I recently had the opportunity to evaluate igniters from QuickBurst, a company offering both igniter and launch control products. They have an igniter product for most every rocketry application, including black powder motors, electronically fired ejection charges, and both mid-power and high-power composite motors. I received a ‘Six Pack’ sampler, which included two each of their Hot Shot electric matches, Slim Gem igniters, and Fat Boy igniters.

My Six Pack came in a sealed plastic package with their leads shunted. I also received product information sheets, a price list, and an order form. The instructions were comprehensive, giving detailed descriptions of the products, notes on their usage, and precautions. The following table summarizes the igniter specifications:

Notes: 1. My measurement 2. Price when samples received

The Hot Shot is a dipped electric match that is primarily intended to electronically fire black powder ejection charges but can also be used for Estes black powder motors. They can be used with 9 - 12 volt systems, but users are cautioned to make sure their 9-volt batteries really provide a ‘full’ 9 volts (i. e. Duracell 9. 5 volt batteries). Other cautions include accidental ignition from continuity check circuits and handling care. QuickBurst wisely recommends that you test the igniters with your ignition system before betting your rocket on them.

The Slim Gems and Fat Boys are both similar devices with the latter being slightly larger in diameter. Both include a bridged element embedded in a cast pyrogen. The elements of both are light gray, smooth cylinders. The burn temperature is advertised to be a hot 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. According the QuickBurst, these igniters “are capable of igniting anything that will burn. ”

I used the QuickBurst igniters in several applications. The following is a summary of the results:

Note 1: Today I finally got a chance to use the second Fat Boy igniter. Instead of lighting, it popped, blowing the top 1/4 off and exposing the wires. However, I don't think I'll change my overall rating due to this problem. My thanks to QuickBurst for the opportunity to try these out!

 Since I didn’t have a chance to tests a cluster configuration, I thought that similarity in the igniters’ resistance would provide some indication of their suitability. Although two items is not a significant sample, I decided to document the measurements anyway.  

A couple of notes on the Slim Gems: I test fit one of these igniters in a G80 motor before the launch. The fit was tight, but I had no problem inserting it. However, at the launch site, I could not insert it more than about an inch. Murphy’s Law strikes again. Therefore, I used both of them in H123’s. In both cases, there was a noticeable delay between when the first smoke was spotted and ignition. The results, however, were successful and this comment is provided only as a side note.

Conclusion

First, I need to provide my perspective on the igniter market. I can buy reliable igniters for any motor size from local vendors. In addition, all Aerotech HPR motors now come with their FirstFire igniters, which have proven 100% reliable for me. Finally, anyone with an IgniterMan kit can easily make inexpensive, reliable igniters. Thus, it will be difficult to impress me.

The four igniters I used performed well, with the exception that the Slim Gems did not fit in a G80. From my standpoint, this is a big deal. Since they failed to meet the intended use for mid-powered motors, I deducted a point and a half from my score. As for cost, they seem comparable to the other igniters that I have bought at launch sites. This comparison is somewhat ‘apples and oranges’ since the on-site igniters don’t have shipping costs tacked on, and I only know the cost of the QuickBursts before shipping. Still, I don’t think the difference will be significant. If I could get QuickBurst igniters at a buck apiece from local vendors, and the Slim Gem was a skosh smaller, then I’d certainly buy them.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out of 5

I had the opportunity to use the Quick Burst igniters recently. I have tons of praise and one complaint. I'm not sure what the after market opportunity will be for igniters at present since Aerotech now makes and supplies a reliably igniter with each motor. For experimenters, folks with NAR certified Kosdon motors, Ellis Mountain, RATT Works, etc, these are very nice igniters.

Fat Boy igniters:
Excellent product. Only complaint is that the leads are too short (14"!) for many motors. I used the two samples I had to a J350 and and L1120. The J350 came up to pressure instantly. The L1120 is one grain shy of an M1315. This is a big motor and there are a lot of people trying a lot of stuff to light these big motors reliably. I used a single, unaugmented Fat Boy. I had to add about 24" of wire to make it work, however, the manufacturer assures me that longer leads are no problem and if you prefer 36" leads, you can get them that way. When the button was pushed there was a moment of yellow flame from the nozzle, and then the motor roared to life. It sure seemed like the motor developed full thrust right off the bat. With big, heavy M projects, having all the grains light at once is important and in my test, it sure seemed like the propellant in the Fat Boy heated all the grains evenly and quickly and that the motor lit very quickly. I'd say it was a great igniter.

Slim Gem igniters:
I lit an I154 black jack and H242 Blue Thunder. Both igniters lit the motor very quickly. Longer leads would be needed for the longer motors, such as the I200. These igniters are too large for the small consumer loads, but for just about any motor 29 mm through 38 mm motors, these would certainly do the trick.

Hot Shot igniters:
These igniters are intended for two jobs, both involving black powder. You can use them with altimeters to fire ejection charges. I ground tested one of the igniters with an Olsen Advanced Electronics M2 and it fired the igniter instantly. The other use is to fire black powder motors. If you've seen the latest Estes igniters, you can see that there is becoming an increased need for an after market igniters. At present a 6 pack of Estes igniter will cost you $3.79, so the Hot Shots will be about double the price. These igniters have nice long leads, so nearly all black powder applications are easier, but in certain critical applications they're indispensable: cluster, in a tower, with a boost glider, lots of places where reliable ignition and long leads are needed.

Summary:
They seem to be excellent products and since I'm really starting to get into black powder clustering, you can bet that there will soon be a pack of Hot Shots in my range box.

Whether you call them igniters or ignitors...these work. I don't have a lot to add after the above reviews, however, I would like to comment on each briefly:

Fat Boy igniters:
You're dealing with an igniter that is 5.5mm in diameter and 25mm long. The diameter will dictate which motors it can be used in. I used one in an I161 successfully. It ignited the motor instantly. No chuffs, no smoke-then-go, just gone!

Slim Gem igniters:
Here the igniter is 3.5mm in diameter and 23mm long. This is a bit wide for many mid-range power motors. It won't fit into the nozzle of any EconoJet. It just about fits into an F40 and does fit into an F52. I, however, just had to use it in an F40. You see, I had an F40 that I just could not get lit. I used copper heads, IgnitorMan and MagnaLite igniters. I used 2 then 3 igniters at a time. Seven (7) attempts. It just was not going to light. So, at 3 Oaks in Michigan, I built the motor at the igniter/altimeter prep table and built a Slim Gem into the motor (since it wouldn't slid through the nozzle). Well, this was a success. It did puff twice before varoooming. But it varooomed.

Hot Shot igniters:
I used these in my Big Blue Bird Descon 9 entry for its third flight. I used them with a Missile Works RRC2 altimeter. The leads are too short and would need lengthening. I'm experienced with the long leads on DaveyFire's. But nonetheless, they performed and gave me a perfect flight.

Summary:
Because they lit what no other igniter could light (my F40), they get an as-high-as-I-can-reach thumbs UP. I will want to keep some of them in my range box for these type of issues. But I mostly use Igniter Primer and Magnalite Pryogen and spend the time making the igniters myself. This scheme has a very high rate of lighting. But I have to do the work. If I didn't want to do the work then the QuickBurst would be my igniter for F52's and higher.

But what about less than F52's? Well, I just saw that QuickBurst has released a "Twiggy" which is designed to get into the smaller F and G motors.

But what about the D and E composites....we'll be watching.