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Wireless ignitors


Tim1877

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I have been thinking about purchasing a remote firing system nothing expensive like a cobra system maybe just a single cue or six cue max just wondering if the cheap stuff on ebay is worth messing with is it safe does it work reliably I see they all say the run on 433mhz most are 6 volt powered is this enough current to ignite e matches I am new to all the electronic firing so any help would be greatly appreciated.

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I have been thinking about purchasing a remote firing system nothing expensive like a cobra system maybe just a single cue or six cue max just wondering if the cheap stuff on ebay is worth messing with is it safe does it work reliably I see they all say the run on 433mhz most are 6 volt powered is this enough current to ignite e matches I am new to all the electronic firing so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've got a couple of the cheapo single cue models. Newer ones use a 9-volt battery and will light a Chicom ematch, homemade ematch/rocket igniter (34 and 40g nichrome), or talon knockoff from 100 yards (the farthest I've tested) no problem. For like $10-15 each is good amusement. Bilusocn has a reasonable footprint on Ebay, but there are several retailers with competitive pricing. You pay less but wait longer if yours is shipped from ChicommLand, pay a little more and get it faster if it's already in the States. Buy it from a fireworking retailer and you're going to pay double for the same thing. Yes, you probably wouldn't want a device running on common 433 mHz with if you were setting off a pile of high explosives at the quarry. Ya get what ya pays for. For my purposes (amusement and standoff for better finned rocket flight viewing) they work just fine. Even the crummy little one that uses a paltry 6 volts at the receiver. Simple to calculate circuit resistance and current delivery capacity...

 

One guy I grabbed a 9V single cue is rfremotech & was reliable. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1Q-Fireworks-Wireless-Firing-System-AlphaFire-X1QM-V8-0-Promotion/293494825869

Edited by SharkWhisperer
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  • 3 months later...

Sorry for necroing, but since I need to reply to a post before I an create one, I'll contribute my two cents here...

 

Depending on the range requirement, an easy & cheap solution are wireless relays, repurposed from what I can only guess are surplus car key fobs:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wireless+relay&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

They can be had for around $10-$20; some even sport up to 4 channels.

 

Range is about that of a car key fob, which varies heavily pending obstructions. With a clear line of sight, I'd estimate they could reach as far as 50 yards (~150'). Through heavy obstruction, they should still get you at least 30~50'.

 

They come in both momentary and toggle / latch configurations. The safer option is momentary -- you may have to press and hold the button for a few seconds (pending how long it takes your e-match to heat up), but this is still way better than the potential accidents that can come from a toggle / latch switch that is 'on' when you _think_ it's 'off' (like when setting up your piece or attaching wires). Most of them you can actually switch between the modes by re-soldering a solder bridge.

 

The transmitter usually comes with the battery built it -- you can usually replace the coin cell inside if you really want to, but think about how long a car key fob lasts -- usually years.

 

The receiver needs two power sources -- one to power the receiver (usually around 3-12V, higher voltages may improve range, but don't go overboard), and the other two ignite your e-match. This is the primary principal of a relay -- an electronic switch that allows one circuit to turn another on/off, but they remain decoupled and isolated. This is what makes a relay different from a transistor. Most of them can handle up to 12V on the 'slave' side, but perhaps more important is their current / amperage rating; make sure to only use ones that can handle at least 3-5A or more.

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  • 3 months later...

i have a few of the "cheaper" 12volt -12channel relay boards and i have one that have 12 wireless units. you can order them through amazon and you can get them with 12v battery holders that use the A23 12 battery. it looks like a short aa battery but is 12 volts. they work quite well

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