CONSTRUCTION:

The instructions are on a single sheet and straight forward. These ignitors are geared toward "H"+ motors, however, they can fit into "F" and "G" motors too. In fact, I could get RocketFlite's ignitors to fit in anything with a 28 average thrust nozzle and bigger. The instructions also describe a method of doubling over the ignitor wire before dipping, thereby getting a large amount of pyrogen to ensure ignition of your larger motors.

RocketFlite ignitor wires are AWG 22 solid zip wire with a very thin wire bridge soldered into place. They are then wound into a very easy bundle that actually aids in the dipping and drying process.

The process is very, very easy! I dipped 48 ignitors in 15 minutes! No wires to strip. Just dip, tap, set to dry. The pyrogen's consistency is excellent. Very smooth and it adheres to the wire very nicely. Truly an excellent and easy dipping process.

As I mentioned, the finished igniter tips would not fit into my smaller 24mm RMS nozzles. When asked about it, RocketFlite expressed that they had just recently found a source for the smaller diameter wires. "This new size is half the diameter of what we are currently using. We will be using this new lead wire to make our new ML-12 which should fit most E composite motors on up . . . I hope to have this product available by the end of next month. We do a lot of testing before we release our products to the consumer. "

I am looking forward to this but in the mean time, I took some 30 gauge wire and my IgnitorMan Conductive Primer and followed their procedure, substituting Magnelite pyrogen over IgnitorMan's pyrogen. This made some nice looking and narrow ignitors.

Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 5 points. The Pyrogen is easy to mix and with the ignitor wires from RocketFlite you can make these things so fast.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

RocketFlite says, "This highly reliable electric match is great for all your motor clustering needs. Because of the type of binder we use and our new reformulated mixture, it will reliably fire every time - even on the most humid of days. Once ignited, the pyrogen burns for approximately one second at a temperature around 6,400 degrees Fahrenheit!" This is their picture since I didn't catch one myself.

Their web site states, "Peak amp requirement for successful ignition is 5 to 6 amps with a minimum amperage requirement of 2.6 amps for 118ms. This electric match can be instantly fired using any Hi-Capacity 9 volt rechargeable ni-cad battery (Radio Shack part# 23-299)." I use the Estes Command Controller with two 7.2V batteries for a 14.4V system.

I have used 5 of these igniters on various 29mm reloads and 6 of the ones made with IgnitorMan Conductive Primer on 24mm reloads. The 5 on 29mm motors all light first time. I had trouble with one on a 24mm motor. It just wouldn't ignite the little Black Jack, however, I launched my three 24mm cluster THOY Snipe and all three fired perfectly!

I had a friend test out some of the ignitors and he reported back, "Seems I used maybe 10 of those ignitors out of which 1 didn't light and 1 did, but failed to ignite a G75 black jack. More pyrogen perhaps? I don't know. They seem similar to the Ignitorman product which I've used w/100% success (but I dip the pyrogen rather heavily)." Indeed, when I dipped these I was trying to make them as narrow as possible, so these couple of failures could have been from a lack of pyrogen.

Another friend tested them indicating, "They all lit and were reliable. In fact, I loaned one to someone to light his level 1 cert motor when his copperhead failed. I used them on my GTX taking off with tons of smoke on twin G33 smoky reloads. Also the big green Kiss Me I'm not Irish and my LOC 4 29SS on twin 29mm motors ignited successfully. I plan to try them on a 4-G rocket I'm expecting to get from AAA Model Aviation fuels this week. Also, they will fire off my clusters, 5 Flavors and Kiss Me I ain't Irish. I'm also working on using them to airstart clusters with the help on an Adept stager, namely, the ES231."

Rocketflite has just reported to us, "We have changed the formula since that last batch. It seems when more than four igniters were being used at once it taxed the ignition system so hard that one or two of the electric matches failed to ignite! We have since changed the formula which resulted in a much lower starting temperature. Once cured you can set this stuff off with a 40 watt soldering iron. Ignition takes place at 502 degrees F instead of 1190 degrees F. We have no control over the types of launching systems being used out there so we took it upon ourselves to reformulate. I fired 4 sets of 12, yes I said 12!!! ML-16's and every one of them fired correctly and instantly. We are very confident that this new formula will work reliably with any clustered situation and we also increased the amount of plasticizer to help improve its resistance to high humidity environments. I put three ML-16 in a steamer for vegetables for 1/2 hour and then immediately hooked them up to our launching system all three fired. ( a little slower than normal but they ignited and completely burned) These babies will fire every time!"

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this kit 4.5 points.

Overall, the Magnelite kit is very good. It is the fastest way to make ignitors that work.

