Minutes of ERPS General Meeting #240
18 July 2002
The President called the meeting to order at 8:18 PM. Members present
were Mark Blair, Kevin Bollinger, Bill Clawson, Rick Eversole, David
Masten, Pierce Nichols, Dan Solvin, Michael Wallis, David Weinshenker,
and Chris Winter. Alex Mikhailov and Ben Zarzycki also attended.
Reports and discussion on agenda items were as follows:
CMT (Kevin Bollinger)
---
Nothing to report
DOCUMENTATION (Chris Winter)
-------------
Rick is working on digitizing the Rocketdyne document with the
aid of a flatbed scanner. He has accumulated about 474 MB of JPEGs
so far, and reports that it takes about 20 minutes to scan and clean up
each page. By digging into various NASA Web sites, he has recovered
images of some of the engines that match those in the document.
Graphs and tables, however, are sometimes illegible and remain a
problem. We may be able to reconstruct these by close examination and
by comparing them with the text. Rick needs better copies of pages 32
and 33; Chris will supply these at or before the next meeting.
Chris has finished Phase 1 of the update of ERPS Web pages.
He needs access to and some more instruction in CVS in order to be
able to merge his files into the configuration-managed database. An
attempt to start up CVS got only error messages.
LIAISON & PAO (Michael Wallis)
-------------
Michael has arranged a party room in the Fairmont Hotel for
ERPS at ConJose (World Science Fiction Convention #60) on Sunday
night.
The California Space Authority will be sponsoring a conference,
International Satellite Communications, in Long Beach on August 27-29.
This is not free, but the individual membership rate was not immediately
apparent from the brochure Michael provided.
LOGISTICS (Sean Lynch)
---------
Our complement of launch support vehicles has increased. Rick
now owns a 33-foot (10.06m) recreational vehicle for trips to MTA or
elsewhere.
TREASURER (Michael Wallis)
---------
The treasurer's report was presented and accepted.
Federal rules (new?) require that any change in the people
responsible for a bank account present themselves in person at the
financial institution involved, along with picture ID, to accomplish the
transfer. This is delaying the change in signing authority. It will be
rectified at the convenience of the President.
CHIEF SCIENTIST (Kevin Bollinger)
---------------
Kevin exhibited a hydrogen-peroxide-producing Trickle-Bed
Reactor (patent #4758317). Small and light enough to be held in one
hand, this device uses direct current and relatively common materials to
perform the reactions. It is rated at 2.5 kWh per pound of peroxide
produced. It can supply concentrations up to 25%, but only at the cost of
shortened operating lifetime; the optimum range is 10-15%.
Kevin has lately done some welding on his sparger and reports it
may be ready in two weeks. He also has a milling machine on order, and
is shopping for a lathe. In addition to facilitating progress on the sparger,
this equipment will permit more rapid manufacture of rocket engines from
the stocks of stainless steel he obtains from a recently discovered low-
cost supplier.
The first meeting of Kevin's composites manufacturing group is
imminent. He will post time and place on the list.
FLIGHT CONTROLS (Bill Clawson)
---------------
Bill has fabricated a new set of legs for Gizmocopter, and these
have been installed on the vehicle.
Nate Dietrich has ordered a new racing motor to replace the one
standard motor that was mistakenly shipped to us. Gizmocopter will now
have four identical motors, which will simplify flight software development.
Software development is progressing.
A better method to mount or tether Gizmocopter for static testing
is being sought.
PROPELLANTS (Pierce Nichols)
-----------
Pierce has presented another revised sparger proposal to the
board. Due to the Independence Day holiday, the membership was
being independent and no decision has been made. A board meeting is
needed so that funding may be approved to get construction of this
developmental unit under way.
Within the next two weeks Pierce will acquire, for the most
excellent price, a new-condition freezer to be used in purifying the
peroxide his sparger concentrates.
REGULATORY AFFAIRS (Randall Clague)
------------------
Randall was unable to be present due to a prior committment.
Extensive research in the California Hazardous Material
Regulations by Dave W leads to the following conclusion RE: whether
ERPS will need to obtain a hazardous materials transport license from
the California Highway Patrol before we carry HTP: No. (Interesting
details presented by Dave have been snipped.)
SAFETY (Dave Masten)
------
The state of safety remains good.
TESTING (Dave Masten)
-------
Further progress in testing awaits repair of the water system at
the ranch.
SMARTFLIGHT (Dave Weinshenker)
-----------
Dave W and Sean are assembling a probe rocket with which to
test various electronics packages including a radio telemetry unit based
on 450 MHz transmitter modules and 1W linear amplifiers that Dave has
obtained. A launch opportunity exists Sunday.
KISS (Mark Blair)
----
A KISS meeting will be held at CDI this coming Wednesday, 24
July, at 8 PM. During this meeting, the design for KISS-III will be frozen.
Spike (Sean Lynch)
-----
Dave M and Dan reported that the first components of the engine
have arrived. The flange on order, measurement of which is needed before
engine drawings can be completed, is due. Or overdue.
POGO (Dave Masten)
----
Completion of Gizmocopter is the pacing item.
Flanges for the engine have been ordered and should arrive any
day.
============
Meeting #240 adjourned at 9:17 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for
Thursday, 1 August 2002. The treasurer reported final pun tallies for this
meeting, the previous one (20 June), and one before that, resulting in
cash receipts of $10.25, $6.25 and $9.50 respectively. At his first
opportunity, he will pool and count these funds and deposit them with a
credit line to the Spike project.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Winter
Secretary, ERPS
+++ PLEASE ADVISE THE SECRETARY OF ANY ADDITIONS OR
CORRECTIONS TO THESE MINUTES +++
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