On-Board Glow Systems
 

I have a real fear of rotating propellers and blood. I read an article describing an on-board battery used to start a glow engine. The author claimed he left the battery on all the time when flying.

Then I did some searching and found three commercial (Glowlite 103, MX-9900 by Hobby Racer and one by Nelson Hobby) systems that turn the battery on when required. The prices start at $39.95 but when you add in all the stuff you really need it is a lot more.

Then I found a "do it yourself" article using a switch driven by the throttle servo. It looks easy???

I would like input, positive or negative from anybody that has "been there done that"

On-Board Glow Systems
 

An alternative to those, is a remote starting jack. It clips to the glow plug, and you plug the glow driver into the other end (away from the propeller. Good luck Loren

On-Board Glow Systems
 

I use two of those somple glow drivers. One on a Sig Cap. The other on a Big P 51. They cost me about $15 for each plane. They work fine. It is like my own little ignition system. No problems at all. Sometimes i leave it on dring the flight and sometimes i don't. Wont hurt anything.
l

On-Board Glow Systems
 

On-board glow won't solve your problem of fear of the prop. You'll still have to get down there to start it and tune the need.

Instead of trying to avoid the nose of the airplane, why not do something that'll help you avoid getting hurt? Paint the tips of your prop so you can see the arc.

On-Board Glow Systems
 

had a nelso on board glo system in my extra 300 w/ OS 120, more trouble than it was worth and I was getting interference,after fooling with it for over a month I took it out,bummer. When I'm starting gas or big glow engines,I wear a welders glove.
Have a goodun,John.

On-Board Glow Systems
 

If you want an on-board glow, do what I just did. Get a C cell battery holder, a small switch (toggle or otherwise) and a couple of C cell batteries.

Wire the system through the switch to the glow plug. Turn it on to fly and off when your done. The batter will last all weekend!

The whole thing cost about $9. If you want to get fancy, wire a micro switch that activates when the throttle servo comes down to an idle or close to it.

Mike

Switch for glow plug
 

Now that's an idea MHawker.
You have just started me thinking, you could even link it up onto the throttle servo and adjust it so that it switches it on when you come down past say...1/4 throt, you only really need it just bellow and at the point of throttle for starting.

Even incorperate it into a three-way switch, with a lag setting, I'll demonstrate with a drawing now, this seems quite a novel idea if i may say so myself. The stoppers will put the switch position where it is needed.
This has just jumped into my head, it does probably need some refinement and you are welcomed to put your ideas into this aswell, so I won't take any offence to any criticising you may post.

Cheers and good flying
LEDZ

On-Board Glow Systems
 

On board glow drivers that switch on only at low throttle have been used for years, LEDZx.

I have commercial drivers that include the Ni-Cad battery, optocoupler driven switch, threshold setting pot, and indicator LED..... and I have built home made devices using RadioShack Ni-Cads and a cam driven microswitch to turn on the glow.

Two clever ideas simplify making on board glow drivers.

Instead of a commercial glow plug clip try using one of the brass adjustable control rod clamps that are commonly used to connect control rods to servo wheels. The kind where you poke the control rod through a hole and turn a screw to clamp the rod in place. Drill out the brass fitting so that it will fit a glow plug, solder a (stranded) wire onto the protruding post and clamp it down on the plug. Simple, reliable, no glitching.

Instead of a fancy cam or complex mechanical arrangement to turn on the switch at low throttle, use a simple RadioShack microswitch (rated 3 amps or more) and a string (maybe fishing line) connected to the throttle (linkage or servo wheel) that pulls the switch on at the appropriate point. Don't fuss with the arrangement, just mount the switch on a little balsa block and when you're ready to make the final setting, slide the block along the mounting surface until the switch just comes on, than put a drop of CA to fix it in place.

The good things about a home made glow driver are the low cost, the extra capacity of a decent C cell Ni-Cad, and the ability to add an extra "failsafe" switch on the outside of the plane to shut the system off so you can fiddle with the engine without getting bitten.

idea
 

While I'd like to take credit for this, I found this idea on the web somewhere. But my buddy thought of another way to hook this up.

Here is the pic. It uses a piece of balsa or ?? that slides back and forth with the throttle and activates a microswitch on below whatever point you want.

It is similar to the idea posted above.

Glo Driver
 

I do just what Mike Hawker does and it works the nuts. A simple switch on the outside and its on to start and fly and off when you land. Often I put the switch next to the switch for the receiver power pack and set it up so both switches move in the same direction to fly and for after landing. Radio Shack sells battery holders for either C cell or AA. Just make sure the batteries you use are 1.2 volt and not 1.5 volt. The latter can cause early demise of plugs. From the simple system you can gusy it up with a remote glo starter attachment, good for determining your aux. battery inside died, or a micro switch such as rwh mentions to turn the deal on at low throttle only. The fancy pc board devices selling for 39.95 are ok but like you said you wanted to hear the "been there done that" routines and I've given you mine. I have been there and done that and an old principle comes to mind K.I.S.S. - - - Keei it simple stupid : - )

I know this is a shot in the dark.

I purchased and used an onboard glow system from Model Products QUITE a few years ago. KEEPI IT SIMPLE, STUPID, was exactly what it was. Battery (1.2V, 1800MAH "C" cell) with all the necessary wiring, micro switch and connectors. Worked flawlessly for as long as the plane lasted. System wasn't damaged thankfully, but I need it again. Tried one of those electronic "all in one "packages, and it wasn't worth the shipping to get it to me. LESSON LEARNED.

What I'm hoping to do is get it working again, have everything and the box, but can't find the (or if there were any) instructions.

SHOULD I GET IT WORKING, I PLAN TO MAKE MORE OF THEM. AT WHAT THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM COST I COULD HAVE BOUGHT AND BUILT 10 OF THEM

Any help with the instructions for the original would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
got2tretire

Onboard glow is extra weight and complications. With a finnicky engine that won't idle without it, it makes sense. But I don't see the point just for safety.
What has worked for decades is a good starting procedure. Do it the same way every time, and don't get in a hurry or start your engine while distracted. FWIW, props very rarely hurt you when you touch them from behind. Since they are pushing, they'll just push your hand away. It's happened to me more than once. It's the tips that will slice into you, and the front of the prop that will pull your hand it or at least stop dead on it.
So as long as you give the prop arc a generous safety margin when removing the glow driver, you really aren't in any significant danger.