I am also impressed with the continuous improvement efforts. Rocketflite is going after the smaller diameter igniter wires. They also as mentioned improved their formula.

RocketFlite say you can make over 800 ignitors with a single kit for a cost of less than $0.65 each. That is a lot of ignitors! I give the kit an OVERALL rating of 4.5 points.

Making Igniters The Rocketflite Way

Recently, Greg began marketing a kit-based form of the Magnelite igniters. One of the benefits of being made available in kit form is that there is no hazmat fee. The components don't become considered an explosive mixture until they are actually mixed together.

The ML-KIT includes all the necessary mixing tools, chemicals and simple instructions to make 48 grams of pyrogen! This is enough pyrogen to make over 800 ML-16 electric matches! The price Greg is representing is a cost to you of under $0.65 a piece, which is a pretty good deal.

Once ignited, the pyrogen burns for approximately one second at a reported temperature of around 6,400 degrees Fahrenheit! Rocketflite maintains that since the first 1/4 inch of this electric match is only 1/16 of an inch in diameter, it can be used to ignite most C sized and up end burning and core burning black powder motors on up, as well as most H and up composite motors.

Peak amperage requirement for successful ignition is from 5 to 6 amps with a minimum amperage requirement of 2.6 amps for 118ms. This electric match can be fired using any high-capacity 9 volt rechargeable ni-cad battery such as Radio Shack's part# 23-299.

I set out to see just how difficult making these igniters was, so a full igniter kit was ordered from Rocketflite. The top right photo shows what I received: four different lengths of igniter leads (16 inch, 32 inch, 48 inch and 64 inch lengths) as well as the pyrogen components unmixed in separate containers.

The separate components consist of the base igniter pyrogen dip in a glass bottle with a metal lid, a small plastic bottle of what appeared to be potassium percholorate, a small pipette, for adding naptha in the event you need to reduce your mixture at a later date, and a craft stick to stir the mixture.

Photo 1 shows the first step of the mixing procedure, the thorough mixing of the base pyrogen dip. The instructions call for about one minute of mixing to thoroughly mix the base mixture. It appeared to have settled a bit before I had opened it, and since the pyrogen appears to have a heavy metallic content, the particles need good suspension in the mixture to work properly.

In Photo 2, the powered components from the small white plastic bottle are added to the pyrogen mixture in its entirety. That's right, bottom's up. Pour the whole amount in and then stir the mixture again thoroughly for about a minute.

What you are looking for is shiny candy-like consistency, sort of like when you are making fudge. Photo 3 shows how thick the pyrogen looks on the stirring stick and the shiny texture it attains when ready to use.

Once you have completed this second stirring, you're done mixing. That's as hard as it gets. Add the contents of one bottle to another and stir. Real rocket science here, people. It's simple and easy. Anyone can make igniters with this product. But, we have to dip some first, right?

After selecting which lead length you are going to use, you are instructed to bend a 90 degree angle in the end of the igniter that has the bridge wire soldered to it. Photo 4 shows how this should look. This gives you a handle to hold onto the igniter and a way to lay it down after you have finished dipping it until it dries.

I dipped this 16 inch lead by inserting the igniter slowly into the mixture and slowly stirring the pyrogen a few times to coat the wire. This allows the pyrogen to flow all around the head of the igniter completely. This is especially beneficial if you make igniters for larger motors, in that you are bending the end of the igniter lead, which forms potential air pockets that need to be filled.

Make ingiters for larger motors is as simple as bending the end of the igniter lead into a "U" shape about 3/4" from the end and dipping. You should make sure there is an air gap between the igniter bridge wire and insulation of the wire next to it, so that pyrogen covers the bridge wire completely and not in spots.

Larger igniters can be made similarly, just make two "U" shapes like a flattened out "S". This increases the surface area that holds pyrogen and makes for a larger ball of flame when the igniter is ignited.

CAUTION: Do NOT double dip igniters. One dipping is sufficient, multiple dippings can cause the pyrogen to explode without igniting the motor. There is no need to double dip when you can increase the pyrogen area by making bends in the head of the igniter wire, so don't do it.

Photo 5 shows a finished igniter drying. By laying the igniter where the wet pyrogen is able to hang into the air, such as on the edge of a table or shelf, air gets to all sides of it, allowing it to dry quickly. Igniters are ready to use within the hour, no later than three hours.

I have to say I was impressed with ease and simplicity that Rocketflite makes of igniter making. I used to think it was a lot of voodoo and science, selecting the right wire and bridge elements, carefully silver-soldering the leads in place and then carefully mixing the correct pyrogen formula.

