168 lines
6.8 KiB
HTML
168 lines
6.8 KiB
HTML
== Operation
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Operating a TeleLaunch system is pretty easy, and we hope fairly
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intuitive for anyone who has ever launched rockets before. Basic
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instructions are printed on a decal inside the lid of each TeleLCO
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unit, which early customers (before this manual was even written)
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reported were sufficient to successfully use the system.
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[WARNING]
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The siren used on TeleFire boxes is intended to be heard at a distance
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outdoors. We strongly recommend that you do NOT test the system on
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your kitchen counter when your significant other has a cup of hot
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coffee in hand nearby!
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The remainder of this section assumes the system has already been
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properly configured with callsign, AES key, and bank numbers for each
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TeleFire box.
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=== Charging Batteries
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TeleLCO has an internal Lithium Polymer battery that is
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charged over USB. A weather-tight micro USB connector is
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installed with a blue cap under the handle. This position
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was chosen so that TeleLCO can be charged while the lid is
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closed and standing handle-up. Attach a micro USB cable
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to a computer or other source of USB power. There are two
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charge indicators on the panel that will illuminate during
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charging, red for charge in progress and green for charge
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complete.
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TeleFire has an internal sealed lead acid 12V battery, and
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is provided with an external AC charger. Connect this charger
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to the PowerPole connector on the back face of the box to
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charge the battery. Other sources of charging current for
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a nominal 12V sealed battery may be used. The charge
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connector can also be used to attach an external battery if
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needed.
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=== Setting Up
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Each unit in the TeleLaunch system needs a suitable antenna
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attached. A typical configuration would involve the provided
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omni-directional antenna or optional directional antenna aimed
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at the field mounted on a pole attached to TeleLCO at the
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launch control station, and the provided rubber whip antennas
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on each TeleFire box.
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If deploying the system in rough terrain, on a field with
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dense vegetation, or at great distances (some away cells), you
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may need a better antenna or at least to mount the antenna
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higher off the ground. All units in the TeleLaunch system
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have tri-color RF signal strength indicators. A system should
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show green on all units during normal operation. An occasional
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dip to amber is ok, but frequent amber or any red indicates a
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need to improve the antenna situation.
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Antenna made for use near 435 Mhz in the ham radio "70cm band"
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should work, and there are many online sources of information
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on making inexpensive, highly effective antennas at home.
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The TeleLCO unit should be placed on a table at the Launch
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Control position. It can be helpful for the LCO (the human(s)
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too, not just the electronics!) to be provided with some
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shade, but the use of reflective LCDs for the digit
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displays and ultri-bright LEDs make TeleLCO operation
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reasonable even in direct sunlight.
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Each TeleFire box should be placed in proximity to the launch
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rails it will service. Whip clips made from AC power cords
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(not provided) should be attached to TeleFire and routed to
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each launch rail. The pyro output on each channel is
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connected to the "line" and "neutral" pins on the outlet,
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while the ground pin is attached to chassis ground.
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=== Turning System On
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Turn on all TeleFire pad boxes in the system. At power-on,
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all LEDs will turn on briefly so you can verify they're all
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working. The radio signal strength indicators will show red
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until TeleLCO is turned on.
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Turn on TeleLCO. All LCD segments and LEDs will turn on
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briefly so you can verify they're all working. An exception
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are the two battery charger LEDs, which only illuminate when
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the battery is charging. The LCD displays will then briefly
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display the internal battery voltage, which should be at least
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3.9V for normal operation. TeleLCO then scans to locate all
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TeleFire boxes that are in range and configured for the same
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frequency, callsign, and AES key. During this process, the
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Bank LCD diplays will appear to be counting up from 1 to 99.
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When the search is complete, the Pad display will show the
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number of TeleFire devices found. TeleLCO beeps when ready.
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=== Launch One Rocket
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Switch the TeleFire to 'Safe' and confirm it is silent.
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Put a rocket on a launch rail / rod, and connect whip clips
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from a pad output on a TeleFire unit to the motor igniter.
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Verify igniter continuity using the LED associated with that
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output. Green is good.
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Switch the TeleFire unit from 'Safe' to 'Arm', at which point
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it will start "chirping" to indicate that it is "armed and
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dangerous". Move to the TeleLCO at a safe distance away.
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Ensure the TeleLCO blue Drag Race switch is on Normal and
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the blue Drag Race LED is extinguished.
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Select the desired TeleFire unit by pushing the TeleLCO
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selector knob until the "Bank" LED is lit, then rotating the
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knob until the
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desired box is selected. Then push the knob until the Pad
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LED is lit and rotate the knob until the desired pad is
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selected. Verify the Remote Armed LED is lit, and that the
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selected pad's Igniter Continuity LED is lit.
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Perform range safety checks.
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Move the TeleLCO SAFE/ARM switch to ARM. This will cause
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the selected TeleFire unit's strobe to start flashing and
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siren to become more insistent.
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Perform count-down.
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Depress the LAUNCH button and hold until the rocket launches.
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Move the TeleLCO SAFE/ARM switch back to SAFE.
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=== Launch A Multi-Rocket "Drag Race"
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To enable drag race mode, move the TeleLCO blue switch to
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Drag Race. The blue Drag Race LED should illuminate.
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Select pads to include in the drag race by using the same
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process as for a single rocket to select each Bank and Pad,
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then press Add/Remove to toggle the currently selected pad
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in the race. The continuity LEDs blink ON/off for selected,
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and on/OFF for deselected (long ON means in the race).
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A drag race can be configured to include pads on multiple
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TeleFire boxes, but the blinking continuity indicators to
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show which pads are included can only indicate the currently
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selected bank.
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Verify remotes are ready and armed by using the Remote Armed
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and Igniter Continuity LEDs.
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Perform range safety checks.
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Move the TeleLCO SAFE/ARM switch to ARM. This will cause
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the selected TeleFire units strobes to start flashing and
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sirens to become more insistent.
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Perform count-down.
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Depress the LAUNCH button and hold until rockets launch.
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Move the TeleLCO SAFE/ARM switch back to SAFE.
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Move Drag Race switch back to Normal.
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Note that if there is a mis-fire in a drag race and you want
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to fix igniters and try again, the current drag configuration
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is preserved as long as you stay in Drag Race mode. So you
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can SAFE the system, fix igniters, and try again before leaving
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Drag Race mode if desired.
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