○ A launch rail solves this - by nature, the rocket cannot roll around the rail. Small
corrections are no problem as long as the rocket can move along the rail without
jamming.
● Always fully charge your batteries before flight!
○ You can double check the voltage of your battery in the “Sensors” section of the
Signal app on your iPhone or Android device - it should be at least 1 or 2 volts
above 7v, where the computer is at risk of shutting down.
● Fly in low wind.
○ Though weather cocking isn’t an issue with TVC rockets, Signal R2 cannot
correct for horizontal drift while under power. It may stay upright, but can still drift
laterally from the pad.
● Do not launch the rocket at more than 30 degrees from vertical.
○ This is identical to the NAR Model Rocket Safety Code. Especially with TVC
rockets, launching at a steep angle puts the rocket at risk of falling back to the
ground because of insufficient vertical force against gravity.
● Check TVC manually
○ Before each flight, with Signal R2 powered off, use your hand to move the TVC
mount back and forth on each axis. If you feel any obstruction or potential jam, do
not fly the rocket until the jam has been removed or fixed.
● Watch TVC during startup
○ When Signal R2 moves through startup, pay attention to the TVC mount. With
the rocket upright, and facing you, the mount should ALWAYS actuate the bottom
of the motor toward you and to the right right for a few seconds. If it doesn’t move
in this way, you may have reversed the TVC wiring, and should not fly the rocket
until it is fixed.
● Every two or three flights, it’s a good idea to perform some maintenance and tests on
your rocket, just to be safe.
○ Re-check TVC calibration. Especially after a hard impact, the mount can lose
alignment by a bit, or become loose. If it’s loose, head to the troubleshooting
section for fixes.
○ Double check the slack in the TVC extension cables - make sure there’s little or
no slack in order to avoid a TVC jam.
12. Viewing flight data
You’ve flown your rocket, and you got it back! Now it’s time to look at the data to see how things
went.
1. Remove the Micro SD card from Signal R2 and plug it into your desktop or laptop
computer
2. Copy the most recent flight log file to the computer
3. The .CSV file can be used in most spreadsheet programs or data viewers. Google
Sheets is a great option - if you have an account with Google, go to
www.docs.google.com/spreadsheets
Copyright © 2019 Barnard Propulsion Systems, LLC
Version 1.8, Jan 1, 2019
