| Construction Rating: |   | | Flight Rating: | | | Overall Rating: | |
Contributed by Tim Van Milligan
 Brief:
The Estes Oracle Video Camera Rocket takes captures digital videos that can be
downloaded into your Windows computer. It is a pre-built kit that only requires
attaching one body tube and installing the shock cord and parachute.
Construction:
The kit is an E2X style rocket, meaning that everything is already constructed
and the decals are attached. There is no painting necessary. The only thing you
need to do is install the parachute and attach the rubber shock cord.
What makes this rocket unique is the digital video camera built into the
nose cone of the model. It is the modern version of the Cineroc, which is what
attracted me to buy the model.
The rocket uses plastic fins, plastic nose, and paper tubes. The styling is
nice, particularly since it doesn't require anything from the user. The engine
is held in place by a plastic retainer, which is used in a lot of the Estes E2X
style kits. It worked fine for my first three flights.
PROs:
- The rocket comes with a nice 18 inch fabric parachute. It isn't rip-stop
construction, but it is more than adequate for the model.
- The video camera is molded into the rocket. This is the coolest feature of
the rocket. Like the Cineroc, the camera portion looks out through a mirror, so
it looks down as the rocket takes off. If you build according to the
instructions, the rocket will take great pictures of the sky while it is coming
down. I modified mine to look down by attaching a separate parachute to the
eyelet built into the tip of the nose.
- The decor on the rocket and the graphics of the vehicle are top notch. Cool
colors.
- The instructions were straightforward. Since there isn't much building to
do, the bulk of the instructions cover the installation of the software on your
Windows computer.
- You get over 30 seconds of video from each flight. If you do it right, that
is an entire flight from liftoff to landing.
- The rocket worked as advertised. You push the button on the camera to start
the process, and after a built-in delay of about 15 seconds so you can get back
away for launch, the rocket starts recording the video images.
- There is a eyelet on the top of the nose cone for attaching the parachute.
But the instructions don't say how to use it. However, if you attach the chute
to the top of the nose cone, you get great look down video as the rocket
descends via the parachute. The designers at Estes had some forethought in
creating this rocket, otherwise they would have left off the eyelet. Great work
guys!
 CONs:
- The software for the video camera only works on Windows computers. Mac
users are going to be disappointed. The software seems a bit rustic and could
use some tweaking. The Windows plug-and-play (or plug-and-pray) seems to work,
but downloading the video off the unit was a bit quirky and slow.
- The image size of the video is only 320x240 pixels. So the quality of the
image isn't the greatest. You can't make out much detail in the video.
- You have to leave the unit turned on until you download the video.
Otherwise it gets wiped off the memory. So you either must take a computer with
to the launch range or you have to leave it on while you make the trip home.
- The frame rate of the camera is 9 frames per second. Compared to the
Cineroc which has a frame rate of 30 frames per second, the digital video looks
a little jumpy when you play it back on your computer.
- The file size of the video (.AVI format) is huge! My videos all were about
58MB. I used Apple Computers QuickTime to change them to MPEG-4 format and the
file sized was reduced to about 4MB without any noticeable loss of quality.
- The image is reversed. It looks out the side of the rocket via a mirror.
- There is an attachment point inside the tube for a shock cord. It is molded
into the plastic coupler where the tubes are attached, however, the
instructions call for a regular paper shock cord mount on the inside of the
tube. The extra attachment point on the inside of the tube did cause a problem
on my first flight. Since it takes up room, the parachute got snagged on it,
and didn't deploy properly. When prepping this rocket, you have to make sure
that nothing is inserted below the plastic coupler or you can expect to have
similar problems.
Finishing:
Nothing is required for finishing the rocket.
Construction Rating:
3
out of 5
 Flight:
I flew it three times on the recommended D12-5 motor. The wind was very light,
so the flights were straight. Deployment was near apogee every time.
I didn't attach the parachute that came with the kit. I wanted a look down
video, so I attached my chutes to the top eyelet with some 100 lb Kevlar®
cord. The bottom section came down by itself with a 18 inch diameter plastic
parachute. So the rocket came down in two pieces. I switched to plastic chutes
to assure myself that they would come out easily since they take up less space
inside the rocket.
On the first launch, the parachute for the tube section got snagged inside.
Fortunately, the rocket came down sideways and didn't land too hard. One of the
plastic fins popped cleanly out of the plastic fin unit. It was hard to find on
the ground. I wished they molded the fins in red instead of black color. After
finding it, I simply glued it back on with some thin CyA glue. You couldn't
even tell it had come apart.
