Received the Firelinx yesterday

[Engineer Cat]

I purchased the Firelinx system on June 1st and it was delivered on June 5th. (I'm on the East Coast and they are in Florida). Everything was packaged exactly as the pictures Dave posted in his Firelinx thread. Out of the box the batteries were fully charged and the software was up to date. Both the control module and firing module are well made. The LED color codes make it simple to know what the system is doing at all times. Getting the CM and FM on the same frequency was simple and linking them to each other was also a piece of cake. FYI antennas need to be attached when setting that part up.

I have been using a cheap chinese firing system in which I have to run a stopwatch on my cell phone so I have a time code I follow to a spreadsheet I print out with my cues so I know which ones to fire when. I would also have to start the music manually as well. It worked (when the cues fired) but it is a lot to hold together and that system often did not fire cues correctly.

While waiting for the delivery I worked on a script to run the show on it's own. I will still be starting the music manually but I timed out the show by putting videos of the product I would be using into video editing software and moved stuff around until I liked the timing. Once I had the time code I entered it into the script with the pins that should fire and uploaded it to the CM with the supplied USB key. It's only a 5 min show so it uploaded pretty quick and then it uploaded the script to the FM on it's own. At that point I just had to go to the show settings and chose the internal time to use to fire the show. It took me all of 3 mins to upload the script, select it, transfer it to the FM and select the internal clock. Then it was armed and ready to fire.

The latest version of the software on the FM has a flash option which flashes a white LED when a cue is fired. So I was able to test the script by watching when the LED flashes white while the script was running. A great feature I quickly noticed was as it runs through the script and changes to what cue will be firing next, it shows a countdown to when the next cue will be fired. It was easy to confirm the cues will go off to the timing of the script with these features.

Dave did an excellent job of adding pictures and videos of the Firelinx he received. I did make a video of testing out the script so you guys can see how that works. Firelinx does sell LED test lights that go into the cues for testing them but to just confirm a script is set to fire properly on time I think the white LED flash works great
.
Dave, thank you for letting us know about this new system and posting details about it.

To the guys at Firelinx, thank you for all your help answering my questions before I purchased the system. You guys were very helpful and very quick to respond. You guys got a fantastic product you're bringing to the industry.

I will be doing some live testing tomorrow.


https://youtu.be/YlvJdISBAfk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlvJdISBAfk

[displayfireworks1]

Thanks for posting your Firelinx purchase on pyrotalk.com It looks like you are moving into some of the advanced features. I am hearing from a few people expressing interest in the Firelinx. Keep us posted on how you are doing with that system. I so want to do a 911 on a full module. LOL

[Birdman]

Sounds very familiar. The Chinese systems are fine if you're not trying to time things. Not very pleasurable if you're timing to music. It can be done but there are a lot of potential failure points. The biggest one being human error which increases if you experience issues with the hardware.

Too bad there is not anything available between the import systems and the pro systems. I think with just a couple upgrades to the import system (mainly the ability to script) it could be an affordable alternative to the pro systems for the backyard folks.

I'm already invested in Cobra but the Firelinx seems like a fine system. I'll be interested to learn more about it through those of you that are using it.

I use Cobra show creator to script but I do put everything into video editing software also to get a visual conception of what the show will look like. I start my music/script manually too. Once I have my soundtrack ready I script my show to it. I add a countdown or some sort of intro to the soundtrack I play during my show so I don't have to start my script and the soundtrack at the same time. I just start my soundtrack and start my script when the intro ends and the soundtrack I scripted to starts playing. I am considering moving up to an integrated audio solution with my Cobra, just in case I ever need to pause the show. It would be difficult to resume in that case without integrated audio. I'll probably be spending a lot of time this winter considering my options.

[Engineer Cat]

Thanks for posting your Firelinx purchase on pyrotalk.com It looks like you are moving into some of the advanced features. I am hearing from a few people expressing interest in the Firelinx. Keep us posted on how you are doing with that system. I so want to do a 911 on a full module. LOL

I will post updates as I learn more about it. It's a tough time for you to make videos being it's that time of the year! But as long as you keep uploading vids of show setups and shoots we are all happy here! :)

[Engineer Cat]

Sounds very familiar. The Chinese systems are fine if you're not trying to time things. Not very pleasurable if you're timing to music. It can be done but there are a lot of potential failure points. The biggest one being human error which increases if you experience issues with the hardware.

