Author Topic: 1.5 volt glow driver ? (Read 3345 times)

Rob Killick · « **on:** August 12, 2008, 07:21:21 PM »

Hi ,

I was wondering who might manufacture a 1.5 volt , Ni Cad , glowplug driver ?
Everything I look at seems to be 1.2 volts .

Thanks ,

Rob Killick

Just One-eye · « **Reply #1 on:** August 12, 2008, 08:14:25 PM »

It is the nature of the type cell that all NiCads have 1.2 V as the base level. Lead Acid cells are 1.5 V, as are the dry cell disposable batteries. There never will be a NiCad with a different base voltage.

Power panels for 12 V gel cell batteries are the answer.

John Paris · « **Reply #2 on:** August 12, 2008, 08:18:17 PM »

Rob,
I thought that all of the ni-cad cells were 1.2V by design. Tower Hobbies does offer one that you can stick a AA battery in that would give you 1.5V, just not too many starts. Link is http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJUJ6&P=0

Good luck,
John

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #3 on:** August 12, 2008, 08:24:23 PM »

A nicad will be about 1.4 volts at full charge, and even when it gets down to 1.2 volts, it will light a glow plug just fine.

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #4 on:** August 12, 2008, 09:23:18 PM »

Tower also sells C and D size drivers. The C seems to be a good compromise for me. Cheap, too.

Ralph Wenzel (d) · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2008, 04:19:35 AM »

In general, the 1.2V NiCad starter produces (almost) exactly the same result as a 1.5V Carbon-Zinc Cell. This is because the internal resistance of the NiCad is so much lower than the other type, that the resulting current is virtually the same. Using the same plug with each type of battery, and the old Ohm's Law E=IR, you can see that if the current is the same, the voltage across the plug is the same.

Radio South produces a glow driver which is current driven, not voltage, and is calibrated to produce a nice healthy orange glow in plugs rated for 1.5 Volts. It works for a l-o-n-n-g time between charges.

Ralph

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2008, 08:20:54 AM »

RCATS also produces a very effective glow ignitor. while a bit more expensive than the little shove in your pocket ni starters, its a real jewel and again, charge it once a year, or twice if you feel better about it

Rob Killick · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2008, 07:09:19 PM »

Hi ,

Thanks for all the help , concerning my glow driver question .
At the moment . I'm using a Qwik Klip and it seems to be barely adequate ( I'll have to get some fresh Ni Cads) , so I'm back to the power panel , which has an adjustable glow plug voltage setting . I just don't like the wires attached to the clip (in case I become more "thumbs" than usual) .

Thanks again ,

Rob Killick

Balsa Butcher · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2008, 09:41:45 PM »

Orange McDaniels starters, with or without the meter have been the standard for years. Still a reliable long lasting product. I recommend without the meter as it is shorter giving more ground clearance making it easier to remove.

Lyle Spiegel · « **Reply #9 on:** August 14, 2008, 09:00:54 PM »

My GloBee uses a 2 volt sealed lead acid- of course the plug voltage is dropped down by the rheostat- sure wish they would bring back those GloBee's.

Ward Van Duzer · « **Reply #10 on:** August 15, 2008, 02:18:29 PM »

FWIW...

The battery in the Glo-Bee is available at Batteries-Plus. The red Glo-Bee cases are often available at R/C Swap shows w/o the battery. I guess the r/c ers are too rich to replace batteries, or it's too easy to just throw them away!

Seems to me I paid about 7 or 8 bucks for the last one I bought.

W

don Burke · « **Reply #11 on:** August 15, 2008, 06:27:38 PM »

I don't know how much a Glo-bee system is worth or costs, but I'm sure that in today's dollars it was just as expensive when ne as the RCATS is today. I use the RCATS system and am extremely happy with it. The "automatic" current/voltage regulation and led indicators make it worthwhile for me. And I am dearly delighted with charging it only once a year.

Howard Rush · « **Reply #12 on:** August 18, 2008, 01:41:27 AM »

Most glow plugs I've used work best at 1.0 volt measured at the plug. The only exception I've seen is the Cox glow head, which takes a higher voltage. For combat, I use an Electronic Nicad circuit that senses the voltage at the plug clip and holds it constant. I don't like the GloBee. It's a 2V cell with a dropping resistor. Glow plug resistance goes down when the plug wire is cold, so if you set the GloBee dropping resistor to start a dry engine, it gives inadequate voltage at the plug to burn out a flood. If you set it to burn out a flood, the plug will glow like a house afire when the engine's not flooded, and the engine will run backward or oscillate back and forth against compression, foiling your one-flip start. Guys who use GloBees successfully for combat are very careful to get the right amount of prime. Those little Nicads on a stick work dandy for stunt. My favorite is a tiny Hangar 9 unit I got at the Muncie hobby shop.

