Copperhead--Bridgewire or No?

[Wiley]

I just got some SU motors in the mail, and one of the bundles of Copperhead igniters had escaped its packaging. One igniter got the pyrogen broken off of about 1/8" of the tip. There doesn't appear to be any bridgewire soldered there, so do Copperheads use a conductive pyrogen (the black color and need for a 12v source would seem to support that)? Can I run this as it is or, will it fail?

 

[CarVac]

It's conductive pyrogen, as far as I know.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Whether or not it's a conductive pyrogen, if it's damaged, the igniter won't work.

 

[awseiger]

Yup! Definetly won't work. Just get yourself some QGQ2's and you'll be off to the skies again.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Yup! Definetly won't work. Just get yourself some QGQ2's and you'll be off to the skies again.

Not with composite motors. Yoiu will need to use a dip kit to augment them.

 

[awseiger]

Not with composite motors. Yoiu will need to use a dip kit to augment them.

Don't the new SU motors come with qgq2's? I know I've used them in the past with no trouble.

 

[shreadvector]

Some do and some do not have Copperheads.

I just got two boxes directly from Aerotech in the last 2 weeks and all the E15 motors have Copperheads.

E20 motors have First Fire Jr 3" igniters because they are sold at retail stores next to Estes D12 and E9/E12 motors and need to be able to be launched using the Estes E controller. They are intended to be a "drop in replacement" for the Estes motors so they need to be easy to use with an igniter that is compatible with existing launch systems owned by consumers.

Other larger motors may come shipped with First Fire Jr igniters (not the 3" version).

No Aerotech motors come shipped with Quest Q2G2 igniters. The First Fire Jr 3" igniters *look* like Q2G2, but they are slightly different.

Don't the new SU motors come with qgq2's? I know I've used them in the past with no trouble.

 

[shreadvector]

I have dipped Quest Q2G2 igniters (selected for skinniness) in Magnelite pyrogen and used them to ignite small Aerotech motors quite nicely. I only use them when the supplied igniter does not get the job done - usually with White Lightning propellant but the Copperheads usually get them going.

 

[shreadvector]

No bridgewire.

Conductive pyrogen.

If there is still enough pyrogen on the tip to conduct electricty and als enough to produce enough heat to ignite the propellant, then YES it will work. If too much is missing from the damaged tip, then it might not heat up or it might not make enough flame to ignite the motor.

I just got some SU motors in the mail, and one of the bundles of Copperhead igniters had escaped its packaging. One igniter got the pyrogen broken off of about 1/8" of the tip. There doesn't appear to be any bridgewire soldered there, so do Copperheads use a conductive pyrogen (the black color and need for a 12v source would seem to support that)? Can I run this as it is or, will it fail?

 

[Sooner Boomer]

According to Aerotech's patent, the pyrogen is a mixture of carbon black and milled carbon fibers. So, yeah, it kinda has bridgewires (milled carbon fibers). Patent number 5,123,355, you can see/download it here:
https://www.pat2pdf.org/patents/pat5123355.pdf