One match per cue
The decision to utilize a 5 Volt capacitive discharge design
was not without consequence. It certainly does guarantee the 1 Amp
and 40 msec duration for each match but only if we fire 1 match
per cue.
This was no doubt my most difficult design choice. I agonized
over this and weighed the pros and cons. Ultimately, I stand
by my decision. Consider
-
My "small-town" shows have a very, very limited budget
and the audience expects a long-duration show (20+ minutes).
We simply cannot afford to shoot lots of aerial shells
on each cue. We basically shoot one shell at a time.
-
Any method of increasing the number of matches per cue
results in an increase in cost, an increase in complexity,
a decrease in reliability, or some combination of all three.
Furthermore, there are actually some nice benefits to limiting
each cue to one match, including
-
No parallel circuits, series circuits, or combinations thereof
to worry about. No calculations required to ensure adequate
current to each match. This is good because not all shooters
working at a display will have degrees in electrical
engineering. Wiring the show is very fast.
-
No dependencies between matches. If matches are wired in
series then one match that fires early can cause the others
to fail.
-
Continuity is meaningful. If matches are wired in parallel,
you could read good continuity on 1 match and miss the bad
continuity on several others.
-
No extra wire. The professional guys often have to add a lot
of extra wire to accomplish their series/parallel circuits
because the matches they want to fire on the single cue are
in different locations.