• Registered: August 18
  • Posts: 36

Topic: Firing systems designed for consumer fireworks

I have used the Predator system in the past. I currently have two of them, however they are unreliable. I had been thinking about completely relegating them to my summer shows for my family when I am shooting product from a raft.

I'm not sure why they are so unreliable, because I have never bothered to fully test it's capabilities - by test I mean with a mulitmeter. I suspect that because it operates on 4.5 volts, and because it uses non-pyrogenic ignitors that it just isn't designed for shooting off more than one shot per every 7 or 8 seconds. It must be charging a capacitor to provide the current necessary for ignition of a consumer visco fuse. I would also need to test the actual clips to see if they require a uniform threshold current to ignite. I suspect they are composed of nickle chromium wire with possibly some other component.

I decided this past winter that this spring I might try to build a wireless system based on ideas and plans from some of our American counterparts. Some systems are intended for pro use, but some others are intended for amateur/consumer use. The amateur systems can be quite robust, and can either use the same Predator ignitors or simple wrapping of Ni-Cr wire around the item's fuse.

Well, I recently discovered that a new consumer system has entered the Canadian market (via Mystical):
http://www.launchkontrol.com/index2.htm
It appears to be basically the same technology (4.5 v, IR tx/rx), but it also appears that there is a "pro" version, which allows up to four different channels. This is still a consumer type product despite the "pro" marketing.

Anybody seen these or tried them?

Last edited by 99gecko (March 11 2:37pm)

Fireworks
  • Registered: August 31
  • Posts: 3

Re: Firing systems designed for consumer fireworks

I have one I am waiting to test out.

Right now I have my doubts about it because although the master and remote (and packaging) look like they are a higher quality, the e-clips look identical to the ones on the Predator and the e-clips were one of my biggest beefs with the system.  They are cheaply made and the tiny filament or the plastic parts seemed to break constantly and it looks to be the same on the Launch Kontrol.

I will update once I have given it a shot but for now I have my doubts.

  • Registered: August 18
  • Posts: 36

Re: Firing systems designed for consumer fireworks

Well, since my original post an opportunity came for me to get a 32-cue system via a group buy with some Americans:

http://www.e-madeinchn.com/FiringSystems.html

These systems are apparently very reliable for consumer product, compared to Predator/F1 systems. They also can use Talon ignitors which are apparently the best non-pyrogen consumer ignitors available, and still fire 5 in parallel without using an external battery. Unfortunately the Talon ignitors have to be shipped from the US ($$ duty $$  sad ), since there is apparently no market for them here in Canada - yet. I'm not 100% confident the Talon ignitors will work with the fuses on Canadian consumer product, since apparently they have a slightly larger clip opening.

Once I receive the unit I will test it out a bit with Predator clips and Talon clips, and then I will post a preliminary review here (if that is okay with Jared).  I'll follow then with a full review after my family's summer show .

I shoot my summer show from a 8' x 8' raft on a lake, and 32 cues is likely just about right for that size of show, with a little help from my older, unreliable Predators.

cheers.

4 Reply by Peter

  • Registered: April 25
  • Posts: 6

Re: Firing systems designed for consumer fireworks

I’m really looking forward to your review of the Launch Kontrol. I used the Predator for my family/friends show on Sunday and out of 35 igniters I had 5 fail. In this case it wasn’t too bad since this was a last minute show and I just picked up a small package from Costco with half a dozen other fireworks left over from last year and one cake. Next month I’m planning a show for a family reunion and that will be mainly cakes so a failure will leave a bigger hole.

The other problem I find with the Predator is that you can not really tell which line you are firing. In my case I had 3 roman candles that I wanted to go at the same time, then when they were half way through I had a mine then just before the end of the candles I had an air-bomb. But I would hit the button 3 times, notice that only two candles were going, hit it again thinking that I didn’t hold the button down long enough only to find that I hit the mine too early.  The Launch Kontrol has lights that should tell the operator exactly what is going on so that will be a big bonus.

5 Reply by pup

  • pup
  • Member
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  • From: Winnipeg
  • Registered: August 24
  • Posts: 28

Re: Firing systems designed for consumer fireworks

In my opinion, the launch kontrol  is no better then the predator as far as reliability is concerned.  It may be a battery issue as the remote seems to just shut off/not turn on for no apparent reason.  Needless to say it makes things very frustrating for the guy trying to fire the show when the system keeps shutting down.  I say stick to hand firing consumer product, much easier to control the rate of the show and you are guaranteed to light each article.