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 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