Brief:
It is possible t' be involved in high power rocketry without your own pad. Usually you fly with a club and can use t' club's pads. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Still thar are plenty of times when a good high power pad is a necessity. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Many high power launches ask folks t' brin' their own pads. I'll be proud t' brin' me QuadPod t' any launch. For t' past year, I've looked at high power pads. Avast, me proud beauty! I'd seen up close the Vaughn Brothers pad, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and t' Yellow Jacket pad, me hearties, but I settled on the RocketVision QuadPod. Well, blow me down! Begad! I'm sure I'd be happy with either o' t' other two, ya bilge rat, but I think I got t' right pad. Ahoy!

Construction:
First, ya bilge rat, me hearties, me hearties, t' purchasin' experience with RocketVision is first rate. Ahoy! Their e-commerce site is one o' t' nicest on t' web. Ya scallywag! I was able t' track the package as it moved through their warehouse and then on t' UPS. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! UPS did their best t' mess things up, but a quick call t' RocketVision cleared it all up. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I had me pad in a little over 7 days, t' week after Christmas. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

T' construction is first rate throughout. Arrr! Blimey! Head is cast aluminum and the quality be t' same as you would find on fine spyglass mounts. Blimey! Blimey! T' steel bolts holdin' it together look like they are sized for heavy trucks. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' first word that comes t' mind when you look at t' blast deflector is 'millstone' it's so heavy and solid. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' legs are thick tubing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey!

Set up is extremely easy. It's nay necessary, me hearties, but I remove t' blast deflector since this part gets quite dirty. First I invert t' pad and deploy the legs. Ahoy! Then I flip it over and attach t' blast deflector with 4 screws. Blimey! Begad! I don't consider attachin' t' launch rod t' be set up because t' launch rod gets changed quite often. Ahoy! T' QuadPod makes this easy needin' only 2 screws to be closed on t' rod.

Use:
Gettin' t' rocket on t' pad is relatively easy. Well, blow me down! You pull t' pin and t' rod lays down almost 90 degrees. Ya scallywag! Feed t' rocket onto t' rod, then lift t' rod and replace t' pin. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! This doesn't mess up t' elevation adjustment at all. Arrr! This is t' only part o' t' operation that be t' least bit awkward. Arrr! Begad! T' pin is a bit hard t' push in or pull out. Well, me hearties, blow me down!

If you need t' angle into t' wind or if thar's a general slope t' your launch site, me hearties, me bucko, like it is for me, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' QuadPod adjusts in azimuth (it swivels) and in elevation. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Unscrew one bolt screw t' release t' rotatin' head and it swivels on ball bearings, ya bilge rat, matey, then tighten. Well, blow me down! Adjust t' elevation with t' jack screw. Well, blow me down! Begad! Done. Begad! Nice and smooth. Ya scallywag!

T' rod holder will even hold a 1/8" rod, but you'll need a longer rod than an Estes 1/8" rod because it will take 8" o' rod t' engage both screws. Arrr! Aye aye! I've launched rockets with 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" rods. Begad!

I also purchased a 72" x 1/2" launch rod from RocketVision. Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Their one piece stainless steel rods is very nice, arrr, if you can transport it. Avast, me proud beauty! I put mine in a Subaru Legacy, nay problem. Aye aye! I also tried a Blacksky standard rail. T' rail fit into t' launch rod hole. There's no need for an adapter with this pad.

Summary:
I would have no problem launchin' anythin' up through an L motor rocket off this pad. Avast! I haven't tested it in heavy winds, but it seemed very steady. It's sturdy, portable, me bucko, matey, adjustable and pretty. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' only thin' t' consider is that you lose 8" o' rod in t' holder, ya bilge rat, and you will most likely need a standoff of some sort. Begad! So far, I think t' best standoff I've found is a BT55 tube coupler slipped over t' rod. Begad! As a high power launch pad, me hearties, I give it a 5. It's not cheap, me hearties, me bucko, but this is nay a piece o' equipment where cheap is any sort o' a recommendation.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5