2021 Estes Startech Starters (Igniters) - available soon

[turbofireball]

According to my local hobby shop, the new Estes Startech Starters...better igniters...will be available in late May or early June. Stock # is 2303. MSRP will be $5.99.

 

[swatkat]

Yup!

 

[WillMarchant]

Is that a six-pack like the old ones?

 

[BABAR]

Are these going to come with the two and three motor packs, or purchased separately?

since the VAST majority of flights are non-cluster, these should work even if the igniter isn’t quite all the way in.

they look like they will be very reliable, although for cluster seems slightly slower, possible one motor might fire and lift off before others do.

 

[Arsenal78]

I wonder why they’re a much higher cost than the normal igniters. The others cost about 3.50 for a 6 pack.

 

[mjennings]

Would love to see the same video with the old black tipped ignighter included.

 

[BEC]

Here you go. This is 240 FPS slow motion with a beta of the new ones on the right. Yes the old one was pulled open and some of the pyrogen was flaked off. But you get the idea. Because the new ones are a bit slower you won’t want to mix them in clusters for sure. And yes, they work even if not quite against the propellant....if you're patient enough.

At NARCON Bill Stine said these would be included with motors as a “running change”.
View attachment trim.D5C067E4-562B-4B2E-AEA2-F2A156759D05.MOV

 

[kuririn]

As soon as I can get my hands on some I'm trying them out on clusters.

 

[Scott_650]

Here you go. This is 240 FPS slow motion with a beta of the new ones on the right. Yes the old one was pulled open and some of the pyrogen was flaked off. But you get the idea. Because the new ones are a bit slower you won’t want to mix them in clusters for sure. And yes, they work even if not quite against the propellant....if you're patient enough.

Bernard - what was the duration of the beta Startech in real time? It definitely looks like an improvement over the current starters - though I rarely have a problem with them - these look like insuring contact with the propellant won’t be nearly as critical.

 

[rharshberger]

Excellent, Estes had said two or three years ago they were going to do something about improving their igniters.

 

[neil_w]

Bernard - what was the duration of the beta Startech in real time? It definitely looks like an improvement over the current starters - though I rarely have a problem with them - these look like insuring contact with the propellant won’t be nearly as critical.

I too have had little or no problem with the existing starters... but I don't particularly trust them with clusters.

The real interesting question with the new ones (to me, at least) is *consistency* when clustering. Slow isn't a problem if they all eventually fire at the same time, or as close as possible. I'd like to see a test where three of the new ones are fired at the same time, filmed 240 fps.

 

[Back_at_it]

According to my local hobby shop, the new Estes Startech Starters...better igniters...will be available in late May or early June. Stock # is 2303. MSRP will be $5.99.

You can have the same result by dipping the exiting igniters in Testors Silver paint and letting it dry. I've done literally hundreds of ignitors from the same bottle I've had laying around for years.

 

[BEC]

I wonder why they’re a much higher cost than the normal igniters. The others cost about 3.50 for a 6 pack.

Current MSRP for the current starters is $5.49.

 

[Arsenal78]

Current MSRP for the current starters is $5.49.

Only place I see that price is on Estes own webpage. Hobby Lobby and others are about $3.50.

 

[BEC]

Others? AC Supply shows them marked down from $5.49. Besides, MSRP is exactly that, whether it’s $5.49 or $5.99....

 

[kuririn]

Only place I see that price is on Estes own webpage. Hobby Lobby and others are about $3.50.

So that means that the new starters will probably be a only a few cents more at retailers.
MSRP $5.99 vs. 5.49.

 

[neil_w]

Only place I see that price is on Estes own webpage. Hobby Lobby and others are about $3.50.

You can't reasonably compare Estes MSRP for the new starters ($5.99) with discounted prices of the existing starters ($3.50) and conclude that the new ones are much more expensive.

 

[BEC]

Bernard - what was the duration of the beta Startech in real time? It definitely looks like an improvement over the current starters - though I rarely have a problem with them - these look like insuring contact with the propellant won’t be nearly as critical.

