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View Full Version : NIABs vs. NOABs


DexTee
06-22-2017, 10:32 PM
So yes, a group of nine single-shot mortars on a single base, also referred to as a NOAB (Nine On A Board), is very impressive to the eye .. but sometimes that is like judging a book by it's cover. And for the ones that indicate 3", that are truly 2" balls inside of a 3" ball, well that is just flat out misleading to most opinions, and seems to be more of a marketing scheme.

But NIABs (Nine In A Box -- not sure if this is an official acronym, but I'm gonna start using it) have had some AMAZING performances, especially as of late. Sure, the single big box may not look as impressive as 9 bare tubes to some, but what truly matters is what it is able to do in the sky.

Here are just a few of my favorite NIABs ...
Firefall (Shogun): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcV9bPYE4so
X9 (Phantom): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4l3Yk28z0o
Mt. Rushmore Set (Spirit of 76): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFZTwH2snWU

Don't get me wrong, I always have a couple of NOABs in my shows (I just love me the Whacky Tobackys), and they do get some oohs and aahs just at their appearance before they are set off. But the "bang for the buck" on so many of these big-hitting brilliant NIABs really has me looking at those more often as part of my backyard show finales instead of the NOABs -- even more so for those that do not have racks or LOTS of tubes to put up a bunch of artillery shells during their finales.

Do please let me know your thoughts, and kindly post any great NIABs that you really enjoy and can recommend to us all.
Thanks! -Dex
PyroDre
06-23-2017, 10:02 AM
all I'm going to say is do your research. some noabs are great some are not. same with "niab"

also a lot of video's on YouTube are slowed down to make the breaks look like they last longer than they really do. So make sure you watch several vids on the same product
DexTee
06-23-2017, 01:43 PM
also a lot of video's on YouTube are slowed down to make the breaks look like they last longer than they really do. So make sure you watch several vids on the same product

Great tip, I have noticed that quite a bit… I watch at least an hour a day of fireworks videos, and am amazed at just how much is really out there, which is a great thing.
WithReport
06-30-2017, 10:53 PM
Great info on the NOAB. I absolutely believe they slow down some of the vids. Call me a sucker, but I did pick one up today - first time in years. I was thinking I could light each tube individually to mix it up in the show. I popped the staples out of the board and flipped it's hood up. I see two fuses going from tube to tube. From other forum posts, it seems like this is redundancy.

Any reason I could not pull the fuses out, cover the exit holes and run individual fuses or ematches (with the Martinez red Quickfire Clip)?
2399
PyroManiacs
06-30-2017, 11:22 PM
Yes, you can individually wire each tube.
WithReport
06-30-2017, 11:22 PM
Ah, I should clarify, I'm not using ematches but just received MJG initiators from Cobra and a bunch of Quickfire Clips from MJG.

I have no 1.3 license.
WithReport
06-30-2017, 11:26 PM
Yes, you can individually wire each tube.

Thanks. I did pull one out and then thought - uh-oh, did I just screw it up. I used a brass awl and could feel granule power so I figured a fuse or a quickfire clip and initiator would work. I appreciate the feedback. We'll see how it goes. I was going to to the first 3 as individuals and then then leave the final 6 stringed together.
WithReport
07-01-2017, 12:03 AM
Ready to go. :)

2400

Thanks.
WithReport
07-03-2017, 02:07 AM
Test fired one mortar of the NOAB in the previous picture.

It is junk. Low break and no where near the report of a typical canister shell. I'll be taking the NOAB out of the script tomorrow and replacing them with other cakes or more mortar racks. :D
DexTee
07-03-2017, 07:16 PM
Test fired one mortar of the NOAB in the previous picture.

It is junk. Low break and no where near the report of a typical canister shell. I'll be taking the NOAB out of the script tomorrow and replacing them with other cakes or more mortar racks. :D

Some of the NOABs are really fantastic, but some of the NIABs do truly perform much better.
For next year, we can both watch a lot of videos on how things perform, and may find some nice NOABs that way. I like to have two or three in my show, definitely for the effects, but they also add that nice bit of visual appeal when people are looking over the display.

Good luck, and well done on the refusing. :-)
Pyro Paul
07-03-2017, 07:34 PM
one set of nice 500 gram cakes (NIAB?) comes in an assortment from an unnamed manufacturer called container load blue. One of them is called super stunt and the rest are about the same quality. Another excellent NOAB is called king crown with HUGE breaks similar to the whacky tobacky.
PYRODAN
07-03-2017, 07:51 PM
Depending on their construction, they can be a pain to put a match into.
WithReport
07-04-2017, 12:35 AM
I got thinking of the two fuses in the earlier photo of the hood off on the NOAB. I'm assuming the pink visco is a faster fuse and the green fuse is slower.

Why not just run two of the pink viscos side by side?

Or, does running two of the same fuse side by side, cause it to go faster?

Is it typical to have a "slower" redundancy fuse?