Not anymore! Rocketflite has taken all the mystique and difficulty out of the process and made it truly simple. All I needed now was proof in the pudding!

Photo: Tim Eiszner

What I needed was a down and dirty test to see how these igniters compared to others on the market. Seemed like a good excuse for a drag race to me!

Traveling to the Tripoli South Carolina Freedom Launch over the recent Independence Day weekend, I arranged to test the fruits of my experiment -- I conducted a drag race consisting of two LOC EZI-65's.

The two rockets were virtually identical, both being built stock. For propulsion, I selected identical AeroTech 38mm 360ns RMS™ motors, loaded with I-161W reload kits, both with medium delays.

The one on the left had a dipped Magnelite igniter prepared by me. The one on the right had a name brand competitor's pre-built igniter. Both weighed in at 4.25 pounds at the RSO table. After safety check-in, I loaded them onto identical launch pads with 3/8" stainless steel launch rods. Everything was as equal as I could make it. All that was left to do was arm both pads, do a countdown and press the button.

Photo: Tim Eiszner

I have to tell you, even I wasn't prepared for the holeshot the Magnelite put on the competitor, but photos don't lie. While the competitor's igniter was still chuffing the I motor up to pressure, the Magnelite-equipped rocket was two feet up the launch rod!

It appears the Magnelite-equipped rocket literally exploded off the pad, with the motor igniting instantly. The other rocket still took another second or two to ignite, and by that time, the Magnelite-equipped rocket was long gone. Good thing I owned both rockets and wasn't racing for 'pink slips' or I would be short a rocket!

The results are right there, these things work. They are simple to use, simple to make and produce great results. If you would like more information about Rocketflite's Magnelite igniter kits, contact them via their website at http://www.rocketflite.com or send email to Rocketflt@aol.com.

There is also a double page ad in the current issue of High Power Rocketry magazine, page 42. Give 'em a try, I think you may like them.

Written and submitted by Darrell D. Mobley for Rocketry Online -- Copyright 1996-1999 

Brief:
I won a Magnelite kit from the EMRR 'Boink' Rocket contest. I received the 2-part pyrogen kit, and 12 each of the 12" (E-G), 24" (H-J) and 48" (K-M) igniter wires. Here's what I think of it.

Construction:
The pyrogen in my kit came in plastic bottle, sealed with wax, and packed in some sort of sand. The oxidizer powder was just in a plastic bottle. The kit included a set of instructions and a material safety data sheet. Mixing tools included a paper cone to be used as a funnel, a small screwdriver for stirring the pyrogen, and a plastic pipette for measuring acetone to keep the mixture at the right consistency. The latter will prove useful for rejuvenation my IgniterMan pyrogen also.

Mixing the pyrogen up was easy and making the igniters was a snap. I made 6 of the 12" igniters and 3 of the 24" as I generally would rather only make what I need at any time. These both use the same gauge wire but differ in length. Before dipping, they all ranged between 0.8 and 0.9 ohms. Although the wire wasn't pre-stripped, I found it easy to strip it with only my fingernail. I left them for a couple of hours and then test fit them in some motors. All of the igniters would fit in a G80, and most would fit in both an E15 and E30. A couple with thicker blobs of pyrogen wouldn't fit in the latter. These igniters are easier to make than the IgniterMan, since you don't have to fiddle with gapping the wire, and the process is single vs. triple dip (Magnelite recommends not to seal their igniters). The down side it you have to use their wires.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Flight:
Well, they're 4-for-4. F10, G80 (2), and J420R - all successful.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
I pretty much agree with the previous reviews. These are easy to make and work GREAT, with the downside being that you have to use their wires (or wrap your own, I guess). Note the newer 12" wires fit nicely in E composite motors.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Update 7/2002:
I recently made a batch of igniters using Magnelite pyrogen over wires that were prepared with Igniterman conductive primer. I made a dozen igniters using both 30gauge wire wrap wire and various miscellaneous 22-24 gauge wires that I scrounged from spent igniters. So far, I used two of the 30 gauge igniters (E15 and E30) and one of the larger ones (G80FWL). All were successful.

While preparing these igniters, I also noticed an additional benefit of the Magnelite system. That is, you only need acetone to thin or revive dried up Magnelite pyrogen. The Igniterman pyrogen, once dry, requires both acetone and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).

In another experiment, I made my own bridge-wire igniter. I took a used Magnelite ML-12, trimmed the scorched end, separated the leads, and cut one lead ½ inch shorter than the other. One-quarter inch of insulation was then stripped from each lead. Using some nichrome wire (I didn’t buy it so I’m not sure of its gauge), I hand-wrapped 5 turns on the shorter lead’s conductor, 5 turns on the longer lead’s insulation (about the same as the original igniter), and another 5 turns longer lead’s conductor. All the wraps were non-overlapping. The igniter was then prepared like the rest. Once cured, the igniter read 2.3 ohms. I used it on a G80FWL motor and it lit immediately. Not bad for a ‘quick and dirty’ effort, and no soldering or special tools were required.

