bend-down zone. And the crank-it-up is still there to be used yet if needed.

You can see the remnants of the old Estes launch stand there, and how much better this "new" launch stand will be for me.

A big THANK YOU goes out to Odd'l Rockets !

Thanks for listening!
smp

Adeptors!

These are newly made Adeptors going to JonRocket.com.
They're a handmade item and one of the hardest accessories to make up.
The large bolts are cut in two and filed until the bottom is flat and square.
The side hole is drilled and tapped.
The tightening screw is cut to size and fitted to the tapped hole.
Instructions are printed and everything bagged up.

Rocket N00b Adeptor Picture

Daniel Petrie submitted some launch sequence pictures for the upcoming 2016 Rocketry Forum calendar.
Daniel is right, there should be some LPR pictures in the calendar!
Visit Daniel's rocket blog at: rocketn00b.blogspot.com

Look close and you can see he's using an Odd'l Adeptor on the camera tripod launcher.
They are using the tripod correctly, the tripod legs aren't fully extended. This raises the launch "platform" high enough for easier access and keeps the center of gravity low.

Daniel's comments about the Adeptor:
"Oh, and as for the Adeptor, it works great. . . It's a nice, simple idea, which I really needed at the time, because I didn't want to figure out the best way to build a second pad for a 3/16 inch launch rod. And since most camera tripods (including mine) have a bubble level, you can really assure that you've got the rod pointed vertically."




The above picture reminds me of the old catalog pictures, like this one from the 1971 Centuri catalog.
There was always three people launching a rocket, usually in poses like Daniel's launch crew.

More Adeptors, More Adeptors!

Today I cut, filed, drilled and tapped 35 Adeptors!
These will be going out to the vendors shortly.

It takes almost a full day to get this many made.
(It's just me - no other employees)
My hands are sore and I've got a new blister.

Camera Tripod Launcher Tips, Part 2

To improve tripod stability -
Tie a weight to the bottom hook found on most camera tripods.
A water jug works just fine.

If you are launching in low or no winds this might not be necessary for up to D engines.

NOTE: Camera tripod launches are only safe for up to E engine power.




To use the Odd'l Rockets RAISE SPRING - 
Keep the brass tube on the lower end of the model, away from the engine hook.
Find a place where the spring will support the rocket and not bind preventing the rocket from easily sliding up the launch rod.