E-ports.....c?mon man

[Jay_]

Dear spirit of 76...I love your products. With that being said, the e-ports are remarkably bad.

The sticker is never in the right place. Even if I do happen upon one that is in the right place, I still have to cut deep into the cake with a box knife to find it. If and when I do get it found, there is about a 50% chance that the shroud for my match will not fit because I got one of the white ports.

I just did 2 nishiki kamuros. White connector on the first (deep inside the cake). 2nd one had no sticker and no e-port to be found...ended up poking it.

On my non-SO76 pro cakes, it takes me about 2 seconds to wire them up.

You make good stuff, that?s why I bought some. Please ditch the e-ports and the T-locks and get on the quickmatch/e-match connector bandwagon with your 1.4 pro stuff.

[displayfireworks1]

Post a pics if you can

[Jay_]

Here are a couple. I’m working through some cakes this morning so if I get any more good examples I will post them too.

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4095&stc=1

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4096&stc=1

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Yeah I feel your pain. Those white ports are crap. The shroud won't fit through them. So I have no idea why they're even used. The stickers AT BEST will tell you which tube has the port. Then it's up to you to find it. Usually I can feel it through the outer layer of paper. When I can't, I just look from the top down (I cut the top paper off all my cakes for ease of cleaning up later) and I can see where it is. But generally it bears little resemblance to where the sticker is.

As for the twist lock ports, I'm afraind I'm going to have to disagree with you on those. I like them. I still tape over them just to be sure the match stays in, but I think they're a great time saver.

I was pleasantly surprised this year when I opened up a case of flame effects. Last year they all came with visco that I had to remove and add/insert an initiator in it's place. This year they all came with a twist lock port attached to a short section of quick-match that's attached to the visco fuse on top. It certainly made fusing them quicker, but I'm not convinced they will ignite exactly when I want them to because it's still going to rely on the visco fuse. If I have time before the 4th maybe I'll test one. I already had the neighbors running outside this weekend when I sent up some comets from last year!

[displayfireworks1]

The pictures is not showing the port. I suspect I know what it looks like, but post a better picture if you can.

[joed2323]

I will take some pics tonight when I get home and show you what they are talking about with the white ports.

They are never in the right spot but what I do is I slice the corner then peak in and see where the white port is located , generally on one side or the other of my slice, it's a guessing game until I slice it open to find the port.

I've had the white port fall completely out of the hole in the tube.

I generally just remove the whole white port and insert my shroud/match head then tape.

I probably use way too much tape but I like to insure that if someone trips and pulls on the imatch wire that it is staying put in the cake. Alittle too much tape is better then not enough.

I was really bummed that the 200g humming snakes cake does not have a port. Its not too much more time to poke a hole for myself, but it does add to poking cakes especially when I have over 80 cases to match

[Pyro Dave]

Wouldnt the port always tie into the first tube? Just follow the fuse.

[joed2323]

Wouldnt the port always tie into the first tube? Just follow the fuse.

It normally is, I've seen them on the last tube before as well. But it generally is never behind the "eport" sticker. Not a deal breaker with sticker placement. I'd rather complain about this then say a cake that looks like it was thrown together on a Friday afternoon then kicked out the door.

Dominator pro product definitely makes it easier with the quick match ports

[Jay_]

On the nishiki’s, the one in the picture was on the last tube. The other one was on the first tube along with the fuse.

[Mattp]

yes,, i agree!!! for something thats supposed to help you save time.. takes longer than just poking the damn thing.. at least that white port pops right out.. then i just stick the match in and tape it... but i would definitely like them to be much easier to access... like pull off that sticker and there it is!!! also on alot of them.. the eport is on the opposite side of the fuse.. so cant always go with that logic

[joed2323]

yes,, i agree!!! for something thats supposed to help you save time.. takes longer than just poking the damn thing.. at least that white port pops right out.. then i just stick the match in and tape it... but i would definitely like them to be much easier to access... like pull off that sticker and there it is!!! also on alot of them.. the eport is on the opposite side of the fuse.. so cant always go with that logic

You dont like playing "search for the port" !!!

Jk neither do i

[joed2323]

As promised.

So the first cake I grab the port is located right under the sticker (go figure lol)

Anyway as you can see. This white port litterally falls right out. Some are glued so they dont fall out so easy, but this cake, the white port and plug litterally fall out as soon as the tape is cut around the port.