Ward Van Duzer · « **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2008, 09:19:43 AM »

H.

Never experienced any of the problems you mentioned. My problems with the little guys are:

Forget to charge it the nite before. Get to the field with weak battery and have to borrow a light!

Decide to go flying on the spur of the moment. See above.
(No one there to borrow a light from. Go home.)

Often difficult to determine continuity.

Lose the little bugger on the field. (Senior mentality!)

On the other hand...Charge the "Big Red" twice a year, whether it needs it or not.

Never need to borrow a light!

"Big Red" is easy to find in the grass.

One Glo-Bee has lasted me 15 years. Lose 15 little guys a year!

W

Guy B Jr · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2008, 11:54:22 PM »

The "C" size driver from Tower that takes replaceable C size alkaline cells works like a charm.

Bill Little · « **Reply #15 on:** August 27, 2008, 12:29:41 PM »

We have two of the *little* Hanger 9 units and a McDaniels (non panel) big orange one. Hopefully I will have one out of the bunch that will have enough juice to start engines if I forget to charge! LOL!!

I also made a pack out of a Radio Shack box, removable plug clip wire and a locking head clip. It has several C nicads in it and holds a charge for quite a while. We have been known to get the wires very close to the prop, though..... so Aaron like the clip ons! (but the homeade *box* really works great on cold mornings!)

Mongo

Bill Adair · « **Reply #16 on:** August 27, 2008, 08:49:05 PM »

Got too close to the prop a time or two myself.

Now, I attach enough wire length to the battery to place it behind the wing, and drape the wire and clip over the wing. That way the slack is always away from the prop. Of course, this assumes the plane is setting on the ground.

Bill

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #17 on:** August 28, 2008, 07:50:30 PM »

The last Glow Driver I bought came with a NiMH battery. I'm not sure what the voltage of a NiMH battery is, but it works very well. Best thing about NiMH batts is that you can charge them up "just because" without damaging them, unlike a NiCad, which needs to be fully discharged. The worst thing about NiMH batts is that they don't hold a charge as well, over a period of time, as NiCads. But I can buy them cheap and easy at Fry's or Home Depot, and carry a spare, and can also charge them off my 12v. Gel Cell with my handy dandy Magnum Mini Power Panel.

More options isn't a bad thing, along with backups. Basically, if you want long wire leads, you need to use 2v. lead acid, NiCads in series, etc., to get more voltage, then step it down to what the glow plugs can survive. I've seen a lot of guys plug their glow clip into the 12v. pump or starter terminals on their power panel

and roast glowplug after glowplug, and still not get the engine started. Duh!

Steve

Ward Van Duzer · « **Reply #18 on:** August 30, 2008, 08:25:38 AM »

I never understood why they make those power panels with the same type jacks for 1.5 V. output and 12 V. output!

Do the power panel companies make glow plugs?

W.

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #19 on:** September 01, 2008, 03:34:12 PM »

Ward-O...yeah, in a way. Not sure who makes the power panels and glowplugs, but Tower, Sonic Tronics, SIG and most other major hobby manufacturers and shops ( and a lot of the smaller ones), offer both with their own brand name attached. I'm with you...it would make a ton of sense to use different plugs. It is also avoidable by taking a second to look before you plug!

Steve

FLOYD CARTER · « **Reply #20 on:** September 04, 2008, 01:10:44 PM »

I'm using a McDaniels NiCd clip-on. Nice unit because it unscrews and you can replace the battery (cell). It's a C-size. When my Makita battery drill pack went dead, I took it apart and found 7 NiCd "C" cells in it. 2 were dead, but the rest charged up OK. So I have a lifetime supply of starting cells!

Floyd

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #21 on:** September 07, 2008, 09:57:54 PM »

Most "Glow Ignitors" use "sub-C" cells, not full sized "C" cells. I'm a believer in getting the ignitors with the replaceable batteries, but on the other hand, the clip parts are not terribly durable. I just don't have very good karma with Ni-Cads. NiMH's are a cakewalk...whatever that is...by comparison! I need a 12v. x 7amp NiMH to sub for my starter gel cells...I'm not good with those either, apparently.

