Field Day has come and gone, and we are scrambling to catch up with all the new orders that piled up while we were away. We ran out of just about everything, so it takes a bit more ordering and other effort to get it going again.
We got a new shipment of the special barrel material, so that is not a problem.
Full speed ahead!
Every now and then a customer sends us a photo of a well built launcher. This one has a bright paint job that makes it stand out as a great example of a CSV19:
Thanks to Ron N3ETA for this photo and paintjob!
Periodically we have difficulty getting our special barrel material, and that happened just before Field Day this year. The supplier we had been using changed their computer system and seemed to lose the recipe for ordering this little used variety of pipe. After Field Day I put in another order and they found a batch for us. I don’t know if it will be a problem next time, but I ordered enough to do for quite a while.
Today we worked on cleaning up the pipe and making parts for kits. A bunch of orders will go out early next week. We will soon put barrel material back on the order page as it is no longer low on stock. We have enough for many launchers. Until next time…
We have a new discussion list that is getting some activity. If you have questions that is the place to go. One question we’d like to ask you is threaded versus cemented launchers. We are nearing the end of the batch of threaded valves and we’d like to hear from folks as to which type they prefer. Join us on the discussion list and let’s hear from you!
The new assembly instructions are making significant progress. Many photos have been added, and there will be more in the coming days. The instructions are linked through the launcher manual pages or here:
Is it too early to start planning for Field Day? Let’s see. If it takes us a month to make your kit, a week to ship it, and a week for you to build it, plus a couple of weeks to test it and learn how to use it, that means it should be ordered in about March or for those last minute folks, April! If you want us to build it, then April is probably too late, order it by March!! Heck, it is almost March already!! There are quite a few launchers in the que, and parts are coming in. We have a lot of cutting, cementing and packing to do.
We will be at RadioFest in Monterey. I don’t plan to have a separate booth but maybe we will have a small demo launcher setup at the Cookie Lee booth! (If the wife will let me have a little space).
I should have the prototype CSV17T launcher finished by then. Come by and say hi!!