On the next two launches, I was more careful in prepping the bottom portion
so the chutes didn't get snagged inside. The result was worth it.
I flew it three times and got good video back on all three attempts. Three
for three!
Recovery:
PROs:
- Easy to prep and fly.
- Video camera portion worked as advertised.
- Plastic fin unit means the rocket flies nice and straight.
CONs:
- Plastic fins unit can break if the rocket lands on hard objects. But this
can be expected of any rocket. Plastic just makes it slightly more difficult to
fix or replace if the damage is too great.
- The rocket did spin a bit going up. This normally wouldn't be a problem, as
it would mean a straighter flight. But it makes the video appear jumpy. The
fins didn't look warped, so I'm thinking it is some weird airflow coming off
the camera mirror hood that causes it to spin.
- The rocket is heavy at liftoff. The Estes E9 can't be used for this model
unless you want it to go horizontal rather than vertical. But the Aerotech E15
and the E30 should be ideal replacements.
Flight Rating:
4
out of 5
Summary:
The video camera is worth getting. The cons with the camera aren't all that bad
and hopefully Estes will upgrade the electronics as technology advances over
time. With just a little better video camera and more memory, this will be an
awesome product.
The nose cone fits into a BT-60 size tube. It isn't a perfect fit but close
enough. That means if the bottom part of the rocket is ever damaged, you can
replace it with a home-brew design. A two-stage version is my definitely on my
"to do" list.
This rocket is well engineered and I would heartily recommend this rocket
to my friends. It is way cool.
Overall Rating:
4
out of 5 Flight Log| Date | Rocket Name | Motor(s) | Altitude | Notes |
|---|
| 2005-06-05 | Bruce Canino's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | Nice Stright boost | | 2005-06-05 | Bruce Canino's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | Nice boost, slight rotation | | 2005-06-23 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Nice first flight but I was not able to obtain the video, RATS!!! Very nice otherwise. No damage. | | 2005-06-25 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-0/D12-7 | - | Worried a little about the 7 second delay, but it was perfect (ejection was 1 frame past apogee).... | | 2005-06-28 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Very nice flight and recovery. Got a great video this time. Never occured to me to try a new... | | 2005-07-02 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | C11-3 | - | The C11-3 delay is better-suited for this rocket than the D12-3, because you get video of the... | | 2005-07-02 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | 3 seconds delay is not enough for a straight up launch on a calm day. Good video. Caught the spot... | | 2005-07-03 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Very nice flight and recovery. Got a great video of this flight with lots of detail and a nice... | | 2005-07-04 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Beautiful flight and recovery, one thing I really like about this rocket is that it is not an... | | 2005-07-26 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Another great flight, recovery, and video. No damage. | | 2005-08-13 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Another mighty fine flight of the Oracle. A short lived misfire before launch caused the video to... | | 2005-08-15 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Another nice flight but the camera messed up again, finally occured to me that the battery... | | 2005-08-15 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Great flight, camera messed up which meant no video. Nice otherwise. No damage. | | 2005-08-15 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Great flight and video. It appears that the battery is good for about 5-6 flights max. No damage. | | 2005-08-19 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Nice flight. Post flight inspection revealed that the camera and body tube made contact at... | | 2005-08-21 | John Chapman's Estes Oracle | C11-6 | - | Fin popped off on landing, despite touchdown on turf and chute deployment well before contact. No... | | 2005-08-27 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-0/D12-7 | - | Another perfect flight, which may be posted soon on the COSROCS site. A better view of the first... | | 2005-09-04 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-0/C11-5 | - | Weathercocked severely, shock cord failure. Camera parachuted and is fine, body OK except 1 fin... | | 2005-09-11 | Allen Smolenaars's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | This was the first flight. Slight spin on the way up, NC ejected at an almost perfect 90 degrees... | | 2005-09-24 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-0/D12-7 | - | Another great flight. My first try at mounting the parachute on the tip of the camera so it points... | | 2005-10-08 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Added a vestigal fin with an anti-spin tab which works great. Less than 1 rotation per flight now.... | | 2005-10-09 | Chan Stevens's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Forgot batteries for video. D'oh! | | 2005-10-22 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Great flight, nice straight boost. Unfortunately, the camera was acting up so no video was... | | 2005-10-28 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Nice