Old thread resurrection:
In recent months I've acquired two Electro-Launches and one FS-5 launch control system from eBay sellers for fairly reasonable prices.
One Electro-Launch is the tabs-on-the-outside red plastic version - only seen in the 1966 catalog. It was never finished and the wire came with it is white - but appears to have come from a repurposed extension cord. However everything except the original safety key is there and the brass parts are in pretty good shape, so it'll be pretty easy to make it functional.
The second Electro-Launch is the later top-case-is-larger-than-the-bottom red plastic version (FS-4) that first appeared in the 1967 catalog. This one is complete and functional except for not having the original safety key. It, too has white wire, but without the Estes Industries imprint. Just plain wire.
The Electro-Launch I had in my first rocketry period was of this type, but as I recall, it had black wire. It would've been 1968 or 1969. I have no idea what became of it, sadly.
The FS-5 I got has the white "Estes Industries" imprinted wire. Unfortunately the control was installed in the wrong spot on the wiring, so that there's only about 7 feet between the control and the micro-clips and nearly that much from the control to the battery clamps. So if I want to use it I'm going to have to rearrange it a bit.....
To that end, does anyone have a copy of the FS-5 instructions? I'd love to have a scan.
The older FS-1 Electro-Launch came with the instructions and I can scan those if someone wants 'em. I'll be wiring it up with newly purchased white wire, and I'll put a Pinball Life LED bulb in the controller so it'll be Q2G2 safe. Four modern alkaline D-cells will have plenty of power to fire current LPR igniters of any sort - for much longer than the old photoflash carbon-zinc cells from "back in the day".....
added: I see the FS-1/1B instructions are already on YORP here (and are scanned from a set of instructions in better shape than the one I have):
http://www.oldrocketplans.com/pubs/...OldElecLnch.pdf
The later FS-4/4B instructions are there as well. But no FS-5. Anyone?