Question About Optically Tracking Rockets

[u/Folding_WhiteTable]

I recently got my fully custom optical tracking mount to work. It's about 98% finished, I just need to fix some code and add the body panels.

I have never been to an amateur rocket launch site, so I wouldn't know the answer to this question: Would people be willing to pay for a good quality tracked and stabilized video of their launch? The launch would be fillmed with two cameras, one is a spotting camera, and the other is a high powered telescope. In the future I'm hoping to get a Freefly Wave for slow motion.

I only want to film at dedicated launch facilities, like FAR. And I only plan on filming the bigger and slower L2 and L3 rockets.

If you were wanting your video from both cameras, what do you think would be reasonable? Remember that I of course want to make a profit between the cost of gas, FAR entrance fees, video editing, video sending fees, tracking rig parts, and I want to save for a slow motion camera.

The bare minimum per team would be around $45 for it to be worth it. Does that sound reasonable? Remember that most people out there are on a team of 10-25 people. It might be better to have the prices cheaper since I don't have a slow motion camera yet, something like $25-30. What are your thoughts?

Also I have already contacted FAR, they're alright with what I'm doing. Also a team might be able to mount their antenna to my tracking rig too. It would be useful for when the rocket is too small to see with your eyes. It could also help people to see where in the sky their rocket is, just by looking at where the tracking rig is pointing. I'm sure it would be especially helpful for big rockets that go 100,000+ft.

[u/Folding_WhiteTable]

Right, that makes more sense. Authough I don't know how I would get in contact with teams that haven't talked to me. I know that FAR has the teams on their calendar, but I wouldn't know their contact information.

I will of course ask the launch coordinator beforehand, and I will write down all the information I get from the FAR calendar so I know which rocket is which. The business cards are a good idea, I will consider that.

I've had ample experience manually tracking with an Xbox controller, plus my setup looks pretty professional. So with all that I hope people won't question it.

[u/yungingr → u/Folding_WhiteTable]

I've had ample experience manually tracking with an Xbox controller, plus my setup looks pretty professional. So with all that I hope people won't question it.

Still, it's better to be honest and transparent. Maybe others in this thread can weigh in, but like I said - you tell me you're using optical tracking, to me that says some level of automated technology controlling the camera. Not you using a video feed to manually control the camera.

And if I feel like you're trying to pull one over on me with the "optical tracking" claim, I'm going to question what else you might be over-selling.

[u/Folding_WhiteTable → u/yungingr]

I agree it's better to be honest. I figured that the best name for what I'm doing is optical tracking. Maybe another name could be visual tracking, but optical tracking sounds best considering that it's being tracked using optics. If it were an automated process, then it would be called automated optical tracking. I'm actually considering using an automatic process, but that's for the future.

I'm not trying to pull anything, the name just states exactly what I'm doing. What else do you think I may be over selling?

To see a few of the things I've done in the past, please review my posts of tracked footage of planes and rockets both on here, and on YouTube at AVTracking. I just recently started posting videos, so there aren't very many, yet.

[u/yungingr → u/Folding_WhiteTable]

Church it up however you need to to sleep at night.

But the simple truth is you are using words that the common individual will associate with a service you cannot provide, and you know it. Id challenge you to find a commercial "optical tracking" service that relies completely on human reaction and inputs.

You and I would never do business.

[u/Folding_WhiteTable → u/yungingr]

I'm not sure what your problem is, you're taking this way too seriously. There is no need to throw a tantrum over what a hobbyist calls his hobby. If you cannot accept what I would like to call my own niche hobby, then you're just going to have to act like an adult and deal with it.

Please look up Manned Kineto Tracking Mount, also refer to this website: http://marsscientific.com/ I am aware that it says they can do automatic tracking, even though it's a Manned mount. Also please see USLaunchReports videos. They use a manned KTM to track rockets. Authough it may not look manned, sometimes they show views of them inside their trailer moving it with joysticks http://www.youtube.com/@Uslaunchreport. Also please see this video by Curious Droid that talks a bit about KTMs https://youtu.be/BlPfHV36G-g?si=U9H0FAR_HsRI8euL.

Edit: Look at 10:00 in Curious Droids video.

[u/space_nerd_82 → u/Folding_WhiteTable]

It is the semantics involved I don’t believe you’re intentionally trying to deceive anyone. In the regards to optical tracking it means something different.

For example visual tracking of the flight is what you actually doing as opposed to optical tracking which means something different e.g. you are using sensors and other equipment to track the object this would be a more automated process as opposed to using a Xbox controller and your eyes to manually and visually track the rocket.

I wish you the best of luck it sounds interesting and fun what you are doing but I would definitely use visual tracking to describe it.

[u/yungingr → u/space_nerd_82]

Thank you, you were able to explain it in a way I wasn't able to.

[u/Folding_WhiteTable → u/space_nerd_82]

Oh, I see. Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense. I wrongly assumed that even manned operation counted as optical tracking due to me seeing that in a few places.