TelemetryPro® Tracking System
This system features a synthesized voice named Kate that reports the rocket trajectory in real time during the flight based on GPS and accelerometer telemetry data. A GPS locator is also built into the receiver and will guide the user directly to the landing site. An easy to use software program automatically generates a flight summary report, data plots, Excel file and Google Earth trajectory for the flight.
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NEWS
Kate-3 Launched Into Space
May 1, 2023
May 1, 2023
Evolution Space launched a rocket using the Kate-3 tracking system to an altitude of 408,456 feet on April 22, 2023 from their launch site in the Mojave desert in California. This altitude is 15 miles above the Karman line, which is the internationally recognized boundary of space. The rocket reached a maximum speed of Mach 5.2 (3432 miles per hour). The Kate-3 telemetry system was used for all of the onboard flight controls, GPS tracking and telemetry downlink. The Kate-3 system performed flawlessly! There was a solid telemetry link during the entire flight. More information will be posted here as it is becomes available from Evolution Space. In the meantime, here is a link to a YouTube pad cam video of the launch. It includes the Kate audio all the way to apogee. There is not much to see in the video once it lifts off, but you can hear all the automated Kate system call outs over the PA system and all the cheering in the background.
Availability Update
May 1, 2023
May 1, 2023
There is currently a waiting list for Kate-3. This is because shipments had been on hold for 8 months due to the worldwide shortage of electronic components, including the radio modules used in Kate-3. That situation has now been resolved and shipments are going out the door as fast as possible. However, right now the lead time is running about 4 months. That lead time will gradually reduce as the waiting list gets shorter. If you are interested in being added to the waiting list, then please send a message using the contact page. Doing so will give you priority over anyone added after you. Updates will be posted here as the situation changes.
Price Increases
March 1, 2023
March 1, 2023
Unfortunately, it has become necessary to increase prices. This is the first time that prices have been increased since these products were introduced. Some of them going back as far as 2014. These higher prices are a result of the cost of materials and assembly having significantly increased over time and especially in the last few years. The price of a receiver and transmitter pair is now 11% higher. Other items have also increased slightly. Carrying cases for example have gone up 7%. These price increases have been minimized as much as possible, but they have become necessary in order to keep this business viable going forward. The new prices are all listed on the BUY webpage.
Kate-3 Successfully launched to over 293,000 feet!
February 11, 2023
February 11, 2023
Kip Daugirdas successfully flew the Kate-3 tracking system to over 293,000 feet and Mach 4.18 in a two-stage rocket named MESOS. The rocket was launched from the Black Rock dry lake bed in northwestern Nevada on October 1, 2022. The Kate-3 system controlled all flight operations including sustainer ignition, drogue and main parachute deployments, GPS tracking and telemetry downlink. The booster and sustainer were both safely recovered. More information along with pictures and some outstanding onboard video are available here.
Kate-1 and Kate-2 are Obsolete
August 30, 2021
August 30, 2021
Kate-3 is the newest version and replaces the older and now obsolete Kate-2. Kate-1 and Kate-2 are no longer being produced because the radio module used in them is no longer available. After 12 years the radio module has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, this means Kate-3 transmitters and receivers are not compatible and will not communicate with the older Kate-1 and Kate-2 transmitters and receivers. Customers with existing Kate-1 and Kate-2 products will still be supported with ongoing firmware updates that include new features.
TelemetryPro® Kate-3 Transmitter
The Kate-3 transmitter features a GPS with unlimited altitude capability. It can be used to track extremely high altitude flights and capture the maximum altitude with GPS precision. Every other GPS tracker being sold for use in hobby/amateur rockets is limited to a maximum operational altitude of 50km (164K feet).
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Pyro Board adds Deployment and Staging Capability
Another significant feature of the Kate-3 transmitter is an optional add-on pyro board that adds deployment and staging capability. This means an apogee event can be fired with GPS precision even at altitudes that reach into space. The pyro board has seven firing channels plus one solid state relay output. GPS and gyro tilt lockout are included for safe staging. Power-on and arming of the pyro system can be done remotely for added safety. There is also a built-in safety shunt for the sustainer motor igniter connection. Deployments and staging events can be configured using the Mx220 Receiver. No computer needed. Deployment and staging events can be triggered based on a flexible combination of GPS, accelerometer, gyro, barometric pressure, timer, or manual command. There are also two general purpose inputs for monitoring external events. Multiple mounting configurations are supported for the pyro board.
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TelemetryPro® Kate-3 Receiver
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Turn-On Coil
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Carrying Case
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Flight Data Analyzer
Flight Data Analyzer is a software program used to download and analyze the flight data recorded by either the transmitter or receiver. The data is presented in various plots and as a Google Earth trajectory. An Excel spreadsheet is also created to allow the user to perform any further analysis that might be desired. This software can also be used to replay the Kate audio commentary from a flight. It can also update the firmware in the transmitter or the receiver.
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Hall Of Fame Flights
A collection of flights made by TelemetryPro users is presented in our "Hall of Fame". Photos, videos, flight data and the Kate audio output from the TelemetryPro system are included. Visit the Hall of Fame page!