 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion Groups General ModelsRailroadsRocketsRadio Controlled Air ModelsHelicoptersLand ModelsWater ModelsModelGeeks.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Model Forum / General / Rockets / September 2004Got Boy Scout Gig?
Got an email from what I guess is a boy scout leader person asking if I personally or the club in general if we would recommend the following: 1. give speech, show and tell(engine sizes, Safety Code, actual LMR) and then do make it /take it fly it at a nother club launch? 2. give combo demo launch of at least LMR (1500 g and 125 g total propellant), do TARC and NAR Mem App handout packages to each pariticpate and do fly it together in 4 weeks...... 3. recommend where to get "flight packs" of engine and starter kits ( plastic fins and nose cone please.......colored body tube ok.... estes or quest sorta like a Space Exploration Merit Badge session.....anybody got ant .pdf or powerpoint or ........ TIA shockie B) > Got an email from what I guess is a boy scout leader person asking if > I personally or the club in general if we would recommend the following: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > plastic fins and nose cone please.......colored body tube ok.... > estes or quest Fred Schecter auctioned off a whole bunch of Quest rockets for about 3 bucks apiece recently, they were plastic fin and nose cone, white body tube. He may have more, email him. The cheapest I've found the Alpha 3 bulk packs is at a2zhobbies, and they're reasonably good on engine bulk packs. However, the cheapest way to get engine 'blast-off packs' is to buy them at Michael's when they have their periodic 50% off coupon available. They generally mark them up to $55, but that's only $27.50 for 24 engines with the 50% off coupon. They generally have the coupons available in the Sunday paper on/before major holidays. They MAY have something for Halloween, almost certainly will for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you're willing to get kits that are a LITTLE more complex (but still buildable by kids if there are adults supervising), try the Exo-Skell kits that are available by the case on ebay for a few bucks apiece. WARNING: look at the kit and instructions first to see if you think they're feasible for you -- they are plastic, but require a little bit of dexterity to build. No paint is NECESSARY, but they look nicer with a 'wash' job (paint on the fins, then wipe with a damp paper towel). David Erbas-White > sorta like a Space Exploration Merit Badge session.....anybody got ant > .pdf or powerpoint or ........ > > TIA > > shockie B) >3. recommend where to get "flight packs" of engine and starter kits ( >plastic fins and nose cone please.......colored body tube ok.... estes or >quest Check with Pratt Hobbies - I believe I've seen them on their web site. Shockie! Be careful about the Space Exploration. The requirements will be changing at the beginning of the year, and the new ones should probably be used even now. They've modified a bit on the emphasis -- used to be very heavy on the space shuttle/space station -- now it is more on colonization. They've also expanded the list of 'historical' people (they include Gene Roddenberry -- go figure...) I've done Space Ex. 3 times now. A good web source is http://my.execpc.com/~culp/space/space.html but this one has the old requirements... Fly straight & true! MikeyR >Shockie! > Be careful about the Space Exploration. The requirements will be changing at >the beginning of the year, and the new ones should probably be used even now. >They've modified a bit on the emphasis -- used to be very heavy on the space How would a counselor for the badge use the new requirements if they don't come out until next year? A scout is supposed to use the current requirements when he starts a badge. But, sometimes counselors and scouts don't realize the requirements have changed and keep using the old ones. It is interesting that this badge is changing. I do a lot of rocket launches for Scouts, and I've even supplied the motors as I got a bunch cheap when Etoys went under. Brian Elfert >>Shockie! >> Be careful about the Space Exploration. The requirements will be [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Brian Elfert I'd like a source reference for the rumored changing requirements for the Space Exploration Merit Badge. A local troop has scheduled Space Exploration as part of an advancement month in spring, and I certainly want to make sure I'm up to speed on updates since that last time I taught it (a couple of years ago). There's nothing mentioned on http://www.meritbadge.com , or on http://my.execpc.com/~culp/space/space.html. I'm working up a project plan for a new exercise in my badge curriculum. Mount a boostervision wireless video transmitter (which I have) on a slow moving remote control vehicle. I have a tethered controlled booledozer. I plan on severing the tether and splicing in a radio or infrared controller. Put the "Mission Control Specialist" where he sees the video feed from the rover, but not the rover itself. The vehicle is controlled based on only the video feed. Have the controller navigate the rover