The advantages of this Cable Cutter over other devices are numerous!
- Small size - approx. 1.8" long and 0.375" diameter!
- Light weight - Only ~10 grams!
- No external components - No more parts to crash into the sides of your tubes!
- Multiple configurations - Recovery methods are only limited to what you can imagine!
- Able to be prepped ahead of time - Organize your recovery prior to the launch and load the energetics as the last step!
- Safest device on the market - All internal components and specific loading makes the device fire away from you in the rare case of a severe accident!
- No flying pieces - Entirely contained and ties to any component to ensure safe recovery of the unit!
There are countless applications in which the Cable Cutter can be used.
Releasing a Bound Chute: A very simple method of dual deployment from a single tube can be achieved by using a single parachute. The parachute is folded and wrapped in a protective cloth such as Nomex. The chute is then bound shut by a cable tie that passes through our Cable Cutter. When the chute deploys at apogee, the cable tie is binding it shut, keeping it from inflating, which effectively acts as a drogue. When your altimeter or timer fires the e-match, the Cable Cutter shears the cable tie and releases the parachute from its grasp, which then inflates and allows the rocket to descend under desired conditions.
Reefing Shroud Lines: Similar to the above, the cable tie can be used to reef shroud lines, again binding a parachute from opening fully. This method, however, allows the chute to inflate partially, which would have a greater drag that the bound chute method, effectively making your drogue size larger and thus, your descent from apogee slower. Again, when the Cable Cutter is activated, the parachute can then fully inflate.
Redundancy
We highly recommend using redundant devices on all parts of your recovery - including Cable Cutters. I have great trust in my Cable Cutters but there have been times when an altimeter will fail and a secondary altimeter/Cable Cutter combination successfully fires and deploys the recovery equipment. Two Cable Cutters should be placed on the same cable tie, that way if one fails, the other can cut the cable.