From our friends at AI:


Common Igniter Resistance Values:

• Estes Stock Igniters: Average ~0.711 ohms (range 0.5–2.0).
• Sonic Pro Series: 1.8 ohms.
• Quest Q2G2: 1.77 ohms.
• Homemade/Nichrome Wire: Often designed to achieve 1–3 ohms per igniter.
• Commercial/Industrial (e.g., Nxburst): 1.2 to 3.45 ohms.

The current draw is pretty quick using a 12 Volt SLA battery. A very tiny piece of nichrome wire around 30 gauge which is coated. Can one roll their own E Match? Absolutely. You just whip it up right here in the sink. Smells like turpentine and looks like India Ink... Oh wait, that's Love Potion #9. Here is a recipe.

The materials used are:

- A cup for mixing
- Acetone
- Nitrocellulose, low nitration.
- Black powder
- Nichrome wire
- Solid core network cable

The nitrocellulose can be replace by ping pong balls.

Personally and in the interest of safety I suggest just buying Electric Matches or if we prefer Electric Igniters.

Can I fire one from or using a MOSFET? Sure. I would use a logic level MOSFET but a push button switch will work fine. Like I mentioned earlier, this can be as simple or complicated as we want to make it. The more features we automate, the more complex we get.

Ron

 

Smells like turpentine and looks like India Ink... Oh wait, that's Love Potion #9.

Made me laugh. Was the first thing I thought of, then I read "Love Potion #9".

Only, what's "Black Powder"?

EDIT: Oh, and I've never seen ethernet cable that wasn't stranded wire.

 

Only, what's "Black Powder"?

Black Powder was the powder in days of yore. The days before smokeless powder was invented for cartridge use. The newed smokeless powders burn rapidly, black powder goes POOF in a puff of white smoke. Still very much used by guys shooting what we call Primitive Guns. Available from sporting stores that cater to the muzzle loading shooters.

We now return you to the subject at hand and no, I do not support manufacturing your own electric matches. Should you choose to make your own E Matches or Black Powder I suggest making sure your homeowner's insurance is paid and make sure you have a very good medical plan, just in case.

Ron

 

EDIT: Oh, and I've never seen ethernet cable that wasn't stranded wire.

The spool of Cat 5 I have is solid conductor AGG 24. I never saw stranded and don't see stranded working well crimping into RJ45 connectors.

Anyway, if we look at launcher circuits, I don't see AWG 24 as a good choice for igniters.

Ron