Steve

Bill Little · « **Reply #22 on:** September 08, 2008, 09:32:06 AM »

Quote from: Bill Adair on August 27, 2008, 08:49:05 PM

Got too close to the prop a time or two myself.

Now, I attach enough wire length to the battery to place it behind the wing, and drape the wire and clip over the wing. That way the slack is always away from the prop. Of course, this assumes the plane is setting on the ground.

Bill

Hi Bill,

With my knees/legs, we almost NEVER start an engine on the ground, at least not at contests! LOL!!

Mongo

Jerry Reider · « **Reply #23 on:** September 24, 2010, 06:53:05 PM »

Quote from: Ward Van Duzer on August 18, 2008, 09:19:43 AM

H.

Never experienced any of the problems you mentioned. My problems with the little guys are:

Forget to charge it the nite before. Get to the field with weak battery and have to borrow a light!

Decide to go flying on the spur of the moment. See above.
(No one there to borrow a light from. Go home.)

Often difficult to determine continuity.

Lose the little bugger on the field. (Senior mentality!)

On the other hand...Charge the "Big Red" twice a year, whether it needs it or not.

Never need to borrow a light!

"Big Red" is easy to find in the grass.

One Glo-Bee has lasted me 15 years. Lose 15 little guys a year!

W

What is a BIg Red glow starter? I've been using NiStarters and I've about had it with them. I bought one at the beginning of the year and the stem broke off it. I soldered it back on and it will be okay. I'm looking for a better brand of glow stick.

Brett Buck · « **Reply #24 on:** September 24, 2010, 09:04:03 PM »

Quote from: Ward Van Duzer on August 18, 2008, 09:19:43 AM

H.

Never experienced any of the problems you mentioned. My problems with the little guys are:

Forget to charge it the nite before. Get to the field with weak battery and have to borrow a light!

Decide to go flying on the spur of the moment. See above.
(No one there to borrow a light from. Go home.)

There's no reason to have to charge a McDaniel battery before every flying session. I charge mine about 3 times a year, and that's out of habit more than it is running them down. An occasional individual cell will self-discharge at a pretty high rate and need it, but the vast majority would probably last 6 months with normal use.

Brett

FLOYD CARTER · « **Reply #25 on:** September 26, 2010, 10:32:58 AM »

For those using a 2 volt lead-acid cell and a dropping resistor, you can replace the resistor with a silicon diode with PIV about 25 volts, and current rating of 2 Amps. This will give a constant glo plug voltage of 1.1 to 1.2 volts regardless of whether the plug is hot, cold, flooded, etc. (You can install the diode in either lead but observe the "arrow" on the diode--it shows current flow + to -)

Floyd

Howard Rush · « **Reply #26 on:** September 26, 2010, 10:56:38 PM »

Plugs will draw about 3.5 amps, though. A short is worse.

FLOYD CARTER · « **Reply #27 on:** September 27, 2010, 12:14:58 PM »

Let's make that a 5 Amp diode. Look for the all-metal "DO-3" package. That should do it.

Floyd

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #28 on:** September 27, 2010, 12:26:43 PM »

The NiCd starters work fine for me for the big planes. For Cox engines I use a pair of alkaline D cells in parallel, with a Sullivan clip and big wires (lamp cord). Something about the Cox glow heads just demands a bit more voltage -- I've got an adapter head for a Cox 049 that uses a regular short glow plug, and it works just fine with a NiCd starter.

Remember that the voltage rating on a battery is just the nominal cell voltage. Most cells put out more than that when freshly charged (a Ni-Cd cell in open circuit, freshly charged, is about 1.25V) and have a useful life down to much less than that (I design for 0.9V/cell for either Ni-Cd or dry cells, when I'm designing circuits, I can't remember what you plan on with a lead acid, but it's significantly less than 2V).

Jim Thomerson · « **Reply #29 on:** September 27, 2010, 01:30:26 PM »

I'm using a 5 amp hr 2 volt lead acid gell cell with a six foot cord to a clip. I generally have two batteries so if one runs out I can switch. Batteries seem to last about 15 years. and need recarging every once in a while. I run Fox 2 volt plugs.