July 3rd Dallas, Tx fireworks

[carrant]

Here are some setup pics and video of our 1.4g show about an hour outside of Dallas, Tx.

The homemade system worked fairly well.. Until about the middle of the show when it started missing cues and then the radios stopped altogether. We fired the last part of the show with the Android tablet - it was still able to connect to some radios and by hand. The Android tablet was originally for a single slat for manual launch to prevent dark sky in the event of a technical malfunction - which happened.

Building a homemade system was a great exercise, but I've been eyeing the Cobra 12module package for next year!


Here is a video clip - not the best video... A few minutes into the video everything is in slo-mo. The video is a few minutes after the start until the radio started going silent.. The audience though the show was over - afterwards we told them it was a planned pause to let the smoke clear/tubes cool down ;-)

The camera I had setup to record - disaster! All the magic was happening just out of frame so the camera recorded about 40mins of dark sky.
A drone is also on the wish list!


https://youtu.be/0X-cZZnDeoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X-cZZnDeoo&feature=youtu.be


Pictures of the setup -

Here is the USB radio to connect to a laptop to run the script, the BlueTooth to radio interface to fire cues from an android tablet.
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=1289&stc=1

Here is a module
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=1288&stc=1

Mortar racks
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=1290&stc=1

Boxes waiting to be setup.
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=1291&stc=1

Wiring up in the field.
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=1292&stc=1

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Wow.... I wish I had that kind of site to shoot on! So how did you come up with the idea/plans to build the USB firing system? Where did you get the parts? I'm assuming you had one firing module per group of cakes, yes? Any idea why the cues stopped firing? Run out of battery life maybe? Range too far?

The Cobra system is awesome from what I can tell. It's on my wish list for next year too. I'm hoping Santa comes through for me!! lol...

[carrant]

Rick_In_Tampa,

From my experience with the Cobra system they are awesome – and very reliable! A system is very high on my wish list – right next to a decent drone to film!


I will PM you a BOM for all of the parts I used.

If you want I can also send you the source – but it's not very clean, still a work in progress ;-)
There are these programs -

Arduino code for module
Arduino code for USB to Radio
Arduino code for Bluetooth to Radio
QT program for controller
QT program for Android tablet controller (If you have an iOS license you should be able to add the xcode tool chain and run on an iPad/iPhone)
QT program to simulate script (VERY basic but I used it to help plan)


I built 20 modules but we only used 17 so each group of cakes/mortars had their own module.

On why the radio stopped -
It's not the range, I had successfully tested the radios to over 800ft.
Batteries were brand new – I opened the battery packs just before we put them in.
I had successfully tested each module at home using a small LED board to simulate “firing”.
However in the field was the first test with 17 modules all powered up at the same time.

At first I thought maybe it was because there were 17 modules all transmitting at the same time, but when I tried firing with the Android tablet that dispelled that theory.
Maybe the laptop went into power save (despite disabling power save).. Or maybe there was a flaw with the USB to radio module.
Or maybe there is a bug with processing the script that magnified as time went on..
I developed everything on my desktop running Ubuntu14 but at the land I use my Mac laptop.
I spent more time than anticipated on the HW so the SW was VERY rushed.

There are MANY points of failure in this system!

Arduino code in module
Module Arduino to relay boards (16channel and 4 channel)
Module Arduino to radio
Arduino code in USB to Radio module
USB to Radio module Arduino to radio
Arduino code in Bluetooth to Radio module
Controller software
Controller software to USB to Radio module


I haven't had a chance to debug the failure.


Origins of the modules :
The idea/plans for the modules started a couple of years ago before I started working towards getting my state licenses.

My initial goal was to be able to sit back and watch the show unfold.

In 2014, looking on ebay I found some transceivers with an advertised range of 1000m – plenty for my use case. When I had some time to test them – big disappointment. They had a range of about 12inches – not quite enough range.
With July 2015 just around the corner I put together a wired system using cat5 cable.

The wired system worked well, but I still had wireless dreams.

In August 2015 I ordered another module esp8266 -these looked very promising! However from my order of 20 I could only get 2 or 3 to work reliably, the others wouldn't work or I couldn't flash them.

In Feb 2016 I ordered yet another radio nRF24L01+ - these worked! On our hunting ranch I was able to ping for 800ft before I lost line of sight and lost the signals.

