Energy efficient wireless detonator system

A method of operating a blasting system which includes a network comprising control equipment and a plurality of detonators which are arranged in respective boreholes, wherein each detonator has a signal reception and a signal transmitting capability, a counter and a unique identifier and wherein, in terms of the method, a signal which is originated at the control equipment and which is transmitted by a sink detonator is received by at least one other detonator which in response thereto transmits a signal to at least one further detonator in the network, whereby the signal is moved from detonator to detonator through the network until each detonator in the network has received a corresponding signal and a target detonator has received a signal which is intended for it where-upon a signal containing identifiers of the respective detonators is propagated through the network to the sink detonator which transfers such signal to the control equipment which then establishes a computer representation of the network including the boreholes, the detonators and the identifiers of the detonators, and wherein the respective counters of the detonators are simultaneously incremented and each detonator is placed in an arm mode of a defined duration when the number of increments in that detonator reaches a predetermined value and wherein a fire signal from the control equipment is transmitted to all of the detonators during the duration of the arm mode.