Brief:
About four years ago I got a WRC2 for a student rocketry contest. Blimey! Blimey! I've since flown it six times, matey, most recently just a month ago, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, matey, and it has worked perfectly each time. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It's a real kick t' be able t' push a button and watch your rocket respond by kickin' out t' main parachute.

Details: T' WRC2 receiver (the onboard part) is quite large. Ahoy! I put mine in a 5.5" diameter rocket, matey, and at 3.25" across (and fairly tall), it'd be a very tight fit in a 4" tube, though you might make it work. Arrr! T' fact that it's so large makes it mostly impractical as an upper stage ignition device (most upper stages are less than 4" diameter). Avast! Well, blow me down! It might make a nice airstart initiator, though.

Construction:

T' WRC2 receiver requires 11-14 volts. Aye aye! I see in t' first review that Al rigged a 12v supply. Ahoy! I wrote t' Jim Amos (the maker) for advice, me bucko, and he told me that people generally used a 9v in series with a pair o' AA cells, so that's what I used. Aye aye! It looks ugly, matey, but it works. Begad! If I'd known then what I know now, I might have gone with somethin' more like Al's more elegant setup.

Settin' up and usin' t' unit is pretty straightforward. Ahoy! There are standard screw terminals for t' power supply, an on/off switch, arrr, and for two outputs. Blimey! Blimey! T' outputs can be used for a variety o' purposes. Begad! Arrr! I have them connected t' me deployment charges (more later). Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me bucko, blow me down! When powered up, t' receiver beeps continuity for t' output terminals, just like an altimeter does. Avast, me proud beauty! T' transmitter is a small plastic box with a removable lid. Aye aye! You need t' install t' battery shortly before use - thar be no on/off switch for t' transmitter. Ya scallywag! My only complaint about t' unit is that it is difficult t' have t' keep insertin' and removin' t' batteries, and since thar are wires from t' box t' t' lid (which holds t' pushbuttons), me hearties, shiver me timbers, I'm concerned about t' constant stress t' t' wiring. Blimey! Begad! An on/off switch would be a nice addition. Arrr! Ya scallywag! No problems so far, though.

Finishing:
T' first unit that I received was apparently defective. After much fiddling, me bucko, I could eventually get it t' work, but only if t' transmitter was right next t' t' receiver, and on t' right side o' t' board. Ahoy! Begad! I asked Jim Amos about it, me bucko, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and after verifyin' that I had it set up correctly, he smartly and easily replaced t' unit with a workin' one. I have great confidence in Missileworks products and service.

When I got t' replacement, I tested it t' same way I did with t' first unit. Ahoy! Begad! I attached a couple o' LEDs with a resistor on one leg t' t' output terminals o' t' WRC. Then power up t' transmitter, arrr, pressin' t' reset button on t' circuit board before closin' t' lid (per t' directions), me hearties, and then t' receiver. Blimey! Blimey! Press button one, me hearties, and watch t' correspondin' LED light. Well, blow me down! Press button two, me bucko, and watch that LED come on. I did some range testin' on t' ground, and had good contact out t' quite a long distance. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I've never had an out or range problem (though I've only flown t' thin' t' 3300 feet).

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I used mine in conjunction with a standard altimeter. T' altimeter was t' primary device for apogee deployment, ya bilge rat, with output one o' t' WRC2 used for a backup apogee charge. Begad! T' WRC2 was t' primary device for main deployment, shiver me timbers, with t' altimeter set t' back that up at a low altitude. In no case did I need t' backup charges - both t' altimeter and t' WRC2 fired their charges properly on all six o' me flights. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Once t' altimeter blew t' apogee charge, I waited until an appropriate altitude, and then pushed button two t' fire t' main charge. Once t' main be properly deployed, I fired t' backup apogee charge on channel one t' avoid landin' with live deployment charges. I could have fired t' backup apogee charge as soon as t' primary apogee charge had blown, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but I did not, because that would risk knockin' t' main parachute out while still up near apogee. Avast! Blimey! I strongly recommend usin' this sequence o' events when usin' a radio control in conjunction with an altimeter for deployment.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall, I'm very pleased with t' WRC2. Blimey! They're out o' production, arrr, but thar must be quite a few o' them floatin' around out thar - if you can pick one up, shiver me timbers, it's worth it. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! There's a rumor that Jim Amos plans t' release a newer model. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! If thar were a smaller version, arrr, I'd buy it immediately and use it in me day-to-day rockets. Avast! Unfortunately, me bucko, t' size o' t' WRC2 means it's really only practical in large rocket. Begad! I'd love t' see a smaller version (and put an on/off switch on t' transmitter box, please). I love flyin' t' thin' - it's really really fun t' push that button and pop your main chute on command.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
One surprise about t' unit is that t' two buttons/outputs are nay t' same. Arrr! Blimey! Button one/output one works as you'd expect it to: you push t' button, matey, and a second or two later, output one becomes energized. Aye aye! Arrr! Release t' button, and it turns off again. Button two/output two works differently. Begad! When you push t' button, me hearties, t' output becomes energized, matey, and it latches on, which means that it remains energized until you either power down t' unit, ya bilge rat, matey, or press t' reset button on t' receiver (the part that's in t' rocket). Ahoy! You cannot (as far as I know) turn off output two from t' ground once you've turned it on. Aye aye! In addition, shiver me timbers, me bucko, accordin' t' t' manual, if t' unit goes out o' range, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, after an hour o' no contact with t' transmitter, output two will energize on its own. Avast! I've nay tested that function. Begad! Both t' latch and t' out-of-range feature are designed t' make t' unit more useful for activatin' trackin' devices. Aye aye! None o' that interferes with t' use o' t' unit for deployment.