Brief:
Magnelite is an igniter making kit by Rocketflite and appears to use magnesium and acetone for some HOT burning igniters.

Construction:
The Magnelite kit comes with a bottle of oxidizer and the magnesium/acetone solution. It also comes with a sheet of instructions, a paper cup for a funnel, and a nail for stirring.

To start, you stir the liquid bottle for one minute until it is uniformly thick. Then, take the paper cup, cut the tip off, insert it into the acetone bottle, and pour ALL the oxidizer bottle in it. Then stir it for another 2 minutes. It should be kind of shiny and about the consistency of chocolate syrup. Make sure you put the lid back on securely, as the acetone evaporates quickly.

Igniter dipping is very easy, though you need to stir the mix thoroughly before dipping, which can be hard due to the rapid settling of magnesium. You can use any of the following:

1. Rocketflite pre-made wires. These are expensive, but they are pre-made so you just dip.
2. Your own soldered or solderless wires. This is a much cheaper alternative.
3. Commercially made igniters. Dip these to augment them. Recommended for Copperheads.

Flight:
I dipped several Estes igniters and one AeroTech Copperhead. The Estes igniters don't do much even with Magnelite, but the Copperhead has more surface area so it can get a lot of pyrogen on it. I tested a Magne-Copperhead with my Estes control (which took about 5 seconds to light) and what a flash! That ought to light those stubborn white lightning motors!

Summary:
PROs: Easy to use and it makes some mean igniters.

CONs: It's expensive!

(Contributed - by Tim Burger - 08/21/06)

Brief:
I've been flying model rockets for a long time now, some 30 years I guess, but high power rockets are still a new and novel thing to me. In truth, I'm still not certified level two yet. However, I have noticed some problems with certain igniters and was planning to get an igniter making kit to dip my own for those stubborn to light motors and sometimes seemingly dicey ignition systems in operation by certain clubs. So I was thrilled when given an opportunity to review the Magnelite line of igniters.

The kit arrived in the standard cardboard box and included a variety of pre-made wire sets in a variety of lengths/gauges and two bottles of unmixed materials that are combined to produce the pyrogen. Also included was a soft plastic pipette, a small blade screw driver, a mixing vial, a nice note from the manufacturer, and instructions. This was all carefully packed in batting with the glass jar of one of the pyrogen parts in a baggy filled with sawdust--this jar was also sealed with what appears to be wax.

Construction:
The instructions are quite thorough about what to watch out for and discuss necessary precautions. They go into detail on how to store the pyrogen and what to do if it should become dried out. Mixing the ingredients together and finding the correct consistency is also clearly laid down. The instructions also lay out how to create properly dipped igniters and illustrate what is correct and what isn't.

So with the ceremonial reading of the "destructions" out of the way, I spread out some newspaper and started mixing. The mixing jar was set out and ready. The two parts of the pyrogen are then combined and carefully mixed using the thoughtfully provided "mixing tool" (also known as a screwdriver). The dry material (packaged in a plastic jar) is added to the wet material. This can then be thinned using common chemicals purchased at your local hardware store. The two parts are mixed carefully and thoroughly, then thinner is added as needed to get a sort of maple syrup consistency. Mixing continues until all lumps are gone and the pyrogen is stirred from time to time during the dipping of igniters to keep the two parts from separating.

This is a bridge-wire type of system, that is a nichrome wire spans a gap between two leads. The length of the span and the gauge of the wire determine the resistance of the finished product. The leads provided are pre-made with the bridge wire wrapped around one of the lead wires. The wrapped lead is a bit longer than the other and the length of the wrap is about half an inch. This assembly makes for a pretty skinny igniter that is hardly fatter than the two wires themselves if dipped properly. If you need something fatter, one might dip it again although the instructions indicate that it isn't necessary. The resistance is a couple of ohms and the resistance does not change after the pyro is added. The pre-made leads are available separately.

The actual dipping is quite easy. In fact, it is so easy that if you aren't careful, you'll wind up with too much pyrogen on the end and have trouble getting the thing in the motor later. Some of the first ones I made were a bit too thick. The instructions do warn of this and it didn't require making more than one or two for me to see what they mean. Once dipped and dripped (to get off the excess), they are set out to dry. I was hanging the "wet" end off the edge of the work surface. They dry quickly but are soft for hours.

