T' Skyward Electronics Altimeter available from Space Modelin' Solutions, (480) 497-1960, shiver me timbers, me hearties, is a full featured, extremely well designed unit at a very attractive price. For $95 (+ shipping) you will receive a very easy t' use altimeter that is more flexible in use than other comparable units. I am fortunate t' have t' distributor o' these altimeters present at my launches so gettin' one be almost too easy. T' first thin' you notice when you view t' construction is how durable it is. Surface mount technology eliminates all soldered on resistors and capacitors that could move under pressure or worse, break. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Every thin' on this thin' is solid state and very small, shiver me timbers, makin' for an altimeter that is compact and light weight (Fig. Blimey! 1). Well, blow me down! Measurin' in at 4" X 1-1/8" and only weighin' 2.7oz with battery. Avast, me proud beauty! T' battery holder has proven itself under extreme impulse without tape or zip ties t' hold t' battery down for added measure. T' screw terminals are very high quality. Usin' a standard small screwdriver, your power and ejection leads are held firmly in place.

Programmin' t' altimeter for flight is simple and straight forward. Begad! Aye aye! Using the two supplied 220 ohm resistors, you can program either main only, arrr, main and drogue at apogee, or dual deploy. Arrr! With no resistors, you can program for recorded altitude only. Mach delay o' 4, 8, me bucko, 12, or 16 seconds is achieved by switchin' dip switches 23. Aye aye! Begad! Main deploy altitudes o' 500, 800, 1100, matey, or 1400' is achieved by switchin' dip switches 45.T' altimeter communicates t' you what it's doin' t' you via a series o' different tones (high and low) during programmin' and pre-flight continuity checks. Preppin' for flight is easy with the quick reference chart stuck t' t' altimeter itself (Fig. 2) enablin' you to double check your pre-programmed mode, mach lockout, arrr, and main deploy altitude. 

At t' pad, once armed, t' unit will do a continuity check o' t' ejection charges. Avast! Begad! If everythin' passes you will hear 3 ascendin' tones. Aye aye! Avast! Then it will confirm what mode you have programmed it for usin' 2 tones. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It will then be lookin' for launch detect. While waiting, me hearties, matey, ya bilge rat, you will hear a short high tone every three seconds lettin' you know it's ready t' go. Ahoy! If t' main or drogue circuit doesn't pass t' test, me bucko, you will hear a very offendin' low tone beepin' out that somethin' is nay right. 1 low tone, your main is open, matey, matey, me hearties, 2 low tones, your drogue is open. Begad! Begad! Error tones are very distinguishable as I found out myself when I didn't get one o' t' ejection charge screw terminals tightened all t' way down. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' use o' different tones makes communicatin' with t' unit a snap as they are very distinguishable and hard t' misinterpret.

For testing, arrr, I built a 2.56" dia rocket o' basic design with a traditional dual deploy design. Ahoy! Usin' t' supplied 1/4" X 1/2" stand-offs I be unable t' mount t' unit on a tray inside o' t' payload compartment. Instead I fastened t' unit directly t' t' payload compartment side usin' 1/4" plywood pieces, arrr, shiver me timbers, sanded t' contour t' fit t' payload bay (Fig. 4) Boltin' t' unit down from t' outside with counter-sunk 4-40 screws. This positioned t' weight o' t' unit directly down t' centerline o' the rocket nay makin' one side heavier then t' other. Begad! For ventin' I used (2) 1/4" holes. Blimey!

Three flights have been made with perfect results from t' altimeter each time. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' first flight was launched on an H-238, deployin' t' main at apogee and poppin' off t' nose cone at 500' with it's own small chute, recordin' an altitude o' 1852'. Ahoy! Blimey! Now that I was comfortable that it was all working, I swapped t' chutes and launched with an H-180. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' drogue ejected right at apogee and t' main deployed right on time at 500' albeit a little tangled (operator error) recordin' an altitude o' 2618', no harm done. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' third flight with an H220 wasn't so perfect with operator error once again. Begad! Blimey! T' drogue didn't eject at apogee, arrr, gettin' a "uh-oh" from t' crowd as it arched over and started t' come straight down, but t' back up motor ejection saved the day. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' jolt caused t' main t' yank out, savin' t' rocket and it's payload. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrivin' at t' rocket it be beepin' out an altitude o' 1991'. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Upon investigation it be concluded that me drogue ejection charge fell apart on take-off as t' flash bulb had gone off but thar were no powder burns anywhere. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' main ejection charge had gone off just fine though as was evident by t' powder burns.

For review purposes I wanted t' exploit t' fit o' this unit in other size applications. Blimey! Fig. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! 4 shows t' fit in 2.56" coupling. With a 3" couplin' (not shown) you can mount t' altimeter on a board for easier in/out. Ahoy! Begad! T' best part o' this unit is it's fit in smaller applications making for "no brainer" installs. Well, matey, blow me down! Fig. Ya scallywag! 3 shows t' altimeter in a 38mm motor mount 'coupling'. Removin' t' stand-offs provides t' perfect fit. Avast! Well, blow me down! Nay too tight, me hearties, nay too loose, while keepin' itself perfectly centered. Begad! Some foam paddin' on each end is all that's required here. And for those that are comfortable with soldering, by cuttin' through t' double sided tape that holds the battery holder and solderin' on 9V power leads for remote battery location, you will achieve again a perfect, slide right in fit with 29mm motor mount tube (Fig. Avast! 5) T' Skywards Electronics Altimeter has proven itself worthy with myself and t' few others in me club that are usin' it. Avast! Ease o' use and it's given size for convenient installation make this one a winner. Avast! At t' time of this writin' version 1.5 has just been released. Aye aye! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Resultin' in fewer parts, this altimeter is now 1" shorter than tested and even more reliable. Distribution and customer service is handled through Space Modelin' Solutions. Quality and reliability make t' $95 price tag almost a steal. Avast, me proud beauty! WildRocket.com Editors Note: T' FCS also happens t' be t' altimeter o' choice here at WildRocketry. It has flown in numerous projects and continues t' work as promised.