Fireworks Info (Saving Money) - Extending The Length Of An E-match/Talon Igniter (Permanently)

Buying Ematch (or Talon) Igniters can get expensive if you do a lot of shows, but this video will show you how to save yourself hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars. If you follow the steps in this video, you'll never have to spend any money on the longer Ematch/Talon Igniters. All you need are the following items and I will place a link beneath each item, which will take you to where I purchased them from:
1.) 16/2 Black Stranded CU Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting Wire (I used the Southwire brand). It costs $0.33 per foot at Home Depot.
www.homedepot....
2.) Double-ended Alligator Clip Cable Electrical Jumper Testing Wire (20 Pieces). This cost me around $7.
www.ebay.com/i...
3.) Butt Splice Connectors (22-18 Gauge, or AWG). I purchased a pack of 200 connectors which have 100 pink (the ones used in the video) and 100 blue, which are 16-14 Guage (they're bigger than the pink) for $13.
www.ebay.com/i...
4.) Various tools which include a vise grip (or locking pliers), a torch lighter (or a heat gun, if that's your preference) and a wire cutter. The correct tool to use to squeeze (or crimp) the middle of the butt splice connector is a crimper, but you don't necessarily have to use that if you don't have it. If you do have a crimper, then use that, but if you don't then you can use the vise grip as a secondary option (or you could purchase a crimper for like $20).
Just follow what we do in the video step by step and you should get it right. It's not rocket science and I'm sure I'm not the first pyro to utilize this method in some form, but I hope it will help a lot of you who are looking to cut some costs in this rather expensive hobby.

[@pimpdaddee28]

So here's what I used: 1.) 16/2 Black Stranded CU Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting Wire (I used the Southwire brand). It costs $0.33 per foot at Home Depot. 2.) Double-ended Alligator Clip Cable Electrical Jumper Testing Wire (20 Pieces). Didn't mention this in the video, but you can also split the alligator clip wires in half and use both (which will give you a total of 20 sets). I was being lazy with what I had and I had just decided to use all of the wire while removing the other alligator clip. This 20 pack of alligator clip wires cost me around $7. 3.) Butt Splice Connectors (22-18 Gauge, or AWG). I purchased a pack of 200 connectors which have 100 pink (the ones used in the video) and 100 blue, which are 16-14 Guage (they're bigger than the pink) for $13. 4.) Various tools which include a vise grip (or locking pliers), a torch lighter (or a heat gun, if that's your preference) and a wire cutter. The correct tool to use to squeeze (or crimp) the middle of the butt splice connector is a crimper, but you don't necessarily have to use that if you don't have it. If you do have a crimper, then use that, but if you don't then you can use the vise grip as a secondary option (or you could purchase a crimper for like $20).

[@mslack1109]

I literally made my version of these last night. I bought 24 gauge wire from lowes 100ft roll for $10. And a 10 pack of clips from china for $.99. I will soldier the wire to the clips and use shrink tube. Great video. Im always looking for a way save money so i have more for fireworks

[@markluce1659]

I have reused the the long wires from spent Ematches for scab wire. I saved all the used wire and connected them together and put it all on spools so I can have any length I need. I did this last winter when theirs not much to do. I figured that I already paid for it so reuse.

[@pimpdaddee28]

And who says pyros don't recycle?? Lol. My brother and I discussed that as a possible option, but because we buy 1 foot ematches it would take a long time to extend them with the wire from other 1 foot ematches. If you're using at least a 1M ematch or longer, then that is another great option as well (it's the preferred option, no doubt).

[@markluce1659]

pimpdaddee28 ya most of the wire was 10ft and it did lake a while but when its ten below out there's not much to do. I thought it was time well spent. I also hacked my receivers to run off one 6v batteries instead of 4 AA that you can only use a few times. I soldered lead wires to the receiver battery terminals. I then used speaker terminals with alligator clips soldered to to them to connect to be battery. This way you can run a few receivers off one 6v rechargeable battery. This way you always have a fresh power supply for every shoot and can save a ton of money on batteries. Works awesome, my batteries are in small containers with the terminals screwed to the top witch makes them stable enough to plug in the wires.

[@omardude39]

@@markluce1659 To be honest, if you're within 20 meters of a Mains outlet, you could use an identical hack with a $10 power brick from eBay to make them mains-operated - 3 minutes longer on the setup for each rig to run an extension lead off a reel, but no more batteries whatsoever. That's what I'll be doing.

[@pimpdaddee28]

Just follow what we do in the video step by step and you should get it right. It's not rocket science and I'm sure I'm not the first pyro to utilize this method in some form, but I hope it will help a lot of you who are looking to cut some costs in this rather expensive hobby.

[@crazyjsavedbygrace6089]

👏👏nice, I'm still doing it the fun way lol🏃‍♂️💣💥🤪running for my dear life saving millions for my next stash hahaha!

[@pimpdaddee28]

Lol, I only use the firing system for my finales or whenever I'm lighting off multiple items. When I do my demos, I have Forrest Gump light the pyro by hand and he runs for his life as well, lol.

[@houseoffire72]

Well done..! I bought 18awg speaker wire 100' rolls $7 each through parts express I also picked up spring terminals. I made 25' 50' & one 100' cables each having 3 - 5 cues. DC voltage over long runs drops alot since its a direct voltage vs AC which pulses. I tinned all my ends to keep any frey'ed ends from happening. The spring terminals hold them very well. I have videos on it.

