Am I wrong thinking all AOP are designed to be E-Fired?

[Engineer Cat]

So I get most of my knowledge of fireworks from this forum. I received an AOP cert last year from Dave but wasn't able to get AOP product for my show this year so I have not had my hands on any AOP which is why my question may sound ignorant.

It was my understanding all AOP is designed to be E fired which to me means they all have E ports on them. If you have to have a pro firing system to be certified to purchase it why would there be a fuse to hand light any AOP product?

I came across this video that just confuses me in many ways and I'm chalking it up to "they don't know what they are talking about" (he says he doesn't know what a tourbillion is) but maybe it's me who doesn't know what I'm talking about, so a little help from you guys would be great.

In the video he says PRO LINE over and over talking about the SO 76 shells, and the ShowLine cakes which I think is Superior fireworks and calling it all 1.4 pro. He never says AOP. He also says ANYONE can buy this without a license, but not that a certifications is need to buy them. They also all appear to have visco to fire them. The only thing that appeared to be AOP is the fan slices but they also appear to have visco fuse to light them.

Is there a difference between Pro Line, 1.4 Pro and AOP? We mostly talk about AOP here so when someone says 1.4 pro or AOP I think of it as the same, which could be incorrect.




https://youtu.be/iuSNIc2DWsI

[topshelfpyro]

AOP is UN0431 and is what is referred to as 1.4 pro.

UN0336 is consumer fireworks, regular 1.4g no matter what it is advertised as.

If it has a fuse and is 0336 then it's consumer fireworks.

You dont need a license for either.

Generally the distributors like to see some sort of training certificate because UN0431 is not made like UN0336. No tube spacing in cakes, no fuse, must be stabilized by the end user, not designed to just be taken out of the box and fired generally, etc.

The key is the UN classification. UN0431 is AOP. UN0336 is consumer fireworks.

[Jay_]

Most if not all true AOP cakes will have an ematch connector hanging off of a quick match lead.

As far as single shots, they will have a port that leads directly to the lift, but if I’m not mistaken what makes them AOP is that you have to come up with your own means of securing/stabilizing them.

Slices are another one that typically always have a quick match lead and a ematch connector, not to mention you need to provide your own means of stabilization. With that being said, I could have sworn that I saw some SFX slices that came with a fuse and their own stand for stabilization.

[R. Derrick]

You have a very valid question if you ask me! (But don't ask me because I do not have the answer lol)

In my brief time as a pyro, I would have considered that to be true and I've never questioned about a pro item having a fuse. I have only purchased AOP from one supplier - and many of them come with a fuse. In order to buy from this supplier, I had to show my AOP - and to obtain the AOP, I needed proof of an e-firing system.



So I get most of my knowledge of fireworks from this forum. I received an AOP cert last year from Dave but wasn't able to get AOP product for my show this year so I have not had my hands on any AOP which is why my question may sound ignorant.

But I wonder why you couldn't find product. Granted, the options were limited but I was able to get a few orders. Feel free to message me if ya like.

[Birdman]

Last year was the first time I used AOP and was just as confused as you are when I discovered some items didn't have an e-port. It cost me a good amount of extra setup time I wasn't expecting on the 4th. I also forgot I had to replace some AOP cakes with consumer cakes that needed poking. I didn't do any poking or wiring in advance because I thought it wouldn't save much time. I also miscalculated the amount of time it took to brace the AOP. Although I had done some prep and given a good amount of though about how I was going to brace much of it, some things didn't go as planned and I had to come up with a plan B. All of this threw me off my game and I blame it for a couple of the wiring mistakes that I made. I learned a lot of lessons last year that should make things go smoother next time I use a bunch of AOP.

[BMoore]

AOP is designed for professional use. It is up to the seller to set the criteria for how to determine if you are qualified or not to make the purchase. Owning a professional firing system is actually a pretty good prerequisite since it demonstrates that you are an advanced user, likely have pyrotechnic experience, and are invested monitarily. This, at least in theory, sets you apart from someone who is willing to take a last minute training course who simply doesn't have enough hands on experience. Its probably not fair in some instances, but the seller knows very little about you and they need ways to quickly determine your competency.

[Engineer Cat]

Thanks for all the replies and helping me to understand better.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Doesn't make a lot of sense does it?? Why they insist on putting that visco twist-lock connector in the quickmatch port on AOP products just baffles me. Every year I have to take those out so I can put an initiator in the port. Very aggravating. Since using talons is technically e-firing, the ONLY thing I have come up with is that they include the visco twist-lock in the port for people who prefer to use talons vice initiators. Beyond that theory, it makes zero sense to me.

[Mattp]

It can be a little confusing,, but 76’s proline ,, is not all 1.4 pro (AOP) .. some of it is regular 1.4 .. when looking at their website the products in their proline that are AOP have a little “pro” icon next to the item picture … I could be wrong also,, but I would think any true 1.4 pro (AOP) item will have an ematch port

[Arles]

Last year was the first time I used AOP and was just as confused as you are when I discovered some items didn't have an e-port. It cost me a good amount of extra setup time I wasn't expecting on the 4th. I also forgot I had to replace some AOP cakes with consumer cakes that needed poking. I didn't do any poking or wiring in advance because I thought it wouldn't save much time. I also miscalculated the amount of time it took to brace the AOP. Although I had done some prep and given a good amount of though about how I was going to brace much of it, some things didn't go as planned and I had to come up with a plan B. All of this threw me off my game and I blame it for a couple of the wiring mistakes that I made. I learned a lot of lessons last year that should make things go smoother next time I use a bunch of AOP.

I had a few Dominator 1.4 pro cakes that had a regular visco fuse coming out of the side like a regular consumer cake with the quickmatch port buried inside the cake that I had to cut open to access it. There are a few very good 1.4 pro holder makers out there that are well worth the extra $.