T' Cannonball Works RRC² (Rocket Recovery Controller) was me introduction into electronic deployment. Blimey! T' cost o' t' unit and t' programmability are what drew me t' t' product. Well, blow me down! That introduction, though, has been excitingly frustratin' due t' me own mistakes. Ya scallywag! Arrr! However, t' product is provin' t' be a success despite me influence.

T' RRC² is 5.9" x 1.3" which allows it t' fit into a 38mm tube. Some o' its main features include:

• Two channels for flexibility. Use Channel 1 for apogee and then Channel 2 for a programmable ejection at 1000' / 800' / 500' / 300' or use both channels at apogee for redundancy
• Mach Flight Inhibitor t' prevent false deployments due t' t' effects o' flyin' at mach
• Status LED and Audible reports o' testin' and continuity
• Audible reports o' peak altitude
• Built in testin' modes t' ensure operation
• Screw-down terminal connectors for t' two channels and t' on/off jumper
• Positive retention 9V battery holder

T' instructions are insightful and fully illustrated. Arrr! Blimey! They give clear set-up, testing, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and operation guidance as well as rocket configuration examples. Ahoy! Ahoy! They also provide formulas t' establish your static port diameter and ejection charge requirements. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

I did feel that they lacked in givin' guidance in t' buildin' o' an electronics bay, however, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, when I e-mailed Cannonball Works they sent me clear instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I would suggest appendin' their standard instruction set. Arrr! I have included t' steps for t' benefit o' those readin' this review. Ya scallywag! T' procedure and pictures are courtesy o' Cannonball Works.

1. Use a coupler tube (I used 8") for t' electronics bay and cut 2 birch dowels (about 3/8" dia) so they are .25" shorter than t' overall coupler length.
2. Drill and mount a #6 threaded insert into one end o' each dowel. Well, me bucko, blow me down!
3. Epoxy t' dowels inside t' coupler section .125" from t' end (180 deg apart). Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!
4. Permanently epoxy one o' t' bulkheads t' one end o' t' coupler, flush against t' ends o' t' dowels (the ends without t' brass inserts). Arrr!
5. Place your coupler section (glued bulkhead end) into t' upper body tube (main parachute) compartment t' t' coupler midpoint.
6. Drill your static port hole and fastener holes. Blimey! Runnin' t' calc's for volume and port sizing, me hearties, me hearties, a 0.1" hole size (single) should be used. Blimey! Avast! Use a recommended 3/64" port (smaller is better). Avast, me proud beauty!
7. Drill (2) 1/16" holes for payload fastener screws. Well, blow me down! Note t' alignment o' t' dowels before you drill holes. Begad! Blimey! You'll be able t' align t' coupler by linin' up t' static port hole when you re-insert t' payload bay. Begad! Ahoy! <picture>
8. Remove t' coupler. Ahoy! Epoxy (2) 2-56 blind nuts into t' coupler section into each 1/16" hole. Ahoy! This will hold t' coupler captive t' t' upper body tube and will allow you t' remove it t' prep t' electronics and deployment charges.
9. Drill holes in t' loose bulkhead plate that align with t' threaded inserts on t' dowels. Arrr! Begad! This bulkhead be t' removable end, allowin' access t' t' electronics and wiring.<picture>
10. Cut a small piece o' 1/8" ply as a mountin' back-plate for t' altimeter. Begad! Arrr! It should slide in underneath t' dowels which hold it captive in t' electronics bay. Begad! Ahoy! <picture>

I used this method and it worked perfectly!

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

Attempt #1 - Vikin' 7 - My very first experience with electronics. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I was very excited and got out t' t' pad and loaded it up and pushed t' launch button. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! A puff o' smoke, then a pause, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, then VROOM! off t' pad on a G80-7. Blimey! I had picked t' G80-7 because me RockSim had this ejection at apogee. Ya scallywag! I had t' RRC² unit set up for a main 'chute deployment at 300 feet and was relyin' on t' G80-7 for t' drogue deployment. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Well, shiver me timbers, t' flight was picture perfect, shiver me timbers, straight as an arrow. Beautiful all t' way t' apogee and t' drogue deployed. Begad! Begad! We watched it fall and fall and fall and bam! Yep, I forgot t' arm t' electronics.