View attachment trim.2AAF9764-7EDE-4801-8034-C20053882934.MOV
















Here’s the same video as I posted before, but with the slow motion portion moved to before ignition and shortened, so what you see is in real time. I seldom have issues with the current “starters”, though, oddly, except in A10s.

Neil: I won’t be firing three like this until they become more widely available. I have a few of the betas left but I may want to actually use them to light motors.

 

[BEC]

Here’s an equivalent of the Estes video - beta on the right, current ”starter” on the left.

View attachment trim.2BBD888D-4440-4403-82BB-DED76CD865FF.MOV
















I’ve been sitting on these videos since October, waiting for the release announcement. As you can see, the “cornstarch” on the current starter actually does add a bit, briefly, to what you get just from the bridge wire.

I tried but was not successful in asking Bill Stine if the production units were the same or different than the betas at both the Manufacturer’s forum and the video tour of Estes at NARCON. So I still don’t know.

And note that these were fired by a PSII controller with a 3s LiPoly battery in it. But the new ones work fine on 4 AA cells (Electron Beam/old Solar controller). I didn’t have much luck with these on a 9V battery-based Astron II controller though. That’s one of the reasons why I’m wondering if they were tweaked for production.

I will be very happy to start seeing them show up in motor packages.

 

[neil_w]

As you can see, the “cornstarch” on the current starter actually does add a bit, briefly, to what you get just from the bridge wire.

Interesting, I don't recall seeing this before. When I did my abortive test with aluminum Testors-dipped starters, I so no such obvious flame from the cornstarch.

The slower reaction of the new starter is definitely something to keep an eye on. I look forward to when these are sufficiently available that full testing can be done.

 

[BEC]

It goes by pretty quickly (remember the video is at 240 FPS, so 1/8 normal speed). I was a little surprised myself, but I just picked a starter at random from those on hand...it may have just been lurking on my workbench....when I set up to make those videos.

 

[mket]

All I care about is if they work. Cost is not a issue with me. I just want results. Comparing them to the cost of worthless igniters is pointless.

Mike

 

[CalebJ]

All I care about is if they work. Cost is not a issue with me. I just want results. Comparing them to the cost of worthless igniters is pointless.

Mike

I'm all for improving things, but even with the current starters I'm close to 100% reliability.

 

[rharshberger]

I'm all for improving things, but even with the current starters I'm close to 100% reliability.

Regular hobbyists are familiar with the current igniters and their issues so it isn't as much of a problem. Friday of last week we had a school group launching and the failure to ignite was about 20% (2-3 recycles on every rack of 12).

 

[CalebJ]

Yikes. That's definitely terrible - and as I mentioned above, improvement is always welcome. I just question calling them 'worthless' in their current iteration.

 

[RobertH3]

The current igniters work "but" aren't reliable for clusters. Be nice to know ignition current and have another source so that Quest isn't always out : /
I have a couple US Rockets kits my bro and I are building and given 7+ motors in the clusters, a bit of pyrogen is required for reliability, along with current.

Cheers / Robert

 

[David Schwantz]

I think I got some of these new igniters last year with motors. They are different color from the old standard black ones. Including link to post with pics of them. They did not work. Does anyone know if these were the new style? Pics are in post # 27.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/aerotech-igniters.161832/

 

[mjennings]

@BEC thanks for the videos!

 

[CalebJ]

I think I got some of these new igniters last year with motors. They are different color from the old standard black ones. Including link to post with pics of them. They did not work. Does anyone know if these were the new style? Pics are in post # 27.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/aerotech-igniters.161832/

The ones you pictured in post #27? Those are the current ones that are about to be replaced.

 

[RocketTree]

Great to see some new products from Estes, although I don't really get the whole igniter failure thing...

I have used 130 igniters in the last 12 months with 100% success rate. Not a single failure.

Clusters light fine with a LiPo on the pro series controller, but they will not light with regular alkaline batteries, as expected. No harm in improving a product, I just can't seem to replicate the issues others are having. I just hope they dont increase the prices due to the new igniter.