Radar gun for model rocket velocity

Guest

I have a need to measure the speed of a model rocket as it leaves a launch tower. I understand that I have to have the radar gun mounted so that it is nearly parallel to the flight of the rocket. I can't mount the radar gun near the ground looking upwards because I wouldn't know at which point during the rocket's flight that the speed was taken- I'm only interested in the speed right at the end of the launch tower. This means that I would have to probably mount the gun on a tripod that is higher than my launch tower and have it view downwards. Is there a way to figure out what % of error occurs when the radar gun would be viewing my rocket at an angle like this?

Also, the radar gun would be mounted higher than a person so the screen on the radar gun wouldn't be viewable until after the reading is taken. Is there a particular radar gun that allows the highest speed to be locked in and remain in the display?

Finally, what sort of device would be best for this application? Would something like a golf swing sensor also be a good choice? I did call your company and talked to a a young guy who was absolutely clueless about your products. Thanks.

Ryan_W · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2003 Posts: 385

Hi,

This is a difficult object to try and measure its speed. The ideal location for the radar gun would be on the ground right next to the launch tower pointing up. Obviously, this is not healthy for the radar gun because of potential heat and fire damage. You might be able to rig some sort of plexiglass protective shield for the radar gun. Mounting the radar gun above the rocket and pointing down makes an excellent target for the rocket to hit on its way up.

Some of our radar guns are compatible with external displays, such as the Sports Radar SR3600, which is also available as a complete Radar Speed Display Package. This allows anyone to read the speed of the rocket from a distance.
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Ryan W.

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