How many motors have you gotten to fire in a cluster using Q2 ignitors and simply twisting them all together ?

I am wondering if using a clip whip would help the process with 5+ motors at once ?

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Jim Filler
NARHAMS # 139
NAR CB - RCPC

I use a bus wire and never use a clip whip because the billions of clips in a whip can short by touching.

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-Fred Shecter NAR 20117 (L2)
Southern California Rocket Association, NAR Section 430

Electrically, it shouldn't matter at all. As long as the leads are twisted together such that they make good contact, you should see no difference.

Since the more ignitor leads you have, the harder it is to ensure good contact via twisting, that's where the reliability of the clip whip comes in.

Exactly. That's why I use clip whips whenever possible. In tight spaces, little paper sleeves that you slip up over each clip after attaching it help to keep them all from touching. But I have never ignited anything larger than a 3-motor cluster. In the only cluster ignition failure that I have had in the last few years, I used the twisted leads method. I haven't tried to ignite a cluster with Q2G2s yet.

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SAM # 0011

I use clip whips all the time. I haven't fired anything more than three engines at a time, but I do have a 7-clip whip that I want to use on my Hydra VII once I get another one and build it.

I also use the Quest igniters any time I cluster and have to use my Estes controller. When I use the Club's controller I can use regular igniters. Haven't had a fail yet with the combination. The only time I've had a problem is when I tried to use regular igniters and my Estes controller. Just not powerful enough for more than one igniter.

Be careful, though. The Quest igniters are very sensitive and if you use an Estes controller with them they'll launch when you check continuity unless you replace the light bulb in the controller with an LED (as has been discussed in other forum threads).

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Dale Marshall, San Antonio Texas
NAR #90990
Semroc SAM #083

BAR Since 2008
Enjoying model rocketry since 1977.
The Spotted Dragon
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4. 2 A ClAlt flights at NARAM, and one 4 E9 cluster on the sport range. 100% reliability. I've seen a lot of other clusters fired, including one club members 7 motor bird, with the same results.

As I've posted elsewhere, the Q2G2 is simply THE BEST MODEL ROCKET IGNITOR EVER.

Before messing with a clip whip, you might read John Lyngdal's article in the NARCON 2010 Sport Rocketry. The standard in the pyro industry is to wire ematches in SERIES, not parallel. This gives you continuity check on all ignitors in the cluster, and eliminates any need for a clip whip. The Q2G2 response time is so fast that it won't matter that they burn out and break the circuit, as they will all be burning before that happens.

IIRC John only tested with 3 ignitors, I'm going to try with more, but probably won't have a chance to do so until spring, as winter is closing in on Chicago already. With many more, you may need to bump up the voltage.

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I fought the law, and the law LOST!

I've launched my Hydra VII on 7 motors at least twice with Q2G2 igniters, and it worked great. This is *far* easier than my previous methods - either a 7x clip-whip, or a 3x clip-whip, tying groups of 2 or 3 adjacent Estes igniters together. I've yet to have a cluster motor not ignite with Q2G2s.

I haven't used my clip-whips since the Q2G2s came out, except loaning them to folks who are clustering with Estes igniters.

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Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

I never use clip whips anymore even with Estes igniters because I find them unreliable and a big PITA.

With Estes igniters I use extention wires.

EDIT: But with the Q2G2 igniters, I won't even have to bother making up "cluter igniters" to avoid the hassle of clip whips.

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

My very first cluster flights some years ago were with a micro cluster saucer (a modified AAW Micro Saucer) that had 3 MicroMaxx II motors arranged Ranger-style. I used three stripped QMX igniters, each one of which was rather unsteadily propped on its own toothpick, and I used a Silo launcher placed on the ground as a launch pad. While lying on the ground just like Betty Estes had done, I carefully connected them all up with a clip whip furnished with regular microclips. The whip was directly and firmly connected to the leads of my AT Interlock controller. I made several launches and had 100% success with this arrangement.

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SAM # 0011

i Use 5 q2's all the time on my honest john , and i have used estes igniters on it as well . the big advantage of the Q2's is the insulation and length of the leads .you dont have to worry about shorts , and it is easy to rig up.

About the Ematches in seires , In a previous life which involved pyrotechicic displays , we commonly did ematches in series , we did use a CDI box to spike the chain . the most i ever personally have done involved putting 96 flash pots in one chain . The sweat was dripping from my forhead when i pushed that button. Im sure it looked cool , however when you are doing that sort of thing you rarley get to see the result . All i saw was momentary daylight in the street with all the magnesium and titanium I just spewed into the air .

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If it was easy , everyone would be doing it
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