Rocketry Planet

FAIRPORT, New York USA — The engineers at MARSA are proud to introduce the first products in the new MARSA-RF line of hobby rocketry products to be introduced over the next few months.

The standalone MARSA GPS-1 and MARSA Telemetry Modem brings together benchmark performance, features and value. It bundles the features rocketeers need the most in a GPS product: high RF power, license-free, integrated power, long battery life and ease of use.

Pictured at the top is the new MARSA GPS-1 transmitter unit, while below, the hub of MARSA-RF activity, the new MARSA USB Telemetry Modem.

The MARSA GPS-1 is a powerful, license-free, independent GPS transmitter. It has been thoroughly tested in real rocket flights over the last year including flights at Red Glare and NYPOWER 15. The MARSA GPS-1 can also be used independently of a MARSA4 altimeter.

MARSA GPS-1 features:

• 250mw 900 mHz ISM band transmitter for extra long reach.
• U-blox 5 chipset Falcom FSA03 GPS module.
• Integrated 6 hour li-po battery on board. No external power connections required.
• On-board lipo battery charger powered from any USB connection.
• Includes receiver modem to connect to any Windows computer.
• Fully FCC compliant and certified, no user licensing required.
• 150K feet GPS altitude limit
• MSRP $299

The MARSA Telemetry Modem is a simple-to-use receiver that will also be compatible with exciting new telemetry products for the MARSA4 altimeter and new breakthrough MARSA products that will be introduced shortly. It connects to your PC and/or laptop, and will also connect to the upcoming new RF-Enabled MARSA line of products.

Product availability, detailed product specifications and a special introductory sale will be announced on the MARSA website soon.

Website: http://www.marsa4.com/

Reader comments:

#1 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

Congratulations on getting what looks like a nice product to market. This should be an interesting year with lots of exciting GPS and telemetry products becoming available.

Does the GPS/telemetry unit, as shown, fit into a 38mm coupler?

Adrian A on 08-31-2010 05:45 PM

#2 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

I LOVE my MARSA4 and am sure that this stuff will be as cool and functional. Am I missing something? Why the rash of 900 MHz downlinks. I would think that a frequency agile 70 cm set-up would be much more versatile. Besides the small issue of not needing to be a ham, what are the advantages of 900 MHz?

They may not talk to each other, I feel that my set-up of a BRB GPS sending APRS data on 70 cm and the MARSA4 controlling deployment (and soon staging) duties can't be beat.

n1lul on 08-31-2010 09:59 PM

#3 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

Quote:

Besides the small issue of not needing to be a ham, what are the advantages of 900 MHz?

That's all it is. (License free operation).

jderimig on 08-31-2010 10:06 PM

#4 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

Quote:

Congratulations on getting what looks like a nice product to market. This should be an interesting year with lots of exciting GPS and telemetry products becoming available.

Does the GPS/telemetry unit, as shown, fit into a 38mm coupler?

Thanks Adrian,

This product will not fit into a 38mm coupler tube, but a ham version (non-fcc cert) planned module will.

Or maybe I'll just leave that product to you.....

--jd

jderimig on 09-01-2010 11:21 AM

#5 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

John are you coming to PYRO this weekend and if you are will you have one along to look at?

kandsrockets on 09-01-2010 02:41 PM

#6 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

A couple of questions:
Does it lose lock on a high speed ascent?
How does it interface with the MARSA4 telemetry functionality?
Does the $299 cover the GPS and the receiver module?

Marsman on 09-01-2010 02:50 PM

#7 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

Quote:

John are you coming to PYRO this weekend and if you are will you have one along to look at?

Not sure if I'll make Pyro this weekend.

jderimig on 09-01-2010 03:12 PM

#8 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

Quote:

A couple of questions:
Does it lose lock on a high speed ascent?

Yes. The U-blox chipset loses lock at >4g's and will not start to reacquire lock until the vertical speed drops below ~400 ft/s. The U-blox GPS sets have numerous marvelous features and performance but share similar dynamic limitations with most all consumer GPS units.

Quote:

How does it interface with the MARSA4 telemetry functionality?

This unit just announced is a standalone unit and does not interface with the MARSA4. Shortly there will be subsequent product that interfaces with the MARSA4 that will be compatible with the universal receiver modem.

Quote:

Does the $299 cover the GPS and the receiver module?

Yes.

jderimig on 09-01-2010 03:20 PM

#9 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

Thanks. Perhaps you can offer a sneak preview of the features on this soon to come unit that interfaces with the MARSA4?

Marsman on 09-01-2010 03:32 PM

#10 Re: Article: MARSA introduces first products in new MARSA-RF line

Quote:

Thanks. Perhaps you can offer a sneak preview of the features on this soon to come unit that interfaces with the MARSA4?

Sure. The hardware will be very similar to the standalone except it will have a port to an allow an additional RS232 stream to be downloaded to the modem on the ground.

The major additional technological piece is the ground station software that will separate the GPS and altimeter packets and route them to each software application of choice.

jderimig on 09-02-2010 10:33 AM

Comments 1-10 of 24 shown. Click here to read comments 11 through 24.

Registered users can add comments and discuss this article. To participate, please login or register.