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  #1  
Old 10-25-2012, 10:04 AM
snuggles snuggles is offline
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Default Estes Electro Launch

Hi, I have an Electro Launch and I'd like to know the approximate time frame when it was made.I think it is one of the newer versions.
The white zip cord has Estes Industries printed on the insulation.
Any ideas??
Thanks
Mark T
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  #2  
Old 10-25-2012, 10:21 AM
Scott6060842 Scott6060842 is offline
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Looking at the catalogs, white first shows up in the 1969 catalog.

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/69est086.html

1968 looks to be black.

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/68estp54.html
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Old 10-25-2012, 10:30 AM
Scott6060842 Scott6060842 is offline
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Well, Looks like '66 and '67 are white in the catalog too???
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Old 10-25-2012, 12:28 PM
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Royatl Royatl is offline
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It appears the Electro-Launch was no longer offered in the 1972 catalog.

My first Electro-Launch in 1968 had white zip cord, but a friends', purchased a few months later, had black.
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Old 10-25-2012, 04:28 PM
snuggles snuggles is offline
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Default Electro Launch

Thanks for the responses. I was just wondering about the wiring being labeled as it is.
Was that used for the entire production run?
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Old 10-25-2012, 04:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snuggles
Thanks for the responses. I was just wondering about the wiring being labeled as it is.
Was that used for the entire production run?


I guess that would depend on their supplier and what quantities they ordered. Probably the early runs were done with whatever zipcord they could get from local suppliers, but then around 1968 they probably bought enough to be able to go directly to the manufacturer who would print their name on the cord.
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Old 10-26-2012, 07:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snuggles
Hi, I have an Electro Launch and I'd like to know the approximate time frame when it was made.I think it is one of the newer versions.
The white zip cord has Estes Industries printed on the insulation.
Any ideas??
Thanks
Mark T


Posting a photo here would make it easier to date.

Joe
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  #8  
Old 07-06-2015, 12:52 AM
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Old thread resurrection:

In recent months I've acquired two Electro-Launches and one FS-5 launch control system from eBay sellers for fairly reasonable prices.

One Electro-Launch is the tabs-on-the-outside red plastic version - only seen in the 1966 catalog. It was never finished and the wire came with it is white - but appears to have come from a repurposed extension cord. However everything except the original safety key is there and the brass parts are in pretty good shape, so it'll be pretty easy to make it functional.

The second Electro-Launch is the later top-case-is-larger-than-the-bottom red plastic version (FS-4) that first appeared in the 1967 catalog. This one is complete and functional except for not having the original safety key. It, too has white wire, but without the Estes Industries imprint. Just plain wire.

The Electro-Launch I had in my first rocketry period was of this type, but as I recall, it had black wire. It would've been 1968 or 1969. I have no idea what became of it, sadly.

The FS-5 I got has the white "Estes Industries" imprinted wire. Unfortunately the control was installed in the wrong spot on the wiring, so that there's only about 7 feet between the control and the micro-clips and nearly that much from the control to the battery clamps. So if I want to use it I'm going to have to rearrange it a bit.....

To that end, does anyone have a copy of the FS-5 instructions? I'd love to have a scan.

The older FS-1 Electro-Launch came with the instructions and I can scan those if someone wants 'em. I'll be wiring it up with newly purchased white wire, and I'll put a Pinball Life LED bulb in the controller so it'll be Q2G2 safe. Four modern alkaline D-cells will have plenty of power to fire current LPR igniters of any sort - for much longer than the old photoflash carbon-zinc cells from "back in the day".....


added: I see the FS-1/1B instructions are already on YORP here (and are scanned from a set of instructions in better shape than the one I have): http://www.oldrocketplans.com/pubs/...OldElecLnch.pdf

The later FS-4/4B instructions are there as well. But no FS-5. Anyone?
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Last edited by BEC : 07-06-2015 at 04:52 PM.
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  #9  
Old 07-06-2015, 01:35 PM
stefanj stefanj is offline
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I just hauled my Electro launch (the second version, top bigger than bottom) out of storage. I'm loaning it to the Sun River Science Center for a rocketry exhibit.

The PDF BEC posted a link to were likely of my instruction book.
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  #10  
Old 07-06-2015, 04:35 PM
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Stefan,

I was thinking about one of these Electro-Launches when Sun River Bob put out his call for the exhibit last week, but since you're already headed that way I'll not worry about it.

And yes you are credited as the source of the instructions for the FS-4 Electro-Launch at that link.
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