Too bad there is not anything available between the import systems and the pro systems. I think with just a couple upgrades to the import system (mainly the ability to script) it could be an affordable alternative to the pro systems for the backyard folks.

I'm already invested in Cobra but the Firelinx seems like a fine system. I'll be interested to learn more about it through those of you that are using it.

I use Cobra show creator to script but I do put everything into video editing software also to get a visual conception of what the show will look like. I start my music/script manually too. Once I have my soundtrack ready I script my show to it. I add a countdown or some sort of intro to the soundtrack I play during my show so I don't have to start my script and the soundtrack at the same time. I just start my soundtrack and start my script when the intro ends and the soundtrack I scripted to starts playing. I am considering moving up to an integrated audio solution with my Cobra, just in case I ever need to pause the show. It would be difficult to resume in that case without integrated audio. I'll probably be spending a lot of time this winter considering my options.


Yes the Chinese ones are perfectly fine for those wanting to just shoot items without being to close.

What's funny is that's all I wanted to do with it when I got it. Then after a while I decided to add music. Now it just makes sense to script the show and actually get to watch some of it instead of monitoring what cue I have to hit next. I call them quasi pyro musicals because there are points where I have the fireworks timed well with the music, but a lot of the items are cakes so I learn what they do, get an idea of the delay they have between shots and try to fit it into a show in a spot that will enhance the music. If there's an effect in one cake that I want to use in another part of the show I just rewire those shots to go off when I need them. For the most part it's just cakes and a few racks for finale and adding hits here and there through out the show.

That new Ignite system Dave had just posted about looks like it could be a decent "in between" system. I'm just not a big fan of scripting on a phone or tablet. Tried that with the Firefly system a few years back. I returned it.

[Birdman]

Yes the Chinese ones are perfectly fine for those wanting to just shoot items without being to close.

What's funny is that's all I wanted to do with it when I got it. Then after a while I decided to add music. Now it just makes sense to script the show and actually get to watch some of it instead of monitoring what cue I have to hit next. I call them quasi pyro musicals because there are points where I have the fireworks timed well with the music, but a lot of the items are cakes so I learn what they do, get an idea of the delay they have between shots and try to fit it into a show in a spot that will enhance the music. If there's an effect in one cake that I want to use in another part of the show I just rewire those shots to go off when I need them. For the most part it's just cakes and a few racks for finale and adding hits here and there through out the show.

That new Ignite system Dave had just posted about looks like it could be a decent "in between" system. I'm just not a big fan of scripting on a phone or tablet. Tried that with the Firefly system a few years back. I returned it.

Again, sounds very familiar! I got an import system just to get away from hand lighting. My first 4th show I wired all my cakes and just turned on some music for myself to listen to while I fired the cakes and found It was just randomly matching up and that gave me the pyromusical bug. Wasn't long before I upgraded to cobra so I could script but like you, it was mostly cakes and hoped I could just get it close enough. This year I'm using a lot of AP to get even more accuracy. I have a feeling you will be looking into adding AP down the road. Seems to be the next logical step based on my and other growth curve around here.

[Firelinx]

I purchased the Firelinx system on June 1st and it was delivered on June 5th. (I'm on the East Coast and they are in Florida). Everything was packaged exactly as the pictures Dave posted in his Firelinx thread. Out of the box the batteries were fully charged and the software was up to date. Both the control module and firing module are well made. The LED color codes make it simple to know what the system is doing at all times. Getting the CM and FM on the same frequency was simple and linking them to each other was also a piece of cake. FYI antennas need to be attached when setting that part up.

I have been using a cheap chinese firing system in which I have to run a stopwatch on my cell phone so I have a time code I follow to a spreadsheet I print out with my cues so I know which ones to fire when. I would also have to start the music manually as well. It worked (when the cues fired) but it is a lot to hold together and that system often did not fire cues correctly.

While waiting for the delivery I worked on a script to run the show on it's own. I will still be starting the music manually but I timed out the show by putting videos of the product I would be using into video editing software and moved stuff around until I liked the timing. Once I had the time code I entered it into the script with the pins that should fire and uploaded it to the CM with the supplied USB key. It's only a 5 min show so it uploaded pretty quick and then it uploaded the script to the FM on it's own. At that point I just had to go to the show settings and chose the internal time to use to fire the show. It took me all of 3 mins to upload the script, select it, transfer it to the FM and select the internal clock. Then it was armed and ready to fire.

