1. Home
  2. ✈ RC aircraft models
  3. 1/2A Glow Head Power

1/2A Glow Head Power

I never seem to have trouble with complex stuff. It's always the embarrassingly simple things.

I want to start 1/2A engines using a Ni-starter. I had an old Cox starter connected to an adapter cord made from a remote glow plug starter, but I was only getting 1/2 a volt at the head and no glow. I measured, and found that there was a healthy drop from the wiring to the head, with an unknown drop from the starter battery itself (the starter makes a glow plug light up just fine).

I have a new Sulivan clip, but before I buy any more stuff to mangle, I want to know:

what do _you_ do to light up your 1/2A glow heads?

Reply to
Tim Wescott
Loading thread data ...

I use 2 alkaline "D" cells in parallel and a Cox clip. I have a buddy that runs a small wire around the cylinder, then he holds the wire to the + of a D cell and holds the - end to the top of the glow plug. Yeah, he flies around with the wire flopping around. mk don't forget to have a small bottle of glow fuel to squirt in the ports to prime with. That's a good ol' smell.

Reply to
MJKolodziej

I use a 1 1/2 volt dry cell, though I too have used 2 alkaline "D" cells in parallel. I use a Cox clip to connect either to the glow head, though I have used 2 large alligator clips for this connection.

Reply to
Randy Maheux

I picked up a 2 volt sealed wet cell from Battery Depot and charge it once or twice in an entire season. I have about 5 foot of wire between the battery and clip and get a solid 1.5 volt at the glow plug.

Reply to
icerinkdad

They still have those old big assed cylinder dry cells? Used one of those in the late 60's for my .049 Baby Ringmaster. Makes me wanna buy an erector set cept I've seen what they go for on Ebay.

Reply to
Fubar of the HillPeople

On Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:48:24 -0800, Fubar of the HillPeople wrote: (top posting fixed -- twice -- TaW)

They have slightly shorter, slightly wider, square, "Hobby Batteries". Functionally the same, if you can find a fresh one. I went to NiCd starter batteries when I went to the LHS and got a five year old "new" hobby cell.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

OK. Finally got the necessary round tuit.

Per advise from the forum on stunthanger.com, I put a pair of alkaline 'D' cells in parallel with, 18-gauge (or maybe 16) wire and the Sulivan clip: things started right up. With a cylinder swap, I even got a high power run. Tee hee! Now if only it'd stop raining, or maybe if I just put boots on...

I did add some heat shrink to the top of the Sulivan clip (the part that engages the button on the head) -- the two bits of metal were awfully close together; the heat shrink should keep things from getting mashed together too easily. Maybe I'll build a holster for the clip, but if it works...

(This is actually part of the ongoing Nobler thread -- I have a half-A Cap 232 model that's been crashed about a bazillion times. It should help get me in shape for the Nobler. I had been running it with a Davis Diesel head, but I kept blowing out head seals, so back to glow).

Reply to
Tim Wescott

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.