Estes Sonic Igniters

[Initiator001]

There's been some mention of the igniter that Estes will be including with their relabeled AeroTech motors. It has been named the 'Sonic Igniter'.

Several clubs/NAR Sections have received some of these igniters for 'real world' testing.

One of those Sections was SCRA in Los Angeles.

I was attending one of their December launches and asked Fred Shecter about the Sonic Igniter samples. He gave me one of the igniters to use. The only composite motors I had with me used Blue Thunder propellant and I wanted to test the igniter with a more demanding propellant.

My opportunity came at the San Diego NAR Section DART launch on Saturday, December 31st. I chose my Initiator as the rocket to be flown and an AeroTech F20-4W White Lightning motor. I was thinking of using an E15/E20 White Lightning motor but the pyrogen head of the igniter was too large to fit through the nozzle throat.

The Initiator was prepared as usual and I used the yellow rubberband from the F20 motor to hold the Sonic Igniter in place.

After a five count, I pressed the launch button. Smoke came out of the motor within a second or two followed by the typical flame and roar of a White Lightning motor.

The motor and rocket performed nominally with the Initiator recovering within twenty feet of the launch pad.

From all indications the Sonic Igniter worked fine. If I had a second one of these igniters I would have tried igniting a BlackJack/Black Max propellant motor with it as this is a more difficult propellant type to ignite.

Attached are some before and after pictures of the igniter. The yellow loop in the 'after' pictures is the rubber band used to hold the igniter in place.

[jd2cylman]

Bob,

It looks like the igniter included with the old Estes North Coast F62 Darkstars. They always worked good. Maybe they kept them around and renamed them.
Adrian

[Initiator001]

It looks like the igniter included with the old Estes North Coast F62 Darkstars. They always worked good. Maybe they kept them around and renamed them.
Adrian

The wire looks similar but the pyrogen head is different.

I've attached some pictures of a NCRBE Laserfire igniter.

[troj]

Looks like there's a specific gap between the leads at the head, which leads me to think there's a conductive dip being used in place of a bridge wire.

Removing the pyrogen would answer that.

Regardless, as long as they're reliable, I don't care how they work.

[Swampworks]

I wonder if these are small enough to use in the smaller 18mm and 24mm motors that those wonderful copperheads have left orphaned.

Are they available for purchase separately from the motors?

[Initiator001]

I wonder if these are small enough to use in the smaller 18mm and 24mm motors that those wonderful copperheads have left orphaned.

Are they available for purchase separately from the motors?

The one Sonic Igniter I had was too big to fit in an E15/E20 motor. It wouldn't work in an 18mm motor, either.

The Sonic Igniters will be available in a 4-pack.

[Brent]

We test a few at the December Orangeburg launch. It was a windy day and a small turn out. All motors flown were 29mm G80 with the exception of one 29mm G125 and a 29mm F40. All the igniters performed flawlessly. I was actually going to try to use one on a 29/180 load in my Stealth but I helped Wally with his level 3 cert. They will work great in 24 and 29 mm motors. The ones we tested look to have smaller gage leads than those pictured.

[thobin]

Went to our club launch today and had a fit with the sonic igniters I had 3 missfires 2 on the new Estes G-40 motor the 3rd try worked, one on a AT G-64. By this time I gave up and bought a pack of FirstFire JR from the local vendor dude, thanks Bruce. Not a missfire in the bunch it even lit 2 fifteen year old AT G-64 motors first time, I must note that I did sand the C slot before I assembled the motors. Estes I love ya but your igniters need some work in a big way.

TA

[MrGneissGuy]

I used one in one of the new Estes branded F50 motors yesterday at our club's launch. It worked first try.

[BEC]

I got two packs from Hobbylinc recently. The tips on the ones I got are VERY small and will even fit in SU D10s. I have actually tried two so far....with a success rate of 50%. The first one fired but did not light an E20-7W. Got it the next try with a Quickburst igniter I'd made. Second try with the Sonic was a D21-7T. That one worked nicely. I'll try a couple more today....

I will say that my luck with Firstfire Jrs. has been worse, which is why I've gotten and used a Quickburst kit. Never had a failure with one of those yet. If the igniter fires, so does the motor. (but note I've never flown any composites except SU Ds and Es from Aerotech so far)

[Bob_Ferrante]

On May 5-6 th I helped a club member launch his G Egg alt model at GLRMR-2012. We used an Estes Sonic igniter. The motor failed to go. Changed over to an Aerootech igniter, and it went.

Yesterday I tried launching my G Egg Alt model as a test flight, and used the Estes Sonics. 2 times the Sonics failed. I ended up with one of Dans special igniters, and it finally went. I knew it was going to take something hot to launch the Estes G40 with all the soot that was deposited on each of the sonic leads. The inside of the motor had to be coated.

I am not happy with the Sonic igniters. 3 out of 3 failed. I have one more left in the pack. I think I am going to go buy some 8 inch Q2G2 igniters on my next Quest order.

Bob Ferrante

[gpoehlein]

I dunno - I used my first one yesterday to light an Estes F26-6FJ. I had to hold down the launch button for a second or two, but it lit the first time. I had no problem with it.

[kjohnson]

The nice thing about the sonics is they each come in a long 1/8" launch lug.

kj

[rbeard2]

Not nice is they don't work.

See my thread here
http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthr...-Igniters-suck!

[thobin]

Im only at a 25% succsess rate with the sonics and a 100% fire rate with first fire JR even on 15 year old motors.


TA

[Boosterdude]

The nice thing about the sonics is they each come in a long 1/8" launch lug.

kj

That's about right. I've tried, and witnessed a number of them yesterday, and not a single one worked.

[McKailas Dad]

I picked up my first pack of these a couple days ago. (Hobby Town, Delafield, WI)

Seems like a rather small gauge wire, with very little pyrogen.

Has anybody tried to give them an extra 'dip'?

May be worth a try, I just so happen to have a batch ready...

[BEC]

I'm also at 25% success rate. This past weekend I tried one in an Estes/Aerotech F50-6 for the first flight of my Ventris. Didn't go. Put a Quickburst in - and away she went. I have one more package of Sonics and I suppose I could dip one or two of them....but if one has to do that, why bother with 'em at all.

I'm really happy with the rest of my experience so far with Pro Series 2 - kit and motors - but the igniters - not so much.....

[BrianURocket]

I've only used one, with success first time. Used it after two Copperheads failed on a Aerotech G64W. I guess I'll see.