User Manual - Chute Tamer
Contents
1. aE Chute Tamer L Recovery Deployment Control User s Manual Dual Deployment Capability for Your High Flying Single Deployment Rockets Achieve Protect Recover kkk The Chute Tamer recovery deployment control is an innovative device that gives you control over your rocket s parachute for higher flights and fewer recovery worries Get the performance that you have been dreaming about out of your existing rockets Please read these user instructions carefully before attempting to use the Chute Tamer control to ensure safe and successful operation Chute Tamer Innovations LLC www ChutelTamer com Email Support ChuteTamer com Fax 440 247 0015 Chute Tamer CT4 User s Manual Page 1 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr Features and Benefits Understanding the proper and safe operation of the Chute Tamer control is the best way to improve your rocket s performance and your enjoyment of rocketry Bound Parachute The parachute is folded and bound unable to deploy until the timer that you set expires The deployed parachute is thus prevented from opening at apogee risking the higher winds aloft and perhaps a long walk or a lost rocket Bound Parachute Because the parachute is bound during motor ejection it presents a small profile to the air stream This means less zipper damage should the motor ejection happen too early or too late and when the rocket is traveling at a high velocity Bound2. s nose cone during flight prior to engine ejection The fit of the nose cone should pass the shake test whereby the prepared rocket is turned upside down and shaken lightly The rocket s nose cone should stay on during this test Quick Operational Checklist ie Beh de Replace the battery if necessary Calculate the desired parachute deployment delay and program the timer Thread the monofilament line through the heating element Fold and bind the parachute Attach the parachute AND the Chute Tamer control to the rocket Turn the Chute Tamer control on and listen for the continuity tone Keep rocket pointed upwards do not shake Launch Specifications See PerfectFlite miniTimer User s Manual for additional specifications Dimensions 5 L x 1 25 W x 1 25 H Weight 4 4 oz including 9 volt alkaline heaviest battery Battery one 9 volt alkaline lithium or NiCad battery Trigger 2 G switch normally open Timing Range 0 6 to 6553 5 seconds in 0 1 second steps Timing Accuracy 3 typical Operating Temperature 0 C to 70 C Chute Tamer CT4 Users Manual Page 10 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr Inventor s Message The hobby of model and high power rocketry is an outstanding way to have fun and learn at the same time When guidelines are understood and followed rocketry is also one of the safest hobbies due to the outstanding efforts of organizations such as the National Association of Rocketr
3. Parachute Because the parachute is tightly bound before and during motor ejection it can not unfurl inside the rocket The bound parachute slides easily out of the rocket s airframe ensuring a successful parachute deployment No Additional Black Powder Charges The Chute Tamer control provides delayed parachute deployment without any explosive black powder charges other than the rocket engine s built in ejection charge The Chute Tamer control retrofits into most existing single deploy rockets no isolated altimeter bay no ematches and no additional black powder charges are required Small Size amp Light Weight The Chute Tamer control s small size allows it to fit into rocket air frames with an inside diameter of 2 1 inches or larger The Chute Tamer control s light weight 125 grams or 4 4 ounces allows it to be used in most rockets using F engine power and above with a minimal reduction in altitude Audible Feedback Tone The Chute Tamer control provides an audible tone to verify timer and heating element operation This tone verifies both the timer setting and proper continuity through the heating element Audible Feedback Tone The Chute Tamer control sounds a loud tone after completing its operation This tone can be heard from a distance and can be useful in locating your rocket External Delay Programming The only reason to open the Chute Tamer control is to replace the batte
4. line has been supplied with your Chute Tamer control Fishing line that is 8 to 15 pound test has been used successfully 4 Remove the heating element from the Chute Tamer control Insert the monofilament line into the round hole on one side of the heating element so that it goes up and out of the square opening in the top of the heating element Then insert the monofilament line back down into the square opening in the top of the heating element and out of the round hole on the other side of the heating element Photo 7 Photo 8 Chute Tamer CT4 User s Manual Page 6 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr Photo 9 Photo 11 Bringing the monofilament line up through the opening in the base ensures that the line will rest on top of the heating element and NOT below it When installed properly the heating element is designed so that under tension the line will rest in contact with the heating element wire Good contact is required to insure a quick and clean cut of the monofilament line 3 Now install the heating element into the Chute Tamer control and place it on a flat surface with the heating element side down You are now ready to fold and bind the parachute to the Chute Tamer control Folding and Binding the Parachute There are many ways to fold and pack a parachute The way described below has worked well for previous Chute Tamer control flights Before folding the parachute it is helpful to sprinkl
