Author Topic: So are my glow starters toast? (Read 4209 times)

Paul Taylor · « **on:** January 29, 2012, 02:13:06 PM »

I have two McDaniel glow starters. (one is a little longer with a meter, the other one is just the standard one)
Anyway long story short...

I went to fly a month ago, and both starters were dead. Had to borrow a buddy's to fly. Came home and did not charge them. Was planning on flying this weekend so I charged both of them on Friday for about 10 hours. Pull them out Saturday and both were dead. So either my charger is back or I may have let the batteries get too low?

They are about two or three years old.

Thoughts?

Bill Little · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:15:57 PM »

Check the output of your chargers. I have had a charger go bad.

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

Randy Powell · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:19:32 PM »

Could be a bad charger, but more likely is your batteries are just kaput.

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #3 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:50:13 PM »

Yep first thing to do is check your charger, can be done just by reading the voltage with a meter. Depending on the design of the charger no load voltage will be anywhere from 2 volts to who knows.. Has to be over 1.2 volts under load to charge a nicad.

I have changed the battery in a couple of those starters, not real hard. The tape around the middle can be pealed off and the plastic covers removed. The hard part is unsoldering and resoldering the outer tube.

Howard Rush · « **Reply #4 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:52:23 PM »

Hook the charger to the one with the ammeter. If the needle goes negative, the battery is the culprit. If the needle doesn't move, it could be either, but it's probably the charger or the circuit into which it was plugged. See what a voltmeter says when you hook it up to the charger. (Bob posted something more useful than this while I was typing this.)

Brett Buck · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:53:51 PM »

Quote from: Bob Reeves on January 29, 2012, 02:50:13 PM

I have changed the battery in a couple of those starters, not real hard. The tape around the middle can be pealed off and the plastic covers removed. The hard part is unsoldering and resoldering the outer tube.

And be very careful not to melt the insulation on the wire going over to the positive side, because when you go to connect it , it will be hard to solder for all the flames and burning teflon. Or so I hear.

Brett

p.s. The open-circuit voltage of a properly-operating Nistarter charger is about 4 volts.

John Stiles · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2012, 03:53:06 PM »

If the charger has a long wire...it could be the wire broke....check the charger's output as close as you can to the charger.....if you have output there, check out at the ends to make sure the wire(s) have continuity.

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2012, 03:59:18 PM »

Thanks guys!
I put a volt meter on the charger and it looks like it is putting out about 2 volts. I plugged the starter into the charger to see if the meter moved. No movement. I went to the web site to see about ordering a new one and noticed that the specs on the charger shows a out put of 1.5 v 300ma. My charger has a output of 1.5v and 170ma. Could that be a problem?

John Fitzgerald · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2012, 04:02:39 PM »

Ni-cad powered glow plug lighters last a long time. I have a Dubro Kwik Start sub C size that is over 12 years old and still works, but it won't hold a charge more than a few days. Its charger output voltage is 4.88 no load.
The output amperage will only determine how long it takes to charge. As long as the voltage is correct and you have a reasonable ma output, the battery will eventually charge.

Bill Little · « **Reply #9 on:** January 29, 2012, 04:04:21 PM »

Hi Paul,

Do you have more than one charger? I probably have half a dozen. I have one very good working charger that has the led burnt out and needs to be replaced......

BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #10 on:** January 29, 2012, 04:24:19 PM »

Hey Bill,
I had another older charger but was 125ma. The plastic was so brittle it broke.

If you are willing to part with the one with the bad LED, let me know what you need.

jim ivey · « **Reply #11 on:** January 29, 2012, 05:01:29 PM »

Paul, just toss it!! i have a portable phone. Kept charging and charging. Finally after being charged all day, it went dead in less than a minute. 17 bucks later, same charger, works fine now

go phigger! get a new one they just git where they won't stay charged. Jim

John Stiles · « **Reply #12 on:** January 29, 2012, 06:12:20 PM »

My exp. w/ni-cads is they try to remember their last condition....if that condition was dead....they tend to want to stay dead.....that's why you charge them back immediately after using them...so they remember to be charged. I hate ni-cads for that reason....rather use NMH.

