17 replies to this topic

[David]

Anyone know any more about this? Will the maximum NEC be reduced to 1000g for Cat 3? Is there pending legislation (possibly in line with Euro legislation?)

[The Legendary Graham]

NEC or NEQ

[David]

NEC or NEQ

NEC, I assume - whichever is currently set at a 2000g limit for Cat 3 fireworks.

Is there a difference? I assumed NEC= Net Explosive Content, and NEQ = Net Explosive quantity, which in this context are synonyms, meaning the total mass of explosive material in the firework.

[The Legendary Graham]

2000g NEQ FOR A CONSUMER FIREWORK!!!!! where did you read that.
As far as i can remember the limit is 500g neq and the total firework weight must not exceed 10kg.

Edited by The Legandary Graham, 13 August 2009 - 05:54 AM.

[David]

2000g NEQ FOR A CONSUMER FIREWORK!!!!! where did you read that.
As far as i can remember the limit is 500g neq and the total firework weight must not exceed 10kg.

Its always been 2000g, or at least has been for a while.

It's definatly not 500g, thats the American limit.

Catalogues sometimes print NECs, most recently Royal Party this year- they have LOADS of stuff over 500g. Also Wholesalers will sometimes mention individual item's NEC on the invoice (Crazy Horses ((old spec)), for example, is 1300g.)

Another method of working out the NEC is by looking at the net explosive content printed on the carton and/or delivery note, and dividing by the number of fireworks in the carton.

Edited by David, 13 August 2009 - 09:05 AM.

[David]

Here is an example- the carton Collosus (2007 spec) came in- it was a single unit, with an NEC/Q of 1.66KG.



The firework itself is long gone, the box has been recycled to store books!

Edited by David, 13 August 2009 - 09:27 AM.

[Spyrotechnics]

Currently there is a limit on bore size, a limit on powder per tube and a limit on gross weight, the 1000g powder weight comes in next year I believe, however would guess very few items actually exceed 1000g these days.

[David]

however would guess very few items actually exceed 1000g these days.

Yeah- off the top of my head, the only "new spec" 1.4G firework I can think of that might have more is Tiger's Revenge. I think the NEC on the old spec version was close to 2KG.


"Old Spec" Men Shun Dynamite, for example, was just 188 shots, mostly flashpowder peonies, belted out. Even assuming an average NEC of just 10g a tube thats approaching 2kg.

Most of the new spec SIBs I've seen tend to go for a reasonably gentle pace (so less shots), with mixed effects so presumably don't need over 1000g.

[The Legendary Graham]

.

Edited by The Legandary Graham, 13 August 2009 - 03:12 PM.

[chimp]

the 1000g powder weight comes in next year I believe.

Which piece of legislation will cover this?

[David]

Which piece of legislation will cover this?

I was wondering this too. Is it the EU pyro directive (the same one that will probably make the safety distance for Cat 2 8 metres?)

[Arthur Brown]

http://www.berr.gov..../page52459.html

Start reading and find out! The EU directive is there and the UK regulatory enactment as proposed.

[chimp]

http://www.berr.gov..../page52459.html

Start reading and find out! The EU directive is there and the UK regulatory enactment as proposed.

Thanks, should have it digested by christmas.

[The Legendary Graham]

Its always been 2000g, or at least has been for a while.

It's definatly not 500g, thats the American limit.

Catalogues sometimes print NECs, most recently Royal Party this year- they have LOADS of stuff over 500g. Also Wholesalers will sometimes mention individual item's NEC on the invoice (Crazy Horses ((old spec)), for example, is 1300g.)

Another method of working out the NEC is by looking at the net explosive content printed on the carton and/or delivery note, and dividing by the number of fireworks in the carton.

I was probably thinking of the American limit.
I dont use consumer gear much anymore only plain brown boxes.

[David]

Thanks, should have it digested by christmas.

To give a (very brief) summary it would appear that the aim is to standardise legislaton across Europe- common market and all that.

However, they are still keeping specific restrictions on a national level -as such our (British) ban on bangers WILL still apply to bangers bought in France etc.