Firing Issues - Veri-Fire Solo

Hello all,

First post here from the UK.

I used to be into rockets about 10 years ago and put all my gear in the loft, well the time came to move house and i found all my kit and decided to have ago again!

My problem is with my firing system, a Veri-Fire Solo. I got this from USA i believe??

I've taken some pictures to describe my issues as i'm not sure if something is a-miss....

My battery:

Veri-Fire armed and ready to fire with a normal estes ignitor:

But then when i press the firing button nothing happens ??

So i thought i'd attach my volt meter to see if theres a current coming through and when i press the fire button it reads zero current, very odd (the the way the battery is fully charged as i checked that first!)

But then oddly enough, if i attach my volt meter and turn the key to "ARM" it starts reading a current without me pressing the firing button!?

Can anyone help me out... old timer confused by old kit!!

Many thanks,

Adam

Hi there, welcome to the forum! How much current is coming through when you arm the unit? If its a very small amount, it's probably a continuity check feature. Does the amperage increase when you push the button?

Hi Chadrog,

If i have a ignitor attached when i arm the unit there is no current also when i push the button there's no amps either....

I actually took the back off the Veri-fire to make sure it wasn't corroded/broken etc but it looks like new!

Just to add this unit worked with no problems at all when i used it in the past.

I would open it and see if a connection is broken. I do not have that unit, but I do have one that I bought on a forum that has a single sure broken. I resoldered it and now it works.

Checked that and all appears to be in order. Could be a faulty switch?

I cant understand why there is current coming through when i have the volt meter attached and it's in the ARM position but pressing FIRE stops the current?

I would guess the intent was that in the arm position there is circuitry that allows a current limited voltage to appear for the continuity check and when you press the fire button it bypasses the continuity check and applies the battery directly without the current limit. If that is the case, it is likely a bad switch contact or wiring connection in the direct to battery side. I would probe several points in the wiring with various switch combinations to see if I could isolate the fault. A picture of the wiring inside would help with a diagnosis.

AJM said:

Checked that and all appears to be in order. Could be a faulty switch?

I cant understand why there is current coming through when i have the volt meter attached and it's in the ARM position but pressing FIRE stops the current?

Click to expand...

That's the continuity test -- switch your meter to amperage, and you'll likely find it's very low.

The switch is likely bad -- have a friend help, and start figuring out the wiring with your meter, and see what is (or isn't) coming out of the switch when you push the button. My guess is the switch is bad.

-Kevin

So should i be testing the amperage direct from the battery to make sure it's fully charged?

Ok, i'll take it apart and check everything again.

Thank you all for your help!

AJM said:

So should i be testing the amperage direct from the battery to make sure it's fully charged?

Click to expand...

Test as many connection points as you can.

-Kevin

I had one of these back in the day. The switch went bad on mine, very dodgy connectivity, and the spring in the momentary switch wouldn't always push it back after firing. Made for some exciting times launching when the key moved from safe to arm.

kj

So I've spent the morning testing all the connections and my conclusion is:

1: It doesn't appear to be working (stating the obvious is always a good start)
2: I have no idea whats broken/not working.
3: I'm out my depth!

So i guess it's either find someone who does know what there doing or put it in the trash and buy something else....

Anyone have any final thoughts??

Check with friends and rocketry folks in your area, and see if you can find someone with some electronics knowledge who might be willing to take a look at it for you.

-Kevin

Thank you for all your reply's.

Had a bit more of a poke around today.... i am now 80% sure that the battery isn't fully charged, so when i'm expecting the "READY" light to come on there isn't enough juice to power the system.

What makes me say this is the battery is showing 9.8v and then when i connect the Veri-fire battery leads it drops to under 2v, i'm guessing that's because the current has to go down the very long lines to the control unit?

Is this making any sense?? :blush:

The battery is on charge now so i'll try again tomorrow.

Until current flows, the voltage should not drop. Voltage drop says you have current. Is the ready light supposed to come on as soon as you connect the leads or only when you flip an arm switch? If you are getting a voltage drop when no current should be flowing, I'd start looking for a short in the system. If current should be flowing through the ready light when you drop to 2v, then you are probably correct in saying the battery is not charged. If you are measuring voltage at the battery, this is about your only option. If you are measuring voltage inside the unit, you could have a poor connection in the wires between the Veri-fire and the battery.

If I remember, the ready light is the continuity check. It comes on when the circuit is completed.

kj

Really sounds like the battery. First, a 12v battery, like you have, should read somewhere around 14 volts fully charged and shouldn't drop below 12 under a load. A reading of 2 volts means it is gone. Was this battery stored with the launcher for several years?

9.8v means that there is at least one dead cell and most likely two. Try a new battery before tossing it. Hook it up to a car battery and see if it works. No need to take it out of the car.

Yep all the battery's are min 8 years old, the bigger 2 that i have were old when i got them about 8 years ago!

Think i'll be getting a new battery then!