5. on the lid side as shown in FF photo 1 The lid is designed to slide off towards the aft end of the enclosure once the lid screw has been removed It is not necessary to completely remove the lid to replace the battery Slide the lid until the battery is fully revealed photo 2 Next remove the battery from its compartment by turning the enclosure over and gently shaking Unwrap the battery connector leads from around the battery connector Once unwrapped the battery connector leads are long enough to allow convenient replacement of the battery photo 3 asmue Sanus 2 Install a new alkaline Photo 3 lithium or NiCad 9 volt battery by snapping it onto the battery connector and wrapping the connector leads once around the connector snap Gently slide the new battery completely into the battery compartment Finally slide the lid closed and secure it with the black flat Philips head lid screws If lost replace the lid screw with a 4 40 by 1 4 inch flat head machine screw Tethering the Chute Tamer control to Your Rocket The Chute Tamer control can easily be hung from the rocket s forward section nose cone in a position that does not significantly change the relationship between the rocket s center of gravity CG and its center of pressure CP CAUTION Mounting the Chute Tamer control too low in the rocket s air frame may cause the rocket s center of gravity to move aft of the rocket
6. Tamer control if you are uncertain of the strength of your battery This is especially true on cold weather days below 40 degrees Fahrenheit ground temperature when the operation of the heating element can be affected Photo 12 To perform a test prepare the Chute Tamer control as in the above steps but do not install it into the rocket airframe The heating element should be installed and the main parachute should be bound to the Chute Tamer control Turn the Chute Tamer control on and wait for the continuity tone Now hold the Chute Tamer control in one hand so that the D link point towards you photo 12 Extend your arm out straight up towards the sky and then swing your extended arm down in a 180 degree arc out away from you and then towards the ground photo 13 The arc should take about one second to complete and must generate the required 2 G s of acceleration to activate the timer You will Know that you are successful if the timer s continuity tone has stopped lf the continuity tone is still sounding then the timer has not detected a launch Try swinging your arm in an arc again Once the tone has stopped the timer has begun counting down Hold the Chute Tamer control by the D link and wait for the timer to expire At timer expiration the heating element will be activated and the monofilament line will be cut releasing the parachute It is normal for the heating element to burn through like a fuse re
7. e it with some baby powder this aides in opening the tightly bound parachute once it is released Start by laying the parachute out on a flat surface folded in half with all shroud lines below the parachute Continue to fold the parachute into smaller wedge shaped sections until it is just big enough to fold the shroud lines up and down on top Leave enough shroud line hanging off of the bottom of the parachute to attach it to the rocket photo 10 Now fold the tip of the parachute wedge down once or more depending on parachute size Finally starting on the right or left roll the parachute tightly to form acylinder Place the parachute cylinder on the battery cover side of Chute Tamer with the shroud lines emerging upwards end with the D link Photo 10 Pull the monofilament lines from the previous step up and around the parachute to bind it Tie a secure knot so that the parachute is bound tightly photo 11 Monofilament line can be difficult to tie securely as it is prone to forming slip knots Use three or four overhand Knots minimum Some tension on the line provides good contact with the heating wire and allows the parachute to pop open when the line is cut Excess wns JSAP POJO SAMYIV _JOWIe L ony D line can be cut and removed Please dispose of excess line responsibly Chute Tamer CT4 Users Manual Page 7 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr A Word About Engine Sizing Rocket engines should alway