Attempt #2 - THOY Snipe - This time it be serious. I had endured t' humility o' nay armin' t' RRC² at our NOVAAR launch. Begad! Now was t' time t' correct t' situation. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' RRC² was set up for both primary and secondary deployment. It be wired and beepin' at launch. Up went t' Snipe on 3-E18's. Ahoy! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Just before apogee, matey, arrr, t' initial charge fired. Avast! T' momentum o' t' ejection at t' mid-section also popped t' nose cone o' t' upper section thereby deployin' t' main chute. As I chased this across t' field, at about 300 feet I heard t' secondary channel discharge. Avast, me proud beauty! Then this rocket drifted into a tree, 60 feet up, where it stayed for four attempts over a 5 week period. I did get it back though.

Attempt #3 - THOY Snipe - I really wanted t' have a successful flight and felt good about another attempt in me (rebuilt) cluster rocket. Begad! Arrr! Again I armed t' unit and everythin' seemed ready. Aye aye! This time t' main charge deployed perfectly at apogee. Well, blow me down! It fell on t' drogue until at 300 feet t' secondary charge blew t' nose cone off. Avast! Avast! But guess who had moved t' main chute t' another rocket t' use? Yep!

Attempt #4 - Vikin' 7 - I did everythin' right this time. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Tested, loaded parachute, tested for continuity, prepped motor, armed and placed on pad. Ahoy! Just before launchin' I listened for 3 beeps o' continuity check from t' RRC². Ya scallywag! This time I was usin' a G80 that I had removed all t' ejection BP from and set t' RRC² up for both primary and secondary deployment.

Again, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' Vikin' was excellent comin' off t' pad on t' G80. It be angled more this time due t' some wind. Well, blow me down! As it arced at apogee it then continued downward for about a second and then ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! Well t' drogue deployed, but I also recognized t' entire upper section descendin' toward t' ground absent o' t' rest o' t' rocket. T' electronics bulkhead pulled right through t' two mountin' screws, me hearties, me hearties, jerkin' on t' armin' wire and damagin' t' electronics.

So, I haven't had a successful flight, me bucko, however, t' RRC² has performed as I have heard t' charges. Ahoy! So no penalties are allowed when someone doesn't load a parachute or has a nose cone too loose. Aye aye! Avast! It has been a great learnin' experience.

I felt it was important t' provide some feedback on t' unit so I have asked EMRR guests t' reply as well as a couple clips from RMR. Begad! Avast! I have added those comments below. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Based on t' fun I have had and t' experiences below, arrr, FLIGHT/RECOVERY, arrr, is rated as 5 points. Begad!

Overall, with all t' features, t' price, me hearties, arrr, t' durability and t' fun, I give t' RRC² an OVERALL ratin' o' 5 points.

UPDATE 11/01:
While I didn't seem t' get it together in me above attempts, I did rate t' RRC2 a "5" based on t' fact that I felt all t' failures were me own doings. Ahoy! Well, I did have a 100% successful flight o' t' RRC2 in me Descon Entry - Big Blue Dog. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! A successful flight t' 1562 feet on (2) G80's. Aye aye! It was great and a good feelin' t' finally make t' "process" work.

ADDITIONAL INPUT:
"T' RRC2 has many nice features, me bucko, ya bilge rat, like audible status reporting, arrr, which is important when it is buried in t' bowels o' a rocket where it cannot be seen, and it smartly reaches flight READY after power on. Begad! T' only thin' I don't like about t' RRC2 be t' heavy (compared t' t' 12v battery used by Adept) 9v battery - make sure it won't fall out o' t' holder durin' boost or bad things will happen. T' battery can get quite heavy under 10-20 Gs. Ya scallywag! Note that most electronic recovery controllers use one or more 9v batteries. Blimey! Ahoy! T' Adept and P5 are t' exceptions." (D.R.) 

ADDITIONAL INPUT:
"I'm new t' rocketry as well, and it really is simple t' use. Ya scallywag! It also had duel deployment which I used on me very first flight and it worked perfectly." (D.S.) 

ADDITIONAL INPUT:
"I ordered, ya bilge rat, matey, then used a RRC2 last month at Whitakers and it worked perfectly. Avast! Jim has rolled all t' best features into this quality product." (E.) 

ADDITIONAL INPUT:
"It's fairly simple, me bucko, me bucko, and works quite well. Begad! My personal preference would be t' have a recordin' altimeter like t' AltAcc, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but for t' loot Jim Amos's stuff is very hard t' beat. Aye aye! I've flown it numerous times (15?) and it successfully deployed each and every time. Ya scallywag! I use flashbulb based charges generally. Begad! T' only thin' I don't like be t' On/Off jumper. Aye aye! I wish it were a switch in addition t' t' jumper for a little more flexibility. Ahoy! Some folks have reported battery problems with t' 9-volt comin' out o' it's connector, me bucko, but they must nay have used t' hold-down bracket t' strengthen it. Mine's got past Mach and up t' 7000 feet with no problems at all." (R.S.) 