In 2015 I started worked on sign offs for my Texas FPO (Fireworks Pyrotechnic License). A requirement for the license is to work 5 Texas permitted 1.3g shows. Working these shows I had my first exposure with a Cobra system – WOW they are NICE!

My design was influenced by Cobra but mainly what I could buy cheaply.
The speaker terminals came in sets of 6 so the number of cues per module would be a multiple of 6.
The relays were a bit trickier, I could wire my own but it was cheaper to buy a relay board. The relay board has 16 relays - conveniently not a multiple of 6! So I also used a 4 channel relay board. I really wanted to use solid state relays but they were cost prohibitive.

My plan was to build 20 modules and have them controlled from a laptop running a CSV script.

Along the way the design had many unplanned changes.

I had planned on having two buttons UP/DOWN. But the buttons I ordered for that purpose didn't work I tested 10 of them and only one work. The buttons I used I had on my bench but I only had enough for one per modules.
I had planned on sealing my not so straight cuts for the speaker modules but couldn't get the sealant to stick.
The 7 segment mounting – I ordered standoffs but the mounting holes were too small – so I used #0 screws with three nuts to improvise a standoff,
I had to add a radio strength setting because testing at the bench required low power signal strength.
I ran out of time to add continuity tests - drilling, soldering, and mounting 360 LEDs takes a bit of time.
The original case didn't work the acrylic kept cracking when I drilled it. I settled on a shoe box.
...

[displayfireworks1]

You looking good down there in Dallas Texas I must say. Racks, making your own firing system, nice. Thanks for posting the pictures of the setup. I like looking at daytime pictures. On your racks, those mortars look upside down. Is that something you do when you store them?

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Wow... That's a hell of a lot of work and research that (apparently) produced limited results. Sorry to hear that. There's no way I'd have the time (let alone the patience!) to do what you did. My hat is off to you for your ingenuity and effort for sure! I'm going to keep saving my nickles and hope Santa helps with the Cobra system. That definitely seems to be the way to go.

[carrant]

@displayfireworks1 - Thanks! I put the mortars upside down because I store them in the barn - just trying to keep any small critters/insects from building a nest in them! I'm not sure if it makes a difference but it seemed to keep the racks we had from last year clean-ish.

[carrant]

@Rick_In_Tampa - I was disappointed when it stopped, but luckily the audience didn't know of any of the technical difficulties!
I will be joining you in saving my nickels for a Cobra!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

@Rick_In_Tampa - I was disappointed when it stopped, but luckily the audience didn't know of any of the technical difficulties!
I will be joining you in saving my nickels for a Cobra!

That's the beauty of being a spectator. You don't know when/if you should be disappointed. lol.... It's also the bane of being a pyro. Every miscue irritates the snot out of you and you kick yourself for months until you get a chance to redeem yourself the next go-around.

Dave said he believes Cobra has 2 sales per year. I've talked to a few folks on here who have expressed interest in picking up a system for next year. If they have a Black Friday sale I'm probably going to pull the trigger then. Maybe we can get a group together to get a discount. I just found out (thanks to another Pyrotalk member!) that I get a 10% discount for belonging to FPAG. I'm sure they have a PGI member discount too. Every little bit helps!!

[chriskrc]

Wow that is a nice set up you have especially the firing system. It was actually pretty cool watching the video in slo mo.

[carrant]

Wow that is a nice set up you have especially the firing system. It was actually pretty cool watching the video in slo mo.

Thanks!

My aunt recorded that clip and she has no idea how she went from normal speed, slo-mo, back to normal. I think she may have had some help from the wine..

[carrant]

That's the beauty of being a spectator. You don't know when/if you should be disappointed. lol.... It's also the bane of being a pyro. Every miscue irritates the snot out of you and you kick yourself for months until you get a chance to redeem yourself the next go-around.

I don't believe I've ever shot a personal show where something didn't go wrong!


Dave said he believes Cobra has 2 sales per year. I've talked to a few folks on here who have expressed interest in picking up a system for next year. If they have a Black Friday sale I'm probably going to pull the trigger then. Maybe we can get a group together to get a discount. I just found out (thanks to another Pyrotalk member!) that I get a 10% discount for belonging to FPAG. I'm sure they have a PGI member discount too. Every little bit helps!!

I will most likely do the same if/when there is another sale!