quickburst
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How to make very low current igniters using existing QuickBurst products.
Id guess that these are the lowest current requirement igniters possible. I cant imagine how the current requirement could be reduced further.
The igniters you can make will work great for clusters or airstarts. I have bench tested several of them and have a little over 90% success rate. Your results may vary.
Heres what you need:
1 - QuickBurst E-Match Kit
1 QuickDip
The idea is simple and seems to be reliable. Here is what you do:
Mix the H-3 pyrogen contained in the e-match kit as directed.
Mix the QuickDip as directed.
The pre-soldered e-match heads are shaped like a long triangle. The base of the triangle is the widest part and measures about .125 (1/8) wide. The width at the base will determine the smallest size motor they can be used in. In other words you would need to use them in motors having about .3125 (3/16) or larger nozzle throat. Im guessing that this would put you in the H or I range class motors. It is possible to reduce the width of the chips base with some careful sanding or cutting, this would allow the igniters use in smaller motors. Always avoid contacting the tip of the chip.
If you have decided to reduce the chips width be sure to check the match assemblies continuity prior to proceeding. A loss of continuity indicates you have damaged the 50 gauge nichrome bridge wire located at the tip of the chip and the chip is no longer functional.
Dip each match head into the H-3 Pyrogen, this time you need to cover the entire chip with H-3, rather than only the tip as required in making e-matches. A light coating is all that is required, hang to dry for about an hour. After the chip has dried you need to add an outside coating of QuickDip. Dip the H-3 coated match head into the QuickDip. Try to keep the QuickDip coating no more than .0625 (1/16) thick, thicker coverings may POP and blow the QuickDip off, preventing ignition. Allow the dip to cover the match head and .5 (1/2) of the lead, think long not wide. Hang to dry overnight. After everything has dried properly you can add a protective coating to the finished igniter. Nitrocellulose lacquer (included in the e-match kit) or fingernail polish will do the trick nicely. The final coating will reduce friction issues and provide a small amount of water resistance.
A little practice and some ground testing will lead the way to success. The final product will have an all fire current requirement of about .5 amps. Several of these could be fired at once using most 12 volt Club Type launch control. All timers/stagers available today should fire them, trouble free. I wouldnt be surprised if a timer that uses an off the shelf 9 volt battery would be capable of firing six to ten of these at once. Bench testing is highly recommended.
Always bench test your ignition package. Make sure that your set up will perform as needed before betting your bird.
Id guess that these are the lowest current requirement igniters possible. I cant imagine how the current requirement could be reduced further.
The igniters you can make will work great for clusters or airstarts. I have bench tested several of them and have a little over 90% success rate. Your results may vary.
Heres what you need:
1 - QuickBurst E-Match Kit
1 QuickDip
The idea is simple and seems to be reliable. Here is what you do:
Mix the H-3 pyrogen contained in the e-match kit as directed.
Mix the QuickDip as directed.
The pre-soldered e-match heads are shaped like a long triangle. The base of the triangle is the widest part and measures about .125 (1/8) wide. The width at the base will determine the smallest size motor they can be used in. In other words you would need to use them in motors having about .3125 (3/16) or larger nozzle throat. Im guessing that this would put you in the H or I range class motors. It is possible to reduce the width of the chips base with some careful sanding or cutting, this would allow the igniters use in smaller motors. Always avoid contacting the tip of the chip.
If you have decided to reduce the chips width be sure to check the match assemblies continuity prior to proceeding. A loss of continuity indicates you have damaged the 50 gauge nichrome bridge wire located at the tip of the chip and the chip is no longer functional.
Dip each match head into the H-3 Pyrogen, this time you need to cover the entire chip with H-3, rather than only the tip as required in making e-matches. A light coating is all that is required, hang to dry for about an hour. After the chip has dried you need to add an outside coating of QuickDip. Dip the H-3 coated match head into the QuickDip. Try to keep the QuickDip coating no more than .0625 (1/16) thick, thicker coverings may POP and blow the QuickDip off, preventing ignition. Allow the dip to cover the match head and .5 (1/2) of the lead, think long not wide. Hang to dry overnight. After everything has dried properly you can add a protective coating to the finished igniter. Nitrocellulose lacquer (included in the e-match kit) or fingernail polish will do the trick nicely. The final coating will reduce friction issues and provide a small amount of water resistance.
A little practice and some ground testing will lead the way to success. The final product will have an all fire current requirement of about .5 amps. Several of these could be fired at once using most 12 volt Club Type launch control. All timers/stagers available today should fire them, trouble free. I wouldnt be surprised if a timer that uses an off the shelf 9 volt battery would be capable of firing six to ten of these at once. Bench testing is highly recommended.
Always bench test your ignition package. Make sure that your set up will perform as needed before betting your bird.
