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  #1  
Old 08-28-2007, 08:55 AM
Druid Druid is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Wisconsin
Posts: 14
Default "Rookie" launch (first in 20 years!)

I took the girls out last night and launched a couple rockets. The Calypso had a really nice flight. The Tornado went off to the Rocket Gods....never was able to find it! Didn't think it would go as high as it did on an A8 engine....and didn't count on the huge gust of wind that grabbed hold of the nose cone! Never did see the tailpiece at all. Oh, well....

But here's a question: The Estes igniters I had just wouldn't fire. I had some old Quest (tiger tails) that worked fine, but the Estes (even brand new ones) wouldn't work. So I'm thinking I need a different battery...something besides a 9V that came with the Quest launcher I use.

I remember as a kid using one of those big lantern batteries. What do you guys use for the Estes ignitors?
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  #2  
Old 08-28-2007, 09:45 AM
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Bob H Bob H is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Douglas, MA
Posts: 556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Druid
I took the girls out last night and launched a couple rockets. The Calypso had a really nice flight. The Tornado went off to the Rocket Gods....never was able to find it! Didn't think it would go as high as it did on an A8 engine....and didn't count on the huge gust of wind that grabbed hold of the nose cone! Never did see the tailpiece at all. Oh, well....

But here's a question: The Estes igniters I had just wouldn't fire. I had some old Quest (tiger tails) that worked fine, but the Estes (even brand new ones) wouldn't work. So I'm thinking I need a different battery...something besides a 9V that came with the Quest launcher I use.

I remember as a kid using one of those big lantern batteries. What do you guys use for the Estes ignitors?
The Estes Electron Beam controller with 4 AA alkaline batteries has always fired the Estes Solar igniters just fine. I've never used the Quest launch controller.

The Estes controller can be bought real cheap as part of a starter set at Walmart. If you just buy the controller, it will cost just as much (or more) than the starter set. You also will get another launch pad which will be handy if you decide to get a 3/16" launch rod.
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  #3  
Old 08-28-2007, 10:31 AM
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Shreadvector Shreadvector is offline
Launching since 1970.
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,188
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Druid
I took the girls out last night and launched a couple rockets. The Calypso had a really nice flight. The Tornado went off to the Rocket Gods....never was able to find it! Didn't think it would go as high as it did on an A8 engine....and didn't count on the huge gust of wind that grabbed hold of the nose cone! Never did see the tailpiece at all. Oh, well....

But here's a question: The Estes igniters I had just wouldn't fire. I had some old Quest (tiger tails) that worked fine, but the Estes (even brand new ones) wouldn't work. So I'm thinking I need a different battery...something besides a 9V that came with the Quest launcher I use.

I remember as a kid using one of those big lantern batteries. What do you guys use for the Estes ignitors?


Estes igniters (called "Solar igniters" by old people who were alive when they used that brand name 20 years ago) take much less current to fire than Quest Tigertail igniters.

The Quest controller with a 9 volt alkaline battery can fire about 25 tigertails before dying and probalby 50 Estes igniters.

Quest now makes "Q2" igniters which are very similar to the Estes igniter. They require MUCH less power to fire than the Tigertail.

Quest also makes the "EBC" (External Battery Connector) which snaps onto the 9Volt battery clip and allows you to connect to a large 6 volt alkaline lantern battrey. Yes, it's 6 volts instead of 9 volts, but it can deliver WAY more amps of current without the voltage dropping.

So, why were the Estes igntiers not working? Let's do "fault isolation":

1) Were the thick lead wires of the igniter touching? if so, the tiny bridge wire at the tip would not get enough current to heat up and ignite the pyrogen. you can tell if this was the problem if the balck pyrogen was still intact on the ignters

2) If you cram the plug into the nozzle incorrectly you can break the bridge wire. You can tell if you crammed the plug BETWEEN the thick wires instead of next to it and if there was no continuity light.

3) If you had "poopy clay" motors (white talcum powdery clay made for a year or two several years ago and THANKFULLY no more) there may have been a layer of clay dust over the propellant. If so, the Estes igntier may not have had enough pyrogen to generate enough heat to bake through it and ignite the propellant. A Quest Tigertail has a MASSIVE fireball and can often ignite through a clay layer.

I hope this helps.
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Old 08-28-2007, 11:04 AM
Druid Druid is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Wisconsin
Posts: 14
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Quote:
So, why were the Estes igntiers not working? Let's do "fault isolation":

1) Were the thick lead wires of the igniter touching? if so, the tiny bridge wire at the tip would not get enough current to heat up and ignite the pyrogen. you can tell if this was the problem if the balck pyrogen was still intact on the ignters

2) If you cram the plug into the nozzle incorrectly you can break the bridge wire. You can tell if you crammed the plug BETWEEN the thick wires instead of next to it and if there was no continuity light.

3) If you had "poopy clay" motors (white talcum powdery clay made for a year or two several years ago and THANKFULLY no more) there may have been a layer of clay dust over the propellant. If so, the Estes igntier may not have had enough pyrogen to generate enough heat to bake through it and ignite the propellant. A Quest Tigertail has a MASSIVE fireball and can often ignite through a clay layer.

I hope this helps.


Thanks for the input. I actually took an ignitor right out of the pack, hooked it up.....and nuthin. I'll try again tonight, perhaps I broke the bridge wire.

And yes, these engines are older and do have the "poopy clay" white nozzle.
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