Post-4th firing system maintenance — what’s your routine?

[Steve Kline]

#5734

Alright so now that the 4th is behind us — who actually takes care of their firing system between shouts?

I got a Cobra system and tbh I kinda neglected it after July 4th last year and ended up with connection issues by Labor Day. Learned my lesson lol. This year I’m gonna actually clean the modules and check all the clips.

Anyone got a routine they follow? Or you just throw everything in a tote and deal with it later?

[Jim Hawkins]

#5740

I’ve been using the same Cobra system for about 4 years now. Routine is pretty simple — after each show I wipe down the modules with a dry cloth, check the fuse clips for corrosion, and store them in a sealed ammo can with silica gel packs. Had one module die on me from moisture like 2 years ago and never again lol. The silica gel thing made a huge difference.

[Ron Butler]

#5749

I usually just wipe down the module casings and check all the fuse connections. Nothing too crazy. But one thing I learned the hard way — check your battery terminals for corrosion. Left a 12v hooked up all season and by August it was toast. Now I disconnect everything and store the batteries indoors between shows.

[Steve Kline]

#5811

I spray all my connections with CorrosionX after every show. Learned the hard way last year when a module died mid-show cause of moisture. Also replaced all my cheap speaker wire with proper 18ga stuff – makes a huge diff in reliability. Still hand-light my finale tho lol, trust issues I guess.

[Danny Roth]

#5871

Steve, I’ll be honest – I’m one of those guys who just throws everything in a tote and forgets about it til the next show lol. But I did learn the hard way last year when some of my clips were corroded and I had to jerry-rig connections mid-show. Not fun.

This year I picked up some contact cleaner and went through all my clips. Took maybe 20 minutes. I don’t have a Cobra though – just a basic firing system. My routine is basically: wipe em down, check for corrosion, test each channel with a cue light, and pack em up in a dry box with some silica gel packs.

The silica packs make a huge difference if you store stuff in a garage or shed.

[Danny Roth]

#5903

I use a Firefly system and yeah I’m guilty of just tossing everything in a plastic bin after July 4th lol. But I did learn real quick that moisture is the enemy. This year I actually took all the modules apart and hit the contacts with some contact cleaner. Also been storing my ignition wires in a ziplock with a silica pack. Probably overkill but my setup kept failing at the worst moments last year so I’d rather be safe.

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