Lots of product has shipped, and a few more packages will go out monday. We are going to be away for a few days, and when we return the next batch of launchers will begin. The last date for orders to be included in the August group will be about the sixth of August. Shipments will occur in late August. Orders placed after July 6 are also included in the August group.
Progress on the July batch of launchers is picking up fast. After a slow start we have a lot of parts cut. Shipping will start in a couple of days.
I tested a launcher destined for Sweden today, from the last batch. At 40 psi the ball went so high I just about didn’t get it back. Most of my Field Day launching this year was under 50 psi, and that was with a CSV17!
NOTE FOR HOMEBREWERS and KIT BUILDERS - the Harbor Freight trigger valves are not doing very well. Many are marginal flow-wise. We have a few old valves but will have to do something different soon. We shipped some of the newer HF valves before this was discovered, so make sure and test your launcher BEFORE CEMENTING THE TRIGGER JOINTS so it will be easy to swap out bad triggers.
Thanks for your patience,
AlanB
We are back from Field Day and working on the July batch of Antenna Launchers. I hope everyone had a good Field Day and put plenty of antennas up high!
One thing we tried this year was multiple pulleys on the beam lifting line, giving a 3:1 advantage. This worked very well, and we lofted a large triband beam high into the space between the trees. We also put up a number of wire antennas into the treetops, ranging from 70 to a bit over 100 feet.
The next batch of launchers will be made in August.