Resistors Test using WFS-1 Wireless Firing System

The video presents a test performed to find the best resistance for resistor-type igniters intended to be used with 12V batteries. Four 1/8 Watt resistors have been used here: 5.6, 12, 24 and 56 Ohm. They have been treated with 12V from the FireBox (same situation as when you would try to short-cut battery's terminals with such resistor). As you can see the 5.6 Ohm resistor is being damaged by high current flowing through it before it can even warm up. The 56 Ohm resistor on the other hand warms up too slow.

The test shows that when using a 12V lead-acid battery as power source and 1/8W resistors as igniters, the only resistors that are likely to produce enough heat to ignite an average firework (e.g. by sticking the resistor to a popular Visco-type fuse) are those with resistance between 12 Ohm and 24 Ohm.

(for higher supply voltages the resistances will be higher - it is related to the power dissipated by a resistor and other factors)

Learn more at:
http://firefighter-systems.exofire.net

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Wireless
• Firing
• System
• ignition
• fireworks
• resistor

[FirefighterSystems]

Did not tried 1/4W resistors, but I'm pretty sure 1 Ohm would be too little. 10 Ohm 1/4W would do the job. I'm not sure if that's the best 1/4W option. It's hard to simulate or calculate the optimum value - theory says the less resistance the more power is produced, but as I proved with the 5.6 Ohm resistor - there are other factors to consider while estimating the optimum resistance. If the resistance is too small, then the resistor will act as a fuse (breaking the circuit too fast) cheers

[NTpyros]

If I want to use 1 ohm 1/4W, it would be damaged before heating my fuse up, right? What do you think about 10 ohm 1/4 instead of 12 ohm 1/8 like you are using?