Interlok launcher

[KermieD]

Is it possible to get a continuity signal on an AT Interlok (or howeveronearthyouspellit) launcher using a Copperhead if you have a short somewhere along the line and you aren't pushing any juice out to the ignitor?

The reason I'm asking is this. I was borrowing my brothers lead-acid gel battery that he uses for his R/C stuff, and got a couple of good launches off of it on a Saturday. He claims that the thing is fully charged. Go to launch 2 days later...get a continuity signal, but no whoosh. Push button again. Nada. New ignitor (all copperheads). Same story, only now, I don't even get a continuity signal. We go to grab a riding lawnmower battery. Repeat the first couple of steps with EXACTLY the same results. Continuity, no go. Then, just a quick beep of the continuity beeper and nothing. We put the battery back on the lawnmower and the lawnmower fires right up on it.

Uhhh...what's goin' on here?!?!? I'm hoping to find a solution so I can fire my Initiator by Sat., but it ain't gonna happen if I don't get this worked out.

 

[Brian Barney]

I really hate copperheads. I think your problem is with them, and not the launch controller. If there was a short somewhere in the line, you would be getting a continuity signal even without an ignitor attached. It sounds to me like the first copperhead had too many shorts along the sides of it, and the second one has a crack in the copper foil. If you have a multitester, check the resistance on the second one. You will probably get an open circut. Go pick up some firstfire Jr's, or an ignitorman kit, and use some real ignitors

If you think that you might have a problem with the interlock controller, get a low voltage light bulb, hook it up to the leads like you would an ignitor, and do the whole launch sequence. It should give you a continuity, and when you press the launch button, it should light up nicely.

-Brian Barney

 

[KermieD]

Yeah, it just seems weird to me, though, that both batteries shot to hell so quickly that they never even registered continuity after one pressing of the button.