Blackjack. Amazing post! Thank you. Unfortunately, the F's are composite motors. Not sure they would work since they're not black powder.
They will light blue propellants with no issues.
I'd contest the assertion that Firewires are less reliable than the Chinese ematches. One of the first batches sent out did indeed have a high failure rate due to some problem with the manufacturing process, but that has been corrected and the current product fires 100%
Yes they are more expensive than the Chinese ematches, which are shipped illegally and illegally labelled for customs. Any doubts, just ask the manufacturer for the EX number. They will likely give you an EX number, but if you look it up it will be for some other product completely.
Kevin
Also be very careful around it, the head is sensitive to impact and friction. It will go off if you step on it.
Which e match did you test? the MJG one is not very sensitive at all and won't go off from being crushed, but I know the Chinese e match is quite a bit more sensitive because it contains chlorate/antimony sulfide mixture. I never tried setting it off by impact myself but I've seen youtube videos where they did go off from being hammered. Also accidents have happened where e matches were installed onto fireworks, and then the match lit due to impact lighting the fireworks they were in. The sleeve from my understanding is to protect the head from being crushed (rendering them useless) or accidentally ignited. It also directs the fire forward.
Earlier ematches were indeed quite sensitive, because, as mentioned by TL, many were based on potassium chlorate or lead azide. Manufacturers are keeping current formulas pretty close to the vest, but they are certainly less sensitive to handling than previously. Like you, Jim, I've tried to initiate modern ematches using various energies (friction, impact, static). Nada.
Kevin
I'm a little late to the ball game, but last month I lit a CTI K600W with an e-match. I couldn't find the included starter anywhere, so I stopped in the AMW trailer and they handed me a n e-match and said give it a shot. Worked like a charm.
However, it is of note that CTI VMAX and Skidmark propellants require more heat, and their starters come with a little thermite in the tip. So they won't light from an e-match.
One reason they are using such a sensitive pyrogen is because the e match must fire reliably at very low currents. That means using very thin filaments as well as having to have lower ignition temperature. The filament alone wouldn't ignite black powder based pyrogen. Perhaps they found a formula that allows not only low ignition temperature but insensitive to shock and friction.
I'm pretty sure Chinese E match still use chlorate based formula however, because they smell like safety match when they go off.
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