Everywhere i read , it is reccomended to use a "Car Battery" for cluster ignition. Granted this is probally a gaurenteed way to assure you get a good crisp ignition.
In messing around i fired 2 igniters off of the POS estes 4 aa battery rig , which worked fine . and im sure after 2-3 trys it would not
I really dont feel like lugging a car battery around and was thinking of just using some 9.6 (or whatever the RC NiCads ) are these days .
Or another thing i had pondered was taking the cordless flash light , that came with my Drill and converting that. Just make a custom light connecter , dont even have to destroy it

Im just looking for an easy way to bring a controller out

Moderen rechargeables can dump a **** ton of current to the point of being one of the most controlled items for air shipping , fedex is terrified of them .

Thoughts Ideas and general Harassment welcomed

The problem with 4AA batteries is that you will often get one to ignite a fraction of a second before the other, causing ignition failiure on the second one. Also, if you try to cluster more than two motors, you often won't have enough juice to get even one to ignite, much less all three or four to ignite simultaneously.

You don't need a car battery, but a 12v source is much more reliable. Lawnmower batteries, hobby gel cells, 12v and 18v drill packs, 10 cell ni-cad and nimh RC packs, etc. all will do an admirable job on clusters and are much more portable than a car battery once it leaves the car.

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I love sanding.

One often neglected source of lots of voltage is an old rechargable screwdriver ni-cad battery.

I have I think 4 of the 18v units for a bunch of tools.

It wouldn't be hard to make something to use all of that power.

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"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

http://sandmandecals.com/

The Quest Q2G2 igniter is excellent for clusters, but you must use the Quest Launch Controller as the voltage is different, but very, very reliable.

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Shrox

Master of the Dark Art of Model Rocketry

www.shrox.com

Two rechargeable 7.2 volt NiCd packs (the kind they make for R/C cars) will be MORE than adequate.

And for REALLY MORE than adequate, I lug around a Black & Decker jumpstarter. It has an auto power port (aka cig. lighter socket) that I plug my Pratt GObox into. Also has some other features which may be of use out on the range, and I have absolutely no worries about running out of juice.

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[QUOTE=shrox]The Quest Q2G2 igniter is excellent for clusters, but you must use the Quest Launch Controller as the voltage is different, but very, very reliable.[/QUOTE



That's the first time I heard that.....is that common knowledge?

My understanding is that the amperage is different, much less than the standard Estes launch controller. The amperage that the Estes controller passes for continuity can actually fire the QG2Gs. Some have made mods to their controller so that it is compatible with the more amperage sensitive igniters. Others can chime in if I got this wrong (please do!).

Greg

not having flown anything with the quest ignitors. ( I flew my china super Cs with old solar ignitors ) - are these indeed that sensitive ? ala early electric matches ? or flashbulbs ?

I;ve been using an ELectron Beam controll for local flying, but can whip out my old contimuity safe controller if need be, now I'm curious as well.

~ AL

ps: speaking of flashbulbs and clusters - was watchign some old video footage I ran across while cleaning out my entertainment center - and found clip of my Ace Cantata on 12 x D12's all ion individual bulbs, all lit on the bad - pretty cool, I need to build another of those .

Hi Greg;

Yes, you basically have the point - the issue is the Q2G2 will flash at a current level much less than most other types of model rocket electric igniters. A Q2G2 can flash in the range of ~220 mA to 270 mA, and this happens to be in the sweet spot of the continuity check current consumed in the current Estes Electron Beam controller. Without a modification to the Electron Beam (a modification to further limit the check current), it would be unsafe to attempt to use the Q2G2 in conjunction with the Electron Beam.

You can read all about it here:

http://www.psc473.org/howto/Igniter.pdf

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John
YORF #003
SAM #004