# Practical Tips for Using Ematches and Wires When Planning a Show

- Date: September 11, 2021
- Series: Pyro Tech Talks 2021
- Recording: available to WPA members (sign in at https://www.westernpyro.org/sign-in)

Without aligning with any firing system, there are several considerations for choosing how to wire effects to firing systems and even simple batteries, along with using long runs of shooting wire. Parallel and Series firing have many different factors that affect them. The proper selection of wire, series vs parallel wiring, and the overall field layout can have a big impact on the success of your show. Will cover how ematches work, shunting, simple methods for calculating the number of ematches you can shoot in various series/parallel configurations, why wire gauge of your shooting wire matters, tips when mixing matches from different manufacturers, and situations where some methods may be better than others. Using standard (<= 24V) vs high voltage capacitive discharge firing units in different situation will also be covered.