Avoid These AP Connectors

[displayfireworks1]

As Article of Pyrotechnic products become available to advanced users, we need to look how these fuse and Igniter connectors are developed. While attending the recent NFA convention I saw this variation in the usual male/female cake connectors. At first excited to see this I quickly become disappointed. This video is unlisted
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Unlisted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35iuoM2MPfA

[Salutecake]

So, did you find out where you put the e-match?

[vegassalute]

Unless I'm missing something that's right in front of me, they appear to have taken a simple matter and overcomplicated it with that connector. I couldn't tell by the camera view, but it looked like the fire needs to travel a fair distance to go from black match to black match. Like your old Italian friend used to tell you, Dave, put lots of fire in there! Im not seeing lots of fire there. I may be missing some obvious detail...

[BMoore]

I've stopped using any of the cake to cake connectors on both AP and 1.3 cakes. If you want to do it right, cut off the connectors and splice them together with some magic tape. If you want a reliable connection you need to have black match touching black match and these connectors just don't give you that assurance. In the amount of time spent fiddling with that one plug I could have chained 3-4 cakes the old fashioned way.

[Salutecake]

What I'm seeing is a "quick way" to connect compound cakes, but not seeing a nice way to connect an e-match, unless I'm missing something.

[vegassalute]

I've stopped using any of the cake to cake connectors on both AP and 1.3 cakes. If you want to do it right, cut off the connectors and splice them together with some magic tape. If you want a reliable connection you need to have black match touching black match and these connectors just don't give you that assurance. In the amount of time spent fiddling with that one plug I could have chained 3-4 cakes the old fashioned way.

That's where I'm coming from too, @BMoore. I can't get comfortable with nothing in between, I can see that fire not passing through. "Cut & bucket" is my go-to as well.

[Salutecake]

I'll go with BMoore all the time.

[displayfireworks1]

It amazing that the Chinese can make some awesome performing cakes, however when it comes to connecting these products together, the connections can be so poorly performing. If I had to compare it to a similar industry it would be computer, medical equipment, electrical connectors etc. The connection interface between products is as competitive and creative as the products themselves. Apparently, rather than pay a small fee to use what is already out there, they want to create their own connectors. We can see how well that works in this video.

[rthruska]

7038

I had a similar concern with a Raccoon compound cake. It did pass fire through the connection but then looked to burn out before getting to the next tube. not sure if this picture of the cake tear down will go through. Raccoon has amazing quality but maybe they are new to manufacturing compound cakes

[Mattp]

i have gotten cakes with these connectors a few times before,, i didnt love them.. but they worked just fine.. the daisy connection usually isn't that difficult ,, and there is usually visible black match inside.. so when connected theyre almost touching,, im assuming those were dummy's... but yes attaching an initiator is a concern.. but again worked just fine... i stick them with shroud into the square hole and tape it up

[displayfireworks1]

What I would like to know is , are these connectors and their use similar to connectors used in other industries? For example in the computer industry, I once read for computer manufacturers cable connectors etc. Anyone using a USB connector during manufacturing had to pay a 5 cents royalty for each one. Perhaps something similar may be going on in the fireworks manufacturing industry and these product connectors. Thus, you get some of the manufactures that come up with their own connectors and not wanting to pay a royalty.
On a side note the ones we may be familiar with ie, the male female twist and lock connectors are sometime not installed correctly to the quick match to accommodate the twist and turning needed by the technician. What happens is the tape around the connectors comes loose. The upside with the connector in my video is, no twisting and turning is required. However it did not readily connect in this dummy example and there is no provision for an electric match