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clustermagnet

GPS tracking/location for cutaways

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How was it activated?

What was the cost of the gear (transmitter and receiver)?

Who let TC play with electronics?:S

Any pics of it? Didn't notice any on his FB.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
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It uses the 433 MHz frequency band. Should be possible to built it with other frequencies.



Ok that is one of the most common frequencies in the EU. Strictly speaking a tracking device shouldn't be on 433 as there frequencies dedicated to that function. The US equivalent is the 902-928MHz band, but they have different restrictions and it is not simply a matter of migrating frequency.
Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

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hey robert. the transmitter I use is the same that we used in our telemetry darts for wildlife. The transmitter itsself cost about 200 dollars. easily attached to riser in a elastic pocket. The receiver will cost several hundred to a thousand. depending on how nice you want it. Get a few buddies to split the receiver and its totally worth it if you are jumping expensive canopy. I used it on my new velo two jumps after installing it.
htere is no complicated rigging because it doesnt automatically activate. I pop the battery in and jump all day. I get about a month out the little watch battery it takes. If I am long time between jumps I try to take it out to conserve battery life. I can access the transmitter pocket while the rig is packed by removing my riser cover, so quick battery installation is very easy.
the transmitter is sold by pneu-dart. (google them). I would have used a falconry system but I like the shape of the pnue-dart transmitter better and there is no long antenna like the falconry transmitters have. I will throw a picture up when i get a chance
i'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your packing tent down

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I think about 2 years ago I posted a hacky transmitter I built. It was about the same weight as a normal hacky. I used a cell module that supports GPS and reprogrammed it with a LIPO cell from an RC helicopter. All said and done it cost about $250 in parts.

The downside is that the battery only lasted about 3 days so you'd always be plugging your rig in (I used a USB). In the event you had a cutaway you'd send an SMS to your canopy and it would SMS back the GPS coordinates. Was kinda cool but I could not find a cost effective way to have a cell subscription. $30/mo plus the cost of the device made it a poor investment.

In the event you had an off-DZ landing someone at manifest could potentially also "locate" your canopy with hopefully you attached... If anyone is that interested I can probably find the unit in my pile of unfinished ideas.

-Michael

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hey robert. the transmitter I use is the same that we used in our telemetry darts for wildlife. The transmitter itsself cost about 200 dollars. easily attached to riser in a elastic pocket. The receiver will cost several hundred to a thousand. depending on how nice you want it. Get a few buddies to split the receiver and its totally worth it if you are jumping expensive canopy. I used it on my new velo two jumps after installing it.
htere is no complicated rigging because it doesnt automatically activate. I pop the battery in and jump all day. I get about a month out the little watch battery it takes. If I am long time between jumps I try to take it out to conserve battery life. I can access the transmitter pocket while the rig is packed by removing my riser cover, so quick battery installation is very easy.
the transmitter is sold by pneu-dart. (google them). I would have used a falconry system but I like the shape of the pnue-dart transmitter better and there is no long antenna like the falconry transmitters have. I will throw a picture up when i get a chance



What's the range on that?
You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

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LiPo battery in any way "installed", affixed or maintained (let alone "plugged-in" - :S) in relatively extended contact with/to your (over 90% flammable material :o) rig = very bad idea / ju-ju!! Indeed.

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If anyone is that interested I can probably find the unit in my pile of unfinished ideas.



No, no. That's okay Michael. Please don't.
coitus non circum - Moab Stone

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EZSundayAM

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2) Interface/activation to 3 ring system.



Maybe a device that fits into or replaces the hackey? You manually activate it and leave it on (like CYPRES) Could program to only transmit below a set altitude to conserve battery.

Not perfect but probably cheaper to produce and much easier to integrate into rig. Also more likely to be used by super cautious jumpers who don't want anything "extra" on their 3-Ring..





What about if you have a bag lock.... Kind of when you need it most. And then it's not on and now you're looking for a black block and PC..... Couple weeks ago it took us 4 hours to track a cut away all gray canopy.... Stupid color choice... Mines fucking neon orange... Hehe... Anyways got me thinking..... What about a pet or key locator with a buzzer or something. You push the remote and the located starts this shrill beeping... I bought a 4 pack of cheap key locators for 12$ on amazon. They work to about 100 feet, through walls. Here's the pros I see...
I walked within 30 feet of the canopy and didn't see it and then once the free bag was found we started walking down the wind line and almost stepped right by it when we found it. I was thinking you could sew a pocket into the d-bag. Small corner, or what have you. The hackey could work but it'd be easier to put something more sound friendly in the dbag. These operate on rf, and have a long standby, and are cheap. GPS takes a ton of power and unless you have an activation that always works no matter what, or you want to disassemble and charge every jump day, gps would be more hassle than it's worth.. When have you ever seen a cutaway where there's nobody who saw kind of where it went....?

Just my 2 cents and I'll keep you posted if I have any sudden strokes of genius
I was that kid jumping out if his tree house with a bed sheet. My dad wouldn't let me use the ladder to try the roof...

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vidiot


Quote: "Battery lasts for two months."

Let's see...
If the average person makes 100 jumps per year...
And the average time between cut-away's is 500 jumps...
That means that this device "might" be needed once every five years.
And in that time, the batteries will need to be changed 30 times!

I'm not sure it's worth it...

Probably the device will just have dead batteries from lack of maintenance,
and won't work when you finally need it.

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SansSuit

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Maybe a device that fits into or replaces the hackey? You manually activate it and leave it on (like CYPRES) Could program to only transmit below a set altitude to conserve battery.

Not perfect but probably cheaper to produce and much easier to integrate into rig. Also more likely to be used by super cautious jumpers who don't want anything "extra" on their 3-Ring..



MOST excellent idea. Lotsa room inside the space of a hackey. Additionally, how about a switch, so that the unit is off when the pilot chute is cocked? When the pilot chute is collapsed, the unit is on. As soon as you land you cock the pilot chute and turn it off. Could whatever antenna is needed be incorporated into the pilot chute itself?



Bag lock? There's one problem. Back to the three ring or manual on off.
I was that kid jumping out if his tree house with a bed sheet. My dad wouldn't let me use the ladder to try the roof...

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