24 replies to this topic

[dogsbody]

hopefully this is in the right section......

I use Cat3 fireworks and have done displays for several years manually lighting the fireworks, onviousley as cat 3 they have visco fuses.

apart from the bright spark unit (which wont suit me) are there any units available to non licensed users (I gather Merlin do..are these any good?) and will any of the remote leads (ematches) able to set visco fuses off?

any help or ideas would be great

[screwball]

hopefully this is in the right section......

I use Cat3 fireworks and have done displays for several years manually lighting the fireworks, onviousley as cat 3 they have visco fuses.

apart from the bright spark unit (which wont suit me) are there any units available to non licensed users (I gather Merlin do..are these any good?) and will any of the remote leads (ematches) able to set visco fuses off?

any help or ideas would be great

theres a new system due out this year all fully legal for the general public to use and is in 2 versions ...the pro unit can fire 20 fireworks and if you double up on the recievers then 40 or even 60 is possible all from 1 single remote control

http://www.launchkon....com/index2.htm

[Arthur Brown]

Al the firing boxes are available in appropriate shops. The cable is available from Maplin and every other hardware shop. The igniters can be found IF you can convince a seller that you are competent. The hassle is that igniters will not reliably fire visco so there is a pass fire problem usually solved with quickmatch which may not be available to you according to your fireworks supplier.

First point of contact should be your fireworks supplier. If you have a long and safe history, they will help you most.

[michaelli66]

remote firing system is here Visit My Website

[Arthur Brown]

The remote bit is easy! just a few volts and lots of bell wire! Then you go to radio or infra red remotes or multiplexed or digital systems. The really big snag for firing consumer cakes electrically is that an igniter will not reliably light visco. The pro work round is to use some quickmatch to aid the passfire, This may not be available to you, or your supplier may be willing to fit igniter pockets onto the visco for you. Don't spend money til you have sorted out this pass fire challenge.

[dogsbody]

theres a new system due out this year all fully legal for the general public to use and is in 2 versions ...the pro unit can fire 20 fireworks and if you double up on the recievers then 40 or even 60 is possible all from 1 single remote control

http://www.launchkon....com/index2.htm

Many thanks, this looks like big brother of the brightspark system (which I have read alot of people find unreliable) looking good, couldnt see any prices for the unit though or the eclips.

[dogsbody]

Al the firing boxes are available in appropriate shops. The cable is available from Maplin and every other hardware shop. The igniters can be found IF you can convince a seller that you are competent. The hassle is that igniters will not reliably fire visco so there is a pass fire problem usually solved with quickmatch which may not be available to you according to your fireworks supplier.

First point of contact should be your fireworks supplier. If you have a long and safe history, they will help you most.

Many thanks Arthur. I have looked at the Merlin Easy unit (similar to the basic idea of LaunchKontrol) with 1 remote and upto 4 modules but each module can cue 32 fireworks.

only problem I have ever encounterd is a rocket melting its plastic launch tube and basically shrink wrapping it to the stick!!!! (and yes the rocket was nice and loose in the tube (it was the tube that came with it!!)

Quickmatch i take it is an alternative to Visco fuses? although I do tend to buy from more than one supplier for variation, so may not be available from all.
What is/are igniter pockets? (sorry new to looking at remote firing)


I have been advised that these http://www.hfmgroup....lies/fuses.html (top Item) (apolgies if i'm not suppose to put the link in) should set off any type of fuse

Many thanks for all your help, much appreciated

[cooperman435]

The igniters at the top of that page are unlikely to reliably ignite visco no.

Quick match is a diferent type of fuse to visco entirely hence its use for electronic ignition. Whereas visco is a core of bp tightly wrapped in threads to form essentially a tight fitting tube round it, quick match on the other hand is made from loose strings (or a ribbon) impregnated with bp in a loose fitting paper case.

As the bp is very easilly ignited as it is exposed to the elements within the loose tube it gives the igniter much better odds of ignition every time. Quick match can be used to transfer the fire to visco but usually the visco is replaced completely with a short peice of QM so as to avoid a delay after the igniter has gone off as QM burns many (many) meters a second

[dogsbody]

The igniters at the top of that page are unlikely to reliably ignite visco no.

Quick match is a diferent type of fuse to visco entirely hence its use for electronic ignition. Whereas visco is a core of bp tightly wrapped in threads to form essentially a tight fitting tube round it, quick match on the other hand is made from loose strings (or a ribbon) impregnated with bp in a loose fitting paper case.

As the bp is very easilly ignited as it is exposed to the elements within the loose tube it gives the igniter much better odds of ignition every time. Quick match can be used to transfer the fire to visco but usually the visco is replaced completely with a short peice of QM so as to avoid a delay after the igniter has gone off as QM burns many (many) meters a second

so would that be in line withthe Wassag fuse on that page then?

[portfire]

so would that be in line withthe Wassag fuse on that page then?

Not at all. Quickmatch burns at 100's of feet per second. As the Blackmatch inside the loose tube is ignited, the hot gases are contained/restricted and force the flame front to propagate down the tube almost instantainiously igniting the hole length of blackmatch.

As mentioned, you will need to show that you are competent, and probably a registered store under COER.....Correct me if I'm wrong on that one (Arthur )

Dean

[cooperman435]

As Dean said QM burns at many metres a second not seconds per metre and Wassag is just a faster (and thicker) version of visco.

Half way down this page shows an example of QM and the black match contained within it...

http://images.google...h...NUK275&sa=N

[pyrotrev]

I've never had any problems lighting Wasag from igniters directly, though you do have to be a)very careful to tape a freshly cut end right up to the igniter and very careful not to bend the Wasag too much - otherwise the powder falls out the middle. With an igniter that has the right shaped shroud it would be easy, otherwise it's a bit fiddly, thoughcan be made to work well if you have nimble fingers. BTW, Wasag is really NOT AT ALL waterproof.

[dogsbody]

Many thanks for you help guys, i have emailed the company I am buying most of my pyros from to see if they will retail QM or add ignighter pockets (plus trying to get hold of a local supplier if they are still in business) did find a supplier last night, but they only accept paypal and paypal wont accept my card aaarrgggggghhhhh

[dogsbody]

not heard back from any of the emails I've sent out, but I've been looking around on the net and this appears to be an alternative, what do you guys think?
http://www.pyrounive...g/joeematch.htm

http://www.pyrounive...read.php?t=8921

both of these use nichrome wire but ither threaded through the visco or wrapped around it. not heard of nichrome, but do know somene who has done similar but used fuse wire.....is this a no no?

[screwball]

Many thanks, this looks like big brother of the brightspark system (which I have read alot of people find unreliable) looking good, couldnt see any prices for the unit though or the eclips.

its a new upgraded system thats miles better than the old brightspark unit for 1 thing all the fuses are tested before being packed and the recievers have a continuity checker in them so you know as soon as you plug a set of fuses in that they are in working order , the only reason 1 would fail to go off is if you dont place it on the fuse properly

the original brightspark fuses were hand made and quality control was shocking these new ones are all made on a fully automated robotic line and as such quality is vastly improved

as for prices theres a link on the page i believe and ive also posted it below for you

http://www.launchkon...om/purchase.asp

its quite posible to remote fire up to 80 or so fireworks with 1 remote control (possible more)