8. ength inches e Weight of rocket with parachute ounces e Desired delayed parachute deployment altitude feet Engine Information e Weight of empty engine casing ounces e Thrust burn time seconds e Engine delay time seconds e Expected peak altitude for this rocket engine combination feet Start at the top of the Chute Tamer Delay Estimator worksheet cell A and work your way down the sheet inserting the required information or performing the required calculations Once you have calculated the Rocket s Effective Surface Area C and Combined Weight G you can calculate the Terminal Tumbling Velocity H using the formula shown or estimate it by looking it up on the Chute Tamer Terminal Tumble Velocity Estimation table Known exceptions e lf the terminal tumbling velocity is above 50 feet per second a drogue parachute should be included in the rocket s recovery The added drag and stability of the drogue slows the tumbling descent velocity and adds greatly to recovery safety A smaller parachute can be tethered to the Chute Tamer CT4 User s Manual Page 4 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr rocket and left unbound not tied to the Chute Tamer control The engine s ejection charge will deploy both the drogue parachute immediate and the bound main parachute delayed e When using a drogue parachute the drogue s effective surface area should be compared to the Rocket s Effective Surface Area C on the
9. han too late In either case the parachute will open later than it would have without the Chute Tamer control Setting the Delay Time The Chute Tamer control contains a highly reliable digital MT3G MiniTimer made by PerfectFlite The best way to understand setting the delay time is to read the PerfectFlite manual included with your Chute Tamer control A brief sequence of operations follows Setting the Delay Time 1 Turn the Chute Tamer control off Photo 5 2 Press and hold the Delay Set button marked Delay Set photo 5 You should be able to feel the button click when you depress it 3 While depressing the delay set button turn on the Chute Tamer control You should hear a continuous tone If not repeat from step one above 4 Release the delay set button Chute Tamer CT4 User s Manual Page 5 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr 5 Press and hold the delay set button for the total desired Chute Tamer delay time A watch with a second hand is a great way to measure the desired time 6 Release the delay set button at the end of the desired delay time 7 The Chute Tamer control will sound a long tone followed by a sequence of short tones representing the programmed time delay in tenths of a second Five tones followed by two tones is 52 tenths of a second or 5 2 seconds Ten tones represents a zero value The Chute Tamer control remembers the most recently programmed time
10. including after being turned off and after a battery change Inserting and Verifying the Heating Element The Chute Tamer control s heating element simply snaps Pnato into the matching opening directly below the On Off switch photo 6 Orient the modular retaining tab up towards the On Off switch To remove the heating element hold the Chute Tamer control in one hand while grasping the heating element modular plug between the thumb and index finger of your other hand Use your pointer finger to depress the modular retaining tab while pulling the heating element out of the Chute Tamer control body The heating element can be verified as operational by listening for the continuity tone that occurs after the time delay setting is verified during the timer s power up sequence After the delay time is sounded out with short tones a high low tone will occur while the timer begins operation If the heating element is intact then the high low tone will be replaced by a high high tone If the high low tone goes silent then the timer circuit is not able to verify continuity through the heating element In this case the rocket should not be launched until the Chute Tamer control s heating element is replaced and verified Installing the Monofilament Line The Chute Tamer control uses a monofilament line that is strong enough to bind the parachute in a tight bundle but is easily melted and cut by the heating element Fishing
11. ndering it unusable Heating elements are likely to work for only a single use especially during warm weather conditions If the heating element does not burn through you should be able to see the nichrome wire in the heating element glow red for a second or so If you do not see a good red glow then it is time for a new battery Chute Tamer CT4 User s Manual Page 9 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr Cautions Do not install Chute Tamer below the original center of gravity of the rocket This will lower the rocket s center of gravity possibly making the rocket unstable Do not touch or hold the heating element when the timer is active The heating element reaches temperatures over 300 degrees F Small but severe burns could occur Replace the battery and or heating element when required Failure of Chute Tamer no main parachute release will cause the rocket to hit the ground at maximum tumbling velocity possibly causing damage to the rocket people and objects on the ground Terminal tumbling velocity should be less than 50 feet per second through the addition of an unbound drogue parachute when required The fit of the rocket s nose cone should not be too loose Because Chute Tamer slides easily inside the rocket s air frame quick engine deceleration engine burnout could cause Chute Tamer to move upwards inside of the rocket body If rocket deceleration is severe Chute Tamer could lift off the rocket