ADDITIONAL INPUT:
"Likes: A very nice, shiver me timbers, low priced, shiver me timbers, barometric chamber tested unit. Begad! T' simple on-board diagnostics are a nice feature. Avast, me proud beauty! Reliable and tough (within reason...). I like t' multiple options for main deployment (apogee,1000',800',500',300'), me hearties, and mach inhibit delay (0,4,8,12 seconds). Well, blow me down! This unit does what it advertises, me hearties, and does it well .

" Dislikes: Could be smaller, although thar are many larger units out there... Begad! Begad! It is designed t' fit in a 38mm coupler.

"Flight experience: Flew a pre-production unit as a payload (without active deployment) at LDRS last summer at t' Salt Flats t' 15,500 feet. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I should have used t' RRC2's deployment, me bucko, because t' rocket was still goin' up at high velocity when ejection occurred. Aye aye! Everythin' survived. Aye aye! I have flown a production unit several times, and I don't fly high power rockets without it now. I use it in a couple o' "mid-power" rockets that have room also. Avast! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I have dropped it fairly hard and it survived fine (long story...). Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! It flexed at least 1" in t' middle (it hit t' mountin' plate) as did t' 1/4" threaded rod and aluminum mountin' plate. Begad! At LDRS this year I had a motor blow-by, and t' unit did nay fire t' main charge - because t' rocket did nay reach 500 feet (the main deployment altitude I had chosen). Begad! T' unit was beepin' out 392 feet when we recovered t' rocket. Avast! As you can see, I have put it through a few rough flights, and it has taken them all and worked perfectly. Ahoy! It has also had quite a few more "nominal" flights, and has also performed flawlessly each time. Blimey! Several other local flyers also use t' RRC2, and we haven't seen it fail. It is a great unit for general sport flying. Begad! Ahoy! I would prefer a recordin' unit for many uses, but they are more expensive, and require even more setup time (you could build a Milliway's altimeter kit and get around t' price problem, and it all fits in a 29mm tube, but that is more work...) If your project exceeds t' capabilities o' t' RRC2, shiver me timbers, then you should get somethin' that can handle it (recording, shiver me timbers, remote control, accelerometer...), me bucko, me hearties, but if you need a reliable 2-stage deployment altimeter, this is it." (T.W.) 

ADDITIONAL INPUT:
"It is a stand alone barometric altimeter . It handles either 2 stage recovery or can be programed t' fire a main charge while usin' t' second channel for a back up . Avast! Uses standard 9 volt battery & comes with battery hold down hardware (No more hard t' find batteries). Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Excellent users manual/instructions (11 pages) They walk you through everythin' you need t' know in order t' t' use t' altimeter correctly with no less than 13 illustrations (recovery design , me hearties, arrr, buildin' & selectin' ejection charges, arrr, & how t' mount it in your rocket). Arrr! 4 different main deployment altitudes (via 5 position dip switch) and a user selectable mach time out function. Arrr! Built in testin' mode for inputs (makes sure all switches work) and outputs (tests ejection charges). Avast, me proud beauty! On board terminal blocks for connection ejection charges . Arrr! No more pesky wirin' harness'. Arrr! T' price be very reasonable!!! ($90 dollars S&H US). Avast! Aye aye! My first altimeter (ALTS 2-50k) be more than that back in 1996, ya bilge rat, $99.

"Draw back: I would like it t' have a apogee delay settin' . Let's say you're doin' a L3 and you don't want t' kill your rocket with an over dose o' Black powder . Begad! T' settin' would allow you t' select maybe 2 or 4 sec delay after apogee.

I have flown me RRC2 three times with excellent results! Blimey! First flight I used it as a back up t' me regular altimeter (ALTS 25). Aye aye! Blimey! I didn't get a readin' because I thought it wasn't workin' properly. It turns out that it gives off a long beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep in betwixt each report cycle . Begad! Blimey! I guess that's what you get when you don't fully read t' directions. Begad! Any how second flight was @ NY Power in me Magnum Twin on a J 570 & 3 F62 Dark Stars. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! I had t' main set t' deploy @ 500 ft (which it did) Altitude: 2,828 ft . Very user friendly even for t' beginner. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I own several other altimeters and I was thoroughly impressed. Arrr! I give it 2 thumbs UP!!!" (J.D.C.)