The instructions cover what to do if you get too much or if they flake or get damaged. Since the pyrogen is soluble by the thinner, you can re-dissolve the pyrogen, and re-dip if required.

The instructions also cover in detail methods for making igniters for large motors--I mean really large motors! My sampling included some 48-inch long leads of relatively heavy gauge wire. You bend the end over and then over again to create a large surface area and thereby a heavy load of pyrogen. I made a few of these, though I haven't any motors of a size that can take them. My plan was (and still is) to get one of the guys at the range to try them out. I mostly made E through I sized ones that I use a lot of. They were all stored inside plastic baggies.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Flight:
My plan for using these was to light as wide a variety of motors as possible with them. In order to do that, I thought I would enlist as much help burning them as possible. You would be surprised at how easy it is to give away igniters! Especially when the range crew figures out that you have igniters that will light the most stubborn Black Jack propellant motors!

Since I burn mostly D and E motors, that's what I started out putting them in. Everything I tried worked the first time. White Lightning D9s and E18s lit instantly. Blue Thunder D15s and E28s lit with no problems. Even the notorious-for-chuffing F12 motors lit right up. We used a large amount of igniters over the space of three launches. These are the 12-inch long, thin gauge wire types. They fit in pretty small motors and are particularly suited to the 24mm reloads by virtue of being able to twist the free ends together thereby shorting out the igniter for safety. Reloads of this size pretty much require assembling with the igniter in place and the instructions detail this as one of the steps. With Copperheads, you have an igniter in a live motor that isn't shorted and is considered unsafe on some ranges. As far as I know, no Copperhead has never spontaneously "gone off" in a motor--heck, it's hard enough to get those to work when you want them to!

One of the regulars at our launches was having a problem getting an E30 to light, so I gave him one of these. He'd already tried three or four different times and was at a point of declaring that it will never light now that it had the residue from all of the previous igniters burned in it coating the grain. He tried this igniter anyway and voila! It worked, and the motor came up to pressure quickly.

Later in the day this same person needed an igniter with a skinny profile for a narrow throated motor and selected one from the group which worked perfectly. The range of widths that can be available are pretty handy, as I made some really fat ones too, using the 24-inch long leads thinking they would work well in large throated motors such as G80s. They work pretty well in all of 29mm motors available that we've had an opportunity to try, too.

All of the 12- and 24-inch igniters that I handed out were successful with two exceptions. The rest of the motors lit well and came right up to pressure. I don't recall any motors chuffing or hesitating when using Magnelites to light them. Some of the 48-inch long ones were used in Hs and Is, both AeroTech and Pro38 products. They worked perfectly nearly every time--there was only one exception.

There have been three misfires total, over the space of almost four dozen igniters used in two year's time. The first one was in an F12. The igniter went but the motor didn't. I don't know why--it just didn't go. It did go without hesitation on the second attempt though. Dave had a motor that he had been trying to light for half the day. I don't recall what it was, but I gave him an igniter that I was certain would light it. It didn't work and Dave gave up trying. The third was at a launch in Argonia in a three grain Pro38. The LCO showed continuity, pressed the button, and then it didn't show continuity so he assumed a misfire as did I. When I went out to the rocket and pulled the igniter the pyro was unmarked. I slapped the igniter that came with the motor in, and it lit when called to. The LCO seemed to think that the pyrogen had come away from the nichrome wire inside and said that if I were to flake off the pyrogen that I would see a burned bridge wire. Not wanting to believe it, I checked it with an ohmmeter later and found it to have a resistance in the accepted range. Questioning this, I burned it in a test environment and it worked fine with a bright flash and a quick but steady burn so I can't explain why it didn't go when it was in the motor--it had to be a problem with the leads. Corrosion after a day of launching perhaps.

Even after all this time, those igniters are still working. One package of the stuff will go a pretty long time. I have been using the igniters that came with the motors more this past season, partly as a test to see how long these will work and partly out of a desire to conserve what I have for the day when the motors are being stubborn. I'm down to just a handful of the 48s and one or two 24s at this point.

Part of the reason for taking almost two years to test and use all of the igniters has been with the trouble in getting motors. Some is due to problems rocketeers in the U.S. face with new legal issues. The few large igniters that I made early on are still unused, partly because I haven't had the resources to progress to level two and partly because I haven't had as much opportunity to hand out large igniters to someone who's preparing to burn that large a motor.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
PROs:

• These things work well! Very few misfires and no chuffs!
• The ends can be twisted together for safety.
• Since you are dipping these for your use, you can customize how much pyrogen is on the tip.
• The stuff will keep forever--just add acetone.

CONs:

• None!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5