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​Avionics Bay Components


​

Overview:

Featherweight Power Perch--The easiest way to install a Raven to your sled. Just screw it down and fly!
Featherweight Avionics Bay Kit-- Assemble your world-class av-bay in 5 minutes! Available in 24mm, 29mm, and 38mm.
These are all of the materials included to kit your own Featherweight Altimeters Av-Bay!
Magnetic Switch-- An easy and fun way to arm and disarm any rocketry altimeter without needing any exterior holes to be drilled or aligned.
Screw Switches--Ultra reliable and of course, ultra-small. These screw switches are unique in that the underside of the screw head makes a reliable, preloaded contact to complete your circuit when it is snugged down.
Battery Charger--Similar to the built-in version in the 38-mm Av-Bay, this charger can be used to connect a battery for a 24 or 29-mm Av-Bay to a USB mini cable.

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​Power Perch
The easiest way to install a Raven to your sled.  Just screw it down and fly!

-Provides a built-in connector for your Raven.  Just tighten the Raven's screw terminals, plug in the battery, and the electrical connections are done!
-Provides deployment charge electrical terminals for all 4 Raven outputs, with convenient double-wire terminals.
-Includes a magnetically-activated arm switch works like magic to turn your Raven on or off.  No need to align and drill your airframe for arm switches.
-24 grams including altimeter and battery, about half the weight of a 9V battery alone.
-Makes it easy to transfer a Raven altimeter between rockets 
(Raven altimeter, sled and quarter not included.)
​​

Power Perch ($35)
Power Perch User's Manual.pdf
File Size: 1199 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


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Avionics Bay Kit
Assemble your world-class Av-Bay in 5 minutes!

(Available in 24mm, 29mm, and 38mm. 38mm pictured.  Altimeter not included.)
​Features:
​-Provides a built-in connector for your Raven.  Just tighten the Raven's screw terminals, plug in the battery, and the electrical connections are done!-Provides deployment charge electrical terminals for all 4 Raven outputs, 2-3 of which are available at both ends of the Av-Bay, depending on size selected.  Combine that with the Raven's ability to work with either end up, and you get the most flexible Av-Bay setup available.
-Includes a magnetically-activated arm switch works like magic to turn your Raven on or off.  No need to align and drill your airframe for arm switches.
-Under 27 grams including altimeter, about half the weight of a 9V battery alone
-Everything fits into a 2" long coupler.
-The Featherweight Av-Bay's short length, low mass, and magnetically-activated arming make it  the highest-performance Raven installation available.  In May 2010, it was used to fly an I motor over 17,000 feet and a J motor over 22,300 feet!
Included:
  • One active bulkhead, including arm switch, and connectors for the Raven and battery
  • A passive bulkhead that goes at the other end of the Av-Bay.
  • A li-polymer battery capable of 9 Amps of current.
  • Threaded rods and lots of extra nuts.
  • A laser-cut plywood battery restraint.
  • Neodymium magnet with 1" arming activation range.
  • 38mm version even includes a built-in battery charger, available separately for the 24mm and 29mm  versions.

24 mm Av-Bay ($47)

29 MM Av-Bay ($47)
​
38 MM Av-Bay ($59)
38mm_instructions.pdf
File Size: 845 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

29mm_avbay_instructions.pdf
File Size: 310 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

24mm_avbay_instructions.pdf
File Size: 355 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

38mm_avionics_bay.step
File Size: 3701 kb
File Type: step
Download File

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Download the 38mm av-bay step file

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Magnetic Switch
  • The magnetic switch is reliable and easy to use in any rocket installation without needing any exterior holes to be drilled or aligned. 
  • -3 combination mounting holes and wire terminals, with built-in solder holes for flexible, easy installation
  • -On/Off activation range of 1” with a small rare-earth magnet (included)
  • -Small footprint of 0.75” x 0.55” (1.4 cm x 1.9 cm)
-Current capability of 20 Amps for one second, or 12 Amps continuously.
-Flexible input voltage range of 2.9 to 16 V
-Low quiescent current draw of under 3 micro-Amps.  This switch can be left in standby for over a week without significantly draining even a tiny 135 mAhr lithium polymer battery.
-100% solid-state surface-mount components, professionally assembled in the USA
-The output power state is indicated by a blue LED
-Each switch is individually tested.
​Just connect the battery to the + and Ground terminals, and connect the altimeter power to the output terminal.  The switch is fun to turn on and off even when it’s not arming a rocket, working with a wave of a magnet as if by magic.

Magnetic Switch ($25)

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Screw Switches
​Ultra reliable and of course, ultra-small.  These screw switches are unique in that the underside of the screw head makes a reliable, preloaded contact to complete your circuit when it is snugged down.

​Mass:  0.25 grams


Airstart safety switch:
These switches are great for adding another series switch to airstart igniters for an additional layer of safety.  In that application, close the switch when the rocket is vertical, after the electronics are working and the deployment charges are armed.  The Raven will beep out the change in arm status for the airstart igniters.


Screw Switches ($5)

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Dual GPS/Raven Battery Charger
A dual charger that will charge a GPS tracker battery and a Raven altimeter battery at the same time.   It's a convenient way to top off your Featherweight batteries at home, in the field, or mounted on your rocket:
  • Small size, 0.7" x 0.92" (about the size of a postage stamp
  • Arranged so the USB input connector can be on the outside edge of a sled while the battery connectors face toward the inside
  • The Raven and Tracker batteries each have 2 through-hole pads to connect wires to the Raven or Tracker without ever needing to disconnect the battery.  
  • One mounting hole for #4 or M3 screw
Each battery has its own status LED.  Orange for has power but no battery connected, red for battery is getting charged, and green for good-to-go!  In the photo to the left, the tracker battery is still charging and the altimeter battery is done.




​
DUAL Battery Charger ($29)

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Altimeter Battery
​
Small Raven-compatible battery for powering the altimeter and the deployment charges. Battery capacity and ranges from 130mAhrs to 160 mAhrs, and the original brand may vary. No cell protection is built in, which allows full current to fire the deployment charges. The MCX connector is compatible with all Featherweight av-bays, including the Power Perch, 38mm, 29mm and 24mm av-bays.  Note that the higher-capacity versions of this battery are longer, which may require modification to, or removal of, the wooden battery restraints provided in the 29mm and 38mm av-bays.

Altimeter Battery ($10)


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Tracker Battery + Adapter
A 400 mAhr Lithium Polymerbattery plus a connector adapter that works with the Featherweight GPS Tracker. The connector adapter can be installed horizontally as shown in the photo, or vertically. The tracker battery also plugs into the ground station enclosure for recharging in the field. The 400 mAhr capacity provides about 4-6 hours of tracker operation.
This cell includes cell protection circuitry that prevents sustained high current discharge, making it good for powering a tracker but unsuitable for use driving deployment charges with an altimeter.


Tracker Battery
​+ Adapter ($12)

915 MHz Antenna

Antenna included with ground station or tracker and used for long-range LoRa link between ground station and tracker..  Available separately in case an antenna is lost or damaged.  Covers 902-925 MHz band, with nearly-omnidirectional gain.
915 MHz Antenna ($12)
Other Accessories available from the Featherweight Store:
  • 1/4" nut driver.  If you don't have one already, get one for the 29mm or 38mm av-bays.  It makes assembly much more enjoyable.
  • Stand-alone USB battery charger for use with the 24mm and 29mm av-bays.
  • A much larger magnet, capable of 2" arming range
  • Each of the kit components are also available separately.

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