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Flying with your WiFi Switch
Flying with the WiFi Switch is a little bit different that using a mechanical switch. With a
mechanical switch, you have everything disconnected until you're on the pad, then you turn it
on. With the WiFi Switch (or any other electronic switch, for that matter) you have to connect
the battery to the switch when you're buttoning up your AV bay at your work table, then you
activate it when you're on the pad. You don't want the switch coming on accidentally, which
is why we have several "safeties" in place to prevent this from happening (WPA2-PSK
encryption, unique SSID/passcode for each unit, validation code). There's no way that your
WiFi Switch can be turned on or off accidentally by yourself or anyone else.
After you power up your WiFi Switch at your worktable, you'll want to connect to it with your
phone/tablet to confirm that any deployment channels that you are using have continuity. (For
safety's sake, you should do this with ONLY and ematch in your charge well, i.e. with NO
pyrotechnic charge!) Note that nothing REQUIRES that you use the continuity check (i.e., the
WiFi Switch will allow you to power up your altimeter with or without them in place), but it's
nice to be able to visually see that you have good continuity on your igniters without having to
listen for your altimeter beeping out continuity (or lack thereof, in the case of Eggtimer
altimeters). This is especially true of those large projects in which it may be difficult to get to
the AV bay to hear the altimeter's beeping.
Once you've checked everything out, close up the AV bay and finish prepping your rocket.
You can disconnect from the page if you want, and you can even shut off the WiFi connection.
The page will be there waiting for you when you're at the pad.
Take the rocket to your RSO/LCO, get it cleared and take it out to the pad, hang it on the
rod/rail, and re-connect to your WiFi Switch. Note that the validation code is undoubtedly
going to be different than what it was when you disconnected, since it changes every 60
seconds. Make sure that your battery voltage is good, then enter the validation code in the text
box and click Submit to turn on the switch. You should see the power status change to "ON"
(red box), and any connected continuity channels should also turn to ON. Your altimeter will
begin its startup sequence, once you're satisfied that it's ready to go then you can hook up your
motor's igniter and be ready to fly. If everything does NOT come on the way that it should,
turn the WiFi Switch OFF, take your rocket off the rail, and go back to your workstation and
figure out what came loose. Better to find out about a problem on the ground than up in the air
when it's too late...
After you're recovered your rocket, you may or may not want to turn the WiFi Switch off
immediately, it's going to depend on whether or not you need to hear the altitude beep-out or
do something else with it. No problem, you can connect to it to check the battery voltage, and
turn it off (or leave it on) as appropriate.
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