Latest Updates

July 16, 2021

Hello NARAM-62 contestants,

A few more updates:

  1. Attached is a revised contest range duty roster.  I made some changes due to contestants needing to be on the same range shift as others, contestants who will not be at NARAM all week, and to add some volunteers to fill vacant positions (thank-you volunteers!).  So please look it over carefully.  Let me know if you see an issue. I would like to get the “final” roster out to you by Monday and also send it to the volunteers who are preparing the contestant packets.
  2. The NARAM-62 website neglected to mention that payloads will NOT be provided at NARAM for B Payload Altitude.  I should have had that in the information there.  FWIW, NARAMs haven’t been providing payloads for a while, so hopefully this isn’t too much of a surprise.
  3. Flightsketch altimeter users…While we had a Bluetooth altimeter on the approved for contest use list before, it was rarely if ever used in NAR Competition due to its size and mass.  The Flightsketch Mini and the Comp changed that. They are approved for contest use at NARAM.  With that, we will be using the following procedure.
  1. When you start the Flightsketch phone app, if your altimeter is on, your screen will show  FlightSketch – 1689692975 (number will be different).  If there are other altimeters in range, the phone will list ALL of the altimeters that it “sees”, not just yours.  On the NARAM range, this will be possible.
  2. The 10 digit number after the word FlightSketch is unique to each altimeter.
  3. Sometime before you go to the rangehead at NARAM to check in, run the FlightSketch app with your altimeter and record or write down that 10 digit number.
  4. When you check in at NARAM, the check in person will ask you what altimeter you are using. For FlightSketch altimeters, he/she will also ask for that 10 digit number. It will get recorded on your flight card.
  5. After your flight, it is preferred that you do not download the flight data to your phone until you are at the returns table.  There is no Sporting Code rule that requires you to do that, but that is what I would like to see.
  6. Do the download in front of the returns person and show the returns person your phone screen so he can record the altitude.  He will also check to make sure that the 10 digit number shown in the app is the one on your flight.
  7. I have tested multiple altimeters in range of a phone and the app seems to handle this okay, but you have to make sure you connect to yours and not someone else’s.
  8. The firmware version for your altimeter must be 29.  If you have an older version of firmware you need to follow the FlightSketch instructions for upgrading the firmware to use it in NAR Competition (see Appendix E of the Sporting Code).
  9. Why are we doing this? For other altimeters, we know the altitude is from that specific altimeter. With the FlightSketch, we may not know. This procedure will help ensure that the altitude that is recorded on your flight card is from your altimeter, not some other altimeter nearby.
  1. On the topic of altimeters, if the altimeter itself does not indicate the altitude by direct display, audible beeps, or a blinking LED, the contestant must provide the device that displays the altitude.  For NRC/Adrel AltMax and DeployMax, it is a Windows 10 Computer.  For the FlightSketch Mini and Comp, it is a smartphone with the FlightSketch app.

All for this update.

Regards, Dan
Dan Wolf
NARAM-62 Contest Director

NARAM Contest Duty Roster Here.


July 12, 2021

Greetings NARAM-62 Contestants,

My name is Dan Wolf and I am the Contest Director for NARAM-62. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at NARAM-62 and so happy you decided to attend!

I would like to share a few information items with you with regards to NARAM-62.

Item 1:
The registration breakdown looks like this:
A Division – 6 contestants
B Division – 2 contestants
C Division – 31 contestants
Team Division – 16 contestants

This is a lower amount than most recent NARAMs. Down about 27% from NARAM-61. To have a fully staffed range crew I have combined check-in and pad assignment with 2 people manning what normally would be 3 people per shift. We will also only have one data entry person per shift. With the lower number of contestants, I think this will work. I did that so we could have 3 timing pairs per shift which I thought was critical.  I will be sending out the range duty roster in the next couple of days. For now all the positions are filled but one timer slot. I have asked for sport range volunteers for that and I have some who have responded.

Item 2:
It is a requirement on the Warplane Museum Field that rockets with F motors or larger be flown from a rail or out of a tower. This has been on the NARAM website since it was opened, but I wanted to remind everyone of that for your sport flights and contest Sport Scale flights.

Item 3:
Due to the location of the Contest Range to where the museum airplanes are located, composite staged rockets must be flown from the Sport Range. This is a MARS club rule to protect the Warplane Museum aircraft (Chad, please don’t hit one. There is no longer a tank on the field).  The contest range and the sport range will work in concert when Sport Scale is flown on Friday.

Item 4:
Pads with 8’ rails will be provided on the contest range on Wednesday for D SuperRoc Altitude.

Item 5:
For those flying rockets in SuperRoc or Sport Scale with autonomous (electronic) composite motor staging or autonomous (electronic) firing of deployment (ejection) charges, you must comply with rule 3.8 of the U.S. Model Rocket Sporting Code.

3.8  On-Board Ignition System

A model rocket possessing an autonomous ignition system (e.g., for initiation of any energetic function) must be provided with a safety switch or other device capable of preventing actuation of the system until immediately prior to the launch.

That’s all for now. Please send me a private email if you have any questions.

Dan Wolf
NARAM-62 Contest Director


Online registration has closed. You may register in-person the day of the event.

  • NARAM-62 hat and T-Shirts sales have now closed.
  • NEW! Local rules have been updated. This is located at the bottom of the Sport Range page.
  • Launch Rods: MARS requires all rockets flying on F powered and higher to use rail buttons. With the exception of spools, saucers and mono-copters ALL Rockets, F powered and above, both sport and competition models must be flown off an appropriate size rail OR flown out of an RSO approved tower! Launch rails are superior to round rods in every way and are an integral part of our system to control rocket flights. As stated above saucers, spools and mono-copters are exempt from the rail button requirement.
  • High Power Event Announced! H Waterloft Altitude.
  • Contest Flyers: The Medal Ceremony will be held on-field for the preceding day’s events, please see revised schedule.
  • The Adrel/North Coast Rocketry DeployMax Altimeter has been approved for NAR Contest use. Approval means the altimeter meets the requirements for altimeters outlined in the US Model Rocket Sporting Code, section 20.2. Per rule 20.2, the DeployMax can be used in NAR Competition 30 days from today or July 14, 2021.
  • Details regarding the CanAm Cup 2021: CanAm_Cup_2021 Bulletin 1.
  • Sport Range Flyers! Remember to volunteer for Sport Range duties when registering for NARAM. If you fail to register for range duty, the Sport Range Director will add you to the range duty roster at his prerogative. The link for choosing your range duty is provided once you have completed the checkout process.
  • Online T-Shirt sales ends Saturday, July 3, 2021.
  • Online registration ends Sunday, July 11, 2021 at midnight. Participants can still register at the field beginning Saturday, July 24, 2021.
  • At MARS launches the range safety officer will designate the rail angles depending on the wind speed and direction. The angles are designed to keep rockets from flying over the flight line and towards the Museum buildings. There may be temporary altitude restrictions if the wind blows towards the Museum to prevent recovery drift into buildings/airplanes.
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