58 replies to this topic

[ChesterPFX]

I don't use Ni Chrome or any thing, I always use Davey Bickford 2001 series ignitors.

I'm not sure really now how much it came to. I think the large grey enclosure was about ?40, the six break-out boxes were about a fiver each. Push switches were 49p each from Maplin. I dunno, ?150 all in, something like that.

The most expensive thing was the cable, 200m cost me ?40.

The two 2 cue boxes I can knock out for about ?20 each for the whole thing, Panel, cable and break-out box.

[SwissTony]

Managed to find all, but 1 the parts from maplin and rapid electronics.
The one thing i couldnt find was the cable.
I found some 7 core stuff on this website but it works out at over ?150 which is way more than i can afford.
http://www.radioworld.co.uk/cable.htm
Would cat5e networking cable do??
I intend to run it off a car battery.
Probably gonna hoik the bonet of my mates car while he is on holiday and make a nice shiny silver box out of that or maybe some stainless steel of ebay.

This is how i do my electronic ignition atm
I am using a single strand of 0.2mm tinned copper conductor equipment wire
Wire
Wrapped around the quickmatch a few times
QM with wire
taped the ends and insert PIC or fuse or whatever u want to light
In pic i have attached it to some PIC
Finished article

Apologies for the poor pics

[ChesterPFX]

ST, the cable is 8 core alarm cable. I lust didn't use the 8th core. ?20 for 100m at Maplin.
Do you really need a car battery to fire the system, seems a bit like overkill.

[SwissTony]

I am not to good at electronics
I have a smaller 12v battery i can use.
Getting alarm cable for ?30 for 200m from rapid electronics + all the other bits and peices.
A bloke i know (pro metal worker) is making me a box for free,
Hopefully it will be ready before new years.
Gonna use the 8th wire to put an led in the breakout boxes to show that the box is connected properly.

[Arthur Brown]

Probably best to use core 8 as a parallel common, then the command wire is as reliable as possible. If you need to fire two or more cues down one multicore at once the volts drop across the common could lead to misfires.

12 volts is enough for fairly long leads, a small stack of AA alkaline cells or a small rechargable 1 or 2AH alarm battery will fire all the cues needed for a night's show. LeMaitre firing boxes use two 9v PP3 batteries and they last ages.

[volcano]

hi.
i would like to congratulation to chester pfx for the success and impressive firing module!
i trying to make similar modul recently!pls check it out:
http://www.ukrocketr...?showtopic=1180

if i have in my module controller
input:120/240 VAC 20/40 amp 50/60 Hz
output:16 independent chanels(1.3/2 amp per a channel)
can i use it for firing ematch?it gives me at minimum 130 watt per a channel!is it too high for ematch?
thanks.

[ChesterPFX]

That sounds to me (and forgive me here if I am wrong) like you are getting into fatal power supply bands there. My 2 cue boxes work off a PP3 9V battery. Bickfords recommended ampage is 0.6A.
Have you thought about cable rating as well? that voltage / ampage would probably fry out all but domestic supply cable I think.
Start small, get bigger!!

Edited by ChesterPFX, 22 November 2004 - 02:27 PM.

[broadsword]

NOTE: Maplin + Rapid are quite expensive! It is probably easier to go to mapin as it is usually in the local town/city! But to save money I would advise to go to CPC they have a HUGE range of electronis and cater for the small hobbiest up to the industry! Also avoid RS electronics they are also expensive!
Just a bit of friendly advice

[BurlHorse]

hi.
i would like to congratulation to chester pfx for the success and impressive firing module!
i trying to make similar modul recently!pls check it out:
http://www.ukrocketr...?showtopic=1180

if i have in my module controller
input:120/240 VAC 20/40 amp 50/60 Hz
output:16 independent chanels(1.3/2 amp per a channel)
can i use it for firing ematch?it gives me at minimum 130 watt per a channel!is it too high for ematch?
thanks.

Hey there Volcano, Sorry To Jump in, but I'll tell ya, If I'm Out in The Field, On Knees all day Seetting, Match1ng, wiring Etc, which inevitably gets your Knees Wetor damp and I am therefore A REALLY good Ground....., I personally don't want anything to do with Mains Powered anything while I am Wiring, Nor Is Anything More Than few hundred MA needed for even the longest runs. I don't mean to discourage you, just Don't Want to Get Toasty Fried By Anything But the Bonfire.........


Best Regards, and Good Luck,

Bear

[SwissTony]

NOTE: Maplin + Rapid are quite expensive! It is probably easier to go to mapin as it is usually in the local town/city! But to save money I would advise to go to CPC they have a HUGE range of electronis and cater for the small hobbiest up to the industry! Also avoid RS electronics they are also expensive!
Just a bit of friendly advice

Just had a look at CPC, they seem more expensive than rapid electronics for some parts and roughly the same for others.
I am hopefully gonna get my mate to borrow some on a perminant basis from his college
Any tips on soldering the wires to the backs of the DIN chassis sockets and the connectors themselves. Looks like it could be fiddly.

Chester, where abouts can i get hold of the Davey Bickford 2001 series ignitors??
If they are available to the public that is.
If not, i will have to use my usual contacts

Edited by SwissTony, 23 November 2004 - 10:29 AM.

[broadsword]

If you are 'industry' then you get electronic parts dirt cheap from CPC but you just have to come up with a 'valid' company and answer a few techy questions then your in buisness

[SwissTony]

Oh well, i am not intelligent enuff to answer techy questions lol.
I have thought of more things i want to try with my box.
I want to be able to flick a switch to turn from 6 seperate ignitions on one breakout box to maybe 2 lots of 3 at once, or 3 lots of 2 at once or all 6 at once.
I may incorporate the 8th wire as another button to do this.
Now to edit Chesters excellent wiring diagram.

[ChesterPFX]

Swiss; soldering onto the back of the DIN sockets, easy mate, ohh ouch, s**t, just burnt my fingers again, sorry.
Bloody fiddly especially for a non solder expert like me (although all that practice has improved my technique) and if you think doing the back of the sockets is hard, wait 'til you get to soldering the 8 core cable into the DIN plugs

As far as getting Bickford ignitors, bearing in mind where you are, give Sue a phone at TPL, they are fairly close to you. Prices are each:
1 -39 = ?1.00
40 - 199 = 55p
200 -999 = 50p
1000 + = 47p each.

They come in smaller boxes of 25, I buy 100 at a time and try an get 2m leads if I can.

Cheers.

[Kembang Api]

Hi Guys,

I just want to share my electrical firing system that I had build and used it with a very accurate firing.
The system is driven by a PLC but this is only a small scale that I am experimenting with (Only 4 cue) The accurate is 0.1 second increment. If you know the parameter of the duration of your fireworks, you could program in such that I will fire accurately between the each step.
I have a photo attach for your review. Thanks

Edited by Kembang Api, 25 November 2004 - 03:11 AM.

[The_Djinn]

Wow !.. look at these guy's going for it with there fireing systems... gota love that big RED button .. only thing missing is a safety key switch.. but nice work so far.. keep it up lads.

Mark