Howard Rush · « **Reply #13 on:** January 29, 2012, 07:25:56 PM »

Quote from: Paul Taylor on January 29, 2012, 03:59:18 PM

I put a volt meter on the charger and it looks like it is putting out about 2 volts. I plugged the starter into the charger to see if the meter moved. No movement. I went to the web site to see about ordering a new one and noticed that the specs on the charger shows a out put of 1.5 v 300ma. My charger has a output of 1.5v and 170ma. Could that be a problem?

2 volts when it's not hooked up sounds about right. I presume the 1.5V, 170 ma is what the placard on the charger says. It's not a problem unless you're in a hurry to charge your battery.

jim ivey · « **Reply #14 on:** January 29, 2012, 07:48:13 PM »

howard ? is that a J"ohn Wayne Gacy" costume? noi jim

Dan Bregar · « **Reply #15 on:** January 29, 2012, 08:05:36 PM »

Paul

My first McDaniel Ni-Starter lasted 13 years before I traded it in on a new one. I must of got a good one.

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #16 on:** January 29, 2012, 10:45:59 PM »

I get the DuBro unit with the replaceable Sub-C cell. I got one that's for R/C cars (really long stem) that came with a NiMH in it. Thought that might suit me better, but it loses its charge too quickly. Lots of capacity when charged up recently, however.

Steve

Brett Buck · « **Reply #17 on:** January 29, 2012, 10:57:09 PM »

Quote from: Howard Rush on January 29, 2012, 07:25:56 PM

2 volts when it's not hooked up sounds about right. I presume the 1.5V, 170 ma is what the placard on the charger says. It's not a problem unless you're in a hurry to charge your battery.

It's a 4 volt source with a 20 ohm series impedance.

Brett

Larry Cunningham · « **Reply #18 on:** January 31, 2012, 07:51:17 PM »

I think NiCad batteries, once failed are typically gone forever. I believe they can reverse polarity if completely discharged or otherwise abused. But they are fairly benign as modern batteries go.

And I don't believe the teflon insulation burns - plastic does, for sure. The teflon insulation needs a decent cutter tool whereas plastic insulation can easily be torn off, sometimes with your pocket knife or even a thumbnail.

I have an old glow starter with a screw off metal base, so you can replace the battery. It's rather bulky.

L.

"My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It's in the apartment somewhere." -Steven Wright

wwwarbird · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2012, 07:58:54 PM »

When in doubt, throw 'em out. Not worth ruining an otherwise great day at the field.

John Fitzgerald · « **Reply #20 on:** January 31, 2012, 10:06:04 PM »

All the glow plug lighters I have had with the internal battery tend to continually fall off of side mounted engines. If its not a one flip start it becomes frustrating. I like the wired ones better but all the connections must be very secure to work well, plus the wires should be kept reasonably short. Wish I could find a new #6 ignition battery.

John Leidle · « **Reply #21 on:** February 01, 2012, 03:00:14 PM »

I had a charger that required me to wiggle it while on the battery untill the indicator light glowed , , ,poor connection.
John

John Paris · « **Reply #22 on:** February 01, 2012, 03:14:06 PM »

Paul,
My ignitors last between 3 and 6 years. When they no longer hold a charge for the day I trade them in with McDaniels as they have a good exchange program (or at least they did a couple of years ago). I think their new products have NiMH batteries and should perform longer between charges and perhaps have a longer life. Now is a good time to verify and replace field equipment.
John

George · « **Reply #23 on:** February 01, 2012, 03:18:49 PM »

Quote from: Steve Helmick on January 29, 2012, 10:45:59 PM

I get the DuBro unit with the replaceable Sub-C cell. I got one that's for R/C cars (really long stem) that came with a NiMH in it. Thought that might suit me better, but it loses its charge too quickly. Lots of capacity when charged up recently, however. Steve

Sub-C is a size and you will find they vary in capacity. Some have smaller cells plus a spacer to get the Sub-C size.

George

Author Topic: So are my glow starters toast? (Read 4209 times)

John Leidle