Pyro sockets

[Tbird]

NB:Just did a search and this was maybe covered in an earlier post, unless anyone has a new answer of course, apologies if the only answers are the same as the ones in other replies to similar question 

Hi, I am responsible for lighting and sfx for a local community theatre group, always trying to save a bit of money, I often use le Maitre products, bott prostage and Pyroflash, I think I need to build a special pyroflash pod for the next production , I know I can get the Bulgin and quick connects for the pod but does anyone know if the socket for the pins on the cartridge is a standard socket and if so got any link to a supplier, haven't got anything to measure at the moment , I belive some phono sockets can be used but would prefer to get a socket similar / identical to the one LeMaitre use in their normal pod , TIA

 

Tim

[Jivemaster]

Once you could buy replacement contacts for leMaitre pods, Whether you still can...

[sandall]

Big Clive has a "how to make...." at  https://www.bigclive.com/pyro.htm

[Dave m]

I made my own pyro kit 25 years ago. 
 

Pretty sure that I used 5 Amp mains sockets, inside a metal single wall box. 
I used a seven? Pin din as the firing signal alongside a control box with four channels with key switch plus “fire”:button.

Not sure that I’d make one today!

[paulears]

Now I'm old, I'll own up to having made one I used for many years - doing all the things Blue Roomers would have hated. Pods wired with XLR in and out - 3 pin versions. Of course there was a possibility of me blowing up the odd mic with 12V, up to 10A from the power supply - but it meant I could daisy chain two or more pods and have two circuits down one ordinary mic cable. I was oddly, still not keen on the key turn, then single push to fire - so I used fruit machine hold buttons - big and red, and when the power was on, they lit up red. Then I had an even bigger one with fire on it - and it needed one of the 4 circuits to be held in and then the fire button pressed - so at least two fingers, or even two hands. Never had a missed fire using it for years, and piles of XLR cables, so never had to mess around with bell wire or other stuff. The snag was that when it came to giving it to other people to use, and being aware of pyro responsibilities - it was just simpler to hire in Le Maitre gear, with the paperwork, and let other people do the wiring and control it! I subscribe to the Judge Judy school of law. JJ "show me a piece of paper that says it's safe?" Me - "here's one I wrote earlier myself" - JJ "get outa here - just hire a proper one, not some home-made piece of junk".

 

I was very happy with 3 Pin XLR and mic cables. Other would curse me.

[themadhippy]

Does the ABTT pyro handbook still have a circuit diagram in the back to make your own pyro firer?

[Jivemaster]

IIRC the SkyHigh/Illusion Pyrotechnics system used three pole XLR and mic leads for years, -likely still does.  

[d_korman]

Here's one I made earlier (about 20 years ago). It might look familiar (I reverse engineered it).

I built 8 of the pods. The whole set are functionally and  pin compatible with the  LeMaitre versions.

I used the female contacts from these, set into a Delrin block.

 

[Theatre Solutions]

Worth pointing out if anyone is thinking the Pyroflash pods are all the same - they are not.

Back in the day when I was trained using 'Sky-high' products before they went out of business, we used the flat pods for simple 'Stage puff' of smoke effects - they came in single or double pod form and could be daisy chained. Then I bought myself the 6 way Le Maitre controller as this could be operated without mains using 2 x 9v batteries.

Both systems can use the same pyro effects but I noticed the Le Maitre angled pods I bought with the controller use pyros with pin centers at 19mm and the flat pods catered for pins at 16mm centers. I guess it is so you can't project a 'flame effect anyway other that vertically upwards using a flat pod.

I then leant that the angle pods are only suitable for Pyroflash confetti, streamers and glitter so if you want the full scope of effects, you need to purchase both types.

[Jivemaster]

Sky-High is re-incarnated as Illusion Pyrotechnics, same staff same site new owners. info@illusionpyrotechnics.com 

Similar range of products.

[Jivemaster]

Le-Maitre mess cartridges have narrow spaced pins. Their bright cartridges have a wider spacing. Narrow suits their angled pods, wide suits their UPRIGHT pods.