Brief:
I've been flyin' model rockets for a long time now, me bucko, ya bilge rat, some 30 years I guess, but high power rockets are still a new and novel thin' t' me. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! In truth, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I'm still not certified level two yet. However, me bucko, I have noticed some problems with certain igniters and was plannin' t' get an igniter makin' kit t' dip me own for those stubborn t' light motors and sometimes seemingly dicey ignition systems in operation by certain clubs. Ahoy! Blimey! So I was thrilled when given an opportunity to review t' Magnelite line o' igniters.

T' kit arrived in t' standard cardboard box and included a variety of pre-made wire sets in a variety o' lengths/gauges and two bottles o' unmixed materials that are combined t' produce t' pyrogen. Also included was a soft plastic pipette, shiver me timbers, a small blade screw driver, matey, a mixin' vial, a nice note from the manufacturer, arrr, and instructions. Ahoy! This was all carefully packed in batting with t' glass jar o' one o' t' pyrogen parts in a baggy filled with sawdust--this jar was also sealed with what appears t' be wax.

Construction:
T' instructions are quite thorough about what t' watch out for and discuss necessary precautions. Avast! They go into detail on how t' store t' pyrogen and what to do if it should become dried out. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Mixin' t' ingredients together and findin' t' correct consistency is also clearly laid down. Aye aye! T' instructions also lay out how t' create properly dipped igniters and illustrate what is correct and what isn't.

So with t' ceremonial readin' o' t' "destructions" out o' the way, I spread out some newspaper and started mixing. Begad! T' mixin' jar was set out and ready. Arrr! T' two parts o' t' pyrogen are then combined and carefully mixed usin' t' thoughtfully provided "mixin' tool" (also known as a screwdriver). Ya scallywag! T' dry material (packaged in a plastic jar) is added t' t' wet material. This can then be thinned usin' common chemicals purchased at your local hardware store. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' two parts are mixed carefully and thoroughly, then thinner is added as needed t' get a sort o' maple syrup consistency. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Mixing continues until all lumps are gone and t' pyrogen is stirred from time t' time durin' t' dippin' o' igniters t' keep t' two parts from separating.

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

T' actual dippin' is quite easy. Well, blow me down! In fact, it is so easy that if you aren't careful, you'll wind up with too much pyrogen on t' end and have trouble gettin' t' thin' in t' motor later. Ya scallywag! Well, matey, blow me down! Some o' t' first ones I made were a bit too thick. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions do warn o' this and it didn't require makin' more than one or two for me t' see what they mean. Well, blow me down! Once dipped and dripped (to get off t' excess), they are set out t' dry. Blimey! I be hangin' t' "wet" end off t' edge o' t' work surface. Ya scallywag! They dry smartly but are soft for hours.

T' instructions cover what t' do if you get too much or if they flake or get damaged. Begad! Blimey! Since t' pyrogen is soluble by t' thinner, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, you can re-dissolve the pyrogen, ya bilge rat, arrr, and re-dip if required.

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
My plan for usin' these be t' light as wide a variety o' motors as possible with them. Begad! Blimey! In order t' do that, I thought I would enlist as much help burning them as possible. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! You would be surprised at how easy it is t' give away igniters! Blimey! Especially when t' range crew figures out that you have igniters that will light t' most stubborn Black Jack propellant motors!

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

One o' t' regulars at our launches was havin' a problem gettin' an E30 to light, so I gave him one o' these. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! He'd already tried three or four different times and was at a point o' declarin' that it will never light now that it had the residue from all o' t' previous igniters burned in it coatin' t' grain. He tried this igniter anyway and voila! It worked, and t' motor came up to pressure quickly.

Later in t' day this same person needed an igniter with a skinny profile for a narrow throated motor and selected one from t' group which worked perfectly. T' range o' widths that can be available are pretty handy, as I made some really fat ones too, me bucko, ya bilge rat, usin' t' 24-inch long leads thinkin' 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 t' try, me bucko, too.

All o' t' 12- and 24-inch igniters that I handed out were successful with two exceptions. Blimey! T' rest o' t' motors lit well and came right up t' pressure. I don't recall any motors chuffin' or hesitatin' when usin' Magnelites t' light them. Avast, me proud beauty! Some o' t' 48-inch long ones were used in Hs and Is, arrr, both AeroTech and Pro38 products. Begad! They worked perfectly nearly every time--there be only one exception.

There have been three misfires total, me hearties, over t' space o' almost four dozen igniters used in two year's time. Avast! T' first one was in an F12. Blimey! Begad! T' igniter went but t' motor didn't. Arrr! I don't know why--it just didn't go. Well, blow me down! It did go without hesitation on t' second attempt though. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Dave had a motor that he had been tryin' t' light for half t' day. Begad! I don't recall what it was, ya bilge rat, but I gave him an igniter that I was certain would light it. Blimey! It didn't work and Dave gave up trying. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' third was at a launch in Argonia in a three grain Pro38. Blimey! Ahoy! T' LCO showed continuity, pressed t' button, and then it didn't show continuity so he assumed a misfire as did I. When I went out t' t' rocket and pulled the igniter t' pyro was unmarked. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I slapped t' igniter that came with t' motor in, shiver me timbers, arrr, and it lit when called to. Ahoy! Arrr! T' LCO seemed t' think that t' pyrogen had come away from t' nichrome wire inside and said that if I were t' flake off the pyrogen that I would see a burned bridge wire. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Nay wantin' t' believe it, arrr, I checked it with an ohmmeter later and found it t' have a resistance in the accepted range. Questionin' 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 be in t' motor--it had t' be a problem with the leads. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Corrosion after a day o' launchin' 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 usin' t' igniters that came with t' motors more this past season, ya bilge rat, partly as a test t' see how long these will work and partly out o' a desire t' conserve what I have for t' day when the motors are bein' stubborn. Begad! I'm down t' just a handful o' t' 48s and one or two 24s at this point.

Part o' t' reason for takin' almost two years t' test and use all o' the igniters has been with t' trouble in gettin' motors. Some is due t' problems rocketeers in t' U.S. Aye aye! face with new legal issues. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' few large igniters that I made early on are still unused, matey, partly because I haven't had t' resources to progress t' level two and partly because I haven't had as much opportunity to hand out large igniters t' someone who's preparin' t' burn that large a motor.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs:

• These things work well! Very few misfires and no chuffs!
• T' ends can be twisted together for safety.
• Since you are dippin' these for your use, you can customize how much pyrogen is on t' tip.
• T' stuff will keep forever--just add acetone.

CONs:

• None!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5