Installing Estes Igniters Without Pain or Disappointment

Ever had a misfire using an Estes igniter? Sure you have! After years of replacing igniters at youth outreach launches, I resolved to create a short tutorial video to help show how these little boogers can be prepared and installed for reliable use. Hopefully this little epic will help make your next launch a bit more "oooh!" and a lot less "awww."

[jdmattii]

Thanks so much. Our first launch was a no go but after watching your video, we had success! My six year old and I. Thank you!

[MrGchiasson]

Takes me back to 66'...when i was 12 years old...with my Astron Alpha.
Gemini program was still going on and our lil' Rocket Club/ space buffs were as excited as a real NASA launch!

[jameswilkinson]

I had no idea there was a bridge wire in the tip. The bunny ear was already a familiar technique, but spacing the wires about 3mm apart near the igniter head was something that never occurred to me. Good stuff!

[CRATERV]

Thank you. My rocket would not take off before I actually watched this video. After it worked amazingly.

[edprochak]

I had always thought the bridge wire was formed by stretching a single piece of nichrome wire. That was very informative.
The rest showed techniques that I have learned and relearned over many years.
Happy flights all!

[sheldonrigsby]

In the 70s as a kid I would strip the paper off of bread ties and they worked well as igniters
with a six volt batt. Worked in a pinch.

[Kyocus]

Thanks for the instructions! I saw nothing written that described this process in the instructions that came with my rocket or engines.

[granite]

My son and I just launched our first ever rocket with a C6-5 engine prepared following these steps! Perfect launch!! Currently searching for the rocket now 😂 Merry Christmas

[SuzukiKQowner]

Thank you for making this video! I had no idea why I had misfires until I saw this!

[cooltheengines]

You do a great job with all your videos!! They are very informative, keep up the good work!!

[seanhartman]

Thanks so much for this video!

I was crazy about model rockets as a kid and I remember misfires with igniters were common.

Wish I knew these tips back then!

I am actually introducing my kids to the hobby tomorrow on 7/4 and this was a great resource for hopefully a bunch of successful launches.

Happy 4th, everyone!

[kaiokeng]

Such a great video! I've launched several Estes rockets, yet walked away from this video having learned something. Good on you posting this tutorial!!!

[okiedoak]

Wow...after 52 years of doing this....never knew about the 3rd wire in the ignitor...

[adamturley]

It's a great vid thanks. Tripoli recommends you connect the ignition wire before you put it in the engine thus if it functions it doesn't set off the engine prematurely. So fiddly to do it that way though...

[shanestachwick]

Excellent demonstrations.

A few other techniques I like that may be worth trying:

Instead of using the method demonstrated here, I like to insert the igniter, insert the plug while allowing the wires to bend gently, and THEN bend them over more fully. I have sometimes found that bending the wires early gives the pyrogen tip an opportunity to wiggle free of the propellant, resulting in a burned igniter but no go. This method is the one listed in the Estes instructions.

I sometimes also cut the little bit of paper so that I can move the wires much more independently, sometimes hooking up the clips to the side of the rocket instead of underneath it. This works well for rockets that want to sit low on the rod, such as those with forward-swept fins.

A few rocketeers dip their igniters in silver paint from Estes. The aluminum powder in it produces a more vigorous flame than the goo will by itself.

For almost foolproof igntion, use electric matches. They can be a bigger expenditure at about $1 apiece, but they'll get your rocket going with close to 100% reliability and little if any delay between button press and ignition. If you do this, just test them first, make sure that you won't pop them when you check continuity. Also make sure they'll fit in your nozzle. Most will but some won't.

[thomthumbe]

I’ve always used a small square of recovery wadding that I use to shove into the engine nozzle, using the launch enable key, to hold the igniter firmly in place. I guess I’m still used to the old igniters. This method has rarely failed for me.

[gnomesanemann]

I've never used an ignitor plug. Instead, I secure my ignitors with a small, rolled up ball of recovery wadding, pressed in firmly with the end of a launch rod. Works perfectly.

[azungu]

I recall a “misfire” I had with the Super Neon. I built it as a kid, and apparently, I got some paint in the launch lug. When I tried to launch, the lug jammed on the launch rod, so the whole engine burned out on the pad, blasting a hole through the deflector plate 😂

[WJR]

(WAY) Back in the day (as in, the 1970’s), the key was to throw away the cheap igniters that used to come with the engines and use Estes’ “Solar” igniters (which now ship with the engines). A simple piece of masking tape was used to hold the igniter in place (they didn’t sell the igniter posts back then, but what an improvement they added when I started using them after discovering them in the package with the motors!

If I remember right, the wire referred to in the video as the “bridging wire” was made of nichrome (this was around 50 years ago, so…).

One additional tip: BEFORE attaching your alligator clips to the leads of your ignitor, you can minimize the strain of the weight of the launch wires on your igniter setup coming from the launch system by wrapping them several times around the launch rod (just above the exhaust shield). This helps the ignitor to stay in place / not pull out of the motor in the case of a puff of wind (or someone stepping on the launch wiring)

[thebarronflights]

Does it matter what voltage I use for the igniter? Max and Min Voltage.