The latest version of the software on the FM has a flash option which flashes a white LED when a cue is fired. So I was able to test the script by watching when the LED flashes white while the script was running. A great feature I quickly noticed was as it runs through the script and changes to what cue will be firing next, it shows a countdown to when the next cue will be fired. It was easy to confirm the cues will go off to the timing of the script with these features.

Dave did an excellent job of adding pictures and videos of the Firelinx he received. I did make a video of testing out the script so you guys can see how that works. Firelinx does sell LED test lights that go into the cues for testing them but to just confirm a script is set to fire properly on time I think the white LED flash works great
.
Dave, thank you for letting us know about this new system and posting details about it.

To the guys at Firelinx, thank you for all your help answering my questions before I purchased the system. You guys were very helpful and very quick to respond. You guys got a fantastic product you're bringing to the industry.

I will be doing some live testing tomorrow.


https://youtu.be/YlvJdISBAfk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlvJdISBAfk

Hi, @engineercat!

Thanks for posting this, we're glad you're enjoying the system and that we've been able to answer all of your questions! :) #PyroOn

[Firelinx]

Sounds very familiar. The Chinese systems are fine if you're not trying to time things. Not very pleasurable if you're timing to music. It can be done but there are a lot of potential failure points. The biggest one being human error which increases if you experience issues with the hardware.

Too bad there is not anything available between the import systems and the pro systems. I think with just a couple upgrades to the import system (mainly the ability to script) it could be an affordable alternative to the pro systems for the backyard folks.

I'm already invested in Cobra but the Firelinx seems like a fine system. I'll be interested to learn more about it through those of you that are using it.

I use Cobra show creator to script but I do put everything into video editing software also to get a visual conception of what the show will look like. I start my music/script manually too. Once I have my soundtrack ready I script my show to it. I add a countdown or some sort of intro to the soundtrack I play during my show so I don't have to start my script and the soundtrack at the same time. I just start my soundtrack and start my script when the intro ends and the soundtrack I scripted to starts playing. I am considering moving up to an integrated audio solution with my Cobra, just in case I ever need to pause the show. It would be difficult to resume in that case without integrated audio. I'll probably be spending a lot of time this winter considering my options.

Hi, @Birdman! Don't hesitate to reach out to us if you want to learn more. Meanwhile, visit our website at www.FIRELINX.com and our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgpMSk0GQxAp2tmRnqnHFNg)!

[Engineer Cat]

This year I'm using a lot of AP to get even more accuracy. I have a feeling you will be looking into adding AP down the road. Seems to be the next logical step based on my and other growth curve around here.

Yes I can see that happening but unfortunately I live in state where wholesalers cant send me product. But I'm only about 1 1/2 from your area so if you need someone to go in on wholesale when your purchasing in the future I would be interested in getting in on that. :) That would help me get my hands on other manufactures besides, Brothers, Cutting Edge and World Class.

I believe someone had told me about a pyro club out that way but that was just before Covid went ballistic on us.

[Engineer Cat]

My first 4th show I wired all my cakes and just turned on some music for myself to listen to while I fired the cakes and found It was just randomly matching up and that gave me the pyromusical bug.

Our 4th of July show in 2017 I had my buddy fly my drone to get Arial shots of the fireworks. (He wasn't a good drone pilot) :) But it ended up that our buddies who were in a boat on the river also took video of some of the show and my wife took some video from the viewing area at our buddies house so I edited it all together and when I was done I decided to add some music to it. It came out pretty good for adding the music after the fact so I decided that I would add music for all other shoots that I do.

This audio was added after the shoot but it's till cool to watch. At least for me. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8wsZYi2QYA

I'm trying to find video from last year but this one I did on Halloween night for my brother in laws gender reveal. Short but sweet. Two items didn't go off because of the Chinese system but I had other stuff attached to show it was a boy so it worked out in the end. Just not how I wanted it to go. :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RCu2rmey8I

[Engineer Cat]

I had a chance to test the script I created last night with the Firelinx and it worked better then I imagined. It was the first time I have been able to watch the show I created instead of looking at it on video after the fact. I hit the fire button and the script handled the show from there.

Now I'm re-scripting and adding more cues :D So excited for the 4th of July!

[Firelinx]

I had a chance to test the script I created last night with the Firelinx and it worked better then I imagined. It was the first time I have been able to watch the show I created instead of looking at it on video after the fact. I hit the fire button and the script handled the show from there.

Now I'm re-scripting and adding more cues :D So excited for the 4th of July!

This is great, we're happy to learn how much you're enjoying the system! :)