Guess I was not specific or clear enough in my original response?
I added a few words to clarify the first response. The responder seemed to get it?

I did state, that dropping off boosters as in parallel staging was another story, needing the intent to be clarified by the original poster asking the question.

The intent, I believe, of the original poster was a parallel cluster, as suggested and advised.



The Hotrod Nitro Fireball may not be a traditional parallel staged rocket (not intended to be) as the upper stages are smaller than the booster. But It certainly does have 6 parallel second stages.

http://www.rocketryplanet.com/forum...hlight=fireball

.

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http://hotrodrockets.weebly.com/
Ring Master of the Flying Circus!

I totally disagree.

Every single clip in a clip whip is a potential point of failure. A dirty clip or a poor connection and one motor doesn't fire. Also if a clip falls off one lead, same thing.

I'm not saying that they can't be used reliably but you need to make sure the clips are clean and the springs are tight on the clips every time you use it.

I personally have stopped using clip whips. I add color coded wire extentions to the igniters and check continuity on every igniter after it is installed in the motor. Only then do I twist the extentions together. I have had a 99% success rate since going to this method. (I don't want to jinx myself by saying 100%).

I had a high success rate with clip whips but not the same level of reliability that the wire extentions have given me.

Just my 2 pennies. YMMV

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Bob Harrington
NAR #62740 L1
AMA #46042
CMASS & RIMRA Member

Clip whips need tender loving care. Continuity for every lead should be checked prior to use. I've got a four cluster whip that has a broken wire inside the insulation. Didn't know it till after the third time I used them and kept getting a motor not firing. Should have taken my own advise, huh....

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Don
NAR 53455
"Carpe Diem"

Hi Bob,

How do you attach the wire extensions to the igniter leads? Wire wrap tool or solder?

What gauge of wire do you use to make the extensions?

Thank you.

Mike

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Mike O'Malley
NAR #83900

Mike,

Bob and I do the same thing. We use a Radio Shack wire wrapping tool and 30 gauge wrapping wire.
http://www.radioshack.com/search/in...ing%20wire&sr=1

Works great.

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Tony Vincent
NAR # 45082 L1
CMASS, MMMSC Member

Thanks Tony. That looks good. I will try the wire wrapping for clusters.

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Mike O'Malley
NAR #83900

Bob,

If you wouldn't mind, would you please post a pic of this configuration? It would help me understand the advantages of this system, compared to clip whips.

Greg

Sure. In the first picture the extentions have been added using the wire wrap tool (see Tony's post) and the ends bent back over on the wrap. The extentions are about 5" long and there is a different color on each lead. Once the igniters are installed in the motors, you can check the continuity on each igniter and then twist all the red leads together and then all the blue leads together.

Then there is only one set of clips to worry about and if you have a dirty clip, poor connection or one clip falls off then NONE of the motors light rather than some of the motors as can happen with clip whips.

A tip that got from Tony is to use some clear tape on the igniter near the tip so that the bridge wire doesn't flex and get damaged while wrapping. A second benefit is the wires won't get pushed together and shorted out while installing the igniter in the motor. See picture 2.

Attached Thumbnails

   

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Bob Harrington
NAR #62740 L1
AMA #46042
CMASS & RIMRA Member

Great post, Bob!

I get it now. It looks so simple. I guess a picture is really worth a thousand words after all.



Greg

I've used wire-wrapping on circuit boards in the past, but have not thought of it for the purpose here. It's a great idea, and assume it works, but it seems to me that the #1 advice for launching clusters is to ensure adequate current (car battery), which seems to go against the use of 30AWG wire. Again, just an empirical observation here, no evidence to back it up, but has anyone smoked the wrapping wire due to the internal resistance being high (thanks to its small gauge), or had failed ignition due to insufficient current reaching the igniter? I suppose that the length is short (it's not like you're running this stuff back to your controller), so it's probably a moot point. I will try to answer my own question and post data here if/when I get some time in the workshop, unless someone can shut me up?