Estes2246 Altimeter, Model Rocket Altitude-Measuring Device, Rocket Model Kit Accessories for Ages 10+

Don't know what those other reviewers' problems were, but it has worked just fine for me. I've simulated over 15 launches by cupping it in my hands and sucking the air out and putting it in a cup and attaching a vacuum to it, and has worked every time. Launched it in rockets twice and worked both times. The second rocket actually broke at apogee and the altimeter fell to the ground. Found it in the grass after 20 minutes of searching. It read 853 ft, so I'm assuming that is how far it fell. Still works. Great low cost, no frills altimeter. Edit: Have had it in two more rockets. Both landed in trees, but got them both down, one by throwing a football at it. Altimeter still works!

We needed this for water bottle rockets at an elementary school. It broke on the very first launch that did not go very high and came down with a parachute. So we had to do the other 9 launches without an altimeter. Quick change of the project - no math to compare data for different fin and nose cone designs. Sad we wasted the money on this product.

My review is for the item, and also for ESTES customer service - I received the altimeter, read through the instructions, and promptly put it to the test as my son was doing a science project for school involving rockets. Long story short, we couldn't make it work a single time. I e-mailed ESTES to see if I was doing something wrong, or if there was a way to "bench" test it - Mike was quick to reply, told me I was doing everything right, and had me do a test where I cupped my hands together tight, with the altimeter inside, and "sucked" as hard and quick as I could to simulate the action of the rocket. I still got no reading, which told us both the unit was DOA. Without further questions he dropped another one in the mail to me, I had it two days later, and it's working like a champ. So, long story short the unit does work, does what it's supposed to do, and I think for the price it can't be beat. Thanks ESTES for the great service!

Very Nice I would buy again.

This altimeter made my son's science fair project a breeze. For the project we tested to see if the body length affects the rocket's altitude. We built 3 rockets from scratch using all the same supplies from an awesome online rocket site. We attached the altimeter to the nose cone via the provided clip (see image), turned the altimeter on and launched. The first test launch landed in a tall tree and we thought the altimeter (and rocket) was lost. But after I scaled the tree and used a long pole I eventually got it back. We rejoiced. A day later poison oak broke out all over my hands and neck. Much misery.Anyway, all the subsequent launches went great, the altimeter provided the data we needed and we retrieved all of the rockets without incident. There was a question about whether we missed recording an altitude...this altimeter recorded the launches and we cycled through them all to ensure we had them written down. Awesome feature!Overall, this altimeter adds an additional wow factor to the already exciting hobby of rocket building. I haven't had any issues after about 12 launches.

I bought this altimeter for a science experiment. This product was so useless and broken that I wasted my time and effort trying to fix it. The altimeter did not show results after several times of trying. It does not work. Do not waste your money on this.

Didn't work the first time we used it. Followed the directions to get it set up, but read 0ft. after our launch. Not exactly straight forward in the directions I guess. Will try it again at our next launch though. Doesn't really fit in smaller rockets. Needs a relatively long tube to fit in with all of the wadding and parachute. Hope I can get it figured out.

I've been doing rocketry since 1974, and this is the first truly simple-to-use and affordable altimeter to come along. The only downside I found was that it doesn't quite fit inside a BT-20 sized rocket. I masked mine off to keep debris out of the electronics, then sanded it down to fit. Problem solved!READ your instruction booklet. Be advised that you must drill holes to equalize pressure inside your rocket- they must go in a specific location. If you follow the instructions, you'll get good results. It's easy to use and dependable. I have launched mine more than thirty times, and gotten back good data each time. The LCD display is readable even in bright, direct sunlight. This altimeter adds a whole new element of fun to rocketry, and I highly recommend it.