About US
In 2022 Will Foster, A licensed pyrotechnic operator, and Stan Fikel, a electronic system designer, started Hephaestus Launch Control Systems, LLC to develop a line of launch controllers.
Hephaestus is the name of the Greek GOD of fire.
All the Hephaestus launch control systems are manufactured in high tech facilities in the United States. We use state-of-the-art surface mount technology for high reliability, lower cost and high-speed manufacturing.
The Basic-Cue line of launch controllers Consist of three launch control systems. The Basic-Cue-I, which is our basic controller, 10 outputs and is a wired system (32” launch cables). The Basic-Cue II, and the Basic-Cue III controllers are also wired systems. There are also several accessory items like a handheld continuity tester that allows you to test the continuity of four cue’s at one time and that comes in two models, the Mark-I and Mark-II, depending on the features you need.
There is a wireless upgrade available for the Basic-Cue series. The wireless system does have a 100-foot range. This adds an additional level of safety to the fireworks experience.
There are advantages and disadvantages to a wired and wireless system. A wired system is Less costly to manufacture, easy to use and easy to maintain. The low-cost ignitors are replaced at the end of their use, and there’s a distance limit with a wired ignitor system of 10 meters or over 32 feet from the controller.
The Basic-Cue I and Basic-Cue II controllers have 10 outputs, safety key, arm and Launch buttons and various LEDs to let the end user know the status of the controller and a buzzer to let the user know the controller is armed. What is unique about the Basic-Cue systems is that we use pin connectors to connect to the wires that go out to the fireworks. This allows the end user to connect to the controller quickly and easily to the fireworks. Once the system is armed it will allow the end user to launch the fireworks in sequence one through 9. If there is an unforeseen event where you need to stop the show in an emergency, all you have to do is remove the safety key and stop the firing and it will reset the controller to the beginning of the launch sequence.
The Basic -Cue III II system has 15 outputs for launching, safety key, Buzzer, and control buttons for arming and launching. The LED's also allow the end user to know the status of the controller as it's going through the launch sequence. The Basic-Cue III II system is also a wired system with a wireless upgrade available.
The Basic-Cue II and III have continuity testers built in to test that the ignitor is in working order, a LED to show which output has been fired, and a port for an external 12 volt battery.