As you can see the shroud will not fit inside the middle hole unless you pull the entire white plug out then you can slide the shroud in.

The only way you can fit the ematch inside with the white shroud in place is by pulling back the shroud and inserting the match head

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4114&stc=1
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4115&stc=1
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4116&stc=1http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4117&stc=1
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4118&stc=1
http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4120&stc=1

[joed2323]

I can demonstrate the differences with dominator pro match ports if anyone likes but I dont want to turn this into bashing of any vendor since this is not my intent, my intent is to just show how silly these white plugs are.

Maybe the are designed this way? To give you the choice to slide the match head into the port or to remove the entire white plug with the outer casing?

If so then how come some white plugs are glued to the tube and some are just "loose as a goose" in the tube?


My terminology is probably incorrect on what I am calling the "white plugs" with the "white casing"

[PYRODAN]

Last year was the first time with SO76 product. Had the same problem last and this year. Good product, a pain in the ass to match. http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4130&stc=1

[displayfireworks1]

My video from 2017.
.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veYF7vsh0XQ
.
.
Apparently some do not like to take the cover off of the electric match. China is not one of them, I am not either. Pull the cover back and place the match into the product. The chance of shock inside of the product are very low. I'm curious are people fusing up product this far in advance of July 4th

[joed2323]

My video from 2017.
.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veYF7vsh0XQ
.
.
Apparently some do not like to take the cover off of the electric match. China is not one of them, I am not either. Pull the cover back and place the match into the product. The chance of shock inside of the product are very low. I'm curious are people fusing up product this far in advance of July 4th

Dave I have no issues doing exactly this and I do this on certain small diameter tube cakes like zippers or anything with a small enough tube that I dont feel like trying to shove the whole shroud into that tiny of a tube.

I do match, or try to match my entire show them transport my matched product to where I shoot my shows. I'm not going to get into how many hundreds of miles I travel. I know what I'm risking doing so and I do not want to start a debate about how I shouldnt travel across state lines with matched product.

If I can insert the shroud into the tube I will. If it wont fit, well that's what "she said'! I dont insert the shroud only the match head.

Smaller diameter tubed cakes are just not possible to insert the shroud.

First couple years I always just inserted the match head and called it good enough and did my thing. I guess over the years I started putting the shroud w/match into the tube as a precaution and to please the pyro gods...

I still have matched product that has been in my shed for years with no issues.

I have no choice but to match product in advance. Their is just no way I can match cases of cakes, comets,mines,slices etc during shoot day. Btw I wouldnt dare doing this with 1.3 product

[displayfireworks1]

Some of these display companies transport 1.3 shells with match in them all the time. They claim it's all proper to do so.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I can only echo what Joed2323 said. I started matching cakes 3 weeks ago. It's the only way to get them done before the 4th. I use SO76 products too and no, I don't understand the white taps any more than the guys on here. But like joe said, if the shroud doesn't fit, the match head will. So that's what I do.

[cptnding]

Yeah those white ports are a pain. Whenever I see one I just pop the entire thing out. Takes maybe 2 seconds to pop it out with a small flathead screwdriver. I prefer not to transport with the shroud pulled back. I agree it's only a very slight risk but the results of a trailer full of pyro going would be not good.
For very small bore cakes, fountains, ect I use a short piece of quick match over the fuse with an igniter in the other end. On cakes cut into them so you can get the quick match right down to where the fuse enters the tubes and it's almost instant ignition. Tape the quick match down or it can blow itself off the fuse before lighting it.
I'm not a fan of those visco clips. In the past I had several fail in extremely humid weather. It's almost guaranteed that it will rain at some point during hot summer days around here.

[Mattp]

Finally got around to wiring almost all of my stuff today... and surprise surprise... a lot of the SO76 ports fit my initiators shroud ... and a few even looked like this... right behind the sticker without even having to cut into it!!! they are definitely on top of when their products need improving
4221

[Robbro097]

The ports were all right under sticker and matches fit perfect with shroud on my 76 pro items

[joed2323]

The ports were all right under sticker and matches fit perfect with shroud on my 76 pro items

You definitely got lucky

[joed2323]

You definitely got lucky

I must have received old stock or items all assembled on a Friday afternoon

[PYRODAN]

The ports were all right under sticker and matches fit perfect with shroud on my 76 pro items

Dammit, all my stuff had the white ports.