Brief:
The Blaster XL is a compact, lightweight single box launch controller that comes with a 6 foot removable power cord with heavy duty battery clips and a 50 foot cable with smooth jaw copper alligator clips. Each cable has its own distinct plug type, so there's no chance of plugging this device in backwards. The detachable aspect of the controller serve as the safety key, which means that's one less thing (such as a launch key) to lose track of on the field. The box itself is small enough that it can be unplugged and tucked into your pocket for a trip out to the pad just in case a curious child spectator feels compelled to plug the box back in while your back is turned. This alone is a distinct advantage over something like the Pratt Hobbies GoBox, which only unplugs from the pad cable. There is also an extensive instruction sheet that goes into great detail about how the controller is used and even includes a polarity drawing of the power in socket. This would be indeed handy should yo u want to make something like a longer power cable or possibly a cigarette light attachment for power.

Construction:
The box itself has two buttons: one for continuity and the other to launch. There is a bright red launch LED that glows when the relay is closed, which is a great feature that could help avoid burning your fingers in case the relay fuses, and there is a loud audible buzzer to indicate continuity when the continuity button is pushed. To use the controller, you want to make sure that one or both are cables unplugged from the box then hook up the igniter before plugging the power and pad cables into the controller. A push on the continuity button sounds the buzzer, indicating good continuity. You release the continuity button and a press of the launch button triggers the relay, which makes the launch LED light up and the igniter itself burns. As this control uses LEDs, which are polarity sensitive, the clearly marked battery clips must be attached to the battery correctly or nothing will actually happen.

Flight:
I used one of a couple 12 volt, 7 amp-hour Power-Sonic gel cell that I got used from the Cleveland Freecycling group. I was hoping to use the multimeter to test it first, as I wasn't sure just how used it was.

The first test was with the old stand by, an Estes igniter. It was attached to the alligator clips and the box plugged in. A touch of the continuity gave me good tone. I then released the continuity button and hit the bright red launch button. There was a satisfying "click" of the relay, the LED lit, and pretty much the igniter instantaneously burnt in half as expected. Test one successful.

Next up was a favorite for me in BP engines: 1.5 inch length of 36 gauge nichrome wire held in place with a tiny ball of flameproof wadding. Since I pack my rockets with dog barf, it makes good use of the stuff that comes with Wal-Mart engines! Hit the button with the nichrome attached and it glowed the entire length of wire between the clips immediately. Test two went very well.

A Luna Tech Pyropak electric match was then tested. These take very little voltage to fire as I remember getting them to ignite in the past with as little as a single AA battery. Happily, the continuity tested good without setting the e-match off. Hitting the launch button make it go with a sweet, satisfying POP! Another big check mark here.

I followed that with an AeroTech FirstFire Jr. that was one of a number I got a while back from Andy Woerner. I've only used this in motors, so I didn't know what to expect having never fired one outside a motor. Continuity didn't set it off but what a show when I hit the launch button! Ignition itself took a fraction of a second longer than the other igniters so far, but it was still under a second between the time the button was pushed and the conflagration began with sparks and flames and smoke and all manner of death and destruction occurring. Remind me to move the next one a little further away from my computer the next time.

I only had one spare AeroTech Copperhead available, which ignited perfectly after being attached to the alligator clips with a Copperhead clip adapter. You have got to wonder why AeroTech makes something out of plastic that sits in direct path of rocket exhaust! Hmm...

As Dan included a DMB Rocketry three motor cluster cable with the controller, I couldn't very well let that go to waste either, so the next round was cluster ignition. First was a set of three Estes igniters. On a side note, if you haven't used DMB's cluster cables yet, I highly recommend them as it's so much easier to have individual sets of clips for each motor rather than twisting igniter leads together. Anyway, pressing the launch button resulted in no discernable delay over a single igniter, so the Blaster XL was holding up well and the battery I was using must be equally up to the task. If I had a larger (or several) cluster cables, I would have done larger clusters of igniters to see how many I could do before there was a problem with reliability. Even then, one should note it would be a problem with my power source and not with the Blaster XL itself.

I did a three igniter cluster again but with 36 gauge nichrome wire, which resulted in near instantaneous burn on all three. Line 'em up and burn 'em all thank-you-very-much. Three Pyropak electric matches went equally as well.

I also tried to locate a few things like some AG-1 flashbulbs that I know I have somewhere and my multimeter, as I wanted to check the voltage and amperage of the battery in case there were problems with it being less than optimal but that ended up not being the case. I wanted the flashbulbs to see if the controller was flashbulb safe but that will have to wait for another day... The box with the flashbulbs also contained a quantity of old Centuri Sure-Shots, FSI style igniters, and a few other goodies which I will eventually try with this fine device too.

Summary:
I am very pleased with DMB Rocketry's Blaster XL and it is assuredly going to be in my hand the next time I hit the flying field. Compared to other launch controllers, it's only a about five dollars more than the Electron Beam, which is incapable of launching a cluster. The Estes "E" controller, which actually costs more, still can't do a cluster. The Estes Command Control and AeroTech launch control are both almost twice as much as the Blaster XL with little more than custom housings to show for it.

I highly recommend this to anyone as a logical step up from the Estes launch controller. With its 12 volt capability and 50 foot pad cable, it's perfect for anything from model rockets through mid power flying.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5