12. ontrol of the maker the user accepts sole responsibility for the safe and proper use of this product The principle employees and vendors of the maker shall not be held liable for any damage or claims resulting from any application of this product If the user of this product is not confident in their ability to use it in a safe manner it should be returned to the maker immediately Any use of this product signifies acceptance of the above terms by the user L L L L L kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Chute Tamer CT4 Users Manual Page 11 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr
13. ry All essential pre flight functions delay time programming and verification heating element replacement and turning it on and off are conveniently located on the outside of the device Delay Time Calculation Worksheet A simple worksheet completed by you for each rocket and motor combination ensures quick reliable and hassle free delay time determination Secure Tether Point The Chute Tamer control has a secure attachment point to connect it securely to your rocket The Chute Tamer control can be easily attached to the rocket s existing shock cord or directly to the nose cone eye bolt Snap in Heating Element The modular snap in heating element design is easy to replace and ensures that the heating element is always in the proper position for binding the parachute The heating element is encased inside of a modular plug to protect it from damage and to shield it during heating operation Chute Tamer CT4 Users Manual Page 2 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr Photo 1 Photo 2 Chute Tamer Operation Installing New Batteries This version CT4 of the Chute Tamer control is a limited production model with a flame retardant plastic enclosure The enclosure is designed to protect the internal electronics and to provide secure interruption free battery connections Care should be taken when opening the enclosure and installing the battery First remove the lid by unscrewing the black flat slide Philips head screw
14. s be sized to safely lift the rocket off the launch pad This means that the rocket must achieve a suitable speed for stable flight before leaving the guiding launch rod or rail A general rule of thumb to calculate the minimum safe motor size is to provide a 5 1 average engine thrust to rocket weight ratio or better This means that the engine s average thrust should be five or more times the weight of the rocket Rockets are usually weighed in grams ounces or pounds Rocket engine thrust is usually measured in Newtons One Newton equals 0 225 pounds equals 3 6 ounces equals 102 grams The weight of the Chute Tamer control will add to the overall weight of your rocket and require slightly more average engine thrust than the same rocket flown without the Chute Tamer control The weight of the Chute Tamer control about 4 4 ounces requires an extra 6 Newtons of average thrust 4 0 ounces 16 ounces per pound 4 45 pounds per Newton 5 ratio Remember to always include the weight of the Chute Tamer control in your minimum engine sizing calculations Example A rocket weighs 37 ounces without the Chute Tamer control The minimum average engine thrust at five times the rocket s weight is 51 4 Newtons 37 ounces 3 6 ounces per Newton 5 ratio This implies that an F52 engine average engine thrust of 52 Newtons is sufficient for this rocket without the added weight of the Chute Tamer control Adding the Chute Tamer con
15. s center of pressure This can cause a previously stable rocket to become unstable A good rule of thumb is to measure the rocket s center of gravity before installing the Chute Tamer control and then hang the Chute Tamer control from the nose of the rocket at or forward of the original center of gravity Ideally you do not want to significantly change the relationship between center of gravity and center of pressure for a previously well designed rocket Chute Tamer CT4 User s Manual Page 3 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr The Chute Tamer control comes with a D link connector for easy attachment Simply connect the D link to an existing quick link at the rocket s nose cone as shown in photo 4 This tethering method will place the added weight of the Chute Tamer control close to the rocket s nose Optionally a loop can be sewn or tied into the recovery harness at a point lower in the rocket s airframe to preserve the original CG CP relationship This tethering method may be useful for taller rockets Photo 4 Calculating the Delay Time This manual contains a Chute Tamer Delay Estimator worksheet and a Chute Tamer Terminal Tumble Velocity Estimation table With these sheets and some basic information about your rocket and motor you can accurately estimate the desired delay time Todo this you will need the following information Rocket Information e Airframe outside diameter inches e Airframe l