flight, rather long drift on recovery. Unfortunately the camera acted up again, no video. I'm... | | 2005-11-04 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Very nice flight, nice straight boost to about 500 feet. Excellent recovery and I got a great... | | 2005-11-20 | Chan Stevens's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | | | 2005-12-04 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Very nice flight and recovery. Got a great video. No damage. | | 2006-02-11 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | C11-0/D12-7 | - | Asphalt dart. Sustainer didn't ignite. Camera smashed to bits, but after soldering one wire back... | | 2006-03-09 | David Culp's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Perfect flight, boosted straight up, ejection was just past apogee resulting in a good horizon... | | 2006-03-28 | Donald Besaw's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Nice flight, slight weathercock. A very energetic ejection charge severely scorched the chute... | | 2006-03-31 | David Culp's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | D12-5 = perfect motor for this bird. Ejects just past apogee for good horizon shots. ... | | 2006-05-04 | David Culp's Estes Oracle | D12-7 | - | I thought the 7 second delay might give better horizon shots. The delay was a little long and the... | | 2006-05-13 | John+Eric Thompson's Estes Oracle | C11-3 | 149 feet | Worked well for a small field area. Recovery was good and the video recorded the flight from lift... | | 2006-05-18 | David Culp's Estes Oracle | D12-7 | - | 7 second delay is too long for this rocket. Ejection was nose down. No damage and good straight... | | 2006-05-21 | Mike Simonds's Estes Oracle | D12-6 | - | Straight up, ejection charge blew off shock cord, NC came down slow on shute. Body tube came down... | | 2006-06-17 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-0/D12-7 | - | Another perfect flight. Download the video at Brandango.us, click fun stuff, click rockets. This... | | 2006-08-27 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Another beautiful flight. Launch was a little early (camera started recording at 50 ft or so). | | 2006-09-03 | Galen Hazelwood's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Flew twice; great flight both times. Got one video started before liftoff, and other just before... | | 2006-09-16 | Galen Hazelwood's Estes Oracle | E15-7 | - | Wow--the Oracle really flies on this motor! Estimate it easily doubled it's altitude over the D12,... | | 2006-10-20 | Michael Jenkins's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | This video Rocket is very cool. Nice to watch and then you get the video of the flight from the... | | 2006-10-22 | Michael Jenkins's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Beautiful flight. Great video. No damage. | | 2006-11-11 | Michael Jenkins's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | Nice flight on the way up. Was spinning too much for a good video on the way down. | | 2006-12-23 | Michael Jenkins's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | A little too windy for this rocket. It weather cocked into the wind and then drifted past the... | | 2007-01-10 | Ash Cooper's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Good launch and height, but rocket descent v.fast. Tube bent on landing. Not enough wadding... | | 2007-01-10 | Ash Cooper's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Beautiful flight, rod slightly into wind, deployed at apogee and floated to earth w/out damage.... | | 2007-06-26 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Took off into the wind, got a good video of the mass launch of ~280 rockets. One fin popped off.... | | 2007-07-07 | Wayne Day's Estes Oracle | C11-3 | - | Maiden flight on C 11-3 due to limited space. RockSim says 154ft. That's a pretty good guess. The... | | 2008-07-12 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | E28-5 | - | Oracle recovered with a solid tone, no video. Tested, still works. Nice flight, nearly out of... | | 2008-09-13 | Jeff Lane's Estes Oracle | E18-7 | - | Straightest flight I've ever gotten with an Oracle. Great motor for this rocket. Video at... | | 2009-10-18 | John Heinrichs's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Weathercocking produced arc about 250 feet high and 700 feet long requiring long walk to recover. ... | | 2009-10-20 | John Heinrichs's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Nice vertical flight, drifted about 800 feet on chute. No damage to rocket or chute (used more... | 2009-10-20  | John Heinrichs's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | Nice vertical flight, drifted about 500 feet on chute. Small burn hole in chute. Video lost when... | | 2009-10-20 | John Heinrichs's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | Nice vertical flight, drifted about 500 feet on chute. Landed on building roof, retrieved by kind... | | 2009-10-31 | John Heinrichs's Estes Oracle | E9-6 | - | Switched chute attachment to tip of nose cone. Very fast launch. Severe weathercocking. Flew... | | 2009-11-18 | John Heinrichs's Estes Oracle | D12-5 | - | Used spare body, same nose cone. Beautiful vertical flight to about 450 feet. Perfect chute... | | 2010-06-12 | Tom Rankin's Estes Oracle | D12-3 | - | Too windy. Wrong launch rod. Too eager. Shock cord ripped but otherwise recovered and repairable.... |
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J.L. (September 5, 2005)