through various obstacles and hazards. A variable transmission delay for the incoming and outgoing signals would make the exercise even more interesting. Brian, BSA is updating all of the merit badge books, at a pace of about 15 a year. Starting in January they've changed two of the badges I teach - Astronomy & Space Exploration. Both are really for the best, as are most of the changes. Unfortunately the main change in the badges is adding a safety requirement to each badge separately -- for some reason you need to know how to deal with ticks when you are earning the canoing badge (go figure). It's mainly done for liability reasons. The suggestion is to use the new requirements as soon as you can get your hands on them, just to make it easier later. Our council store had both of the new books as soon as they were released. Our troop went to a summer camp in North Carolina this year and they used old books for almost all the badges -- 7 months after the requirements had changed. I help my wife do our troop advancement -- we were very disappointed in the camp (a major council camp). They had plenty of time to get the new books/requirements into their system. Fly straight & true! MikeyR > Brian, > BSA is updating all of the merit badge books, at a pace of about 15 [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > MikeyR I'm well aware of the turn over of requirements on a few badges each year. I'm a troop advancement coordinator, and pick up the compendium of all requirements every January. The troop library is reviewed and books are updated as needed. The question on the table is how do I get a look at the revised requirements for Space Exploration prior to January? It seems that you have seen them. What's your source? Brian, I have the book! Our council has them already. We go to the US Scouting Service project. The link is http://usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/boyscout/advchanges04a.html for the most current revisions, with links to all of them. They seem to have the most up-to-date information available, much better than meritbadge.com... Fly straight and true! MikeyR > Brian, > I have the book! Our council has them already. We go to the US Scouting [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > MikeyR Be Prepared?  SignatureJerry Irvine, Box 1242, Claremont, California 91711 USA Opinion, the whole thing. <mail to:01rocket@gte.net> Please bring common sense back to rocketry administration. Produce then publish. http://www.usrockets.com My articles valuable? Donate http://tinyurl.com/2hmgv > Brian, > I have the book! Our council has them already. We go to the US [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > MikeyR Books are good. The website you referenced doesn't have the revised requirements, either. To quote "We do not have the new book yet. We'll post the revised requirements as soon as possible." It does have a revised Astronomy set of requirements. Looks like I'll just make a note to check the various sites for an update later. For other interested readers, here's the text from the Space Exploration requirements list http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/mb107.html It references a newer pamphlet, but lists the preexisting requirements. "The requirements below remain current until December 31, 2004. Until that date, Scouts starting the merit badge may use EITHER the requirements below, or those in the new pamphlet, at their option, but may not "mix and match" requirements from both sets. They should finish the merit badge with whichever set they choose. If they start using the requirements below, they can continue using them until they complete the badge or turn 18." >Brian, > BSA is updating all of the merit badge books, at a pace of about 15 a year. >Starting in January they've changed two of the badges I teach - Astronomy & >Space Exploration. Both are really for the best, as are most of the changes. I'm confused. Did the changes take affect in Jan 2004 or do they take affect in Jan 2005? If 2005, how would anyone use the new requirements now? Brian Elfert maybe this will help clear some of the confusion up about the Space exploration merit badge. Try this web site - http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/mb107.html. It give the requirements up to Dec. 31st 2004 and spells out what to do about scouts starting before Dec. 31st 2004 Hope it helps. I've not found anything yet about after Dec. 31st 2004. I'll keep looking. Jerry Latham > >Brian, > > BSA is updating all of the merit badge books, at a pace of about 15 a year. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Brian Elfert Got to put my two cents in here as I am an Assistant Scoutmaster and also a merit badge counselor for the Space Exploration Merit Badge here in the Lighthouse District of the South Florida Council. I have been teaching this course at our Merit Badge College and I am not aware of any impending changes. For up to date requirements, use this URL: http://www.meritbadge.com/mb/107.htm David S. Chen Asst. Scoutmaster Troop 397 Cubmaster Pack 246 Avid Model Rocketeer Coral Springs, Florida > http://www.meritbadge.com/mb/107.htm I guess I'll always be partial to yhe first edition of this merit badge handbook. Back in 1967, my dad had an astronomer friend autograph 2 of them for my brother and I. That friend, Karl G. Henize, was named as an astronaut the next day. He designed and built the telescopes for the Apollo missions, and finally got to fly on STS-51G. IIRC that made him the oldest astronaut to make a first space flight (59). He passed away in 1993 climbing Mt Everest. The observatory at Harper College where my wife teaches is named for him. Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD! <<< Kaplow Klips & Baffle: http://nira-rocketry.org/LeadingEdge/Phantom4000.pdf www.encompasserve.org/~kaplow_r/ www.nira-rocketry.org www.nar.org 26-October, 2001: A day that will live in infamy Support Freedom: http://www.indefenseoffreedom.org/ ... One nation under survielence, divisive, with liberty and justice for none. Phil, didn't your PO say to stay awat from Boy Scouts? :-)> | >3. recommend where to get "flight packs" of engine and starter kits ( | >plastic fins and nose cone please.......colored body tube ok.... estes or | >quest | > | Check with Pratt Hobbies - I believe I've seen them on their web site. That was Jerry's. >Phil, didn't your PO say to stay awat from Boy Scouts? :-)> > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >| > >| Check with Pratt Hobbies - I believe I've seen them on their web site. I am proud of our beginner kits, and we've been making a ton of them this year. All Pratt Hobbies bulk pack kits come with the small parts pre-bagged, so fewer things get lost; you hand out a tube, a nose cone, and a parts bag. We also throw in spares of the smallest parts. The Super Six, Pioneer and Polaris now come with a fin jig that supports the tube while the fins are drying. It addresses the biggest complaint that teachers have with rocket-building sessions: the kids often don't have the patience to let the glue dry. With our kits, you tape the jig to a corner of your desk, attach all three fins, then do other parts of the construction for 15-20 minutes while the glue sets. This feature has been very well received. I also proudly stock Quest bulk packs of A6-4, B6-4 and C6-5 motors. Doug Pratt dad-at-pratthobbies-dot-com > Got an email from what I guess is a boy scout leader person asking if I > personally or the club in general if we would recommend the following: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > shockie B) Fins dry faster if they are a bit thicker. The Super Six models that have shown up at our launches seem to have fins about 1/16" thick. I use 3/32" thick balsa for most of my kit fins. The yellow wood glue grabs real good. And if you use the touch them together/take them apart/wait a minute and put them back together method they stick like crazy. Just make sure you hold the model straight upside down since tilting it helps gravity pull the fins off. -Fred Shecter NAR 20117 Signature"""Remove "zorch" from address (2 places) to reply. > I am proud of our beginner kits, and we've been making a ton of them > this year. All Pratt Hobbies bulk pack kits come with the small parts [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > > > shockie B) Funny you should mention it. I went to 1/8 balsa for all my kit fins except the Positron two years ago. The main reason was that it was easier for me to bandsaw and stack-sand the fins to shape; I couldn't afford to have them all laser-cut. The Positron, with the curved leading edge, needs laser cut fins. Doug Pratt dad-at-pratthobbies-dot-com > Fins dry faster if they are a bit thicker. The Super Six models that have shown up at our > launches seem to have fins about 1/16" thick. I use 3/32" thick balsa for most of my kit [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > -Fred Shecter NAR 20117 > Got an email from what I guess is a boy scout leader person asking if I > personally or the club in general if we would recommend the following: > > 1. give speech, show and tell(engine sizes, Safety Code, actual LMR) and > then do make it /take it fly it at a nother club launch? .... > sorta like a Space Exploration Merit Badge session.....anybody got ant > .pdf or powerpoint or ........ Try here: http://www.hightechkids.org/IRL2004/resource.htm Under Rocket League Presentation Files, use #1 for the overview and others (especially #3) as you see fit. Also here: http://www.mn-rocketry.net/masa/tech/tedgroups.htm for some general tips on E2X assembly with groups of kids. Good luck, --tc > Got an email from what I guess is a boy scout leader person asking if I > personally or the club in general if we would recommend the following: > > 1. give speech, show and tell(engine sizes, Safety Code, actual LMR) and > then do make it /take it fly it at a nother club launch? .... > sorta like a Space Exploration Merit Badge session.....anybody got ant > .pdf or powerpoint or ........ Try here: http://www.hightechkids.org/IRL2004/resource.htm Under Rocket League Presentation Files, use #1 for the overview and others (especially #3) as you see fit. Also here: http://www.mn-rocketry.net/masa/tech/tedgroups.htm for some general tips on E2X assembly with groups of kids. Good luck, --tc |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.