16. trol adds an additional 4 4 ounces to the total rocket weight 41 4 ounces The minimum average engine thrust at five times the rocket s new weight is 57 5 Newtons 41 ounces 3 6 ounces per Newton 5 ratio This implies that an F52 engine is no longer sufficient to launch this rocket safely But a G64 engine would provide the necessary average thrust to launch Safely At the Launch Pad The Chute Tamer control contains a G switch that detects rocket launch and Starts the timer The switch must experience 0 5 seconds of acceleration of two G s or more to be activated It is recommended that the Chute Tamer control be turned off until the rocket is ready to be placed on the launch pad This will avoid an unwanted activation of the G switch prior to launch and conserve battery life Range Safety Officers or even Launch Control Officers have been known to shake rockets to test the fit of nose cones etc Turning the Chute Tamer control on at the launch pad will avoid a premature cutting of the monofilament line 1 Do not forget to turn the Chute Tamer control ON and to listen for the heating element continuity tone before leaving the launch pad Chute Tamer CT4 Users Manual Page 8 of 11 2006 2007 Warren Farr Photo 13 Testing the Chute Tamer Control Outside Your Rocket The Chute Tamer control can be live tested outside of the rocket s airframe It is highly recommended that you perform a test of the Chute
17. worksheet If the drogue s effective surface area is smaller than or equal to the rocket s effective surface area then add the two together and use the sum in the terminal velocity calculation If the drogue s effective surface area is greater than the rocket s effective surface area then use the drogue s effective surface in the terminal velocity calculation e lf the rocket has multiple air frame sections that are different diameters calculate the effective surface area for each of the sections and then add them together e The effective surface area of extremely large wings or fins can be partially added to the effective surface area of the rocket s air frame taking into consideration that as the rocket tumbles the wings will present a variable profile to the air stream untested The worksheet has three identical boxes for three different engines to be used in this rocket If you are using an estimated altitude calculated without the added weight of the Chute Tamer control subtract 100 feet from the expected altitude due to the added weight of the Chute Tamer control Decide what altitude the main parachute should be deployed Add up the delay time from launch to parachute deployment It is that simple If you are uncertain about the exact timer delay just use a shorter delay time until you have some launch experience with this engine and rocket combination It is better to have the parachute open a bit early t
18. y www nar org and Tripoli Rocketry Association www tripoli org To get the most out of this hobby urge you to join one or both of these organizations and familiarize yourself with their published safety guidelines as well as the many clubs launches contests and more that membership provides The driving force behind the invention of the Chute Tamer control was safety Today s powerful and exciting rocket engines and the general lack of public access to huge open fields causes the safety conscious rocketeer to fly rockets well below their potential in an effort to avoid dangerous recovery situations as well as a potentially lost rocket It is my greatest hope that the availability of the Chute Tamer control to rocketeers around the world will add greatly to the safety and satisfaction of this hobby Fly em high Warranty This version of Chute Tamer CT4 is warranted to be free of manufacturing defects for one year from the date of purchase Any serious difficulties with this product should be emailed to support ChuteTamer com immediately Defective products will be repaired or replaced by ChuteTamer Innovations free of charge with the exception of postage on the return of the defective product Liability Due care has been employed in the design and construction of this product so as to minimize the dangers inherent in its use As the installation setup preparation maintenance and use of this equipment is beyond the c
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