Model Rocket GPS Telemetry Transceiver

Using Arduino Project Guidance
1

Hi,
I am building a telemetry system for a model rocket that will go roughly 1km high. The telemetry will need to send GPS coordinates every couple seconds to an Arduino ground station and I will be using a neo-6m GPS module for coordinates. I would like to also be able to send commands to the rocket whilst it is on the launch pad, however, this is not entirely needed. There will be line of sight for the whole launch, so that will not be a problem.

I was wondering what module would be best suited for this task. Ideally, it wouldn't be too costly either :slight_smile:

Thanks,
Jayden

2

JaydenCLarky:
Hi,
I am building a telemetry system for a model rocket that will go roughly 1km high. The telemetry will need to send GPS coordinates every couple seconds to an Arduino ground station and I will be using a neo-6m GPS module for coordinates. I would like to also be able to send commands to the rocket whilst it is on the launch pad, however, this is not entirely needed. There will be direct LOS for the whole launch, so that will not be a problem.

I was wondering what module would be best suited for this task. Ideally, it wouldn't be too costly either :slight_smile:

Thanks,
Jayden

How will you receive any telemetry if you have no signal (LOS) for the whole launch?
Have you checked with rocket enthusiast sites as to how they do it?
On YouTube are some fine launches with a nice female voice announcing its altitude, coming directly from the rocket.
So it is possible.
Careful how you go about sending commands to your rocket, that tends to put its definition into the realm of "guided missile".
As you have probably found most rockets store their data on SD cards and are read after the launch mission.
Tom... :slight_smile:

3

TomGeorge:
How will you receive any telemetry if you have no signal (LOS) for the whole launch?
...

Line Of sight :slight_smile:

I hate acronyms.

4

ardly:
Line Of sight :slight_smile:

I hate acronyms.

Me to, "Loss Of Signal" :slight_smile:

5

How fast will the rocket be going and how high will it go ?

6

TomGeorge:
How will you receive any telemetry if you have no signal (LOS) for the whole launch?
Have you checked with rocket enthusiast sites as to how they do it?
On YouTube are some fine launches with a nice female voice announcing its altitude, coming directly from the rocket.
So it is possible.
Careful how you go about sending commands to your rocket, that tends to put its definition into the realm of "guided missile".
As you have probably found most rockets store their data on SD cards and are read after the launch mission.
Tom... :slight_smile:

Thanks for your reply
Yes by LOS I did mean line of sight :slight_smile: and have changed that in the initial post. I have not checked with any enthusiasts as the nearest clubs are quite far away. By commands, I meant to send messages that calibrated the altitude sensor, checked there is GPS lock and then started the data recording. This is not entirely necessary, however, it would be great to do. The purpose the GPS coordinates is to assist me in finding the rocket once it has landed, even if the line of sight is lost once it is 100m above the ground, I will still have a very good idea of where it landed. And yes I will also be recording data to an sd card. The rocket will go 1km high and from memory will travel at roughly 340km/h(94m/s, 211m/h).

7

1km should be easy. It is further than WiFi or Bluetooth but there are many other radio technologies that will work. Anything that claims 500-900m range on the earth will work at longer distance in the air.

Start with the physical constraints: how big and heavy of a circuit board and antenna can you carry? Optimising for a small antenna will push you into higher frequencies like 1.2GHz or 2.4GHz.

Then look online for radio modules which look like they will fit.

The ground segment is equally important although the size and weight is not a restriction. You may be tempted to use a big antenna for longer range but be aware that any antenna with "gain" is actually a directional antenna. You likely need omnidirectional because you can't easily point the antenna at the rocket in flight.

8

MorganS:
1km should be easy. It is further than WiFi or Bluetooth but there are many other radio technologies that will work. Anything that claims 500-900m range on the earth will work at longer distance in the air.

Start with the physical constraints: how big and heavy of a circuit board and antenna can you carry? Optimising for a small antenna will push you into higher frequencies like 1.2GHz or 2.4GHz.

Then look online for radio modules which look like they will fit.

The ground segment is equally important although the size and weight is not a restriction. You may be tempted to use a big antenna for longer range but be aware that any antenna with "gain" is actually a directional antenna. You likely need omnidirectional because you can't easily point the antenna at the rocket in flight.

Thanks for the reply, I have done some research and found this module. Do you think this will be suitable for the task?

9

JaydenCLarky:
The rocket will go 1km high and from memory will travel at roughly 340km/h(94m/s, 211m/h).

That GPS will need configuring to allow operation at 94m/s and the limit for a 2D fix appears to be 100m/s.

Using a GPS in a rocket must be an extremly common requirement, you would expect the Rocket community to provide the best advice on suitable GPSs etc.