Larry Driskill

What are you using for a glow plug battery and clip?

I thought there was a thread on the question, but I have not found it.

I had a fellow who is new to 1/2A asked a similar question after he had burnt some plugs after someone recommended the use of a 6 volt lantern battery.

I use 2 volt gel cell batteries with a resister and amp meter along with a long lead, but that system is a little troublesome to gather all the bits for and make-up.

I like the clothes pin type glow clips because they will work with engines using most any type of plug / head.

What do you think is a good choice for someone getting started in 1/2A?

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

I use the 2 D-cell battery box from radio shack, the cox glow clip and a pair of duracells.I have seen home made clothes pin clips and the one that fits into a glow igniter but the one I have doesnt work , I got it from tower, so I tried to make one but it doesnt work either, I gave all but one of mine out or I'd offer to give you one of mine...Oh Hey Propbuster wont be needing his...Rog

Andrew

I use 2 D cells in parallel with an old style 4 prong COX clip. I have another spring loaded clip that I sometimes use with the D cells. I also have the Sullivan glow adapter that I like since it works with a standard NiCAD glow starter.

If I'm breaking in an engine or the engine is a hard starter, I favor the D cells since they give a little more heat. Otherwise, I use the 1.2v NiCAD.

SGC

I use the 1 1/2V telephone bell battery as used to be with home phones yrs ago, there 2 1/2" dia x 6" tall 5ah with 2 screw terminals on top, these last for ages, Lion Electronics here in Australia get them made in China for hobby use. I cheat with mine and trickle charge them @ 50ma between flying sesions, they last 3-4yrs that way With it I use a Sulivan cloths peg type glow clip
Stewart

Yuu

I use a clip like Andrew's...see his pic. I think it is an old TV antenna wire lead-in clip. I had to bend it a little to fit. I use a 4000 mah ni-cad D cell from Radio Smack....charge it for a week, and it lasts all month. I see now the D cell is only available in 2000 mah. That's okay too. I also have a C*x clip w/ 4 pronges... but it needed to be reworked...the wires are just crimped into it. Might be only one strand of cheap wire trying to heat your glow head. I soldered 12" of heavier lamp cord wires onto the brass clips for good contact...insulated the brass from each other w/ cereal box cardboard, pushed the yellow plastic back on [sorta] and wrapped the yellow plastic with thin wire and Duko glue. Aligator clips soldered on the other end. Radic Smack single D cell battery box... put a 1/2" 6-32 bolt in each end of the box [nut outside the box] and wrapped the box w/ a rubber band for good contact...aligators clip onto the bolts. Now, that's a Good circuit!

hogflyer

Just the typical old Cox glow clip that plugs into the power panel on my box.

Hogflyer

Larry Driskill

Interesting . . . is it a dry cell battery?

Back when I was a pre-teen (Eisehower was President) I used the 1&1/2 volt hobby batteries. I found that if I could get together the funds to buy them two at a time and wire them parallel they lasted much longer than one going solo. But I never tried charging them.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Larry, DuBro makes/made a 1/2A clip that I've used for many years. You need to crimp your own terninal lugs on the connecting wires to make it trouble free. A 12 volt, 4 amp hour gel cell with a little plug in trickle charger work well together, plenty of juce to both crank the engine and light the plug. Hobbico makes a neat little glow driver panel which uses IC circuitry to chop the voltage down to 1.5. Another idea for a 1/2A clip is to just use one of those old BEAR MFG clips that all the combat guys used to use on the .36 engines. Just tweak the jaws to your liking.

Jim Thomerson

I use the 2 volt 5 amp/hr Cyclon gel cell. I have an old Glo-Bee charger I use on them. I use a cut-off 6 ft extension cord with some brand of clothespin clip. I put solder in the cup of the clip to keep it from shorting on Cox heads, as it was too deep. Cox heads work much better on 2-volts. Light them up like a flashlight and your starting troubles will go away.

It is possible to have too much glow. Friend was trying to start a Fox 15 on the bench with my battery. It would only pop and backfire. Immediate stat with a cooler nicad glowdriver.

rainedave

My Feedback: (1)

This:

SGC

Larry,
Yep its a dry cell , not meant to be recharged but 50ma doesnt seem to worry it, depends on how many starts its made , it might not get a charge for 3 weeks.
Stewart