striderjg

I found some things you guys might be interested in...


http://www.positiveoffset.com/banana-alligator.htm

But as a note, that alligator clip looks exactly like this....

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

from radio shack. My antistatic mat uses something identical. The ground plug has a banana clip attatched to the lead, that plugs into the back of a a aligator clip looking like the 2 above.

-John

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

Getting close, but notice the power rating on the Radio Shack ones (300 ma). These may have trouble handling the juice a starter pulls.

striderjg

True about the rating, but I'd probably try it anyways Your always gonna be with it when pulling power through it. But then again, I'm not always known for doing the safest of things Another thing you could do is just make ur own converter. Get some banana plug posts, mount them in a block of wood, then run a lead out of the posts to some alligator clips.

Mode One

My first set-up simply used a duplex 120 volt AC recepticle and plugs. The starter went to the plug marked starter and the glow driver went to the other recepticle. This system worked great all the time I used it. I used the ground prong as the method of maintaining and assuring polarity. This system was in use only back in the times when people had common sense and the owner was the only one who used the system and understood the dangers of plugging a 12 volt, DC starter into a 120 volt AC recepticle.

This is not an endorsement of using this system! It is simply a statement that these things can use many different types of componants and things do not have to be complicated to get the job done.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

Since I've managed to plug my glow lead into one of the 12v spots on my power panel (resulting in an instant death to the plug) I guess I'd better not use your method. I don't want to have to buy a new starter! [X(] However, building on your idea, there are plenty of other types of recepticles that could be used on the flight box that wouldn't expose the starter to death by 110v from people like me.

rjm1982

As far as the wire hazard goes...

If you dont have the sense to make sure the things are clear, then yes, it can be a danger. I like how you recommend the wired glow driver though....kinda contradictory to your "danger" speech, a wireless one would be better..

In my opinion, a wired starter and wireless glow driver. It can be tricky to keep both wires out of the way if you use a wired starter and glow driver to the panel, but even then (like when i forget to charge the glow driver) its not bad, i simply keep the box behind the prop line...and put my knee on the starter wire to hold it in front of the prop..

You are correct though, in that it is safer to have everything wireless...but its also more expensive, and the alternative isnt really much more dangerous if any at all as long as the individual practices common sense...

My backup for the banana-clip to aligator clip is easy...i have some gator clips laying around...if i need to use my banana clips on a battery directly, i use the gator clips to "hold" the banana clip against the terminals...simple enough for me as i rarely need to do that (once in a year of flying so far)

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

Please enlighten me on where you perceive the danger is with my wired glow driver. I find they work significantly better than the "wireless" ones.

rjm1982

Piper, that was another example of the automatic "in reply to..." crap that i dont like on this board...that wasnt for you

Was for the dude that said that the wires were dangerous, then recommended the wired (orange box) glow driver...

But as usual, you always have something SO nice to say to me piper, i love you too

Mode One

I did have a safety measure for keeping from plugging my glow driver into the 12 volt side of my duplex AC recepticle. I always had the glow driver shut off and I plugged the starter in first. If it didn't work, I knew I had to plug it into the other recepticle. Also, I didn't use my starter in the house, so there wasn't a danger of plugging it into a hot AC recepticle.

Like I said, this was done back when people had a certain amount of common sense.

As far as the cords are concerned, I always set-up a certain way. This also made sure the cords were automatically out of the way.

I always try to addapt to doing things the best/safest way and don't see cords as being any problem, what-so-ever.