[@pimpdaddee28]

Send me some links of how you tinned them. In my case, I soldered the ends but they just wouldn't stay inside of the cues if I moved the module or even tugged the wire slightly. But wouldn't the wire break eventually since the ends aren't loose? Even if the wire gets frayed with how I do it, at least it won't break off over time and it can move freely while inside of a cue.

[@houseoffire72]

pimpdaddee28 I dont have any links to me tinning the leads. Its super easy tho. Strip wire back about 3/8 of inch, twist wire together, dip bare wire into flux, melt solder to solder iron then apply to wire. The flux will draw it in. If you want the bare wire leads at an angle bend the wire prior to flux & solder. I would strip off about a half inch then trim to length. Also if you want them flat for a better connection just flatten the wire prior to flux & solder.

[@houseoffire72]

pimpdaddee28 I did find this one skip to around 7:35 mark. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaCYqXqLd6-hgZY

[@pimpdaddee28]

Thanks bro!

[@houseoffire72]

pimpdaddee28 Glad to help

[@frangardner6865]

As soon as you said butt splice...I was interested Lol! Kidding aside there is some great information there and this is an expensive hobby but a lot of fun!

[@margofree4013]

Fran Gardner i like to butt slice hope my slice does not crack then it will be.butt cracken haha lol fran jerry lee from alabama

[@tmattox614]

Thank you 👍🏾🤙🏾✌🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👨🏾‍🏭👨🏾‍🏭👨🏾‍🏭

[@darkstarpyro5358]

why not cut them in half and make twice as many

[@pimpdaddee28]

We thought about doing that, but I just wanted to get as much length as possible out of the Alligator Clip Wires. It wasn't too much of a big deal for me because they don't cost that much compared, but you can certainly do that as well if you plan purchase more black wire in order to make it longer.

[@cmoneytheman]

So couple weeks ago when i found out of jawbreakers shells I said to myself other people would rip em off and it came true cause red apple gota ver comin out called flex but they only in 12 packs so they cheaper but they not as good from the vids the breaks disappear fast and not as big and the color changes to fast but they still nice just bein color changers and I think the main reason to them bringin em out was so people who have a hard time findin the real jaws they can get the fakes instead sense red is a popular place people know im gettin me some

[@3ccdmike]

Why didn't you just cut the clip wire in half and get more usable clips. Single conductor wire (SCAB) is used in the industry so you don't have strands shorting out, you could tin the ends.

[@pimpdaddee28]

I could've done that, but I was lazy, lol I had the 40 foot roll already for a different project that never came to fruition, so I just tried to get as much length as I could out of these extensions by using the entire length of the alligator clip wires. You can split them down the middle as well (and I probably should've said as much in this video). Chalk it up to another brain freeze, lol. As for the wire, there's no need for a SCAB since the dual conductor wire is shielded all around, so there's going to be no issues with shorts. Tinning the ends will not allow the cues to hold them down tightly as they will just basically pop out every time, even if you slightly pull the wire. If I end up using solid wire, there's a potential that it will just end up snapping off down the line (due to repeated use), so this was the better method (at least in my opinion, lol).

[@omardude39]

WHAT? WHY would you cut a double-ended alligator clip off right at one end?! That's madness, you're wasting a totally usable alligator clip, which is senseless because the only reason you're cutting it is to extend it with wire anyway?! This makes no sense at all!

[@MyFireworkDemos]

I have been considering doing something like this so I could buy the cheap china eBay igniters. Have you had any failures on the cheap eBay igniters? I been using clip on talons, so I am wondering how these cheap china igniters are for connecting to fuse and passing fire. They don't clip on do they? Do you tape your fuse into that red cap? Do they work like firewire where you can pull that cap back and jam them right into the fireworks fuse port hole?

[@pimpdaddee28]

I'm not a fan of the talon igniters. They didn't work that well for me a few years ago (lots of failures) so I switched to ematch. They have a port (the red cap), so you just slide the fuse into the port and put tape around the entry point of the port so that the fuse stays in place. Never had any issues with the ematch, very reliable.

[@MyFireworkDemos]

Thanks for the info, I never used e-matches, but for the price per piece I think I am willing to switch to them. I did have a few failures on talons, when I broke the thin wire inserting thicker fuse in them, they are very fragile.

[@erickarr46]

You seriously need to take a basic class or watch some videos. You use a torch on The wire splices If you crimp them correctly they won’t come apart. You use a crimping tool not vice grips. And you can buy low voltage thermostat wire for around $30 for a 500 foot roll

[@mguerramd]

Here is my version of this trick, watch the first minute and 40 seconds of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXq2Yo2cgZeMqJY You can get 22ga. speaker wire and small alligator clips cheaply. Strip back the module end of the wires and tin them to prevent fraying. Crimp and/ or solder on the alligator clips on the other end. Doorbell wire also works.

[@tannerlane9669]

Skip to 6:30 😂😂😂

[@BBQRando]

🎇 🙌 🎆 #Fireworks #BBQRando #PyroNation #SafeandSaneCity #BBQqqqqqqqq 🍖😁 🙌